Abu Dis Friday 25 February 2005 AMObservers: Rotem A., & Avital B. (reporting) A new checkpoint in the pishpash gate area – see below.09:15 – The Cliff Hotel – A lot of Border Police inside and around the hotel.09:30 – The pishpash gate – No soldiers around. Many people were crossing through backyards and the monastery. The drivers told us that a new checkpoint has been put up at the bottom of the street that leads to the pishpash (the street that’s closed at the moment by the wall). We went to take a look. A parked Border Police Jeep was blocking the way for people walking to the pishpash. The soldiers maintained that no one could cross, including residents of the street and people with blue (Israeli) IDs. What are they supposed to do?, we asked, and the answer was “They have their own methods”. The drivers said that the new checkpoint has been operating for two days – it’s worth crossing the wall and having a look there.10:30 – The Container – Soldiers were making random checks; private cars crossed in both directions. In one case, a car with Israeli licence-plates was delayed – it had come from the Bethlehem region – and after a short while the soldiers allowed it to continue towards Jerusalem. In another case, a bus with high-school children was delayed, the soldiers checked their IDs and then released it.