Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Sun 29.3.09, Morning

7:00 AM, Bethlehem CP 300:  this is a terrible morning, cold, rainy and for some reason unknown to us, slow, terribly slow. People exiting complain of having waited since way before 05:00 AM and only now exiting. The Ecumenicals have counted 500 people less going through at this hour than on normal days (is there such a thing as a "normal" day?) There were many people in the humanitarian line and the women coming through were doing OK. This includes the five female medical students who came through and all were allowed to come in, including the one who was refused all of last week. Smiles on these faces, at least. The men, however, were totally disgusted. One of the EAPPI told us of a security man, with a black vest, spitting on the crowd below! She was disgusted when she described how he filled his mouth with saliva and aimed it at the workers. We complained and then the EAPPI person who had seen him, pointed him out to us. He had come over to our side and joined us below. We asked him what his name was and he said "Asher". When asked if he had spit on the people, he denied it, but said they did deserve such treatment in any case!

We heard a lot of screaming and shouting and falling objects and heard from the people exiting that there had been so much shoving and squeezing that it was hard to breathe. The girl soldier in booth #7 behaved with a great measure of scorn and loating in her body language, talking on the phone and fidgeting with her hair all during her work.

9:00 AM: we left when the place was almost empty.

9:15 AM, Etzion DCL:  few people, but a few complaints and requests for help. Again there were people coming to look for their confiscated work permits. We were able to help one of them, a thirtyish guy, who has been working for five years in a hostel for the elderly in the Old City. His permit was taken away from him at the Bethlehem CP on Thursday and was told he could pick it up at the DCL in Etzion. He couldn't work on Friday and Saturday due to the fact that the DCL was closed and today he was told they didn't have it! Some phoning around (incl. to the head of the CP 300) finally got him his permit back at 12:00. At least he will be able to go back to work tomorrow.

What is the reason for these unjustified confiscations?