Bethlehem, Sun 27.9.09, Morning

6:50 Bethlehem - Checkpoint 300: as expected, very few people because of the closure for Yom Kippur. As we approached, some men, who were already going back to Bethlehem beckoned us and we asked to come back to the window to talk to us.
There were four of them: One had a 0.00 permit, i.e. a permit that allows him to stay overnight. He has a family on the Israeli side, but had been visiting his aged parents and was refused entry. Our telephones to the humanitarian line and our pleas with the soldiers did not help: he should have gone back before midnight on Saturday. That was their verdict. Nothing to do about it, the father will not be able to cross over until Tuesday morning or after dark on Monday.

The other cases, a teacher at the WAKF school and two people who didn't even wait for us to call, were all going back to "celebrate" the holiday.
 

We did not go to Etzion DCL assuming it was closed.