Bethlehem

07:15, Etzion. A relatively long line
queuing behind the fence and a single bus parking in the compound.
After nearly a month during which bus drivers on the
Halhul-al-Khader route were grounded and public transportation all
but non-existent, an innovation was introduced: some bus-drivers
are allowed to move between Halhul roadblocks and a curve near
Etzion junction (yet not to reach the checkpoint itself), where
they are forced to turn back, others are allowed to move between
Etzion and al-Khadr roadblocks (each section of the route app. 12
km long). Passengers arrive at the checkpoint vicinity with one
bus, undergo a permit & ID check, and if not refused passage,
have to catch another bus to al-Khadr. Three soldiers conducted the
check, enforcing the by now routine siege regulations that prevent
men under 45 who do not hold permits to work in Israeli settlements
from crossing to Bethlehem. Many of the refused men decided to line
up again. This paid off this time, since two of the three soldiers
eventually softened and were willing to reconsider pleas, let
through medical patients, etc. They also allowed our intervention
and even sought our help as translators. Nonetheless, dozens of men
were not allowed to continue their journey, and had to return
home.

Halhul: We were approached by a group of devastated bus drivers.
Not only was their already circumscribed route cut into half, but
also passengers are reluctant to board on their vehicles. By now,
too many people are discouraged from making the journey to
Bethlehem, weary of being forced back at Etzion. Indeed, while we
were there six or seven empty buses were at the roadblocks site,
the drivers restlessly moving them from here to there, raising
clouds of dust all over the place. Among them was a veteran driver
from Fawwar refugee camp who told us his unbelievable story: From
1979, and for 23 straight years, he was a driver on the 'bridge
route' (taking passengers to and from the crossing bridge to
Jordan), until one day in July 2002, his permit/license was
suspended. The reason: it was claimed (by the General Security
Service) that he is a relative of a previously wanted Palestinian
from Nablus (with whom he shares the same last name), shot and
killed by the IDF on that month. Now the driver has to prove that
there is no blood relationship. Problem remains unsolved. We also
met the bus driver whose ID and bus-keys were confiscated last
Sunday, and have still not been returned. Since 29.6 he has gone to
the civil administration each and every day - in vain. He even
bounced into the soldier who took his ID and keys, but the soldier
pretended not to know him. This case is all the more disturbing
since we gave the civil administration in both Etzion and Hebron
the number of the jeep which took the bus-keys.

Al-Khadr roadblocks. Bethlehem redeployment does not include this
part of the district, where closure is as usual. Nonetheless, the
soldiers manning the junction + roadblocks today were easy going in
comparison with the border policemen we encounter there regularly.
Variations on a theme.