Bethlehem, Fri 24.6.11, Morning
9:00-11:00 am
Bethlehem– Checkpoint 300: the parking lot is blocked off.
Three booths are open; there are almost no lines.
A man with a working permit, accompanied by two small children, is refused entry.
A young Palestinian man shows his permit, but the female soldier tells him that the Shin Bet refuses him entry. He doesn’t understand why but says he has to transfer money for his children’s health insurance. A young woman who speaks with him in English waits for him at the exit, and he decides to give her the documents and the money. She asks him why he isn’t coming through, but he has no explanation. She takes the material and leaves.
At that moment a security man comes out and the Palestinian tries to speak to him:
- Look, I have a permit but they’re not letting me cross…
The security man looks at the permit and says to the soldier – the permit is valid…
The soldier: But in any case the Shin Bet refuses him entry.
The security man returns the permit to the Palestinian, who suddenly says:
- Wait a minute, that’s not even my permit, it belongs to a friend of mine!
He takes out the correct permit, which the soldier looks at suspiciously, but he crosses.
Yes, there are also stories like that…!
A conversation with two security men about 'the situation' follows:
"They’re willing to listen, speaking softly and respectfully."
A few more children who are not allowed to cross are disappointed.