Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Sun 13.3.11, Afternoon

 Etzion DCL, 15:45 pm:  the parking lot was not as full as usual, as was the waiting  hall. Six people were waiting to go in, including 2 young and 2 elderly women, the latter seem to be in poor health. All require magnets or renewal of magnets. Five people had gotten in c. 15 minutes earlier, we were told. Those leaving the office reported of 13-20 people inside.



15 minutes later, we are asked impatiently about the chances of going through before the end of the day; one man had already wasted a day last week leaving with empty hands. In the meantime, a man with a young child arrives for a permit ("Tassrich") that are supposed to be ready for him, as he had been told by the Peres Center for Peace. The soldier inside does not react to our attempts to get his attention. We go out to ring the intercom and, after several attempts, get to talk to a female soldier. After some negotiation, she agrees to receive from us a list of those waiting for magnets, who would be received the following morning without a queue (instead of waiting another week for the day designated for their village). We prepared a detailed list and tried, desperately, to get the soldier's reaction in order to hand them the list, as agreed. However, the soldier at the front ignores us, and the intercom is suddenly disconnected. We call the phone number that appears on the poster in the waiting room and reach not the office, but a headquarters. They promise us to call the office for us just to draw the soldiers' attention (I can't believe I'm writing this absurdity; must it really be that cumbersome?). THe soldier finally raises his head and looks at us. We talk and explain the situation and the list agreement. He agrees to let 2 people in: the one who needs to collect his permit; and one of the 2 elderly women, who takes the list inside. The others go home in order to return the next morning. In order to ensure our effort (and the people's patience) were not in vain, we give one of them our phone number in case the agreement is not respected by the office. We assume it all went well, as nobody called the next morning.

Bethlehem – Checkpoint 300, 17:00 pm:  passage of people is smooth, as there is no control and the only soldier around sits with her back to the passers by, checking only the permits of those entering Jerusalem.