Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Sheikh Saed, יום ב’ 15.2.10, בוקר
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6:45 Sheikh Saed
It's Monday and there are children at the checkpoint. We met the nice humane commander, Y.
While we were there, all crossed in reasonable time, except for one child who was turned back for no reason — he had the required papers — so we turned to Y. and he dealt with the matter and the child crossed successfuly (though a little downcast at having to go to school after all).
Traffic jams on the way to Ras-al-Amud.
7:30 The Pishpash The surrealist Dali could not have represented it better (and we took photographs): Three nuns arrive to meet the cute kindergarten children, the stench of fresh asphalt from the new road, soldiers (friendly, we should add) in flak jackets and armed, drinking coffee and smiling at the children, Arab workers with a tractor making tea, and us. A pastoral scene. Of course we couldn't leave and stayed till the last pair entered. We accompanied them inside and were given a short tour of the place. The nunnery and its nuns were originally Italian, today's are warm and smiling women. The kindergarten has two groups, one of younger another of older kids. An entire wall of the kindergarten is in fact the separation wall. It is decorated with paitings by one of the nuns. We also talked to one of the teachers who, like many in Al Ezariya, possessed a blue ID but her Jerusalem resident rights were taken away because "she does not live in Jerusalem" but only a few hundred meters from the municipal border mapped by Israel. 8:30 Wadi Nar On Sunday evening we received complaints about extremely heavy congestion at the Wadi Nar checkpoint (the Container). We came and talked to the checkpoint commander (who was also nice — what's going on today!), who reassured us and said the pressure was due to road works in Sawahara.
We heard a different version from the driver of a transit who happened to pass by and was eager to tell us that yesterday he had been stuck for two hours in the line at the checkpoint. The reason was human failure: whenever S. (so the driver said) is in charge of the checkpoint there are unnecessary delays and problems.
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During our stay there were three transits which crossed quickly.
9:15 Sheikh Jarrah
Only two volunteers from the international ISM are sitting where the protest tent used to be. Nasser Ghawi continues to be removed from the place by police order, and for the last week the municipality dismantles the tent daily around 9 a.m. This morning it has not yet been reinstalled.
A woman arrives — her son was ordered to house detention (in Issawiya) on Saturday night after rioting in the street. She tells that a young religious man spat in Mrs. Al-Kurd's face and other elderly persons, and the riot started. The young religious man called the police and when they came he submitted a complaint against the Palestinians.
One of the volunteers from Denmark documented the entire event, and went up to the police, but to no avail. A quick consultation with Hanna Barag about intervention from "Yesh Din" regarding violence against Palestinians reveals that the woman must submit a complaint to the police before "Yesh Din" can deal with the matter. We advise her and the Danish volunteer to go to the police immediately, and we give them our phone numbers a well as Hanna's so that they can inform us as soon as they've submitted the complaint.
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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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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