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Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Sheikh Saed, Mon 31.3.08, Morning

Tags: Crowding
Observers: Edna P., Maya B. (reporting)
Mar-31-2008
| Morning
7:00 we arrive at Sheich Saed,  through Jebel Mukaber  and see from  a distance through the tons of fence and wire  that there is a large group  of men  waiting to go through the C,P.  but the line is hardly moving. 

I was not there  for two weeks , and found out now that we can hardly get  anywhere near the C.P.The  passing is a trikle,  every 7-10 minutes one person comes through.  The children  pass,  the grownups wait.  Some who came  through  told us they have been waiting for one and a half to two hours,  since there is one soldier  writing down every detail  on each person  in the line. 

Three soldiers stand on the side  talking to each other and laughing.  Nothing seems to concern   them .  The whole group is very  uncomunicative   with us.

There is a lot of tension in the air because of all this procrastination.  Suddenly  one of the man waiting must have tried to jump the line,  and since they were waiting for so long  they started hitting each other  with incredible   force,  anger and hatred ,  and for a number of seconds  the soldiers  just did not do a thing  to stop it.  I was sure they would start shooting in the air,  but they did not  instead , they detained the two men,  and stopped letting the others through for another 10 minutes .  Then  a lot of BP  jeeps arrived ,  including  a higher ranking officer,  who I tried to talk to.

 
After waiting for a while he finally deigned to talk to me,  rather listen to what I had to say. I suggested  that in the morning when men try to get to work,  an officer  or an older  commander be present  and this very tense  situation is not left to the lack of judgment of a 19 year old.  No  response.

We leave  after an hour and a half  and drive to Wadi Na'ar.  There  a  number of buses and taxies are waiting,  we speak to A. , who is always very pleasent ,  and within a few minutes all cars have left.  There  may have been some   warnings  that morning.

  • 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)

       

  • 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.

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