Abu Dis, Zeitim Passage, ContainerThursday, 16.3.2006, AM Observers: Aviva W., Rama Y. (reporting)Abu Dis. The closure enforced on account of the holiday of Purim is extended until Sunday. Only blue IDs owners are allowed through. At the old Pishpash gate the concrete slabs were removed, higher ones were put a little further to the east, and people don’t have to jump over the stone fence any longer, just walk through the opening between the slabs. Three soldiers monitor the passage. They are not rude, and their commander, who speaks Arabic, listens to requests, and eventually lets “special cases” through. All in all, there were relatively few people trying to gain access to Jerusalem. It seems that fewer Palestinians still have the energy to venture this daily Odyssey.Zeitim Passage. Empty as ever. For the time being, mostly school children arriving in special transportations use this CP. Container. Cars going to Bethlehem are not checked at all. The line is longer on the opposite direction. Minibuses are picked randomly for further checking of IDs, but are not held too long.On our way back to Jerusalem, there were no less than three flying CPs within two kms from Abu Dis. We were stopped at the first one, and a civil security man asked for our IDs. We asked what for, and the answer: income tax checking… The soldier who was there told the man to let us through. Apparently, income tax checking is a thing reserved for Palestinians.