Etzion DCL, Tue 25.1.11, Afternoon

 14:30 till 17:30 

15:10 PM,  Etzion DCL:  the parking space was almost full, and in the  hall 26 men waited. Most of them stood pressed together on the stairs, leading to the turnstiles and the registering soldier at the counter behind. Unlike last Tuesday the soldier was working and was calling up one after the other. Somebody from the Palestinians told me, that today nobody was waiting more than an hour, most of them in order to get a new magnetic card. Between 15:20 and 15:45 PM the soldier let in 14 people. After Channah had told him that there would be 2 elder men suffering from standing in the queue he gave them preference.

There was a man who did not get a magnetic card and was working in Israel. Another one had problems with the confiscation of a car, which was not his. Channah made a connection to the Center (moked) who invited him for the next morning.

at 16:10 PM a pregnant woman arrived , who could pass right away.

At the entrance door was written, that the DCL was open for the public until 17:00 PM.. At 16:20 PM 7 Palestinians were let in. Channah told me (I diid not hear it), that at this occasion soldiers asked how many people in total are still waiting. Somebody and Channah answered "three", but when these people came back there was a fourth one with them. I had seen this man before. He had just left to smoke a cigarette. 

 From now on there was a conflict between the soldiers and us. The soldiers said: "you said three, and  now we are accepting three. What do you want?"  We tried to convince them to accept the fourth man too, because he was also waiting for a long time, and just had left for a moment.To no avail. While the man staid we left at 17.00 PM hoping that after our departure the soldiers perhaps would feel pity and elaborate his case too.

I should report that this is the first time in my experience that the office was open until at least 5 o'clock. In fact, the last few applicants were allowed in, just after five. This was something we all appreciated.

During the afternoon, though, we had to make numerous phone calls, urging the soldiers to allow people in. They claimed they could not let more people in because there was already such a crowd upstairs.  Perhaps this was correct but, if so, those in charge should take into account that there are ALWAYS crowds of people who have to come (not of their own choice) and enough staff should be made available to handle the traffic. It is totally unjustified that someone who has come on the appointed day and waited for hours  has to be turned away because 'it is too crowded upstairs' (one man was ecstatic because today, after two weeks of failure, he finally got in and received his card).