Abu-Dis, The ContainerWednesday, 31.05.2006Observers: Yehudith E., Ruthi R., Shulamith N.- reporting06:55Cliff Hotel: 06:55 – The gate is closed – passage permitted only to security forces, local residents, Jewish (settlers) and Palestinians.A-shiah street – the edge of the wall – At the crossing, only owners of blue IDs are allowed to cross. A Palestinian with a green card, working in the church, wishes to cross to his workplace. He is from Beit Sahur, has a permit, but is not allowed to cross. He must travel to the Zeitim CP in order to get to work. He could have crossed at the Bethlehem checkpoint but the line was too long, and he tried to cross here.07:15 – We tried to get close to the construction site of the (elegant) wall. People from the “Ari” security company, as well as a soldier, will not let us through because this is a “closed area”. They have no official order to show us. We went up a parallel alley and there saw the end of the wall under construction.The Pishpash: 07:30 – People allowed to cross according to lists. A local resident tells us that they are waiting for a Supreme Court decision to change the route of the fence to contain their home inside Jerusalem. The shops near the Pishpash belong partly to his family and they wish to be included insider Israeli territory. He says that the soldiers turn a blind eye at all sorts of situations where people wish to cross back in the opposite direction. Judging by the wall’s foundations, two gates are planned. One at the pilgrims’ church, the other (according to what we heard) – on A-Shiah street below.The Container: 08:15 – A long line of taxis and lorries. A contractor is waiting for workers supposed to cross to Kedar, Ma’aleh Adumin and surroundings.The line headed in the direction of Bethlehem lengthens and no one takes the time to let them cross – we remark on this and very soon the line starts moving.A soldier asks us to move back, and we politely take two steps back.The line entering from Abu-Dis is very long, a 30-minute wait. A taxi entering in the direction of Bethlehem is detained some 30 minutes for a check-up, as is a taxi going in the direction of Abu-Dis.