On Monday August 23, two of Caritas Jerusalem’s staff members were denied access to the Northeastern West Bank region of Tubas and Zababdeh. They were on a mission for Caritas Jerusalem in Zababdeh following up on ongoing Caritas projects focusing on children’s nutrition and water. In addition, the ground work was being laid for work on a project dealing with land reclamation in Tayaseer, a Palestinian village in the Northeastern West Bank.
On Monday August 23, two of Caritas Jerusalem’s staff members were denied access to the Northeastern West Bank region of Tubas and Zababdeh. They were on a mission for Caritas Jerusalem in Zababdeh following up on ongoing Caritas projects focusing on children’s nutrition and water. In addition, the ground work was being laid for work on a project dealing with land reclamation in Tayaseer, a Palestinian village in the Northeastern West Bank.
In preparation for trips to this region, Caritas Jerusalem always coordinates with the Israeli District Cooperation Liaison (DCL) Office. Caritas Jerusalem contacted them last week to give them the required three working days notice regarding this trip and we provided all of the information regarding the details of this trip that they needed to process this request. On Monday August 23, at just before 10am, our staff contacted their designated contact at the DCL Office. Thankfully, they were informed that permission to enter the area where we wished to go via the Tayaseer checkpoint in the Northeastern West Bank had been granted.
After traveling 1 hour and 40 minutes by car to the Tayaseer checkpoint, our staff members identified themselves and informed the soldiers at the checkpoint that they had obtained permission to enter the area from the DCL office. They told us to wait until they had confirmation of this permission.
After waiting for about 45 minutes, our staff members called their contact at the DCL office and informed her that they were waiting to pass and that they were requesting their assistance. She informed us that our permission was valid and that our staff needed to reiterate our position to the soldiers guarding the checkpoint. They did so and the soldiers informed us to wait patiently.
They waited and waited and after an hour and a half, our staff attempted to call the DCL office again to inform our contact there that they were still waiting. Following a change in the soldiers at the checkpoint, our staff politely pointed out that they were still waiting, but they were told that no confirmation to enter had been received.
After attempting to get in touch with the DCL office again to no avail and waiting another hour, at 2:30 pm, after three hours of waiting at the checkpoint, our staff members requested to receive their identification cards and returned to the main office in Jerusalem with several days of planning and coordination by our office wasted.
Working under such an environment for any individual is not only difficult, but it is also frustrating and aggravating, especially since we follow the proper procedures. Hours of preparation and coordination wasted, time spent on the road and waiting, fuel, telephone calls, wear and tear on the car and increased costs associated with the project activities all negatively affect the proper procedures of our work.
Caritas Jerusalem wishes to point out to all interested parties the difficult circumstances that we are working under to help alleviate the suffering of the poor, the sick and those in need. We call upon the Israeli government to help ensure that such events that we experienced on August 23, 2004 at the Tayaseer checkpoint will not happen again.
