Abu Dis Sat. July 30, 2005 AMWatchers: Helaine M (a guest from the US) and Nina M (reporting)10:30 – Closure. At a narrow opening (“open for the convenience of public” see the report from July 2, 2005) two border police prevent people with Palestinian ID to pass. People with blue ID can “enjoy” this “convenient” passage. A blind, older man with his companions is turned back, he accepts the verdict without arguing. A woman with an ill baby is allowed to pass. Helaine takes pictures: one of a soldier feels uncomfortable and says to another soldier “she takes pictures”. The other soldiers says:” so what”. I wonder if the first soldiers is uncomfortable, because of this shameful situation, in which he has to participate, where people has to squeeze, through extremely narrow and low passage, (today only those who are privileged to have a blue IDs), or for another reasons of which I am not aware. An old man with a young companion appears from the Jerusalem side. They want to enter Abu Dis. “Go up” (meaning to the monastery passage). “I cannot walk up the street”-the old man says. Soldiers are “human” and let him pass. The young companion is told to go up the street-“You are young, you can walk” says one of the soldiers. But the companion says he has to help the old man, and again humanity wins-the young man is also allowed to squeeze in.