Bethlehem (300), Fri 27.1.12, Morning
am 09.00 – 11.00
Bethlehem - Checkpoint 300: three inspection stations were open and there were no queues. Only a few people were refused entry (including a woman whose pass was only valid from the following Sunday, who was forced to return home; a woman who came with her daughter and had her birth-certificate but no permit; another woman with her daughter without her birth-certificate). The checkpoint staff barred the entry of “terrible enemies”. . . .
A new security guard, smiling and Arabic speaking, at first tried to argue that we were forbidden to stand inside the building but understood that he didn’t have the authority to eject us.
A volunteer from the Bethlehem team told us that they were already not allowed to stand and observe what was happening on the Palestinian side of the checkpoint.
Following the things that Hannah recorded about the absolute right of a citizen to enter, stand, converse . . . is it possible that this is also correct regarding someone who is not a citizen of the country ? I told her that I shall check this and I shall be happy to receive an authoritative answer.