Camden - Abu Dis Friendship Association
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Checkpoints and the permit system

The West Bank is punctuated by Israeli checkpoints which delays people and Palestinian transport and sometimes blocks and forbids movement completely, forcing people to stay only in their own small area of Palestine. The fixed checkpoints have been declared 'Israeli land' by the military authorities and given Hebrew names.

Major fixed checkpoints around Abu Dis are the Container checkpoint to the south (between Sawahreh and Jerusalem), Jaba’a Checkpoint to the north on the way to Ramallah, called by Palestinians after the village whose land it is built on (note, the Israelis plan to rename this Lameed H).

There are frequently ‘flying’ (temporary) checkpoints in Aizariyeh (on the way to Abu Dis) and within the town itself – see our Human Rights reports.

The Palestinians are now using the word “mua’bar” (translated into “terminal”) to describe a new system.  Since the Israelis started to build the Separation Wall around Jerusalem they have worked to seal off Jerusalem very thoroughly from its suburb, and they have made special "terminals" for people to go through to get into the city. For the towns on the east of Jerusalem, the Israeli authorities built a terminal in a place between the Mount of Olives and the town of Aizariyeh to allow people carrying West Bank passes and who have also got a permit, following very long and complicated procedures, specially now they use finger prints as well as permits. And at al-Zayem on the Jerusalem road leading to the settlement of Maale Adumim, they have put a checkpoint that can only be used by settlers and people with Jerusalem passes.