Never-ending checkpoint frustration

JERUSALEM-WESTBANK-GAZA - An invitation to participate in important meetings at our head office in Jerusalem for three days meant that I would have to go through the West Bank checkpoint. I thought to myself, “Ah well, I did this for years, working with YWCA in Jerusalem, three days won’t be that bad”, little did I know!

Though Bethlehem is less than 10km away from Jerusalem, Palestinians living in the West Bank are not permitted to go to Jerusalem without a special permit from the Israeli authorities. I can still recall the day in the early 1990s, three years after the start of the first Intifada, when checkpoints were established at the entrances to Jerusalem. We really couldn’t believe that we could be cut off from our main city. My dad used to work at the Lutheran Church in Jerusalem and I would accompany him once in a while, walk through the old city, visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and buy the very special soft ice cream from the shop at the corner. I never imagined that a day would come when I am not allowed to visit this beautiful city which was a significant part of my childhood

I can still recall the day in the early 1990s, three years after the start of the first Intifada, when checkpoints were established at the entrances to Jerusalem

I will never forget the day, when I was visiting home on my semester break from university, and my cousin was updating me on the developments on the situation and she exclaimed that “people don’t really care about liberation or freedom or even peace at this point, we just want to go to Jerusalem!” Right then it hit me. From that day on, only people with special permits would get through the checkpoint. You can say I am one of the lucky few, just because I have worked in Jerusalem and managed to obtain a permit through my job. However, holding a permit doesn’t mean free access. The authorities limit the day and time of your access, the purpose of your visit, and the checkpoint you are allowed to use.

So, comes Friday morning, I head to the checkpoint with my two colleagues, and before we reached the gate, a group of acquaintances shout from afar that we shouldn’t even bother, that it’s very crowded and there is no way we can get through in less than a couple of hours. My two colleagues, with their “World Vision” permits have the privilege to pass through the “tunnel checkpoint”, while people like me, holding a permit that says “Church Employee” have only three main entrances to Jerusalem; Rachel checkpoint (south), Zaytoun (centre), and Kalandia (north). I said goodbye to my colleagues who headed to the tunnel, and I took a taxi to the “Zaytoun” Checkpoint, all the way to Bethany.

Holding a permit doesn’t mean free access

The route goes through Wadi Enar, or the “fire valley”; a steep winding road that leads up to a checkpoint called “The Container”, which is basically in the middle of nowhere and does not lead to anywhere (cars going from West Bank to West Bank areas pass through). Usually, soldiers there just watch passing cars, and don’t stop them for inspection –the “security” factor here is questionable. However, for some reason, they stopped our taxi, and asked for our IDs. They took them for inspection and we had to wait about 15 minutes for that. We got to the Zaytoun checkpoint and were standing in one of the lanes and when our turn approached, the female soldier decided to just close it and we had to move to another one.

Finally it was my turn to pass through the metal detector door, and I “beeped”, though I had taken off all the metal on me and placed it on the x-ray machine. I removed my shoes, and tried again and still it beeped. The soldier behind the glass started shouting at me “mobile phone, belt”. I said I had nothing of that on me, and even raised my sweater to prove it. She pointed to a small door on the side and I went in. I found myself in a tiny cell-like room. There was a window and a female soldier came over. She asked me to take off my sweater and turn around. I did. When she found nothing suspicious, she finally concluded that it might be some metal in my bra and let me go. I arrived one hour late to my meeting.

I found myself in a tiny cell-like room. There was a window and a female soldier came over

On the second day I went to the main Bethlehem checkpoint, and once again, before going up to the main gate people were coming down complaining that “it’s too crowded and no one is going through”. I called my colleague who generously offered to come and pick me up in the office car and take me through the tunnel checkpoint. Though I am not officially allowed to pass from there, we wanted to give it a shot. A young Russian female soldier asked for our IDs. As soon as she saw my permit, she said that I am not allowed to pass through from here and that I have to go back to the main checkpoint. We presented our work IDs, my valid permit, and despite my colleague’s efforts in explaining that I am a World Vision staff member in her fluent Hebrew language, and the two of us being in a World Vision car, she wouldn’t compromise. We had to turn around and go back.

I returned to the checkpoint and managed to get through after two hours of struggle. I still have to get there tomorrow, again. I think I will just leave a couple of hours late, to avoid the crowds and be late for my meeting. At least I will be less frustrated and more productive!