The Chronicles of Dalia and the Permit.

I have once again chosen to move away from writing about Hamas and this time i'm writing about a personal experience i have found it hard not to write about.

Being a Palestinian means I have a green colored ID that restricts me from entering Jerusalem and Israel (for the Israeli government Jerusalem and Israel are two different entities).
Now with that said… my job requires me to meet with foreign organizations that are based in Israel, and due to the conflict most employees working for the organizations have a hard time getting into the Occupied Territories. So I decided I need to get a permit so I can go on with my work, of course getting that specific permit to enter Israel has to go through various stages.

First I have to apply for a ‘Magnetic Card’ that involves going to an office to Ramallah, getting the application and going to the Israeli Civil Administration office of Ramallah, which happens to be Bet El. After standing for at least an hour in line, waiting to go through a security check and then waiting for the Israeli soldier to take my ID, in which I enter a third waiting room, and wait for him to call out my name. Once the soldier calls out my name I have to have my picture taken, my hand print and later my finger print. This is all so that a security background check would be done on me, well I was lucky within a few minutes Israel decided that I am not a threat and I finally got my Card. I thought well this is it now it’s easy for me to get permits since I was marked, and registered as a person that poses no threat to Israel!
But that was only the beginning, I found out that I could not apply for permits unless it was either a holiday, (seeing that my ID says I am Muslim, I can’t apply for a permit during Christmas or Easter. Even though I celebrate them, since my mother is Christian). or I could also apply for a medical reason or for a work permit. I figured there is no problem there since my work required that I travel to Israel, so I got an official letter from my boss stating that I needed a permit and I decided to try my luck. Of course I paid a visit to the office in Ramallah and got an application for the permit, then I went off to Bet El, first try and the place was closed for Passover, I figured no problem I’ll come back next week.
I did just that, I went there waited for three hours to go through two security checks and at least two hours of waiting, for them to tell me that my application can not be processed there and was transferred to their office in Jerusalem. I asked them how will I go there and pick up the permit, when I can’t go there in the first place! Their answer: figure it out yourself!

So later that week I made a few phone calls to the office and they eventually requested my presence in front of the Military Officer in Bet El, I thought this is it a short interview and they’ll give me my permit. That was not the case I went there, saw the officer who barely talked to me, him standing from behind a bulletproof window, he took my ID and told me to wait… I waited and waited, for four long hours I was standing there in a waiting room, until the officer showed up again told me he still hasn’t received any orders concerning my permit and gave me my ID back. So in the end not only did I waste four hours and missed two important meetings for work, I didn’t get the permit. The officer told me that he will call me back and tell me about any developments, though I doubt anything will happen for another week!

Now, somebody please tell me how is it possible for a person who goes through this ordeal on a daily basis will sit back and do nothing about it? What I’m trying to say is that if it happened to anyone from across the World, would that person accept this treatment?

I of course will have to wait for an answer and hope that I am not rejected, so I can actually carry out my job with no complications.