Bethlehem

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Jul-13-2003
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Etzion, 07.20. Tightly enforced
closureinfo-icon/siege measures. The number of soldiers more than doubled,
and the "punishment cage" has been re-activated This is
an iron cubic-shaped device, with a base area of no more than 1.2
sq. meters, occasionally used for "teaching a lesson".
This morning the cage inhabited two detaineesinfo-icon, who, as soon as they
saw us (through tiny windows placed in the middle of each side),
started to wave their hands, bang on the cell walls, and sing
loudly. When our interaction with the soldiers became less tense,
we managed to talk to the detainees. Both are residents of Yatta
(south of Hebron); the 29 years works at a marble workshop in
al-Khadr, the 17 years is unemployed. They were caged around 5.30
AM, after re-boarding a bus to al-Khader, despite being denied
passage. The soldiers first said the two are wanted, but later
admitted that: "These men can only learn the hard
way...punishment is the only language they understand...".
Still, they insisted that the two should be interrogated. We
contacted the Moked (hot-line) and made sure that the soldiers knew
it. Meanwhile, passengers arriving from Halhul were treated with
arrogance and bad will. All those without permits were denied
entrance to the Bethlehem district. Among them residents of
Ramallah who were returning from family visits in Hebron, and
residents of Bethlehem whose IDs indicate a former place of
residence. Halhul: The bus drivers on the Halhul al-Khadr route
have been facing weeks of full grounding, confiscation of IDs and
keys, detention, the shortening of their route to a ridiculous 15
KM, prohibition to park at checkpoint compounds, and more. Now,
apparently, the civil administrationinfo-icon has introduced a new permit
system, which will cost 11 of the current 30 drivers on the line to
lose their license to carry passengers -- and there is no address
to which one can complain. Returning to Etzion at about 9:30, we
found that the older detainee had been released (no interrogation),
but the hot-tempered, and daring 17 year was still in the cage. We
left with a heavy heart, and later learned that he was only
released at 1.30 PM, some eight hours after he was placed in the
cage.