Abu Dis, Wadi Nar, Az- Za-ayyem

 

Traffic flowing -- occasional short delays.

 

 

It appears that the checkpoint's management and atmosphere are decided by the security company, and the atmosphere is, to say the least, not pleasant.

When a minibus arrived, and the passengers disembarked in order to cross through the barbed-wire corridor, the guards participated in the checking of documents.  One of them grabbed hold of a boy by the shoulder, knocked off his cap, and led him to one of the checking points.  At this point we went down to the lower part of the checkpoint and stood on a traffic isle to see what would follow.  A few minutes later a border policeman came out accompanied by an entourage of merry guards.  They claimed that the boy was an impostor.  First they said the police would deal with him, then they said they had let him go because they were so humane.  Simultaneously, we were given a lesson in good manners from A. who was cross because we had observed his actions.  (The checking booths, remember, are transparent in their top half).  Since we were not impressed, he proceeded to forbid us to stand on the traffic isle because it is "military area"; and when we ignored this argument, he came up with another: he was concerned about our safety, lest we be hit by something falling out from a passing truck.

During this enlightening conversation the boy disappeared, we couldn't tell where.