Bethlehem, Tue 23.11.10, Afternoon

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Observers: 
Yael L.-J. (reporting). Avital F. (translating)
Nov-23-2010
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Afternoon

14.00 PM till 16.30 PM

14:00 PM: I picked up Avital at Giv'at Ram. From there our route led us to checkpoint Wallajee (14.45 PM, empty). After crossing the checkpoint of the tunnel road, we arrived at Etzion DCL at 15.10 PM. No-body was there. A sign informed us that the office this day closed at 13.30 PM. 

Question:  this situation, standing before closed doors in Etzion DCL happened to us already twice before. The Palestinians seemed to be informed. No-one of them was there.

May it be possible for us observers to get this information too and on time - through Machsom Watch?

It takes time, gasoline and money (I always pay by myself) to get to Etzion DCL and it is the second time that we wasted our time and money.

Anyway: we continued (15.15 PM) to drive via Herodion and checkpoint Har Homa (also deserted) to:

16:05 PM, Bethlehem - Checkpoint 300:   workers and employees (a few women) arrived by busses and ran to the two open counters (3 and 4). The soldiers checked documents for a while, and each time when the queue got too long they opened the middle door and let everybody pass without checking them. The result was: fast passage - the Palestinians did not have to wait too long.

The checking crew was mixed: a blue police officer, two young soldiers at the counters and two security guards (from a private guarding company) overseeing the crowd.