‘Azzun ‘Atma, Tue 21.4.09, Morning
This is our first visit to this crazy checkpoint. One always thinks one has seen the craziest situation and then you find something even crazier. 07.20 ‘ Azzun ‘Atma We reached the checkpoint. Next to the road are 7 people waiting for transport to work. Within a few minutes all are on their way. They explain that the real pressure is at 05.30, when the checkpoint opens.
We cross the road and approach the checkpoint. The soldiers are relaxed, there is no one exiting. The woman commander explains that this checkpoint is fairly new and has been erected because Palestinians who were not permitted entry had used the place. As we know, the village is divided into two by the road and the checkpoint. Well, of course – there was a road and then it was decided to build a checkpoint and the road couldn’t pass into Westbank territory, so they divided the village instead!
Many vehicles wait next to the village for workers who have gone to work in Israel.
A teacher, who lives in an Israeli village and teaches in a school in ‘Azzun ‘Atmah, arrives. He is not allowed to pass because he has a blue ID. Apparently he usually passes at a different place but this point is near his home. He says that he woke late and, because the other route takes a long time, he asked to be allowed to pass here. We also try to persuade the commander who contacts her unit – but she gets an unequivocal answer that there is no entry.The DCO representative explains that he does not deal with Israeli Arabs.
'Azzun 'Atma
See all reports for this place-
'Azzun 'Atma
A Palestinian village of about 1,800 residents. The settlement of Sha'arei Tikva was established on its land adjacent to it, and the settlement of Oranit was established on its agricultural lands. By 2013, the separation fence had passed through the village and a checkpoint staffed by the army allowed the residents to cross from side to side. After building a massive wall surrounding the village and some of its agricultural lands, the residents went daily for five years to their lands that remained in the Seam Zone through the Oranit agricultural checkpoint (4). Since 2018 it has only opened during the olive harvest and the farmers have to pass daily at the Beit Amin / Abu Salman checkpoint (1447), about 3 kilometers north.From a report from March 24, 2021: "The farmers from Beit Amin and Azon Atma are happy that since February 21 the Oranit checkpoint .is going to be open 3 times a day, The farmers are really developing the place."
Report from July 14, 2024: "Ornit checkpoint is closed . The Beit Amin/Abu Salman agricultural checkpoint is closed (there is no contact with the military to check if it opens rarely), the Ezbat Jaloud checkpoint was opened once a day before the war.
Updated for July 2024
Apr-11-2019Azoun: The main entrance to village blocked now for several weeks
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