Reihan, Shaked, Sat 6.3.10, Morning

Date: 06/03/2010 ,Morning

Observers: Sarit A., Rachel H., (Reporting)

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

Translation: Bracha B.A.

06:55 – Reihan checkpoint
At 07:00 the loudspeakers announce, "Good Morning. Passage will now begin." The concrete blocks in the park greet us. This is the first time that we've seen them.

There is a large black sign on the fence near the watchtower. We were able to make out the word "to win".

We noticed that they are raising parrots at the checkpoint. (Who's paying for it?) The cage is next to one of the gates where the guards exit.

After about ten minutes the first person came out of the terminal, and after that no one else came out. From 07:15 on everyone who came to the gate went in. Today we didn't hear any shouts from the entrance such as "five at a time, five at a time" or anything else. Inside the terminal two windows are open. Students arrive with large suitcases going to the West Bank. They are in a hurry and don't stop to talk with us. One person coming out says there is a crowd inside the terminal. Another comes out angry and curses the Jews. Occasionally the turnstile shuts in the face of the person standing inside, and then releases him. On one instance it was locked when one of the people insisted on something, possibly having to do with being checked and he was sent back. We did not see him and when we asked about him people shrugged.

One person told us there had been a problem with his electronic palm reading and that he had been sent to Salem to get a new reading and had been told there that everything was in order. Another person told us he was not being permitted to go live with his wife in Barta'a. His friends were irritated that he was holding up the taxi, and we knew that there was nothing we could do.The sleeve was filled with people going in both directions despite the fact that it appeared that people were not moving. People were being held up in the side rooms inside the terminal. The large number of taxis that were waiting was testimony to the large amount of people. At 08:40 there were only 3 transits in the upper parking lot, and we left.

08:50 – Shaked-Tura Checkpoint
Here, too, there was a lot of traffic compared with what we usually see. A tender, a car, an elderly man and a boy, and a herd of goats were waiting. A flag of the military police and another blue and black flag are flying. A woman soldier stops peering into the engine of a tender to shout at us that we have crossed some line or another. The elderly man stopped to talk with a friend and the boy remained with the goats, and they began to walk. The boy was frightened that the goats had begun to walk away and was afraid to follow them. The soldier shouted, "What are you going to do about the goats?" We greeted the elderly man, whom we knew, and we left.

We left at 09:00.