Back to reports search page
Donate
Sheikh Saed, Thu 24.5.12, Morning
Place:
Sheikh Sa'ed
Observers: Rahel M., Michaela R. (reporting)
5:55 Sheikh Saed
12 persons in line. Many arrive at this hour and within minutes the corridor is full.
Around 6 a.m. pupils start to arrive, some present documents, some are asked to open their bags.
The magnometer beeps crazily.
A young man and a boy are refused entry. The man returned about one hour later, the child waited for his friend who passed him some kind of paper. The second time round they crossed. In the course of our shift there were others who were refused.
A man from the local committee told us that the present team of border policemen causes a lot of problems, and indeed in recent weeks we have observede long lines and many refusals, unlike the past.
We entered Sheikh Saed. On our way back the border policeman would not let us cross because "our address is not in Jabel Mukhaber." After prolonged calls (during which time no one, to our regret, crossed), he was given the permission "to allow watch to cross."
Pupils were relatively few because this is the season for exams. Another child was refused, but his father could show that the child was registered in the supplement to his ID.
Towards 7 o'clock the line lengtherened again. Some of the permits are valid from this hour. The corridor filled to the brim, but the checking time was not shortened. Crossing time: more than 10 minutes.
An Al-Jazeera crew filmed the procedures at the checkpoint.
Sheikh Sa'ed
See all reports for this place-
A checkpoint limited to pedestrians, located on Jerusalem’s municipal boundary.
The checkpoint sits on the separation fence at the entrance to Sheikh Sa’ad, dividing it from its neighbourhood of Jabel Mukkabar. It’s manned by Border Police soldiers and private security companies and operates 24 hours a day. Palestinians are forbidden to go through, other than residents of Jabel Mukkabar or Sheikh Sa'ad who have permits. Both groups are permitted through only on foot. Residents of East Jerusalem who don’t live in Jabel Mukkabar are also allowed to cross to Sheikh Sa’ad, but not in the opposite direction; they must return through the Sawahira ash Sharqiya checkpoint.
Anat TuegMay-20-2026Nabi Samwil. This is what living conditions look like in an enclave village without building or renovation permits
-