morning

Abu Dis, Friday, 26/12/03, morningParticipants: M.Z., A. B-Sh., A. M.Main points:1. Total closure after the attack at the Geha Junction yesterday (Thursday) in the evening; many soldiers at Abu Dis who do not allow residents of the territories to pass through at all (except for humanitarian cases), not even chikdren.2. At the Sawahra machsom (Wadi-Nar, the container) - very light movement (because of the closure?), everyone passes without checking or delays. A passageway is opened for vehicles to the homes on the other side of the machsom.3. Some personal stories and complaints which we heard.4. Building of the wall proceeds.Abu Dis:At Abu Dis there was a very large presence of BPs and also the blue police, probably to enforce the general closure declared after the attack at the Geha Junction yesterday evening (Thursday). Following are the details:* At the pishpash, 3 BPs who don't allow residents of the territories to pass. One of the soldiers stood on the eastern side of the wall, or actually on top of the wall, and didn't allow anyone without a blue ID to pass. The commander told us that there is an order for total closure - totally forbidden for residents of the territories to pass through, regardless of age or any other criterion, except for humanitarian cases. A lot of shouting and aggression of the soldiers toward the many people who wanted to pass. The owners of blue IDs were checked and registered before being allowed to pass. In the afternoon (12) when we were there again, there were no soldiers and people passed over the wall.* Jeep of BP next to Nablus Gate.* BP Jeep and blue police vehicle made checks on the road between Ras Al Amud and Abu Dis.* 3 BPs stood on the main road next to the Al Phage passageway. Afterwards, they walked down a path (corridor) passageway. A number of pedestrians tried to get around the area by varous means.* Next to the gas station - a soldier on a roof look-out and soldiers on the road.* At the hotel - we didn't see soldiers and people passed the wall.Machsom Sawahrah (Wadi Nar, Container)Very light movement of vehicles, no pedestrians. The machsom commander - Ayman (first name) - said that everyone can pass except private cars which need a permit. In fact, every car we saw went through easily and was not stopped for checking. A truck driver was asked to open the back of the truck and a soldier went up to look around (at vegetables) and then he was on his way. It is possible to reach the houses behind the machsom by car.Personal stories we heard:* A man that rode with us in the taxi said that a year ago soldiers came at night and arrested him and his 2 sons. He was imprisoned at Ketziyot for half a year in administrative detention, and his sons are still there. He doesn't know with what he was charged or why they were arrested.* A taxi driver (named S.A.) said that a soldier banged on his taxi and caused damage. He was told that he had to submit a complaint to the police (in Maale Adumim?), but, in the end, he fixed it himself and paid for it himself.* Another taxi driver said that one morning a soldier took his ID and, after an hour, when he tried to find out when he would get it back, it turned out that there had been a changing of the guards and the soldier went off with his ID in his pocket. An officer who was there managed to get the ID back and apologized to the taxi driver (altogether, he had to wait 2 hours at the machsom).The WallThey have begun to construct the stone slabs near the hotel, and in an additional place we saw a new section had been built. It is still possible to pass through by the eastern side of the hotel.