Abu Dis, Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Sheikh Saed, Wed 17.11.10, Morning
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Observers:
Anat T., Dafna S. (reporting)
Nov-17-2010
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Morning
6:45-8:00
Sheikh Saed
It's a holiday, no children and no people crossing for work, but a strange tale unfolde...
We entered the village and near the checkpoint met two young men who told us they were unable to return home to Jabel Mukhaber. They had come to visit their grandmother for the holiday and were not permitted to return. They hold green ID's with a Jabel Mukhaber address. The younger had a permit.
The commander of the checkpoint refuses point blank to let them through, and wants them to cross at Kalandia. We spoke to the commander of the Jerusalem separation barrier, E., and after much checking on various computers we were told that only the father has a permit to cross, with strange explanations that perhaps the address in the ID's is a forgery and that they may have to go to the ministry of interior to request family reunion!
No solution! All the DCO's are closed over the holiday and according to the authorities all permits -- and there were tens of thousands of those -- should have been arranged beforehand. For those who had not read or heard... no crossing! The young men left, and so did we, shamed, while the soldiers at the checkpoint laughed and amused themselves.
Zeitim Terminal
The place is filthy and unkempt.
Few are at the checkpoint, and all seems to be in order. The soldiers ask who we are, etc., and we cross. And then a family wishes to cross -- in festive dress, with permits and two little ones, 4 and 5, who beep at the monitor. The soldier puts them through three times, the father removes their belts, and the monitor continues to beep. The father begins to undress the child and the female soldier finally stops him. Anat filmed.
The family continued on their way, not before the mother had to take off her boots.
10:00 Sheikh Jarrah
We dropped by to see what's up. There was no one outdoors. A neighbour tells us that Nasser has left the place.