Bethlehem (300)
9:00 to 11:00
There are many people today, perhaps because of the Prophet’s birthday, which falls on Sunday?
Most of the time there are 3 open windows, sometimes 4, many children, bouncing around, happy and gay.
The passage is relatively quick, without a long wait. Of course, they may have waited for quite some time on the Palestinian side…
An elderly woman is detained at a window after she gave papers that do not match the requirements. She immediately shouts that she is a tourist from Jordan and that she left her passport with a visa at a hotel in Jerusalem. The soldier – a young woman officer – probably doesn’t understand Arabic and insists on not listening to the woman but addresses only the soldier at the window. This soldier doesn’t even remember if those papers are the tourist’s or other woman’s, who as well was not allowed to pass. They go through a few moments of a dialogue of the deaf. Eventually the commander arrives and at once everything falls into place.
The long lines begin to decrease only towards 11:00
Bethlehem (300)
See all reports for this place-
Located adjacent to the Separation Wall ("Jerusalem Wrap") at the north entrance to Bethlehem, this checkpoint cuts off Bethlehem and the entire West Bank from East Jerusalem, with all the serious implications for health services, trade, education, work and the fabric of life. The checkpoint is manned by the Border police and private security companies. It is an extensive infrastructure barrier and is designated as a border terminal, open 24 hours a day for foreign tourists. Israeli passport holders are not allowed to pass to Bethlehem, and Palestinian residents are not allowed to enter Jerusalem, except those with entry permits to Israel and East Jerusalem residents. Israeli buses are allowed to travel to Bethlehem only through this checkpoint.The checkpoint, which demonstrated harsh conditions of crowding and extreme passage delays for years, started employing advanced electronic identification posts and has upgraded its gates' system as of the middle of 2019 - and conditions improved.Adjacent to the checkpoint, in an enclosure between high walls and another passage, is the historic Rachel's Tomb, which is now embedded within a concrete fortified building. It contains prayer and study complexes for Jews only, as well as a residential complex. updated November 2019 .
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