Sheikh Sa'ad

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08/10/2002
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We visited the village of Sheikh Sa'ad, which is an integral neighborhood of Jabal Mukaber, Jerusalem. The village was blockaded by the Border Police on September 29, 2002. The road block has closed off the only entrance/exit to the village which means that ambulances cannot enter or leave, and the sick, dying etc must walk or be carried. There are no medical facilities in the village. Access to the cemetery is also blocked, since this lies in the Mukaber area. Additionally, the blockade is manned on a periodic and arbitrary basis by patrols of Border Police.On 3 October 2002, a truck carrying refuse (furniture, broken blinds etc) came to the village and dumped the refuse on to the existing blockade. According to the villagers, this is refuse from Haddassah hospital and includes used syringes, and other "dangerous materials". MachsomWatch visited the site and can verify the the existence of the blockade, and the lack of access by vehicle (access on foot is hazardous too). Additionally, the blockade is clearly a refuse dump and not merely earthworks. The smell of rotting garbage is everywhere and certainly constitutes a health hazard. Some residents of of Sheik Sa'ad are Jerusalemites (we don't know what proportion) and pay arnona to the municipality. For all residents, regardless of citizen status, Jerusalem is their administrative center, particularly for medical service.MK Zahava Gal-on is approaching the Municipality to ask them to clear the refuse. We have also written to the Director of Hadassah Hospital and to Hadassah Women in Israel asking them to protest that their refuse is being dumped in the middle of a residential area!!