‘Anata-Shu’afat
8:40 – 9:40 Shuafat
We arrived in pouring rain, crossed to the parking lot for buses through the "sleeve". At this hour the parking lots were already empty.
One cannot avoid mentioning the piles of filth and garbage strewn in every corner.
We watched the long line of cars leaving the neighbourhood. And one car in particular which arrived with us. For 10 minutes we moved in tandem with this car until it reached the checkpoint.
We joined the line for pedestrians, waiting for our turn at the turnstile. Only one was working, letting through only one person with every opening.
In the line with us there were mothers with children, young men and older men. One young woman in the late months of her pregnancy was carrying an infant wrapped in a blanket. It was clear that standing on her feet was difficult. There is not a single chair or bench to sit on while waiting. Occasionally the line in front of the turnstile lengthened , depending on the arrival of buses. After 15 minutes it was our turn to cross — bags x-rayed, documents held against the window. A female soldier checks, the rest sit idle behind her. (Why is not another position operative?)
We exit and watch the crossing of cars. The spot is only seemingly protected from the rain. They did not like our presence there and asked us to move in the direction of the exit. We saw that the cars crossed without checking. As far as we could tell, the passengers arriving by bus disembark in the parking lot for buses, next to the "sleeve" leading to the checkpoint. They undergo a security check and proceed to the buses parked at the exit from the checkpoint.
From the building they exit onto a red and covered "ackerstein" pavement. The buses await in the parking lot in front of the "sleeve", a few meters away. The way to the bus parking lot is blocked by a fence, guiding the passengers to an improvised path. On a rainy day like today the path is flooded and can be crossed only by walking through a stream of water. In fact the path is so constructed that one must cross the river of mud more than once, while cars driving by spray water and mud onto the pedestrians on their right.
We returned to our car, our garments, shoes and socks drenched.
Just imagine the pregnant woman with the baby, or the elderly and handicapped persons who have to cross in this manner.
Checkpoint Shu'afat camp / Anata-Shu'afat (Jerusalem)
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The Shu’afat checkpoint is located in the northern part of East Jerusalem at the exit from the village of Anata and the Shu’afat refugee camp, which are located in the area annexed to Jerusalem in 1967. The refugee camp borders the Shu’afat neighborhood to the west, Pisgat Ze’ev to the north, the French Hill neighborhood to the south and the planned expansion of Ma’aleh Adumim to E-1 in the east. It was established in 1966 for 1948 refugees from the West Bank and was populated after the Six Day War by persons who had been expelled from the Jewish Quarter. Today its population comprises some 25,000 people holding blue ID cards and some 15,000 people with Palestinian ID cards. The camp lacks adequate infrastructure and services, and suffers from poverty, neglect and overcrowding. All its buildings are connected to the public electricity and water infrastructure, but not all are connected to the sewer system. The camp’s services are provided by UNRWA, except for those such as health clinics and transportation of pupils to schools in Jerusalem. In 2005, the Israeli High Court of Justice rejected a suit by the residents requesting that the route of the separation fence be drawn such that the camp would remain on the Israeli side, but conditioned its approval of the route on the establishment of a convenient and rapid crossing facility for the inhabitants of the neighborhood, most of whom are residents of Jerusalem.
A temporary checkpoint operated there until December, 2011. It was extremely congested during rush hours, and dangerous for pedestrians (especially children) because of inadequate safety provisions. The new checkpoint was inaugurated south of the old one, for public and private transportation and for pedestrians, intended solely for the residents of the camp – holders of blue ID cards, and those with Palestinian ID cards who possess appropriate permits. There are five vehicle inspection stations at the checkpoint, and two for pedestrians (one of which is currently closed) where scanners have been installed but are not yet operating. According to the army, representatives of government agencies will also be present to provide services to residents of the neighbourhood. The pedestrian lanes are very long, located far from the small parking lots, and accessible through only a single revolving gate.
Anat TuegJan-25-2026Anata: A new outpost has been built south of the junction
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