Beit Ummar, Etzion DCL, Nabi Yunis, Mon 28.2.11, Morning

Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Nabi Yunis, Monday 28.2.11, morning

Observers:  Chaya O., Chana S. (reporting)

Everyone we asked told us about the crowds at the Bethlehem side and about the long time they had to wait. The particularly unpleasant civilian security guard, who rudely rushed Palestinians out of the building as they came through the checking point, tried also to move us away.  When chaya pointed out that we had the right to be present, he contacted ‘someone’ and there was a loudspeaker announcement to stop checking.  This was clearly a way to get back at us by punishing the Palestinians. Chaya called the moked and shortly after, whether as a result or not, traffic flowed again.  

7.30 am  Husan taxi rank: two prearranged meetings. A young man also approached us and told us he was being threatened with having his house in Jerusalem destroyed.  We referred him to Moked and also told him about Meir Margalit. 

7.50 am, Efrat junction:  a prearranged meeting to pay for searching a police record.

8.10 am: as usual, Chaya phoned to check if there would be police at Etzion DCL.  We were told that the police were on vacation for two days – or on a police tour in the north, i.e., we were told both versions.  At least this enabled us to warn various people who phoned us not to bother to go to the DCL these two days.

8.30 am,  Etzion DCL: between 30 and 40 people in the waiting room applying for magnetic cards.  So far no one had been admitted.  No one was waiting for the police. One man said this was his second attempt as last week he was not admitted. Chaya phoned the Moked. 

We took one man’s phone number so that we could keep track. At 9.00 am - 12 people had been admitted.  At 9.40 am, he said all had been admitted.  A  happy ending?  Not quite.  At 12 o’clock he called Chaya to say that his wife, who had joined him to get her magnetic card ‘as conditions were so good’ was still waiting and there were some 20 people who had come and were kept waiting to be admitted.

We saw an unusual notice taped to the wall.  It was about a land registration in someone’s name and calling for any objections within a certain period.

9.00 am, Beit Ummar:  we gave Sylvia’s phone number to a man refused entry by Security and instructions to another refused by police.

9.30  am, Nabi Yunis:  Chaya advised a man with a big overdue fine on how to apply to pay it in installments.

We were also told the following story by a local man (whom Chaya knows):  He was driving on route 60 when he was stopped by police who accused him of driving a stolen car. Though he wanted to show him his license, they wouldn’t look at it. Instead, they confiscated the car, handcuffed him and took him to Kiryat Arba.  The form they gave him does not have the car details!!  A  friend of his managed to download from the Internet the record that states clearly that this particular car is not included in the list of stolen cars. Chaya   explained that in a case like this, he would have to resort to a lawyer for help.  

 A note about faxes:   Two weeks ago I reported that when we learned  that ‘the system was down.’  Chaya arranged with the police officer to have two applicants’ documents faxed to them.  Well , in the end they refused to do so.