Abu-Dis, Zeitim DCO, The Container, Sheikh Saed Monday, 12.02.2007, PM (14:00-17:45) Observers: Yael I. . Ruth O., Zeruya S. and Ilana D. (reporting) DCO at Zeitim CP – The parking lot at the Palestinians side of the CP was more crowded than last time, but only very few people passed into Jerusalem. It was still too early for workers to return home. Schoolchildren who had been dropped off by a school bus on the Israeli side and were being picked up by their parents passed without inspection towards Abu-Dis. A cab with a Palestinian license plate and lots of suitcases and passengers on their way from the Allenby Bridge. Both the people and their suitcases had to be scrupulously checked and didn’t exit until after we had left, about an hour later. Meanwhile we were not allowed to enter. The loudspeaker was out of order and it was not clear what the turnstile operator tried to shout at us. Finally two civilian guards opened the vehicle gate on the side (which is “never used, maybe for ambulances, but they were unaware of it”) for us and we were told to enter the CP from the Israeli side (obviously so as not to be able to observe the inspection going on inside). There again a girl soldier tried in vain to shout something at us, but after waiting around a little longer E., the second in command at the CP and in charge of the DCO came with his helper I.. He told us that his boss, Elisha, was away and said that he knew Anat of MW. He said that he issued permits usually on medical grounds and starts at 08:00 in the morning. There are no longer more than 100 people ever. He serves the population of Abu-Dis, Al-Ezariya, Sawahre en Az-Za’ayyem, but occasionally in emergencies also even from Hebron. His office does not decide on the issue of magnetic cards, but people can come and collect them here. If there is a queue people can wait in the waiting area where there is water and toilets, which are cleaned twice daily. He does not know what will happen with the population, which is usually served by the Etzion DCO, he had heard it was closed for renovations. They no longer need to give out numbers, because there is no pressure. It sounded as if everyone was satisfied. He told us that within “a day or two” a policeman would also be stationed at the CP, but until then people have to travel to Jericho to be serviced if their car documents or driving licenses are confiscated. The transit drivers complained the situation and longed for the good old times of the Pishpash. There is no work – no one comes to this CP. They showed us a new metal fence that had been erected in the bottom of the wadi between Al-Ezariya and the main road. We saw children rummaging among the piles of garbage. On the way to The Container CP we drove down to the right (at the supermarket about one kilometer after the university) as per the directions of one of the drivers and saw the CP on the Eastern side of Sheikh Saed, which “protects” the settlers of Kidmat Zion near the Cliff Hotel on the Western side of the wall. We didn’t go down all the way, since we wanted to reach The Container. There were not many cars waiting in either direction some cabs had the papers of their passengers checked, but they were sent on their way within ten minutes. There were quite a few private Palestinian cars, not just taxis. The pedestrians also passed without hindrance and there were no detainees. When we asked whether we could open the gate towards Qedar we were told that the commander had decided that we should return the way we had come. However, then a vehicle with Israeli license plates approached from the direction of Bethlehem and since the soldiers could not send the woman back into Palestinian territory and were apparently unwilling to let her drive via the university, we were asked to “show” her the way to Jerusalem and drive in front of her. When we got to the Ma’ale Adumim junction she stopped following us and turned into Al-Ezariya, probably having saved herself a long detour to reach her destination. In search of our newly befriended garage-owner we turned into Az-Za’ayyem, but found his shop closed and no one volunteered to talk to us. However we discovered that a tiny CP had been installed since last week to check all Israeli vehicles exiting towards Jerusalem. All papers were checked by a civilian guard and their numbers were written down by a girl soldier, thus avoiding delays at the main CP. Those allowed to exit no longer have to drive via the main Az-Za’ayyem CP.