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Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Sun 30.11.08, Afternoon

Observers: Dvora G., Dafna S. (reporting)
Nov-30-2008
| Afternoon
14:30-17:00  Wadi Nar

Great rejoicing at the checkpoint — now all beautifully asphalted.  The man in charge offers clarifications about the 4 elegant lanes. The company commander, A., is extremely pleased, tells us there are no pedestrians at all now, and everything is more orderly and secure, a DCO person is present to ensure that the checkpoint is sufficiently manned; offers to build a booth for us, to protect us from the heat and the sun… announces that we will participate in the inauguration of the soldiers' cabins…. and indeed 4 cabins arrive to merge into the environment. 

Vehicles pass rapidly.  Two are stopped and checked carefully.  Another two officers arrive to check the vehicles but not the persons.  After  20 minutes one of them is released.  Needless to say, a traffic jam forms during the unloading of the cabins.  When we left, the vehicle was still waiting.

Soldiers and commanders were all in high spirits… no more dust … and let us hope that the garbage too will be cleaned up.
  • 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)

       

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