Shekh Saed, Abu-Dis, Zeitim CP Friday, 07.07.2006, AMobserving and reporting: Mikhal Z., Barbara S., Tirtzah, Efrat B.guests: Yose and Sue, a cantor and a rabbi (USA)Shekh Saed – Official policy as heard on the radio: men aged 45 and above as well as women of all ages (with blue ID only!) are allowed to pass.In comparison to the last few weeks, very few people are even trying to pass.7 detainees, mostly from Hebron, who were caught as they were trying to make their way through the wadi. Some say they’ve been waiting for two hours (BP claims it’s “only” 40 minutes).There is an “improvement”: in the tent-like construction there is a little booth for the soldiers.After crossing over to the other side we are stopped by a BP (“because you might get abducted”) as we try to enter further into Shekh Saed to show our guests the “donkey path”. Attempts to get help from higher echelons, both for the detainees and to clarify if we really can’t enter, remain without success. We argue with the BP about our right to be in Area B, but to no avail.As we return to the checkpoint, we try to speed things up a bit for the detainees whose number has in the meantime grown to 10, but a rather horrible BP snaps back, “As far as I’m concerned, they can wait here all day!”. We hear from the CP commander that the only woman among the detainees tried three times to cross the checkpoint, and was then caught in the wadi going for her only other choice. One of the male detainees has a document testifying to the fact that he is an epileptic. A man with a blue ID is held for a long time after passing the checkpoint because his ID is suspected of being forged and scrutinized with a magnifying glass on the jeep, but is found to be real in the end.In the end there are two BP jeeps.We leave Shekh Saed just as the BP begin to return IDs to the detainees. The commander tells us good-bye with a stun grenade in his hand (we are told by Palestinians that “already” for three days, no stun grenades have been used).Abu-Dis – Lower (“new”) gate: two BP, no detainees. We enter to have a look at the new, “decorative” wall, ignoring the BP’s order to return immediately.Bawwabe – 5 BP. Once more we are forbidden to enter Area B. One of them claims the bawwabe is a “closed military zone” but cannot back up this claim with any kind of documentation. Instead, he just points at the barbed wire for “proof”, but we explain to him that we have the right to enter Area B, which we did it many, many times.In the garden of the monastery, we find two guards protecting the wall and two BP at the southern gate.Zeitim CP – Totally empty of people.The only human souls we see as we are standing in the parking lot are three Palestinian drivers who have to be extremely patient waiting for customers.One of them is Adel, whom we’ve been on friendly terms practically since MW started coming to Abu Dis in 2002. But ladies, beware! The man is a dangerous criminal!He was just sentenced to a fine of NIS 2500.- a huge sum for an already impoverished Palestinian family (payable in five rates, starting Aug.1). The alternative of doing community service doesn’t exist for him because of his state of health (heart problems and diabetes), and if he doesn’t pay the fine, he’ll have to spend 15 days in jail for the admittedly abhorrent – crime of trying to take a sick, elderly man with a West Bank ID to the Moqassad Hospital.Not too long ago, Adel was a radiantly handsome and exuberantly friendly man. Now, after about seven hearings (I lost count), part of which were attended by machsom watchers, at the Russian Compound, he looks (and is) sick and hopeless.On the way back, we see a barriers at Ras-El-Amud and alongside the old city walls and huge numbers of police around the Old City (Friday prayers!).