Bethlehem

Etzion: A man-hunt was in progress in
the grove behind the fence, and shots were heard. The soldiers came
back with excited faces. The Palestinians told us that on the other
side of the road an arrest cum beating was taking place. There was
a female officer there plus four soldiers executing the forceful
arrest. The beating stopped when we came, the guy was handcuffed
and taken away. One detainee. The soldiers refused to give their
names when we requested. N. went to speak with the commander, who
expressed interest in our work. Their ambivalence towards what they
are doing was apparent. At the checkpoint, business was brisk.
Palestinians exited through the fence, one by one, with worried
faces, and showed papers. Most were passed. Age limitations for men
were enforced, with some exceptions that could show medical
certificates and the like. However, they are really not
knowledgeable enough to determine what medical procedure is
important and what isn't. For instance, a cardiologist wanted to
pass through with his son, who has a high cholesterol problem. The
soldier did not believe that a young man could have high
cholesterol. By the time we convinced him, it was too late, the
young man had left. Women continued along the inner fence without
having IDs checked; men or boys who tried it were yelled at. Buses
took passengers and left. Some 15 people caught for trying to pass
around the checkpoint sat behind the fence waiting for their IDs.
They said they'd waited since the early morning. They told us about
two beaten detainees locked inside a metal shack behind the barbed
wire, just behind the ID checking station. We were first told these
are security suspects; later the version changed to "resisted
to arrest". Most of them got their IDs back and
disappeared.

Etzion: When we arrived, the officer in charge did not know who we
are, and the soldiers tried to kick us out, but they were not
really a bad lot. We asked about easing of conditions, and all they
knew is that 3000 new permits had been issued.

Back to El-Khadr: Many pedestrians. People said that army comes,
does some ID checking, leaves. The owner of one of the stalls
greeted us warmly and treated us to coffee. He sells falafel,
coffee, cigarettes, etc. and also has quite a few beds there to
rent to people who are stuck at the checkpoint with no place to
sleep. The owner had been caught without a permit in Israel, and
now could not return. The people operating these stands are from
various areas south of Qalandya, who come here to try to eke out a
living. They told us about smashing and breaking attacks on their
business, and also on cars, carried out in the past by the border
police. Apparently they actually filmed such an attack. Also, we
were told some exits on Rd 60 were opened, but if a car with a
Palestinian number tries to exit, it is confiscated. We heard that
a new roundabout road is being paved for the Palestinians who are
not allowed to go on the big new road. We were told that this other
"Palestinian road" will take hours to reach a place that
would take minutes on the big road.

9:00AM, Bethlehem. Several dozens of people were brought, caught
trying illegal entry. A transit driver was waiting, stopped with
his two Palestinian passengers without permits. There is a hut at
the checkpoint, with a fairly polite young woman in civilian
clothes who ushered people in. We were told that Palestinians who
were caught, are fined 3000 NS fine, plus something called
"prevention of entry". The owner of the car that tried to
bring them across was from Jerusalem, with a yellow plate, and his
car will be confiscated for a month.