Morning (+ DCO)

Abu Dis and Sawahre Checkpoints;Abu Dis DCO in Maaleh Adumim; Palestinian Civil Administration office in Abu DisMachsomWatchers: L.K. and I.D.06:30 -- Down at the wall: two Border Police jeeps. Only people in possession of valid papers crossed nearby. Some younger ones attempted further up and ran into the compound of Notre Dame des Douleurs. No one was held up.The amount of concrete slabs beyond the hotel is increasing steadily. Two more semi-trailers were approaching and blocking traffic.Since last week we arrived at the Sawahre ("Container") checkpoint late, only after people who had been kept waiting for two hours were released, we decided to proceed immediately towards the Container where we found the queue short and not one person held up.The van drivers told us that for the last couple of days, the Checkpoint had been open and there had been no trouble. However, of course, the complaints started as soon as we probed a little further. One said that his boss had always been able to get special permits for him from the Ministry of the Interior, but now with the change of the Minister this has stopped. He used to work and clean on Fridays for Rabbi Kadouri. In addition to the BP-men, one blue-uniformed policeman was on duty. He had never seen us and was given the “Letter to the Soldier." He told us that he was there to ‘supervise’ the Border Police and when asked whether that didn’t offend them, he said ‘They do not know.” At some point one of the soldiers asked him to call in an ID number for checking. He received an instant reply on his mobile phone, which enabled the BP-men to send a yellow cab on its way without delay. The policeman told us that if they call in numbers it takes much longer. We decided to try and find the DCO-office and were told by the BP-men that they thought it was closed for renovations. We asked directions from the cab-drivers and nevertheless had difficulty finding it. One has to drive really into Maaleh Adumim and immediately beyond the checkpoint at the entrance turn right and drive for at least a mile to reach the BP-base.The DCO is located next to the entrance to the left. It looked deserted, despite the fact that the soldier at the entrance to the camp had told us that they were there. One lone woman came up and sat down to wait with us. We called Rafi Amsalem on the phone. He said that a girl and a boy soldier should be ‘at the windows’, but that anyway, he would come and see us within ten minutes.,Hagay, a friendly soldier from Mevasseret took us in around the corner and sent the woman away. We glimpsed at a neat garden and were taken into a pleasant office and offered drinks. He agreed with us that the situation is impossible and thus the work of the soldiers at the Checkpoints too. His colleague didn’t agree, she had seen Daniella on TV and chuckled when she realized that we belonged to ‘those crazies’. Hagay explained her attitude by informing us that she had come to the DCO from the police. Then Rafi arrived, all smiling and happy to see us. He said that the office has been closed for renovations (i.e. fortifications) since the suicide attack in Tulkarm two months ago. The work is almost completed and he thinks they will reopen within a week or two. He told us of the new watchtower and reinforced windows. Meanwhile people who need permits apply to the Palestinian Civil Affairs office, and once a day all requests are brought to him and dealt with. People who need permits for a doctor’s appointment receive it within a day.He is pleased with our work and on the whole wants to try and make life easier for the Palestinians.On the IDF maps, the Separation Fence and Wall is called ‘mikhshol Yerushalayim’. He has been in Abu Dis for seven months after having served at the Allenby Bridge which had been easy compared to what he is dealing with now: Abu Dis, El Azzariya and Sawahre. It is a mini-DCO, he said, actually called a ‘netzigut’ (representation), but it fulfills the same task as the DCO’s of the large cities. Usually the Commander of a full-fledged DCO is a Sgan-Aluf [Lt.Col.]. We returned to Abu Dis. Beyond the wall, about 200 meters from the mosque towards Wadi Nar (across the street from the Al Quds Rehabilitation Center) we found the building of the Palestinian Civil Affairs Office. It is on the second floor. We were greeted warmly by S. B. the Director and M. his assistant, and offered tea. Salah speaks Hebrew fluently and writes it too – he learned it in jail.The office was dreary and very cold despite a burning stove. He showed us on the computer how construction on the wall is proceeding and gave us a printout from the army with orders of land-confiscation near Har Radar, Maaleh Hahamisha, etc., which he had received this morning.He complained that he does not get proper service from the DCO. Only referrals to hospitals are dealt with. The permit is given for one day only for the exact date of the appointment. All other issues are on hold since the office was closed two months ago. Thus, for instance, magnetic cards are not issued. He claimed it is just not feasible. One has to check whether the picture attached to the request is that of the applicant and whether all fees have been duly paid and the stamps affixed – he cannot deal with all that. Therefore he sends people who return daily for a reply back all the time.Apparently only contractors who come directly to the DCO with a carload of workers, manage to get papers for them.When he has to get into Jerusalem he sneaks in ‘like a thief’, as does his wife who works as a teacher beyond the wall. 'With a wall eight meters high, they will not be able to do that anymore.'