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Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Tue 25.8.09, Afternoon

Place: Abu Dis / Lazarus gate (formerly The Wicket) Container (Wadi Nar)
Observers: Chana G., Julia W. Rahel W. (reporting)
Aug-25-2009
| Afternoon
Wadi Nar

There was more traffic than usual for this time of day — probably because of Ramadan.  When we arrived at Wadi Nar around 2:30, there were already many workers heading home (and many transits waiting to transport them.)

 
There seemed to be very few personnel manning the checkpoint, perhaps because it was hot and the others were inside and out of view.  During the entire time we were there, only one vehicle was stopped for inspection, and that was for a very short period of time.

 
Once again, the real story in this area is the rapid pace of building going on.  The building and preparations for new homes at Qedar now extend all the way to the road.  Across the street, the major road is being expanded, and in the wadi prior to the cut off to Qedar South, there is considerable road work going on. (Before making the final right turn heading toward Wadi Nar, we parked near the garbage heap to get a better view of the construction taking place).  It appears that the effort to fill in the area between Maaleh Adumim and Jerusalem is well underway!

  • 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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