Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Wed 19.3.08, Afternoon
16:00 Container CP
We expected to see little traffic, because of the
closure imposed for the Purim holiday. But the CP looked much as usual.
An inquiry revealed that the closure applies to Jerusalem, but not to
Ma'ale Adumim. Workers working there passed as usual. When entering
through the Container CP they make their way through Al Ezariya, Abu Dis,
Sawahre, to Ma'ale Adumim.
The two of us, of course, got there thrugh the
much shorter road from Mt. Scopus through Azzayim to Ma'ale Adumim, and
then on through the road to Kedar till the Container CP.
The soldiers were friendly enough, and traffic moved in spurts, but still rapidly
enough. We had the impression, unverifiable, that our presence helped
release stopped vehicle queues, as well as pedestrians waiting at the
turnstile.
Olive Terminal
Here the closure is felt more, as this is a passage to
Western Jerusalem proper. The soldiers said no workers passed today, only
emergencies and humanitarian cases. We passed ourselves (all blue IDs can
do so), and some minutes later, passed back. OF course, if Israeli entry
into Al Ezariya were indeed prohibited, we would not have been allowed
back. But in fact, there was no such problem, which lends support to my
earlier interpretation of the role of the red sign at the eastern entrance
into Al Ezariya: it has not formal or legal validity, it is just an
attempt to keep the uninformed away.
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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