Abu-Dis

At 6.30 there was one jeep patrolling
the main road. There were no police at the wall, which many people
scrambled over (including quite elderly women with all their
produce), before catching transits into town. Later a police jeep
came briefly to the wall (nobody climbed over then!), checked and
released a transit and moved off. Up at the hotel, there are
dramatic developments. About 8 vehicles arrived, with Israeli
civilians and security guards. Most of them drove through the hotel
grounds through an opening that has been broken through the wall of
the hotel grounds and along a newly-made dirt road towards the
opposite hill on the south. Local reports say that A NEW JEWISH
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IS BEING PLANNED FOR THAT LOCATION, which once
again is a Jewish enclave among dense Arab population. At the hotel
itself, a few guards were left, in addition to the two border
police who were on the roof, anyway. By the way, the sidewalk on
the road leading up to the hotel has been badly damaged, presumably
by bulldozers on their way to the hotel. At the official
checkpoint, the gate, there was active pedestrian movement in both
directions (they should at least make it double width!). Motor
scooters - one in each direction - were turned back. The policeman
in charge of the gate was polite but firm (though at least one man
managed to negotiate his way across without a permit). Holders of
green and orange cards without permits were sent back. Young folk
with blue cards had to wait while their records were checked before
being allowed to proceed.