Beit Ummar, Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Nabi Yunis, Mon 16.3.09, Morning
06:45 AM, Bethlehem - Checkpoint 300: only three open positions, long lines at each, and heavy pressure of people on the Palestinian. According to a foreign volunteer, it went well this moprning, without pressure and they passed quickly. He said there were five open positions, and then six checking points.
The Palestinians say that it took between one and two hours to pass. We phoned the Humanitarian Centre twice to get them to open another position. Finally, after yet another call from Chana, another point was opened by an officer who was willing, but not quite familiar with reading the documents. Where had the women soldiers gone? The pressure was so great that there were occasional loud vocal exchanges between the people waiting and the security men who tried to keep order. All in all, not pleasant to say the least.
08:00 AM, Etzion DCL: few people, perhaps ten, waiting. They opened on time. When we returned there at 10:00 there were only three waiting at the invitation of Shabak. All the others had already entered.
08:30 AM, Beit Ummar: no activity.
09:00 AM, Nabi Yunis: we dealt with various requests.
10:00 AM, Etzion DCL: we went home.