Bethlehem (300), Etzion DCL, Sun 13.1.13, Morning

Translating: Naomi Gal 

Bethlehem – Checkpoint300:

07:10 AM, we arrive amidst masses of people who had already left the Checkpoint and they report a relatively good morning. There is no one inside, but after a few minutes the hall fills up again. We hear no distress’ sounds from the other side, on our side the passage proceeds rapidly. It seems that the new method of checking a fingerprint instead of the “Bassma”, checking the whole palm, accelerates the passage considerably.

7:20AM,  crossing over is done for now and the soldiers leave. One window remains open.

8:20 AM,  Etzion DCL:. quite a few people come to us for help, all of them prevented from crossing by the GSS. There is no one inside. A few minutes later two people arrive and ask us to wake up the soldier in the window. We call the woman-officer inside and the soldier wakes up and lets them in. He asks who we are, and whether we’d like to come in. After an explanation about our true identity he sees no reason not to let us in, as well, and indeed we have the dubious honor to enter a room with the windows for the public. Less than 10 people are sitting there, angry since they did not know that the time for receiving new magnetic cards begins at 12:00 on Sundays. Although a notice is posted in the waiting room, it is still unexpected. A young woman without a head cover has not been here for the last two years and she is in a rush to get on time to work. Since she has no choice, today is her assigned day, she sits down to wait for hours until the soldier will arrive.