Abu Dis, Sawahre, Wednesday afternoon, 29.9.04 13:35-18:00 Observers: HS, NR, YR, Af, TF (report writer) 13:35 Dung gate Presence of BP and police, no observed activity.13:45 Kalif Hotel Two young women on the road, outside the Hotel, waiting for the transport of their children from kinder garden in A-tur. One of then, a mother of a 4 year old, tells us the driver doesn’t want to go all the way to the Hotel any more because the unpaved road is ruining his vehicle. He wants to deposit the children before the ascent.On the first floor of the Hotel are sitting two BPs. After a short conversation they tell us we’re disturbing and shut the window.14:05 “The pishpash gate” A crowd of vans. two BP vehicles, an ordinary jeep and another “dog handler” vehicle. The entrance to the turn leading to the pishpash is blocked by concrete cubes, while the BP officers are instructing the vans to stay far from the cubes.The taxi usher says “today is a holiday”. because of the Sucot holiday soldiers are not everywhere, and vans can turn left on the Rokfeler junction, heading towards Nablus gate (in Bab-al-amud). Of course, should they be caught they will be subject to fines and sanctions.Plenty of traffic in the pishpash gate. Many school children, small and smaller, a man walking with crutches.A few minutes later the policemen are beginning to check IDs of the people heading to Jerusalem. One person whose ID was taken asks us to take pictures. A few minutes later he was released.14:20 – Another jeep is coming. The policemen are standing the gate. A palestinian man is trying to pass, holding an inhaler, saying he’s diabetic and “needs air”. The policeman doesn’t let him pass, and asks for ID. One of us tells the man, while the policeman hears, “don’t give him your ID, he will not give it back”. The commander, R., is called there on the radio. The policeman P. says the man touched him and pushed him (we didn’t see the beginning of the incident which happened on the other side of the wall). The man denies. he is led to the jeep and the policemen in the gate receives radio instructions to block the passage to Jerusalem until further notice.The man’s ID is checked and he’s released. Meanwhile a traffic jam is formed. A person trying to pass through the other opening is sent back with a derisive comment. Two children are passing while their mother remains behind. She asks to join her children but is denied. About ten minutes later the notice is given to permit passage, and everyone going to jerusalem is requested to show ID. Only Israeli residents may pass automatically. the policeman explains it is because of a closure (the same holiday closure that was held on new year’s day).Three soldiers and a police dog are going to the other side of the wall. The dog is led to sniff at a few business places and transits. About 30 minutes later another military vehicle arrives. MR, presenting himself as the area commander, gets out of the vehicle and informs our friend that she may be arrested for preventing an officer from doing his duty. The soldiers scold us as well for giving out information on what the dog is doing without being cleared. It doesn’t matter to them when we say we don’t know what the dog is doing and the palestinians are probably better informed than we are.MR is remaining with the policemen and gives the order to check women’s bags. To our question regarding today’s activity he replies: “happy holidays”.A heavily pregnant woman with a blue ID is separated from a man with an orange ID who’s carrying her toddler. The toddler howls loudly when the man tries to give him to the woman, and eventually the BP officer lets the man pass as well.Among the passers are members of “World doctors- France”. They have been active in the palestinian authority areas since 1995 and have lately established an ambulance station in Al Ezariya.15:45 Sawahre – Wadi Nar Three israeli flags are placed above the checkpoint, and there is a PA system with loudspeakers.Long lines on both directions, but traffic is flowing. No detainees.The entrance from Kedar is blocked, and a truck driver coming from that direction is sent back to come from the right direction, through Abu-dis and Sawahre. The detour took him 35 minutes. The soldiers preventing him from passing refuse to speak with or look at us. The checkpoint commander, R., is willing to speak, but has no answer regarding the two roads going to Kedar and who is or isn’t allowed to take them: “My only order is not to let anyone pass from here”.A passenger gets off the truck and went on foot towards Hevron. He tells us about a new checkpoint placed last week after Zaatara.Two men arrive from Kedar. One of them needs to get to Sawahre to pick up his brother, a cancer patient, to bring him to Hadasa Hospital in Jerusalem for treatment. The two men have no permit, but the cancer patient does. At first the soldier refuses even to listen, but after a deliberation he allows the men to pass but not to go back towards Kedar with the cancer patient.16:40 – Two more jeeps arrive. within 10 minutes 5 taxis are detained. One ID only is taken from each taxi. A policeman from the new jeeps asks us not to take pictures, even though it is not prohibited. He also asks our opinion on the abuse in the Hotel and says the culprits should go to prison. On the Kedar roads issue he says the new road is closed to palestinian traffic, while the other one has always been opened (yet it is not permitted to pass the checkpoint when coming from it, which doesn’t make sense).About 30 minutes later 4 taxis are released. In the fifth there is a passenger without an ID, only a passport. Eventually she is released is well.17:40- A group of swedish teenagers and 2 adults. they investigating the subject of human rights and are going to produce a musical in Bethlehem and the old city.