Abu Dis. Tuesday PM, 2-8-05 Observers: Yael I., Ruth O. and Ilana D. (reporting) From 3:00 till 6:00 PMAbu Dis on both sides of the wall, SawahreNear the gas station we spotted Angela with thirty Swedish musicians who all crowded around the opening where three BP-men were checking Ids and only letting women with blue Ids through. A large number of men were waiting on the eastern side of the metal fence where one of the bars had been removed, allowing a narrow passage. There was no army presence along the wall, near the Cliff Hotel, nor near the Kidmat Zion settlement. We marveled again at the fresh asphalt. On our way down from A-Tur we wanted to inspect what looks like the construction of a huge terminal beyond above the painted wall where huge amounts of earth have been deposited for landscaping. Two Bedouin security guards (from the ARI company) stopped us. They claimed that their boss only allows people who work on the site to pass. When they were told that they are not police, they acted offended and we didn’t press the issue. We wanted to visit the Palestinian DCO in the building of the Grand Hall, but were told that the office closes at 2:30 and declined when offered to talk to Salah Bader on his mobile. On the way to Sawahre a BP-jeep drove in front of us and randomly checked the documents of young man walking along the street. We stayed behind and noted that the documents were immediately returned. The jeep turned left before the University Campus and the soldiers cheerfully waved ‘Goodbye’ to us, glad to be rid of us. At the Container two buses with young children from Hebron on their way back from a day-trip to Ramalla were allowed through the barrier. A Palestinian bystander told us that someone had taken away the one-way sign at the bottom of the narrow winding road, making the passage extremely dangerous for two-way traffic. A nice reservist told us that Palestinian Authority had placed the sign forcing incoming traffic to take the other road. Like us he was unable to explain why the old Kedar Road could not be used by the Palestinians. There was one detainee who had been randomly checked and happened to be blacklisted by the Security Services. The soldiers had called the GSS and were awaiting further orders. After a short while they were apparently told to take off his shoes for inspection too, before he was sent on his way. We returned via Kedar South, which is now called “Temporary “ as opposed to the “Permanent” larger settlement. The reservist guard told us that two or three families actually live there ‘temporarily’. We took the new super highway, since the older road was blocked. The soldiers manning the A-Za’ayyem CP were chatting and didn’t pay attention to traffic entering Jerusalem.