Abu Dis, SawahreThursday, 11/05/2005 AM Observers: Neta A., Tamar A. (reporter) 7:00 – 8:40 AM7:25 – 7:40 AM. The New PishpashSeveral Border Police (PB) soldiers attend the checkpoint (CP). They enable passage from Jerusalem to Al Ezariya, but not without delays. A woman with her child was told that there is no passage. After a short delay they were allowed to pass. A student was asked for his age. “15” he answered. The BP let him pass. Several others were warned that they will not be able to return this way as they have to get used to the automatic CP at Hazeitim. Indeed, the BP soldiers did not allow people to return to Jerusalem through the Pishpash, except school children. All other people had to go to Hazeitim CP. An old person who climbed the wall at its low point was sent back, but a family with kids (where it was obvious from the kids’ eyes to determine that they were frightened), was allowed to pass after some delay. 7:50 – 8:25 AM. The old Pishpash At the narrow passage of the wall the people were allowed to pass to Al Ezariya, but to return to Jerusalem was forbidden. All the people interested in returning to Jerusalem were sent to Hazeitim.This decree was used on a monastery staff member (with a passing permit) who up to now just had to cross the opening in the wall to return to Jerusalem. He will, from now on, have to hire a cab to Hazeitim, then hire a new cab to get to Jerusalem. Another group of BP soldiers (including a lady-soldier dog trainer with the dog) stood near the graveyard and sent pedestrians and cars to use the long way. The cars had to make a U-turn and a huge traffic jam occurred. What will happen to those people who do not want to go beyond the wall, and just want to reach the houses, institutions or graves between the monastery and the wall? The school, which is run by the nuns, is located there. Two school girls and a handicapped person were allowed to pass. A father arrived with his daughter. The soldiers did not let the father escort his daughter to the school. He looks for our help. We suggested that we will escort the frightened girl to the school but the soldiers did not agree even to this solution. A second father with his daughter arrived. The same discussion started from scratch. A nun, from the school, arrives from the other side of the soldiers, to try and help. One of the girls was brave enough to leave her father and run over to the nun. The second was too scared to let go. She had tears in her eyes. Her father tried to calm her down and to convince her to pass by herself. After a while, she ran towards the nun, who escorted both girls to school. Neta called A. to complain about the behaviour of the BP. The soldiers mocked Neta while they listened to her complaint. In any case it was a fruitful call. When a bus arrived with children headed to the nuns’ school, the soldiers let the whole bus pass, without delays.At the garden between the monks’ monastery and the nuns’ monastery a BP jeep was parked. The school bags of four school children were checked. Then they were allowed to pass to the school. Neta took a camera still shot. The soldiers asked for her ID card and wrote down her details. The ID card was returned. 8:35 AM. Hazeitim Checkpoint Almost no traffic at the CP. Someone mentioned that nobody passed the CP at all early morning hours because of a closure. Neta sent for a TV crew to film the events in the District and Coordination Office (local –DCO) of Ezion. As we had to wait for the crew, we did not make it to visit the DCO of Abu-Dis and Wadi Naar.