Sheikh Saed Saturday, 17.06.2006, AM (9:00-10:00)Watchers: Neomi R and Nina M (reporting)Instead of the wall that the court meantime prevented to build, there is a 24 hrs manned checkpoint. Only citizens with Jerusalem citizenship (blue ID’s) are allowed to pass, all other people , including those who have working permits are sent to Zeitim CP. Among them are teachers, who are going to follow final examinations in the nearby secondary school. We ask why people have to go to their work by the way that takes 1.5 hrs instead of 5 min and the soldiers say that people have to “familiarize” themselves with this idea. Students who go to the school to take their final exams are treated better: if they appear on the list that holds a person from the local authority are allowed to pass.Around 20 people wait near the checkpoint on its Western side. Among them is a man 80 years old, a woman 70 years old, a pregnant woman, a woman who has an appointment for doctor’s clinic and other men and women who wanted to go somewhere. All these people are “illegal” (Palestinian ID). They were caught somewhere around, most of them were in the public bus that goes between Jabel Mukaber and East Jerusalem. The border police in a jeep took IDs of those people and went away. People have to wait between 2 to 4 hours in order to get their IDs back.We are present when the same jeep brings IDs back. It is done very slowly. People have to sign a Hebrew written document that they cannot understand and which is not translated to anybody before they get their ID back. People around do not know what did they sign but they claim that three signed papers like that means that one can never get any permit from the DCO (District Coordination Office).We went to see this “highly recommended” by soldiers road to the Zeitim CP. The road is a dirt road covered with slippery small stones. It goes first straight down to the Kidron valley and than straight up to Sawahre and in the end one can reach Wadi Nar “highway”. One has to be desperate to drive it: it is dangerous for people, it damages cars.On our way we speak with local people. Some just stand on the Eastern side of the checkpoint and wait. There is nothing better to do in Sheikh Saed. There is nowhere to go, there is no work to do. People just wait: may be soldiers who will come in the next shift will be different? Some ask us how the democratic country can create such a situation: an isolated island of 2500 people, all around is a desert and the only way is closed by the checkpoint. We cannot offer them more than to say that we are ashamed of the policy of our government. The conversation with soldiers is more enlightening. The Druse soldier from the North of Israel says that he does not understand why local people do not press their municipality to arrange a good road to Zeitim CP (this was an answer to our question if he knows what is he talking about, when he sends people there).The woman-soldier states that these are not exactly normal people, because of terrorists who come out of them (this was her response to our claims that those old men and women whom she prevents to reach medical clinics or their relatives could be her grandparents). The third soldier said that Jews have a warm heart (this was his response when we expressed our approval for letting a couple: who, with the Israeli ID, she with the Palestinian ID, to go to see a doctor – the woman was bleeding from her womb.