Sawahre

Wadi Nar:Our transit was stopped after Abu Dis by a border policeman who claimed we weren't allowed to be there. He took our ID's but returned with them after a few minutes - either because he heard us phoning the "authorities" or because he had orders from a superior.In Sawahre, there was a smallish line of cars, with people gazing down on the road which leads down through the valley to Bethlehem via Bet Sahur. The checkpoint at the end of the village had been temporarily moved some way down the road and, there, stretched a line of taxis which weren't allowed through but had to disgorge their passengers who then had to make their way up on foot. Meanwhile, they were not allowing anyone in the direction of Bethlehem. We walked down to the checkpoint. The very friendly Druze officer in charge was eager to show us how humane he was and insisted that he has instructed numerous policemen to be considerate. And as a gesture to us let a bunch of young (students) pedestrians from Sawahra through . The officer couldn't explain why the checkpoint had been put exactly there but as it was to be moved at 9 o'clock the whole operation seemed rather arbitrary.In Abu Dis on the way back, there seemed to be busy pedestrian traffic in both directions through the unofficial gaps in the wall - just a few meters from the border police checkpoint which, according to the guards there, opens for 'tens of thousands" on a Friday.