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Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Thu 21.10.10, Morning

Place: Abu Dis / Lazarus gate (formerly The Wicket) Container (Wadi Nar)
Observers: Shosh H., Yehudith S., Michaelia R. (reporting)
Oct-21-2010
| Morning

    

Wadi Nar

Traffic flowing.  Stray dogs of all sizes, ages and colours roaming around — scary!!!

Az-Za'ayyim

As soon as we arrived, a guard came up and with excessive courtesy "invited" us to stand in the shade.  We declined politely.

An elderly border policeman sits cross-legged on one of the concrete blocks and once in while "interviews" Palestinians. 

Passengers from the buses descend, stand in line in the corridor and undergo the check — this time by a civilian guard!? Meanwhile the cross-legged b.p. summons us, investigates us and orders one of his inferiors to report "3 from human rights".  After pondering deeply he reaches the conclusion that if it's only 3 then "this is not an illegal demonstration" and we are asked to return to where we stood initially. 

Then came the order not to film.  We produce our documents from the IDF spokeperson, but they don't specify the word "crossing" and this immediately becomes the pretext to reject the permit.  After a short argument during which it was clarified that the permit refers to any "crossing" he demanded yet again a report of our doings.


 
A blue policeman confronts several other policemen wearing very dark blue (almost black) uniforms.  One of them curses him loudly and in language we refrain from repeating.  A propos of raising police consciousness of appropriate service?  A shameful spectacle.


  • Abu Dis / Lazarus gate (formerly The Wicket)

    See all reports for this place

    •  

      Abu Dis / Lazarus Checkpoint/Gate (east of the former “wicket”)

      Construction of the wall in the Abu Dis area blocked all the gaps that allowed people to cross from al-Ezariya to the neighbourhoods of Abu Dis and Ras al 'Amud that are located within Jerusalem’s municipal boundary. The Lazarus checkpoint is a gate in the wall adjacent to the Lazarus Monastery. Until 2011 it had a door for pilgrims to al-Ezariya and for the monastery’s kindergarten pupils from al-Ezariya. The crossing is currently closed, but the site has infrastructure for conducting inspections.

  • Container (Wadi Nar)

    See all reports for this place
    •  Wadi Nar Checkpoint ("Container", "The Kiosk") - a barrier for vehicles in Area B that is regularly manned - east of Abu Dis between Sawahra A Sharqiya and Bethlehem and its daughters. Controls Palestinian movement between the north and south West-Bank. Includes driving routes, access roads, spikes, traffic lights and signs. There is no pedestrian crossing. Open 24 hours a day with random checks enhanced on security alerts. The checkpoint is in Palestinian territory, allowing for separation between the north and the south Palestinian areas when necessary.

      In 2015, the leading road from Azaria to Bethlehem was renovated, as well as the steep and narrow ascent to the Wadi Nar checkpoint, which was dangerously travelled in both directions! The temporary checkpoint was renovated and expanded, and pedestrian traffic was banned. From 2016, traffic travelling from the south bank to Azaria was directed to a one-way road near the Southern Keydar Jewish settlement.

      Machsomwatch shifts visit this far-fetched checkpoint only occasionally.

      (updated to July 2019)

       

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