Abu Dis, Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Sheikh Saed
The remaining open piece of wall at the checkpoint has finally been closed — rather oddly. It's low, with gaps in which garbage and barbed wire tangle — but the height will come. From talks with people we gather a sense of resignation, and the knowledge that they will continue to attempt crossing into Jerusalem by any possible means, because in Nablus, Bethlehem and Hebron there is no work. So they continue to try and infiltrate, sometimes successfully and sometimes caught. The soldiers at the checkpoint say that, according to General Security investigations, the terrorist who stabbed the soldier on a bus in Afula, crossed in this area. If this is true, it follows that one incident justifies the isolation of an entire community and its livelihood. Justification will always be found for the cruel checkpoint regime, despite a two-year lull in attacks.
By the way, talking to locals, we get the impression that there was less snow in the El-Azariya area, and the Old City itself — The East Jerusalem Electricity Board functioned well, there were almost no power outages. People were able to go to the bakeries for bread, and they cleared their own piles of snow. We asked ourselves whether the habit of not depending on authorities breeds greater self-sufficiency in difficult times.
8:00 Drive through Ras Al Amud and Mt. Zion to Jabel Mukhaber
There were no blockages, and morning traffic in the Old City was pretty sleepy. In the parking lot, next to the border police base at the entrance to Jabel Mukhaber, we met Dafna from the "Bimkom" lobby (for planning rights), armed with maps of area plans for Sheikh Saed, the eastern ring road, and the wall route. We asked her to join us and explain what exactly hides behind the works "to upgrade the checkpoint and build a parking lot for the residents." The residents have applied, via their lawyer, to the Ministry of Defence, but have received no replies, and they have not yet made contact with "Bimkom."
What is obvious is the closing of the wall in the area, the break in the Sheikh Saed hill, the construction of supporting walls, and the raising of the approach
route. The concrete building of the checkpoint will also be raised. The eastern ring road will pass below all that, connecting Gush Etzion and Route 60 with the Old City. According to Dafna, for the present there is no approval of the plans for the ring road in this area, yet things seem to be moving along. Meanwhile, a parking lot is being constructed for all the permanent residents of Jerusalem living in Sheikh Saed who, however, are not permitted to enter with their vehicles (despite two court orders). The parking lot is rather small, perhaps in the hope that the population of Sheikh Saed will decline, as indeed seems to be the case.
We include a photo of the map Dafna brought — of poor quality also because it ends in the area of the Sheikh Saed checkpoint, but the ring road can be identified by the landscaping along it — the road is marked by a broad red line with intermittent green/brown marks along it.
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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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.
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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.
Avital CFeb-27-2026Jerusalem, Damascus Gate: Crowd rushing to prayer
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