Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Sheikh Saed, Wed 2.1.08, Morning
There is no humanitarian line for school children, , but when chidren come, they let them go through first. At the entrance to the checkoint we are met by two Spanish journalists (Gabriel and his friend) who make a reportage on the life of a child in Sheikh Saed. They ask for our help in going through, since two days ago only the help of Machsom Watch women enabled them to return to Jabel Mukaber. They are waiting to our fried May, but she does not arrive. All in all the traffic of school children is light, and we are told that only the private schools are working, since it is vacation in the Arab schools. The commander of the checkpoint enabled the journalists to go through, but forbade them from photographing the checkpoint. We give them the phone number of the humanitarian center, in case they need to talk to those in charge.
08:15 Wadi Naar
A young engineer who is on his way to Jericho in order to meet an American organization and some Israeli friends tells us that last week he had been waiting for three hours, The commander of the checkpoint stands beside us immediately and tells us that last week the guy was driving a stolen car. A few minutes later we find out that the comander got him mixed up with another man. Big deel.
We tell the commander that it is an unbearable situation, how can he cause such a long detention in his checkpoint when there are no special alerts, and this is not even a checkpoint at the entrance to Jerusalem, it is a checkpoint inside the Palestinian area, about which one talks when dealing with the illegal restrictions of the freedom of the Palestinians inside their own territory. His answer is:" I just take one or two documents from each taxi – the others can drive on, why are they waiting? It is their own problem". He keeps talking about it in length, he has time to explain everything to us, and he gets very upset at Anat who is not convinced by his claims, and raises the possibility that there is an honourary and solidarity agreement among those who drive in the taxis, that at any given moment one of its passengers may become a detainee.
When we talk with K. from the Advanced command post of the Round Jerusalem area it gets a long talk too. He knows the checkpoint and the commander. He does not detain people in vain. Finally he is convinced to check up the subject, because there are no warning now. And, wonder of all wonders – while we have these conversations the checkoint is getting empty quickly, and we move towards the grocery store while it is almost empty.It is a pity that we could not get to the commander, who does seem like a person with whom we can talk.
Abu Dis / Lazarus gate (formerly The Wicket)
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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.
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Container (Wadi Nar)
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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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Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal)
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A large checkpoint/crossing to the area of a-Tur, Abu Dis and the Old City; only for pedestrians. Located on Jerusalem’s municipal boundary.
One of the major crossings in Jerusalem’s central sector. It is located on the separation fence between the northern portion of the al-Ezariya neighborhood and the neighborhood of a-Tur and the rest of East Jerusalem. It is manned by Border Police soldiers and private security companies and operates 24 hours a day. Palestinians are forbidden to go through, other than permanent residents of East Jerusalem (holders of blue ID cards) and holders of work and commercial permits who are allowed through only on foot.
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Sheikh Sa'ed
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A checkpoint limited to pedestrians, located on Jerusalem’s municipal boundary.
The checkpoint sits on the separation fence at the entrance to Sheikh Sa’ad, dividing it from its neighbourhood of Jabel Mukkabar. It’s manned by Border Police soldiers and private security companies and operates 24 hours a day. Palestinians are forbidden to go through, other than residents of Jabel Mukkabar or Sheikh Sa'ad who have permits. Both groups are permitted through only on foot. Residents of East Jerusalem who don’t live in Jabel Mukkabar are also allowed to cross to Sheikh Sa’ad, but not in the opposite direction; they must return through the Sawahira ash Sharqiya checkpoint.
Anat TuegMay-20-2026Nabi Samwil. This is what living conditions look like in an enclave village without building or renovation permits
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