Abu Dis and Container4.3.05 Fridaywatchers: Rita M, Marina H, and Avital B. (reporting) 9:20: Container:relatively little movement, the BP soldiers checked the taxi, but did not detain anyone during the time we were there for more than a minute or two. Private cars went through too. 10:15 – At the Cliff Hotel: we did not see any soldiers at the hotel.10:20. At the Bawabe (pishpash) – The new checkpoint (at the end of the street that leads to the bawabe, from the Palestinian side) is staffed by several BP soldiers with a jeep. At this point, they control the movement towards the bawabe and also to the street that turns northward, towards the broken monastery walls. Only Jerusalem residents and people with permits are allowed through.The behavior of the soldiers is crass and degrading, accompanied by many shouts and power games. In one case, a taxi that had been ordered to stop continues to drive (towards the center of eastern Abu Dis) and the soldier runs after it and brings one of the passengers, with an eight year old boy, towards the checkpoint. A shouting match develops, ending with a shout of the soldier “ Don’t shout at me”. It appears that the man has lost his ID and he did not carry papers indicating he reported the loss to the police. The soldier orders him “to wait….” and threatens to call the police to issue such a report. After 10 minutes the Palestinian turn to the soldier and swears he did not hear him say to stop, when he was sitting in the taxi and the soldier seemed so triumphant with this obvious act of surrender, that he released the man and the boy.In other cases, when people arrive carrying large bags, the soldiers ordered them to open the bags and take out all their contents, as these often personal items end up falling on the street. In two cases concerning elderly Palestinians without a permit, the soldiers in the end did allow them to pass, but only after their repeated pleading.11:45. When we returned towards the bawabe, a jeep was standing on the western side as well, with a relatively high ranking officer and a car belonging to the blue police. The officer stopped passersby and the police woman checked the papers of cars passing by, and handed out traffic tickets. When we arrived there was one detainee, (according to him, held for 30 minutes) who had passed without a permit. The officer said he was waiting the result of a check by the GSS. We stayed until the man was released – about 10 minutes – in fact, he was sent back to the Eastern side of the wall.