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Jan-20-2004
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Abu Dis, Mishor Adumim, Sawahre Jan 20, 2004. PMObservers: Natanya G., Maya B.-H. and Ilana D. (reporting) + Naomi W.(distinguished guest from London) Near the gas station the road was blocked and only very few people passed,since up the road near the entrance to the University the giant crane wasblocking the entire street. Helmuth greeted us warmly and managed to get inwith difficulty. Work is continuing 24 hours a day ("if it doesn't rain").No one is allowed to get close to the wall for fear of accidents. Weglimpsed through to the other side and found it totally empty. All thestores were closed. Since the road up to the pish-pash was also blocked to prevent any trafficfrom getting close to the construction site we drove up the narrow steeproad from the traffic circle as did all the buses and transits. There was nomilitary presence whatsoever at the pish-pash a constant flow of climbersand many buses and hooting transits. Our guest realized that the wallobviously served no security purpose. An elderly lady remarked that they areall made to look and behave like animals crossing a hurdle. The driversasked us where we had been when about twenty drivers had been arrested andsome will be jailed for six or ten months for committing the crime oftransporting illegals to the Mokassed Hospital. A first time offence ispunished with a fine and the grounding of his vehicle for a month, butwhoever is caught a second or third time faces real prison sentences. Thepopulation on the other side of the wall with Palestinian Id's is notallowed to apply to Augusta Victoria or Mokassed. They were given cards ofthe Moked and told to inquire re legal representation. We drove to Mishor Adumim and noticed that the Checkpoint had disappeared,it is only there in the morning hours. Nor was there a Checkpoint at theexit of El-Azariya. We drove via Qedar, inspected Qedar-South and noted theamount of donkeys on the road. In Sawahre we remarked for the first time an extremely long line of vehiclesin the direction of Bethlehem (we counted 26). The wait, however, was notlonger than 10 minutes. Down on the road to Beth Lehem transits and yellowcabs were waiting for a steady stream of illegal workers on their way homewho evaded the Checkpoint and descended in a steady flow down the path. Noone was held up. Back in Abu Dis (at the other side of the wall) we remarked the empty lotswhich had always been bustling with activity and full of cars and transits.Now they are covered with the barbed wire coils and garbage moved from thearea where the former wall had been. Soldiers were stationed only to warnthe occasional pedestrian not to get too close to the wall, since on theWestern side the crane was still working. The houses still are withoutelectricity.