Abu-Dis, Sunday, 26.9.04 AM observers: Rina R., Dalia R. and Ilana D. (reporting) Our route covered: Abu-Dis, Kidmat-Zion, Pishpash West , Mishor Adumim, Al–Ezariya. Pishpash East, Wadi Nar and Az-Za’ayyem 6:30 AM – Two BP-men stood on the road outside the Old city wall between Herod’s Gate and Lions Gate. On the way up to Mount of Olives a BP-jeep was parked in the middle of the street and transits were stopped here and there. There was no long line. A number of detainees had been loaded into a waiting BP-van on their way to the police station. There were no detainees on the street. The Cliff Hotel The area around the gas station in Abu-Dis was deserted. Next to the Cliff Hotel ten detainees had already had their papers checked and were called inside one by one to sign the infamous form promising they would never cross again, before they were sent back. The commander on the spot told us that they had been caught near the Pishpash Gate, but were being sent on their way over a mound of rubble behind the hotel and not from where they came, to prevent them from trying to re-enter. Kidmat-Zion At Kidmat Zion Palestinian workers operating the machinery greeted us when we approached the security road along the wall, which is now halfway newly asphalted. Except for a guard on one of the roofs we saw no settlers’ presence. The Pishpash Gate At he Pishpash Gate a BP jeep was parked, but people passed freely and no one was held up. On the other side of the wall a group of people were waiting to cross, apparently waiting for the BP-jeep to disappear. The drivers told us that although .8:15 AM – It was already hot, the wait in the line had been about an hour and the passengers of six cars were waiting (for almost an hour) for their documents to be returned to them. The Commander of the area, S. explained to us that the checking was more scrupulous than usual. He remembered me from last week and told us that today the situation in Al-Ezariya is reasonable. Nevertheless we were confronted by angry drivers of at least thirty cabs who claimed to have been waiting since 6:30 and said that only every 15 minutes one car is let through. We timed about three minutes per cab and all vehicles with yellow numbers by-passed the queue and proceeded without checking.Netta called us from Qalandiya telling us that she had heard that the Pishpash Gate is closed, but that Qalandiya is open (hopefully A-Ram too). She required what kind of a closure this is. We decided to go up to the East side of the Pishpash to talk to the soldiers and were happy to be able to call her back to let her know that about half an hour after we had left the place totally closed off, people crossed freely without any BP in sight. Wadi Nar As we approached the CP of Wadi Nar we were immediately told by a girl soldier to move back and observed that the small shacks, which had been around the watchtower, were pulled over, although not yet removed. There were no lines of cars in either direction. Two cabs were held up, but released within a couple of minutes. A young man with a blue Id card on his way to Jerusalem from Hebron (where his wife lives) was detained, suspicious, since he should have taken the settlers’ road to enter Jerusalem. But he too was sent on his way after ten minutes. We entered the area under the new roofing and asked to speak to the commander who seemed pleased with the improvements (especially the shade). He could not answer our question re the necessity of a CP at this particular spot. He said that the toilets are not yet installed nor the electric buttons to operate the turnstiles. The ‘office’ is now in the middle of the CP where the soldiers also eat and socialize in full view of detainees. The taps are still not connected, but there was a tank with drinking water nearby. We returned via the new comfortable empty highway built for the inhabitants of Kedar. Az-za’ayyem As we approached Az-Za’ayyem we saw that a BP-man was frisking ten men who stood bent over, facing a wall with their legs apart. We pulled to the side, since we had never observed any detainees there and as we came closer a transit was released and sent on to Jerusalem. We talked to the commander of the CP who claimed that he knows which car with yellow number plates to stop even with the glaring sun in his face. He said that one of his soldiers, a Russian, can spot ‘illegals’ from a distance of a few kilometers and he had tracked down the ten men, probably Bedouin, in the fields on the other side of the road. None had permits and we told them that in case of emergency, they could call the Moked. The man in charge of the agricultural checkpoint said that only approved agricultural produce is allowed to enter.