Bethlehem

Observers: Y. E., C. O., T. G., T. G.

This report is written in regard to the announcement by the army
spokesperson and the office of civil administration regarding the
need for special permits for passage in order to participate in
Ramadan prayers. The requirement is not legal and is illogical. It
represents a severe infraction of the freedom of religion and
worship. It is clear to us that the army had neither the ability to
convey the information about the requirement to the Palestinian
population, nor do it have any intention to actually do so, and
therefore the demand for such authorization for passage was a
fraudulent deception. The contempt of the administration in the
matter is evident in that the district commanders distributed a
total of 5000 permits for the entire population of the occupied
areas, including Gaza (some 3 million people), which in itself is
ludicrous, malicious, and provocative.

C. got a call from the work dispatcher of the bus company in Hebron
at 6:30 in the morning saying that a driver, with a license to
transport passengers from Hebron to Bethlehem reported that all
buses were prevented by soldiers of the Etzion battalion to pass
through the Etzion checkpoint from 5:00 a.m. that morning. He
reported that hundreds and perhaps even thousands of Palestinians
were stuck at the checkpoint and were not allowed to pass through.
We informed the media about this and made contact with the UN
observers. We went to the checkpoint at 9:00 a.m. and along the
entire way, we did not see any movement of Palestinians, not at
checkpoint 300 and not at El Khader, not at Etzion, and not at
Halhul. At Halhul, we were told that the hundreds of people at
Etzion were allowed to go by foot in the direction of El Khader. We
left with the impression that the people will try to reach prayer
services via Bethlehem or via the Container. We returned to
checkpoint 300 by way of the Tunnel Road.

Checkpoint 300 - The Gilo intersection near checkpoint 300 was
blocked to all vehicles and there were dozens of police and border
police, some of them lurking to pounce on Palestinians who had
attempted to circumvent the checkpoint via Tantur. We went by foot
toward the checkpoint that was reinforced with a large number of
troops –“Nahal” brigade # 50, the Etzion brigade, and border police
from Beit Horon and Jerusalem. The military jeeps blocked the road
and wire fences were spread out all along the way. Hundreds of
Palestinians, the majority of them elderly who wanted to get to
their prayer services, crowded around the fence and filled up the
“sleeve” that leads to the inspection booth where i.d.’s are
checked. According to the report of a UN inspector, there were also
large numbers of Palestinians on the Palestinian side of the
checkpoint – some 1000 people. Not one of them was allowed to pass.

11:30, the time of the prayers arrived, and very few people had
been allowed to pass. Many others bowed down opposite the wire
barriers and prayed there. At about one o’clock, the crowd
dispersed and returned to their homes. The checkpoint was under the
command of the Etzion brigade and the ‘Nahal” unit that now is
permanently stationed at the checkpoint.

We had a conversation with Nadav, the new commander of the Etzion
brigade and Avi from the Etzion DCO. In response to our contention
that the DCO is not able to meet the needs of the population, he
said that the Etzion district commander serves some 80,000 people,
and would be able to cope if they did not come in huge waves. The
DCO allowed 400 pass permits for Ramadan which were processed
according to age and security clearances. He felt that that was a
reasonable number. According to him, not all those who applied
passed through to Jerusalem for two reasons. One was political –
that the Palestinians refuse to take a permit for prayers. The
second was because of the pressure at the checkpoint, it was not
possible for many of those with permits to get through the mob and
be allowed through. To our question about how the Palestinians were
supposed to know that they needed permits, he answered that great
efforts were made, and that announcements were made three days
previously on Bethlehem television and on Israel Arabic broadcasts.