Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Thu 10.7.08, Morning

A dusky dawn hour -- a jeep lurking near the fence surrounding Anata along the old road to Ma'aleh Adomim.

5:25 Zeitim checkpoint

The line to the outer "carousel" reaches as far as the waiting shelter and spills over in the direction of the parking lot (see photograph).  On a rough estimate more than 100 persons are waiting outside, hard to tell how many are crowded inside.  The "carousel" opens intermittently and a group enters.
 

Until 5:40 only two checking tracks were operating, then a third was opened. Before that, the last carousel in the second track was closed, and people were trapped inside for an additional check -- all this after having been checked already.  We called Elisha at the DCO who promised that the carousel would stay open.  Crossing time: 30-35 minutes according to our observations, as well as the reports of those crossing.

6:30 Wadi Nar checkpoint

Every taxi is detained.  When the entire space in front of the grocery shop was full (7 taxis, 1 bus, 2 private cars), crossings took place without checks.  ID's are returned in piles, serially.  Later there were fewer delays and the checking of ID's took only a few minutes.  Traffic in both directions was channeled into the same lane, a soldier sitting under a sunshade waving the vehicles through.

 

The line from the direction Bethlehem is stuck, and lengthening.  From Sawahara, traffic flows unimpeded.  Many minutes go by before the soldier deigns to lift his hand.  The cars cross hesitanatly while the soldier continues to chat with his back to the drivers.

Evidence of activity in the area -- measuring, planning . towards what?