Abu Dis & SawahreFri. 31 December 2004 AMObservers: Barbara S., Varda R., & Tamar A. (reporting) 09:15 to 11:40 - a routine day09:15– The Hotel – Unlike last week when we didn’t see anyone here, today there were a few Palestinians, who crossed unhindered by the hotel’s barbed-wire fences, a few trucks probably driving to the new nearby settlement, and two Border Police jeeps which drove off without noticing us or the Palestinians. A lone Border Police soldier was on the hotel roof, reading the newspaper - as soon as we entered the courtyard asked us who we were. He decided not to understand the answer and we left. Many of the hotel’s windows have been broken – we didn’t notice this last week.09:30 Abu Dis – the Pishpash gate – Two more crossings near the monastery have been blocked since our shift last week. West of the wall, the entire width of the road has been blocked with stone slabs and mounds of earth. Transit vans are now no longer able to cross, and anyone who wants a ride must clamber over the piles of stones to the road below.Four drivers of Transit vans came to speak to us. They blame the blocked road on the bus drivers who, they believe, wanted to get rid of the competition presented by the Transit vans, and so they spoke to the police and the Transport Ministry requesting that they block the road. The second crossing that has been closed is the opening made in the monastery’s rear wall. It has been blocked by a huge block of concrete and barbed-wire. An alternative route was found through the rear area of the monastery. We saw no Transit vans, but there were quite a few pedestrians. No policemen or Border Police soldiers to be seen.10:30 – Sawahre, The Container – When we reached the checkpoint, there were no vehicles going north – later there were a few. In the southbound lane there were seven vehicles, and two Border Police soldiers checking a taxi, while a truck went through without being checked. The decision which vehicles have to be checked and which not seems to be an arbitrary one. Eventually everyone got through. Checking time generally wasn’t more than two minutes, apart from four men who had to get out of their taxi and wait 12 minutes until their IDs were returned to them.There’s something infuriating about the Border Police soldiers’ behaviour. There were seven of them – five men and two women – sitting together over breakfast. None of them stood regularly by the lanes to let vehicles through. They saw that people were waiting but took a minute or two before dealing with them. A taxi that dared to get closer to the checkpoint position without being gestured to do so, was sent back to the waiting point.Our presence disturbs the soldiers and it may be the reason why they don’t wait more than two minutes until processing people. One soldier has even added another crudity – he held a short stick with which he waved to people to cross or halt.An American citizen of Arab origin who claimed to be an election observer arrived in his car, rented from a Palestinian rental agency. The soldiers were willing to let him cross, but not his car, because they had no authorization for this, and apparently no proof that he was indeed an observer. We phoned the regional duty officer to clear up the instructions, and he confirmed that the soldiers’ behaviour complied with instructions. He also maintained that the observers come to the checkpoints only in groups. At any rate, the American citizen quickly abandoned the idea, crossed on foot and then took a taxi.