Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Tue 8.9.09, Afternoon

Wadi Nar

There was a police van at the entry to Azariah, but traffic was allowed in without impediment.

When we arrived at Wadi Nar at about 2:40, things were rather quiet. However, within minutes, traffic picked up and a total mess developed. The checkpoint was manned by borderpolice. One of them was in the booth checking i.d.'s. Another walked around the area talking on his cellphone for most of the time we were there. Two others stood leaning up against a railing signalling for vehicles to approach as the mood hit them to do so. Traffic picked up and.vehicles converged simultaneously at the turn north of the checkpoint. As the lines grew longer, the border police started turning cars back telling them to go to the end of the line. Cars were being sent back at the rate of about one a minute. After the third or fourth incident, we deduced that perhaps this was because the drivers had cut into the lane and were being punished, but the signal was given to turn back without any words of explanation. The result was that the drivers made the U turn and then cut into the lane at the intersection causing an even bigger blockage.

A second reason for being sent back seemed to be that some drivers dared to approach the checkpoint before the soldiers gave the appropriate signal an understandable move on the part of the drivers considering that for much of the time, the b.p's just stood there doing nothing.

At one point, two of the b.p.'s walked toward the congested area and for about 5 minutes directed the traffic into one lane and things moved quickly and efficiently. They then returned to their original post and an even worse mess built up as yet more traffic came.

I called Anat T. and asked her who would be the best person to call. She gave me several names. One was out but I left a message on his machine. (He later called me at home and promised to look into what happened. He said that there was a new team at the checkpoint and they were obviously unaware of the way things should run. He said that they were not supposed to be in the business of punishing people and teaching them lessons).

I made a second call and spoke with U. who thanked me for calling and said that he would connect to the checkpoint immediately. Whether it was because of his intervention or not, we do not know, but traffic did start moving again. One can just imagine the unnecessary anger and resentment that built up by the inefficient, stupid, and humiliating management of the checkpoint.

At the same time, I must commend those whom I called who related with seriousness and concern to the report relayed to them.