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Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Tue 30.12.08, Afternoon

Place: Abu Dis / Lazarus gate (formerly The Wicket) Container (Wadi Nar)
Observers: Julia W., Rina H., Rahel W. (reporting)
Dec-30-2008
| Afternoon

Despite the heavy presence of border police throughout the city since the outbreak of hostilities in Gaza, there were no patrols at the entry to Azariah and life seemed to be going on there as usual.

When we arrived at Wadi Nar at about 2;00 p.m., we saw 13 soldiers at the checkpoint, and there were obviously more at the pillbox.  There was considerable traffic, but it moved quite smoothly. 

 

At about 2:45, there was a change of patrols and the new team were busy checking almost every vehicle and long lines of traffic built up.  Interestingly enough (and inexplicably), the checks were more thorough of vehicles heading toward Bethlehem than those coming north.  Within minutes, three transits were pulled over and the i.d.'s were taken from some of the passengers, however all were returned within 15 minutes.

 

One vehicle heading toward Bethlehem stopped and two passengers got out — a man and a woman.  Almost immediately, soldiers came over to them, ordered them back into the van and the van was made to drive into the area near the pillbox.  The two passengers (the man had his hands in handcuffs behind his back) and the driver were led into the enclosed area.  After about a half hour, the three were allowed to leave and crossed back into the area near the shop. 

However, the van was still there and it was inspected several times, including once by a blue police patrol that was obviously called in to check it out.  It was still there when we left although those in it had been allowed to leave.

During this same period of time, a passenger in a transit heading north from Bethlehem obviously said something objectionable to the inspecting soldier who made him get out of the transit and he too was led into the closed area near the pillbox.  We were concerned that he was going to be mistreated because the soldier was angrily shouting at him and was clearly agitated, but we were glad to see him emerge after about 20 minutes apparently unharmed.

 
We asked one of the soldiers about pedestrian traffic and were told that pedestrians — all the hundreds of workers– could no longer pass through the checkpoint on foot, and sure enough, as the workers started returning, they boarded transits and went through the checkpoint in them. 
Traffic was very, very heavy.  After the initial enthusiasm of the new crew on patrol for checking each and every vehicle, the checks lightened up and traffic moved more quickly.

  • Abu Dis / Lazarus gate (formerly The Wicket)

    See all reports for this place

    •  

      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)

    See all reports for this place
    •  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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