Bethlehem third Friday of Ramadan

9:00 to 11:00

Like last week, women pass around, the men pass through the checkpoint, but exit directly to the courtyard parking lot.

At the beginning of the shift the stream of people was much thinner than it was a week ago. One of the officers said that today the age limit for men is over 50, while a week ago it was over 40.

At the end of the shift it will turn out that this information is not accurate, but that this is again the power game of an omnipotent ruler.

One young woman is being interrogated and then returned to Bethlehem. Apparently she has no permit and/or is not at the appropriate age and/or they want her to collaborate and/or one of her family members threw a stone and she is prevented from entering Israel?

We pass to Bethlehem’s side - Hanna says the situation there is not good; there is tension and violence in the air. We go through the large gate in the wall. There are multitude of soldiers, policemen and DCL senior-officials. Many soldiers are armed with cameras and are busy commemorating the seniors’ visit and are trying to photograph a large crowd of Palestinians showing how Israel allows them to perform their rituals...

The passage is very slow, occasionally the progress is halted, and the soldiers check strictly. On the roof there are 4 soldiers, two of them with a gun pointed at the crowd waiting to cross.

At one point one of the senior commanders gives instructions to pass the people and a mass advances towards the checkpoint. We return to the side of Jerusalem and pass around with the women.

Back at the parking lot entrance we meet again the policeman who spoke about a more severe restriction this week. Now he argues that since morning everyone knows that they intend to pass all but they have to wait for the final command. They know it since 6:30. The official command came at 10:30. Of course the time and nerves of the Palestinians do not really interest anyone on the Israeli side.

Yael, Clair Oren (reporting)

Translation: Naomi Gal

9:00 to 11:00

Like last week, women pass around, the men pass through the checkpoint, but exit directly to the courtyard parking lot.

At the beginning of the shift the stream of people was much thinner than it was a week ago. One of the officers said that today the age limit for men is over 50, while a week ago it was over 40.

At the end of the shift it will turn out that this information is not accurate, but that this is again the power game of an omnipotent ruler.

One young woman is being interrogated and then returned to Bethlehem. Apparently she has no permit and/or is not at the appropriate age and/or they want her to collaborate and/or one of her family members threw a stone and she is prevented from entering Israel?

We pass to Bethlehem’s side - Hanna says the situation there is not good; there is tension and violence in the air. We go through the large gate in the wall. There are multitude of soldiers, policemen and DCL senior-officials. Many soldiers are armed with cameras and are busy commemorating the seniors’ visit and are trying to photograph a large crowd of Palestinians showing how Israel allows them to perform their rituals...

The passage is very slow, occasionally the progress is halted, and the soldiers check strictly. On the roof there are 4 soldiers, two of them with a gun pointed at the crowd waiting to cross.

At one point one of the senior commanders gives instructions to pass the people and a mass advances towards the checkpoint. We return to the side of Jerusalem and pass around with the women.

Back at the parking lot entrance we meet again the policeman who spoke about a more severe restriction this week. Now he argues that since morning everyone knows that they intend to pass all but they have to wait for the final command. They know it since 6:30. The official command came at 10:30. Of course the time and nerves of the Palestinians do not really interest anyone on the Israeli side.