Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Sheikh Saed, Mon 5.1.09, Afternoon
2:00 till 6:00 PM
After we reached Sheikh Saed we remained a few minutes and saw that there was hardly any movement. Only a few young women in possession of blue Id cards crossed. The soldiers and security men who crowded near the entrance to the CP pointed towards us and said something like: “What, even in times of war they come here?” We didn’t think there was any point in going inside and continued on our way.
At the Pish-Pash hardly anyone passed. After our car had been parked a couple of minutes across the entrance to the Pish-Pash two soldiers ran over to us asking what we wanted, their inquiries were very polite.
The Olive Terminal too was very quiet.
When we arrived at the Container CP we noted a few changes.
The yellow gate has been moved away somewhat from the CP and is now painted in bright green.
A road has been asphalted towards the military post, which had been erected. Only the pitiful parasol – acting as a kind of logo for this CP – was still in place.
The line of vehicles from the West was very long, we couldn’t see till where. Two cars in the direction of Jerusalem were held up and its passengers, about eight young men, were put in a row along the fence. When we approached them they told us that they were on their way from the South (Hebron and Bethlehem) to Ramalla and had been detained for more than an hour. As soon as we started talking to them a soldier came up to us and demanded we retreat to the gate and not disturb their work. We are obedient and followed instructions, but in order to be sure he placed the Palestinians closer to the CP to prevent any contact with us.
The traffic moved satisfactorily on the whole and the long line we had seen when we arrived dissolved fast and we didn’t observe any further delays.
A 55 year old Palestinian asked us in perfect Hebrew whether we belonged to a peace movement and when we replied in the affirmative he told us about his sorrows; the fact that he can only move around in ever smaller areas; the inability to reach his lands, etc. In addition he complained about the lack of logic in the behavior of the Israelis towards the Palestinians, most of whom want peace, according to him. It was difficult to hear that he succeeds in ‘buying’ a work permit for a thousand Shekels a month through a relative who is a contractor. He added that the money doesn’t go to his family-member but to some employment service, we didn’t understand which one. Is that possible?
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.
Jun-16-2025United Jerusalem
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