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Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Sheikh Saed, Wed 5.8.09, Afternoon

Place: Abu Dis / Lazarus gate (formerly The Wicket) Container (Wadi Nar) Sheikh Sa'ed
Observers: Yael Y., Orit Y., Ilana D. (reporting)
Aug-05-2009
| Afternoon

 
Sheikh Saed

Whether due to the heavy heat or overflowing sewage somewhere nearby, the stench arising from the mounds of garbage at the entrance to Sheikh Saed was worse than ever.  No one at the checkpoint objected to our entry into the neighbourhood, we were only asked why we should want to do so.  Our impression was that, as far as the security personnel were concerned, we also had permission never to return.

 
Some youths in the square offered us transportation which we did not accept.  One of them, a 24-year old, married and a father, has been denied a work permit and has no livelihood.

 
It appears that, despite complaints to the checkpoint commnader who promised to deal with the problem, loud music played by the soldiers throughout the night continues, disturbiing the sleep of the children and the elderly.

 
A man with a child about 6 years old in his arms came down and asked to be taken to the clinic which is about 100 meters distant from the checkpoint.  But he was refused because he didn't have a permit.  A stormy argument ensued, while we remained silent, interested in the results, but not interested in hearing the soldiers telling us we were interfering with the work of the border policeman who was not interested in contacting his superiors about this matter. He knows his job and is familiar with this man who is a manipulator.  The man told us that all his family lives in Jabel Mukhaber, and he alone has a Palestinian ID.  He said the population had not rebelled when one of them was shot about a year ago, and another spattered with about 150 rounds of bullets when he tried to leave illegally.  But of course everyone is fed up.

 
The argument terminated when his cousin arrived from the other side and took the child. One of the guards seemed a little more humane than the rest, he spoke fluent Arabic, a Druze.  A blonde female soldier took sides with the unrelenting commander, saying that her mother was a qualified nurse and therefore she, the soldier, could tell that the child was not really sick…

Maaleh Adumim

We stopped at the roundabout to yield to the traffic coming from El-Azaria, and one of the settlers coming from Kedar expressed his impatience vehemently.  Meanwhile we admired the ancient olive trees recently planted in the centre of the roundabout. 

Wadi Nar

Traffic flowed at a reasonable pace in both directions.  When we approached, one of the soldiers said to the commander: "Here come your girlfriends."   A well-mannered soldier from the Jerusalem Envelope unit came up to ask who we were.  He's new at this post, comes 2-3 times a week to make sure the Palestinians are not harrassed or unnecessarily delayed.  And indeed, when one of the taxis was stopped, the papers were returned to the driver within minutes — a miracle!

On the way back we entered Maaleh Adumim to admire an even more splendid olive tree just beyond the entrance to the settlement.  Orit promised to send us a poem about these trees.

We detected more and more signs that Mevasseret Adumim has arrived.  

  • 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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