Abu Dis, Az-za'ayyem, Wadi Nar, Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Thu 9.6.11, Morning

Place:

Abu Dis

Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal)

Observers:

Rachel M., Michaela R. (reporting)

Jun-9-2011

Morning

6:20 Olive Terminal

Three lanes are active, with a line in each. The place is peaceful. Crossing is fast -- c. 5 minutes.

6:40 Az-za'ayyem

Passengers disembark from the minibuses and stand between the fences. The vehicles are checked, passengers re-embark after their papers are checked.

The vehicles are checked one by one. From time to time a vehicle is delayed for further checks including IDs, car licensing papers, trunks (with a dog).

Around 6:45 a line of cars begins to form, and those cars which are being more thoroughly checked are diverted to the side to enable the rest of the traffic to speed up. One car with two young men was delayed for about 15 minutes, but checks were on the whole much faster.

As always, different branches of the security forces are represented: border police, military police, and civilian guards.

Wadi Nar

Traffic flowing unimpeded. Three border-policemen came up before we even stepped out of our car, and tried to define for us the "borders of the zone", then offered us water. Then a female soldier came up and asked us not to film the dog in action. An interesting conversation ensued.

Location Description

Abu Dis / Lazarus gate (formerly The Wicket)

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Lazarus Checkpoint/Gate (east of the former “wicket”)

Construction of the wall in the Abu Dis area blocked all the gaps that allowed people to cross from al-Ezariya to the neighbourhoods of Abu Dis and Ras al 'Amud that are located within Jerusalem’s municipal boundary. The Lazarus checkpoint is a gate in the wall adjacent to the Lazarus Monastery. Until 2011 it had a door for pilgrims to al-Ezariya and for the monastery’s kindergarten pupils from al-Ezariya. The crossing is currently closed, but the site has infrastructure for conducting inspections.

Ras Abu Sbeitan (Olives Checkpoint)

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A large checkpoint/crossing to the area of a-Tur, Abu Dis and the Old City; only for pedestrians. Located on Jerusalem’s municipal boundary.

One of the major crossings in Jerusalem’s central sector. It is located on the separation fence between the northern portion of the al-Ezariya neighborhood and the neighborhood of a-Tur and the rest of East Jerusalem. It is manned by Border Police soldiers and private security companies and operates 24 hours a day. Palestinians are forbidden to go through, other than permanent residents of East Jerusalem (holders of blue ID cards) and holders of work and commercial permits who are allowed through only on foot.