Abu-Dis Monday morning, 8 March 2004 Watchers: Talia A-S., Amie K., Judy O. (reporting) A closure [movement restriction within the Territories] is in effect due to the Jewish holiday of Purim.The skeleton of the bombed-out bus dumped at the foot of the Wall [Separation Barrier] was still there, and the area around the gas station was all but deserted, though every now and then a single car or transit [passenger van] passed by, and one bus, almost empty, came down from the direction of the Pishpash gate [roadside pedestrian passageway]. Up near the hotel, small groups of Palestinian workers, having waited till a single [IDF] jeep passed on its way down to the wadi, ran across the open space towards Jerusalem. Last week, a resident of one of the houses closest to the Wall – enclosed on three sides (because of the outrageous curves of the Wall) – complained that not only was his view completely blocked, but that by early afternoon the sun had disappeared, and that there was no movement of air.Up at the Pishpash gate, Palestinians with blue [Israeli] IDs were allowed to pass. Young men’s names were listed by one of the soldiers. Those with orange and green [Palestinian] IDs were allowed through only if they were holding transit permits, although at one point even these were refused. The exact orders did not seem to be clear to the soldiers themselves. Incident:On the way back down the hill, we witnessed a potentially explosive situation. A group of Arab workers (from the Jerusalem municipality) working on a water pipe had parked their truck diagonally across the road, blocking it to prevent passing cars from interfering with their work. When a security man (Yehuda) driving a van had ordered them to make way for him to pass, they had refused. He then got out of the car shouting, threatened them physically, promised to have them arrested and reached for his handgun. The Arabs confronted him with restraint, holding their ground with courage. Eventually, the Border Police arrived, and Yehuda lied blatantly as to what had happened, claiming that the Arabs had threatened him, etc. Much to the credit of the unit commander, the situation was resolved quietly. Comment: This Yehuda is a hot-headed, dense individual who is clearly a danger to any security. But to whom can one complain about such a case? There are probably plenty more like him.