Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Tue 16.3.10, Morning
En route to our usual shift, we noticed a huge number of blue police, border police, and soldiers near the gas station at the entry to Issawiya. From our vantage point, we could not see any direct disturbances, but we heard the constant sound of gun fire and saw helicopters overhead. Some of the people who were standing around said that there have been clashes since early morning.
Continuing on via "Pope Road" toward the Hebrew University, we saw about 5 police vans parked along the road near the entry to the Hadassah helipad.
We entered Azariah where things seemed to be quiet, but some of the people that we know there said that there were disturbances in both Azariah and Abu Dis during the day. Interestingly enough, there were no police or military at the exit of the village.
Wadi Nar
Wadi Naar has never been quieter — perhaps because of the closure. There were almost no vehicles going in either direction, although there seemed to be more security personnel around than usual.
On our way back, we drove right into a demonstration taking place near the entry to the Hebrew University. On one side of the street were Arab students, on the other Jewish ones — many of them wearing "Im Tirtzu" tee shirts. As we were driving by, we were stopped by two ambulances — the first was a Red Crescent ambulance that picked up one of the Arab demonstrators. (We could not see just who was being lifted in). The second ambulance was one of Magen David Adom which seemed to be on a regular call.
At the top of the hill, opposite the entry where one turns left to get to Hadassah, there was a huge contingent of Border Police who had just emerged from the Arab village behind the hospital. We tried to get a better look at what was going on in Issawiya, but couldn't. However, we did hear the sound of the shooting going on there.
The police force was still in evidence along "Pope Road" as well as at the entry to Issawiya.
Qedar update: Building there continues unabated. The settlement has been doubled in the last year and now, during the "building freeze", the bulldozers are still working all speed ahead preparing yet more lands for building more houses — in addition to the 30 or so foundations ready for yet more houses.
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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