'Anata, Abu Dis, Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Sheikh Saed, Wed 29.6.11, Afternoon
We passed Sheikh Saed . It looked like always, the garbage slope too.
In the Ma’eleh Zeitim neighborhood where recently the new building was inaugurated it still is not occupied. In the former police station the renovations are proceeding and the building looks beautiful. The yard is clean and parking spaces are already painted. It’s interesting to find out how people will move from one part of the neighborhood to the one across the road. Will they build a bridge or only allow traffic to the residents?
In the Pish-pash new gates
have been installed the road to the pillbox next to the entrance to the Monastery is closed off with a gate. The entry to the houses along the wall is only possible from the road above and there too a new gate has been put up, but it isn’t locked and can be moved.
The Olive Passage was empty – along the road leading to it many cars are parked; probably belonging to people who work in Azariya or Abu Dis and cross the CP without their cars.
A big surprise awaited us on the raod from Qedar to Wadi Nar. Part of the road after the slope from Qedar from the left bend until the turn which leads to the Wadi Nar CP (the Container) is divided into two al along. The earth mound on the road in the direction of the garbage belt has been removed. The western part of the road has become one-way and it is used by many cars on their way to Azariya. It turns out that cars coming from the direction of Abadiya can turn right and continue on the divided road down towards the garbage belt and the road to Azariya. The part of the road that is divided into two is closed off and locked with a padlock and thus we were unable to continue towards the CP and whoever comes from Qedar can only use the Eastern part of the road to Qedar South. The change is certainly to the benefit of those coming from Abadiya, since beforehand they had to use the steep road etween houses next to the grocery store. We cannot reach the CP only via Azzariya or Sawakhre (although on foot it is possible). Since we didn’t get to the Container CP we do not know whether the road next to the grocery story is closed off.
When we drove between Qedar and Qedar-South we were stopped by two Israeli cars with children who wanted to know how to reach the Qedar swimming pool. They must be having parties there.
On the way back we passed the Anata CP. The new checkpoint under construction looks monstrously huge. And right across from it is the Depot of the light rail which may start running some time in the future.