Etzion DCL, Tue 22.2.11, Afternoon

14.00 - 16.30 PM

Etzion DCL, 14:55 PM: nine (9) Palestinian cars were parked in the parking lot. Some men stood before the waiting hall in the sun.

Inside the hall a young woman was waiting with her father. He was telling us, that she wanted to apply for a permit for a visit in Jerusalem. She had not been there since 10 years. In the counter behind stairs and turnstiles was nobody. So we called the announced telephone number for complaints. Short time later a soldier appeared and immediately let the young lady in.

Meanwhile we got in touch with a young man, being very communicative and fluent in English and Hebrew. He told us, he is an anthropologist doing research about the reality in the territories between settlers and Palestinians. He was accompanying a Palestinian friend who intended to pick up 9 permits to join a meeting at 13:00 PM next day in Tel Aviv. He and his friends would be members of a group named "Eretz Shalom". They were supposed to meet with about 20 people among them Amos Oz and other VIP's. 

The friend told us that inside the building only one counter is open to get permits or magnetic cards. About 7 people were still waiting.

When we were ready to leave (about 16.00 PM) we met at the exit a few people. We could get in touch only with a father who was accompanying his young son for an appointment with the Shabak. The father stood outside the entrance to the waiting hall, the son (like in a cage) between the iron bars of a corridor leading to its exit. When we spoke to them it was getting cold and the father was coughing.

They were standing in these positions since 13.00 PM, the time they should have met a representative of the Shabak. Both father and son made an educated impression. The son works in tourism. He told us, that he is speaking Arabic, English and Spanish.

In the evening Channa called the father as she promised him. He told her that about half an hour after we left, his son was called in just to hand him a new summons for next week, Thursday, February 24.

The invitation to this meeting at 13.00 PM was brought by soldiers at 3.00 AM, waking up the whole family and in particular shocking the younger siblings.

A soldier came was organizing another case of somebody with whom we did not speak and promised to 'nag" a bit at "Our" Shabak case. Then we left because we were in a hurry.