Etzion DCL, Checkpoint 300 - Bethlehem, Al Wallagee, Tunnel CP
Duration of shift: 14:30 PM till 17:00 PM
Etzion DCL, 15:20 PM: when we arrived we found an empty parking space. A cleaner was flooding the floor in the waiting hall. No business, because there was no electricity (?)
Perhaps Machsom Watch had been informed? If so, please - in the future - transfer the information to concerned watchers who came all the way from Jerusalem in vain.
Al Wallajee, Har Homa: we were alone.
Tunnel checkpoint, 15:00 PM: the traffic to Jerusalem ran fluently. Only an arab bus (we could not see the registration plate) got stopped. All the passengers on the bus, only women, had to get off the bus.
Checkpoint Bethlehem, 16:00 PM: men - business people and workers alike - were running to the entrance. Only in counter 3 sat one woman soldier who was showing the Palestinians with movements of her hands that they could open the door between counter 2 and 3 by themselves. They did take advantage of the new openings and were passing fast through the checkpoint, as far as we could see. Every now and then there was a gathering of people before the turnstile, but in general the system was working well. For a while the beautiful young soldier was alone among all Palestinians, some tourists and us. No other soldier, policeman or civil guard was visible. Then at 16:35 PM two policemen and one civil guard appeared and walked among the crowd, on the (sort of) balcony they have over there.