Abu Dis

Abu Dis, the ContainerSunday 1.1.06 PMObservers: Zipi E, Ora A (reporting)14:40 Abu DisThe Cliff Hotel is very quiet. So is Kidmat Zion. There are no cars on the road along the wall, but two security cars are parked further up, near the big gate in the wall.On the road leading up to the monastery, three soldiers are guarding the closed gate. There are no soldiers near the monastery. People are passing freely in both directions. Cars are waiting to pick them up. A driver tells us that this morning “a hundred men” were detained. Some were stopped in Ras el Amoud and ordered to walk all the way to Abu Dis and wait here. We were also told that lately, a soldier is hiding here at night in ambush. He catches passers-by, including children, and hits them hard.15:30 ContainerTraffic flows smoothly in both directions. A few Transits are stopped and the passengers’ IDs are checked and returned quickly. Groups of workers returning home, are also checked quickly. We saw no detainees. The veteran and efficient commander, Yacov, was friendly.On our way back, we noticed on the side of the road, not far from the American Colony hotel, three soldiers guarding a group of detainees. One soldier was filling up forms. We talked to one of the detainees who told us he is from Hebron, works here in Jerusalem, but has no permission to be here. He can’t obtain a permission.