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Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Thu 3.4.08, Morning

Place: Abu Dis / Lazarus gate (formerly The Wicket) Container (Wadi Nar) Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal)
Tags: Detainees
Observers: Yael Y., Shira V. (reporting)
Apr-03-2008
| Morning

06:40 Zeitim passage

The traffic of people is active and flowing. Many school children are going through. There are three sleeves open. According to those going through, there are two [sleeves] for grown-ups, and only one for children. We measured about a quarter of an hour waiting time. We saw a few school children who were demanded to take off their belts for checkup. One child told us that he wakes up at 05:30 in the morning every day in order to get to school in time.

07:10 Wadi Naar

A strong stench of garbage comes from the dupm. When we approached the checkpoint with the car we did not see any movement at all. We saw all the soldiers crowding in the shed, and supposed that maybe they are changing shifts. But we did not see any other group of soldiers leaving or something else that will show it.


 
As we arrived at the checkpoint itself we already saw two vans detained, and a line of cars heading from the south, waiting in front of the checkpoint.

The driver of one of the vans told us that he was waiting for 45 minutes. On the other van there was a woman student who had forgotten her ID at home, and the soldiers told her to call home and get her ID number. A few minutes later they allowed her to go through, and let the two vans go in a few minutes difference.

Before the second van was released the commander of the checkpoint Y. approached us and ordered us to move to the other side of the checkpoint, claiming that it is not safe to stand in the area of the checkpoint because of the alerts. We explained  him that this is our usual place, where we usually stand, and a discussion developed, during which we called the DCO representative E. In the meanwhile we saw that the traffic of the Palestinians is still on hold, and no vehicle goes through. We asked him what happened, and he unswered that until we move away, they will not let the traffic go. We answered that he punishes the Palestinians because of us (we do not remember his exact reaction – whether he agreed to the description, or just did not react), and we immediately moved away.

 

They released the traffic, and about a hundred vehicles went through without any checkup. We returned to our usual place, spoke with A., and finally there was a compromise we where asked to move one meter aside, behind some concrete block, and so we did.

 
During the next half hour only one van was stopped and released within a few minutes. With the other vehicles it was enough when IDs were presented on the road.

 

Many buses with school children on school trips went through freely.  Meanwhile we saw a young Palestinian who was detained at lease since we had arrived (about fifty minutes) and he was waiting aside, outside the checkpoint area. When he left we saw that he got some white paper, probablly summonning of a sort. 

 

One of the passengers of the only detained van, who presented himself as a student, and spoke in a perfect British accent, approached us and asked if we belong to the organization of the women and the checkpoints. We answered in the affirmative, and he said that he does the same route for three years now, back and forth every day, and many times the soldiers close the checkpoint, especially around 07:00 and 15:00 and there are long lines. When we arrive they release them, so he claimed. We asked if it is during change of shifts, and he claimed that he can destinguish when there is change of shifts, and this is not the case. They just block the traffic.

 
This way or the other we got another reinforcement to the importance of our presence. 

  • 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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