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Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Sun 27.12.09, Morning

Place: Abu Dis / Lazarus gate (formerly The Wicket) Container (Wadi Nar) Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal)
Observers: Anat T., Gal L. (reporting), Tal G. (visitor)
Dec-27-2009
| Morning

     
7:00  Zeitim Crossing

 
The crossing is quiet and very calm. We explain to Tal that this is not a good sign at all — the quiet is due to the despair of those who no longer try to find work here.

We talk to a young man on the Palestinian side who lives near the checkpoint.  He tells us of enormous lines between 4 and 6:30 a.m.  He cannot give us precise numbers — c. 2000 persons at most seems realistic.


 
7:30  Wadi Nar

 
Traffic at the checkpoint is lively, but not jammed. During our extended stay: As we walk towards the yellow concrete blocks where we usually stand every week, two border policemen bear down towards us — A., the checkpoint commander and his tough "bodyguard."  They wish to prevent us from getting closer, first with claims such as "I tell you not to get closer" and "this is a closed army area"… We do not get agitated beyond the adrenalin roused by argument, and explain that not only is this not a closed army area, but that it's not even an area within the State of Israel.  The argument continues, we call the area B.P. company commander, A., and are told he's at a meeting. We don't give up, get hold of him later and settle the matter (after he has already informed the soldiers that we have permission, but they don't bother to tell us and continue harrassing us).

Finally, we leave, drive along the apartheid road and observe the meteoric construction going on in the Kedar settlement.

Sheikh Jarrach

We don't find Nasser in the tent.  We're told he was injured during the riots there on Saturday — the religious settlers attacked the tent three times and threw large stones ("rocks").  A Frenchman filming the riot was personally attacked at short range by a religious man with a stone, severely injured, and then disappeared.
A few minutes later Nasser returns. We are amazed that there's no permanent police van in this inflammable spot.  We call Brigadier General Bruno Stein, in charge of the area, to complain, and are asked to fax a description of whatever is going on.

To our relief a police van with two policemen arrives within 10 minutes.

From there we proceed to the College of Arts (!) over the road to meet H. who works in the cafeteria (after her husband was evicted from their home close to the protest tent, and lost his new job).  We provide her with telephones,   support and encouragement. (H. works from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. six days a week, and earns c. NIS 1000 a month.)

  • 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.

  • 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)

       

  • 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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