Back to reports search page

Abu Dis, Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Sheikh Saed, Wed 4.6.08, Morning

Place: Abu Dis / Lazarus gate (formerly The Wicket) Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal) Sheikh Sa'ed
Observers: Anat T., Shira V. (reporting)
Jun-04-2008
| Morning
07:00 Sheikh Saed

There are over ten men waiting at the entrance to the checkpoint. The checkup is rather slow, although it does not include writing down the names (as far as we could see through the thick window). Observing the slow work we got the impression that the reason is that there is a new woman soldier who does the job. We could not verify it with the commander of the checkpoint S.

 
The commander of the checkpoint let an older woman, and another one accompanying her, around 40 years of age, both of them from Issawiye, to go through even without a permit. It is where one can see that they can apply their consideration. New people are joining the line at the checkpoint all the time, and it still moves slowly.

 
A woman approaches us, and she told us that she is originally from Anata, and this is written in her ID, which she shlowed us, but she lives in Sheikh Saed with her husband and children (all of them have a Palaestinian ID, she is the only one with a blue ID).

 
She told us that she is a nurse, (probably taking over when needed), and she works, among other places, in Hadassa Ein Kerem, and also in the clinic in Jabel Mukaber, and she does not have a permit to go through because her official (ID) adress is in Anata, and therefor she stays at home sometimes (going via Zeitim passage is over two hours according to her).

 
After we got involved in the story, and after a short phone call they let her through at this specific day, but they told her to go to Zeitim passage in order to get a permanent permit. The question that bothered us is if one can forbid people with blue ID to enter Jerusalem because they want to enter through a place that is not mentioned in their ID. We are still trying to find out about it with the BP and DCO in order to help her in getting a permanent permit.

 
07:50 on the road, exiting Sawahara

A pedestrian patrol of 3 BP men stop vehicles randomly and demand to see documents. They write down IDs. Among other things they stopped a transit, took the IDs of the passengers, wrote them down and gave them back. Same with pedestrians. We tried ot find out with the DCO if this is a safety nessecity, or is it just harrassing the Palestinians.
The owner of the grocery store told us that they are searching there almost every day, every time at another spot on the road, and he sometimes saw people being taken to be arrested from there. He also said that they search in luggage compartements too.

Zeitim passage 09:00

We enter and exited from the terminal without any problem. As we came out we bumped into policeman G., and tried to get the criteria for a biometric, but did not get a clear answer.

  • 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.

  • Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal)

    See all reports for this place

    • 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

    See all reports for this place

    • 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.

      ירושלים: רונית על רקע דוכנים על מדרגות שער שכם
      Anat Tueg
      Mar-28-2025
      Jerusalem: Ronit against the backdrop of stalls on the steps of the Nablus Gate
      View the full album
Donate

MachsomWatch

MW Reporting

More Information

Stay in touch

Email. [email protected]

Subscribe to our Newsletter