Abu-Dis, Anata) Tuesday, 26.5.2006,AM (09:00-11:40)Observers: Claire A, Tirza L (reporter)The Pishpash: 09:00 – About 7 Military policemen were around The Pishpash in order to make sure that no one crossed from the east side to the west, besides those who were listed in the list of names that were permitted to cross (apparently by a limited order of the High Court of Justice). The soldiers warn us that if we cross here, we will not be allowed to return here, only at the Zeitim CP. We look over the other side – about 6 adults sit on the ground or stand, waiting, Two people arrive, ask to cross to the West. One is an Israeli resident. The soldier asks: “are you listed? Are you listed? Checks the list”, he is not listed. The other is not an Israeli resident. Both of them are sent back: “you can cross at the Zeitim CP, not here. There you can cross freely” (what we know is that this is not true: there the regular procedure of the checkpoint: no permit – they can’t cross). After a few minutes two soldiers enter via The Pishpash to the other side, apparently to make a statement of their presence? As we return after a few minutes, no one is waiting on the East side.The Old/New Gate – 5 soldiers guard so that no one will cross from the east to the west. The holes themselves, the road that passes next to the wall – everything is nearly completely quiet. No one even tries to cross. Very few cars and pedestrians on the west side. Total quiet – deserted. The soldiers say to us: “No one is to pass. Directions from above, only via the Zeitim CP, besides the humanitarian cases that need the hospital”.The monastery : 09:15 – We pass via the monastery courtyard as far as the wall that is being build behind it. There are still holes in the wall. The security people who guard the building of the wall are there.The hotel: 09:40 – Here it is also deserted. The soldiers come out of their rooms- entrance only to settlers.Anata – On the hill, where people cross in order to bypass the checkpoint, a fence is being built in order to prevent this crossing. The bottom part of the fence is built on most of the hill, the barbed wire fence has not yet been erected. In the beginning, soldiers are on the hill preventing crossing. At the checkpoint itself, a military policeman commands us coarsely to move away. We move away a few meters. And see that the decision to let older people cross (without permits), is arbitrary. To some the soldiers let cross, to others, not. An elderly woman who is refused argues, begs the soldier (the same one who commanded us to distance ourselves) and when she does not succeed in convincing him to let her cross, she crosses the street to the inspector and begs the more senior soldier until he finally lets her cross. In the inspection of the cars a soldier in a blue uniform who is there with his patrol vehicle joins. Every few cars that passes, he stops one of them and gives it a thorough inspection- 5 minutes: opening all the doors, licenses etc.Three women, two elderly and one of them with a basket on her head, ask to cross. For a few minutes they try to convince the soldiers – they don’t let them cross. They cross to the other side and beg, but they are refused.Another group of 6 people and elderly women who are asking to cross – they all look as if they want to cross in order to pray – are refused. We approach the more senior soldier – “what is he policy today? Why are some of the elderly people allowed to pass and some not?” The soldier answers vaguely: “the soldiers use their judgment, and that we should not interfere”. Meanwhile, there are now no soldiers on the hill. People are crossing from there.The head of the Anata committee, S., approaches us. Confims that they are building a fence on the hill as part of the “temporary fence” that is being built in places that the permanent fence cannot yet be built because of arguments and the High Court of Justice. He updates us that beneath, in the refugee camp, there is another checkpoint, and the soldiers already weed out people so that fewer people will arrive at this checkpoint. He says that it is lucky that the regular officer is not at the checkpoint, since then there would be many more detentions, and the soldiers would put them into the fenced off area next to the checkpoint booth. S. continues to tell us that the army does not allow children who leave Anata to study, to cross via the bus checkpoint. They are forced to walk via the checkpoint on foot, and then to catch a bus.