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Abu Dis, Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Sheikh Saed, Thu 8.9.11, Morning

Place: Abu Dis / Lazarus gate (formerly The Wicket) Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal) Sheikh Sa'ed
Observers: Rachel M., Michaela R., (reporting together)
Sep-08-2011
| Morning

  n.b. The report is according to Israeli daylight-saving time, but in Palestine it's a winter clock.

 
 
6:10 Sheikh Saed
 
Lively crossing, no lines.
School bags of very young children, including kindergarten tots, were checked.  Permits were not required.
 
7:00 Olive Terminal
Lane 2, with a misspelled poster in Hebrew (something like "Wellcom") was closed.  Lane 3 was for pupils, and at Lane 1 there was a long line.  After a while, Lane 2 was opened, and the line grew shorter.
 
7:40 Wadi Nar
 
We drove through Abu Dis.  The road was quiet, no presence of security forces.
At the checkpoint we were greeted by a chorus of barking dogs, totally ignored by the security personnel.
There were random checks and detensions which lasted a few minutes.
 
Some young people got out of one of the detained cars to stretch their legs and smoke a cigarette.  They were asked by two soldiers to return to their car, in a dialogue in which neither side understood the language of the other.  Two got back into their car, a third continued smoking and drinking his coffee.  Their IDs were quickly returned, and the episode ended happily.

  • 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.

  • Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal)

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    • A large checkpoint/crossing to the area of a-Tur, Abu Dis and the Old City; only for pedestrians. Located on Jerusalem’s municipal boundary.

      One of the major crossings in Jerusalem’s central sector. It is located on the separation fence between the northern portion of the al-Ezariya neighborhood and the neighborhood of a-Tur and the rest of East Jerusalem. It is manned by Border Police soldiers and private security companies and operates 24 hours a day. Palestinians are forbidden to go through, other than permanent residents of East Jerusalem (holders of blue ID cards) and holders of work and commercial permits who are allowed through only on foot.

  • 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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