Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Sheikh Saed, Fri 9.11.07, Morning
Sheikh Saed 09:30
Tens of inhabitants, most of them elderly, are waiting patiently. The soldiers do not let anyone through. An older woman wants to get to the hospital in order to take care of her leg. Another woman wants to visit her daughter who gave birth and stayed at the hospital, because the baby has jaundice. Some old people want to get to pray. All of them are refected. The orders are specific – no one is to go through without a permit. We turn to the soldiers, to the commander in place, to the commander who comes in his Jeep, to the regional commander, and to the humanitarian center – all our pleas do not change a thing: no one goes through today. All of them also claim that there is no change in orders, and they never heard about the fact that in the special case of Sheikh Saed, it was used to let the elderly people, at least, to go to pray on Fridays. Ali, a long time inhabitant of Seikh Saed, a noble, wise, nice man, who talks a lot about educating people for peace, sounds very stormy despite his hidden smile "I don't know what happens to them now. Yestetday I tried to go through with a sick baby and they did not let me through! maybe we need to start a new Intifada?" While we were there only one old person went through.
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Abu Dis 11:30 Zeitim passage 14:00
The place is completely deserted. We did not see any Palestinian ther, maybe because we arrived after the begginning of the prayers.
We enter into the checkpoint and go to the Palestinian side. Later on we want to get back through the checking routes to the Israeli side. The woman soldier in the shed is surprised: "what are you doing herë?" "We are from Machsom Watch and we wanted to show the journalist the checkpoint" The soldier explains happily, enthusiastically: "this checkpoint was openned a year and eight month ago" ""Since when is the machine for identification with the palm is here?" "It has been here for almost a year, and it is very efficient. Before we had to write down the ID number of everyone going through. Today this machine makes the checkup more efficient and quick. There is no need of body checkup" "But when we see Palestinians who emerge from the checkpoint to the Israeli side they always come out with their belts in their hands" "that is true, the belt is really a problem. We have to demand that they take it off" .
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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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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.
Avital CFeb-27-2026Jerusalem, Damascus Gate: Crowd rushing to prayer
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