Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Wed 1.9.10, Afternoon
15:45 – 18:00
We drove from Abu Tor down to the Ben Hinom valley and from there via the American road to the Ras El Amud settlement that is constantly growing.
The renovations of the Police building across the street are also proceeding and the entire building is surrounded by scaffolds.
We continued to the infamous Pishpash. The enormous gate that goes all the way up the wall has been painted yellow and at its bottom is a very small closed door (also the same color), for the children who have to pass here on their way to the kindergarten in the neighboring convent.
Another large gate has been put up between the wall and the Convent. This gate, that stood open when we came, shuts up the entire width of the street. We asked one of the workers nearby if the Kindergarten still operates and he said that since the holidays have not ended yet (Ramadan) there is no passing of children now but he thinks after the holidays the children will return to the usual routine.
The construction of the road along the wall has been ended and we drove on it along the residential homes, back to the main street climbing up in the direction of A-Tur.
The Olive Terminal
Empty and only a few optimistic Abu Dis cab drivers were sitting under the wall's shade in wait for customers.
On the way to Wadi Nar we saw the intensive growth of the new buildings at the entrance to Kedar. On all those lots that were prepared during the past few months houses are being built, some have already red brick roofs, what a "freeze"!
At the Container CP the soldiers refused to let us watch from where we did before, next to the stairs coming down from the army post, and we had to stay at the crossing. The traffic moved fast. The cars coming from the south from the west bank were not checked at all and those coming from Abu Dis and Azaria were checked randomly. In both directions we saw some cars bearing Israeli plates passing. The soldiers were slumped on the bench by the barrier on the way south. We tried to ask them something but they just shouted to us not to get close and refused to leave their position. May be they also fast these days and are very tired?