Abu Dis, Container Wednesday PM, 12.01.05Observers: Yael R., Ayelet F., Tirtza F. (reporting)Guest: Joanna14:30-17:3014:35The Monastery's gate is opened, no soldiers. Vans park on the road in front of the blocked Bawabe (pishpash), beyond a pile of stone and earth that prevents passage. One driver says the BP are giving the vans reports, and that on the 20th they will put a fence to block the passage through the Monastery. By Az-Za'ayyem, he says, no one goes.14:50The road to Cliff Hotel is muddy but passable. At the end of the road we find a gate on the road and iron rods in the ground around the Hotel. Operators and guards say it's new from today. Between the rods there will be a fence around the Hotel area. Why? The guard says it's not an extension of the separating wall, which is being disputed in the high court for justice, it is "merely a fence". He adds that BP will be removed from the Hotel.On the second floor a soldier is stationed. We ask about the fence. "I don't know", he says. "Ask the commanders. I know as much as you do".15:15Back by the Bawabe. A BP jeep is standing on the road, the soldiers inside it speak with the drivers through an open door. We stop. A soldier says we may not stop where the pavement is marked with red and white. We go on and make a u-turn to come back, but the jeep goes away.15:30 On the road entering Al Ezariya there's a blue police car, stopping vans.15:40 ContainerOn the entrance to the Container near the grocery store there are new twisted wires between the road and the soldier's kitchen. Why? "defined area", says a soldier. What area? "Don't know. An area". Why only now? "Don't know. There wasn't the budget before".The improvised barrier blocking the road from the apartheid road with barrels and a beam on top of them has been replaced with concrete cubes and an iron gate between them.The checkpoint is busy. Change of shift. 2 Jeeps, 2 dog handlers and a dog are checking a van-taxi. A long line going south, a little shorter one going north.15:50A Red Crescent ambulance stops by us. The driver asks if he may pass to the apartheid road. We're OK with it. He laughs, says the soldiers sent him to us, realizes they were making fun of him. They are supposed to collect a cancer patient from Jericho to get treatment in Jerusalem. It's a little shorter and the road is better. They say goodbye with a smile and go away before we get a chance to try and speak with the soldier. 45 minutes later they return to the checkpoint going south.15:55Change of shift is over. The jeeps are gone, the taxi that was dog inspected is released too.16:01A van-taxi going south is detained. Another is sent to be dog-checked and released within 7 minutes. One of us approaches the taxi passengers. a soldiers starts yelling, "Excuse me, they are detainees and I ask not to speak with them". Why? "They are being checked. When they are done you can speak with them all you want". What is going on with the check up? Their IDs are lying on the table. "We made a call, it's being taken care of". Did you take everyone's ID? "Of course". Why? "What do you know, whom I check and whom I don't".Joanna (from the Ecumen accompanying program) goes and speaks with the taxi detainees without being interrupted. A loaded van comes form the forbidden road and stops by the grocery store. A soldier approaches, doesn't authorize the passage. Why? "He's not allowed to pass from there", says the soldier. May he go back? "No". So you sent him back a road he can't take. "Whoever comes that way has to go back". 40 minutes later the van returns to the checkpoint and goes south without being checked.16:152 pedestrians are sent to the detainees shed.16:25The IDs are returned and both the taxi and the shed detainees are released.16:42The dog handlers are checking a loaded van going north. The driver opens anything he can and the dog is sniffing.16:50A private car with a yellow plate is coming from the south. The driver has a blue ID. The soldier takes it, and signals him to turn around – he has to pass through 300 checkpoint. The driver turns, as he passes the checkpoint on the way back a soldier jumps – he can't go south with a blue ID. The driver wanted to go north anyway. The car is detained. another u-turn, the car stands behind the van that has finished the check up, and the dog handlers start checking it.We try to speak with Y. the checkpoint commander. The car can't pass anyway, what's the point of the check up? "They should be checked up".A woman with a baby, a toddler and 2 men get out of the car. The doors are opened, the child's safety seat is taken out. The dog pulls out something, a pillow or a bag, and sniffs it on the ground. The dog handler picks it up and puts it back in the car.Check up is over. The dog handler is playing with the dog, teasing it and laughing. The passengers are replacing the child's seat, shut the doors left opened and lower the hood. They are not allowed to pass and have to go back south. One man gets off and walks towards Abu-Dis.17:25It's getting dark. The dog handlers are gone, traffic is sparse.