Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), יום ה’ 18.12.08, בוקר
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5:40 Zeitim Crossing
A flow of transits arriving, workers descending; crossing is swift, no lines at the outside carousel.
6:15 Wadi Nar
Very busy traffic. When we arrived there was a short line from the direction of Sawachra, but a big traffic jam on the road beyond the booth, due to the fact that only one lane is open for both directions. Most of the recently paved lanes are closed.
The yellow metal bar blocked the road going north. Most of the cars therefore head in the direction of Sawachra, for the longer and more complicated route. Until a truck driver takes the initiative and moves the bar. No reaction from the security forces.
Once in a while a vehicle is delayed, not for long, mostly less than 10 minutes.
Inefficiency in the mangement of the checkpoint is evident: when a vehicle is checked the entire line has to wait, even though there is plenty of room and manpower to allow the flow of traffic to overtake. When a truck from Sawachra arrives, two border policemen stare at it and continue chatting to each other while the driver waits.
One of the policemen "creates order" among the delayed vehicles by occasionally requesting them to move away.
Towards 7:00 traffic decreases and there is no longer a line.
One of the delayed drivers tells us that in the evening hours delays can last for two hours.
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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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