Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem7
Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Recently a Finnish photographer who had worked in the region sent us these photographs that were posted at his/her blog Ubuntifada. They were taken in late June, at the Bethlehem checkpoint to enter Israel. They depict the everyday experience of hundreds of Palestinians who go to work in Israel. I am respecting the photographer’s desire for anonymity because of employment/funding issues. He/she wrote the following at that site to explain the photos:
Morning blues in the checkpoint
5:00 in the morning in Bethlehem. The rising sun is replacing the blue morning mist with its first warm rays. Hundreds of men are standing in a cage, holding the metal bars like prisoners and anxiously waiting. The atmosphere is as blue as the air.
Actually, it could be just a crossing between two countries – though a very disturbing one with its iron gates and cages, bars and burrows, loud PA systems and shouting, soldiers and police and private security guards all armed to the teeth. But instead of being in the border, checkpoint 300 stands 2 kilometers south of the green line, deep inside of the occupied West Bank.
Every working day from 4:00 to 7:00 around 4000 Palestinians cross this illegal checkpoint on their way to work in East Jerusalem or in Israel. And the ones standing in line are actually the lucky ones – they have been able to even get a permit.
It’s inhumane. They treat us like animals. Every morning I feel like an animal in a cage.
Adel, who crosses the CP five mornings a week
Hebrew is always first on the occupation’s signs. Arabic is always last.
The Zionists are so afraid of parity of esteem.
Arriving at JFK or LAX, US citizens are directed to a separate section at passport control. The non citizens are herded of to another and stand in long queues, sometimes for hours, especially at 5am in the morning when only 2 border policemen have maned their booths. Why is it that the line for US citizens always seems to be short and those standing in line never stand for long? I can only imagine how unpleasant it must be to stand in those those long lines. And don’t even think of using your phone or speak too loudly.
Do you understand why is this happening? Do you know that before Oslo tens of thousands of palestinians worked freely in Israel? Entered freely, went back freely, no blocks, no checkpoints. What happened? Arafat invented suicide bombings and we began to be fearful of any palestinina – may be he carries explosive belt under his shirt. So – road blocks and checkpoints were erected. They forced us to behave this way. This is exactly what happened in airports. Dont we all feel humiliated having to wait in long lines with our shoes in hands and belts taken out of our pants. WHO CREATED THIS HUMILIATION FOR US? Same groups, same sick minds. So – dont blame us. Blame those who forced us to behave this way. It will not matter if we will withdraw to 67 or 48 or 36 borders. They will force us do these things because they will come to work and some will blow themselves and we will have to roadblock them. Golda Meir once said – when peace comes we will perhaps be able to forgive them that they killed our sons but it will be much harder to forgive that they forced us to kill their sons. This is our DNA and they are demanding that we set free killers of civilians.
Arabs nabbed at checkpoint with hidden machine gun.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/169767#.UgqFLD8nQvs
I didn’t know Finnish had to worry about employment issues when it came to tracking brutality against Palestinians. I guess it’s more extensive that I thought.