Reihan, Shaked, Sun 31.1.10, Afternoon

Date: 31/01/2010 ,Afternoon

Observers: Hanna H. and Ruthy T.

Reihan

Reihan (Bartaa) Checkpoint allows transit only to vehicles and pedestrians holding transit permits appropriate to the place. The checkpoint is located on the separation fence, east of East Bartaa, and is supposed to supply continuation of the "fabric of life" to the Palestinian residents living in the "Seam Zone," who have been physically cut off from the West Bank by the that fence. Since 16 May 2007, it has been maintained by a civilian security company subcontracting to the Defense Ministry.
Functioning on the site is a large and sophisticated terminal, which includes biometric facilities for identification of the palm of the hand, and small examination rooms to which men and women are taken by random selection. Agricultural produce and other goods may be transferred through here from the West Bank to the Seam Zone enclave in limited quantities, by a group of regular drivers and in prior coordination with the DCO and the army.
Since the checkpoint passed into civilian hands, the Mevo Reihan CP (near Umriha village) has been used as a checking point for Palestinians on their way to the Reihan checkpoint.

Close description

15:00 Shaked-Tura CP
Four cars are waiting opposite the gate to the CP while on the other side - there is one car which emerges after three minutes.
One man is standing near the turnstile.
A van enters inspection - emerges and goes on its way after two minutes.
The passage through the CP proceeds with no delays.

15:20 Reihan-Barta'a CP
The lower parking lot is completely full of cars. At 15:30 the seamstresses start to arrive from Barta'a on their way to their homes in the West Bank. On leaving the terminal toward the West Bank there is a path for those entering and a path for those leaving, with separate turnstiles. At the entrance ot the terminal from the side of the seamline zone, people enter and leave through the same turnstile. Many workers are returning from their day's work and those leaving the terminal cause them some delay. At 16:00 the traffic of the workers to the West Bank is stopped. Two women come out going along the same path, through the same window and through the single turnstile that is used by those who are entering.

Four detainees

who are waiting on the bench are called to the window every once in a while and are sent back (after this honor) to the bench. At 16:15 many workers who picked citrus fruit in Hadera arrive. All of them went through the Artach CP in the morning, 'three hours. a complete mess'.

A father is waiting for his daughter, a university student. He claims that she has been in the terminal for half an hour. At long last, she comes out looking very serious; she has no bags at all. The passage of the workers now takes 15 minutes. The turnstile opens and shuts about every three minutes.

At 16:35, with the opening of the turnstile, there are about 50 workers waiting nervously. They push with a lot of strength and nervously. We suggest that they should demand to have another window opened. 'Another window? In a dream!' [halon? halom] one of them puns and jokes. But still, at 16:40 finally an additional window is opened and the pressure is freed very quickly.

Why don't they open an additional window a minute before this humiliating pressure is created in the terminal after a hard day's work?