Etzion DCO, El Khader, Bethlehem CP 300

Bethlehem -Thurs. NOv. 25,04 PMObservers: Maya, Gili, Nurit (reporting)Shift took place between 3-6pmETzion DCO--We arrived at about 3:15 pm and found the waiting room clean and empty. We asked the soldier on the roof if the place was open and were ignored. AT about 3:40 two men came in and asked us to help them fill out a form in Hebrew. They told us the following story:They represent an asphalt production company in the occupied territories (in the Hebron area) who has recently bought the equipment of a similar Israeli company that just shut down. They were not able to get a permit to enter into Israel and pick up their newly purchased equipment (perhaps because of the closures). While they were trying to do so, the equipment was STOLEN. They arrived at the DCO with a letter from the company in Kiryat Gat that explained this situation. The last line in this letter said that it was the responsibility of the Palestinians to arrange a permit into Israel in order to see what was going on with their newly purchased, and apparently stolen equipment. These men were extremely pleasant and appreciative of our help and expressing wishes of all us, Israelis and Palestinians living together in peace ("there is enough room for all of us here"). AFter this pleasant exchange they approached the window, being let in by the soldier on the roof through the turnstile and they spoke to the person at the window who refused to serve them declaring the DCO closed. We looked at our watches and saw that it was a few minuets before 4PM. We were angry and tried to talk with the soldiers and made a few calls, but Azar was in a meeting, a woman soldier who answered me put me on hold for 5 min. and the guard on the roof ignored us. Another guard at the other gate expressed his sympathies and said that he was new there and didn't know anything. We also called Eyad, who did not answer but called us an hour later (when we were no longer there) and insisted that the soldiers worked until 4PM. We expressed our frustration with the soldiers at the window seeing the Palestinians there with their neatly filled out forms in Hebrew and turning them away. Another little cruelty. The whole story is really awful and I'm very sorry that we didn't take these men's names.Later when we were at CP300 we ran into AZar and told him the story and he said he would take care of them on Sunday. Please, for the people on shift on Sunday morning, would you look for these men? I think it would make a good story for the press.Etzion CP--emptyEl Khader: Busy, lots of traffic, no soldiers.Beit Jala:--long lines in both directions. No irregularities, the traffic was moving, but slowly.Bethlehem CP 300--long long lines of cars in both directions. Very polite BP who again asked us for our own safty to stand at a distance. We noticed a young settler couple with a baby wandering around the checkpoint and nobody said anything to them about not being in the checkpoint for their own safty or for any other reason. When we asked why they don't open up both lanes, again, as in previous visits, they said that they did not have manpower to check in both directions at the same time.