Northern Checkpoints: The occupation will be lit up and shed light.
Today, Lag Ba’Omer and the 18th day of Ramadan, and the weather is extremely hot.
15:00 – Tura – Shaked Checkpoint
It was very hot. Three women and a man crossed from the West Bank to the seamline zone. A car then crosses and picks them up together with another woman. Two women crossed on foot. One of them was a resident of Yaabed dressed in traditional clothing decorated with gold-colored sequins. She was waiting for her sister and brother-in-law, residents of Um Reihan in the seamline zone, to pick her up and travel to Jerusalem. It was difficult for her to stand in her high-heeled shoes and she took them off. We were surprised that her permit allowed her to cross here rather than at Barta’a-Reihan. We can never figure out the secrets of the checkpoints and permits.
The garbage container, which has been mentioned many times as an ecological hazard and polluting the entire area, was moved to the edge of the security road. Now the garbage will belong strictly to the IDF.
15:30 – We drove to Hermesh Checkpoint and Mevo Dotan Checkpoint. Traffic was moving without delay at both checkpoints. Along Route 585 that connects the two we saw black plastic pipes that would contain electric cables for lampposts. The poles were lying on the ground near Hermesh Checkpoint. They will light up the road and the occupation will be lit up and shed light.
16:00 – Reihan – Barta’a Checkpoint, Palestinian Side
The parking lot was not full. People were coming home from work and going to their cars or to genuine or improvised taxis that were waiting for them. It is hard to understand how people can work in this heat during the fast of Ramadan without drinking all day.
The checkpoint was operating quietly and in an orderly manner. There were seven (!) Palestinian attendants. We had never seen so many and we had no idea what they were doing.
16:20 – We left. Ramadan Kareem!
Barta'a (old agricultural gate)
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Barta'a (old agricultural gate)
On the road from Barta'a to the West Bank.
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Hermesh
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Hermesh
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Tura-Shaked
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Tura-Shaked
This is a fabric of life* checkpoint through which pedestrians, cabs and private cars (since 2008) pass to and from the West Bank and the Seam-line Zone to and from the industrical zone near the settler-colony Shaked, schools and kindergartens, and Jenin university campuses. The checkpoint is located between Tura village inside the West Bank and the village of Dahar Al Malah inside the enclave of the Seam-line Zone. It is opened twice a day, between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., and from 12 noon to 7 p.m. People crossing it (at times even kindergarten children) are inspected in a bungalow with a magnometer. Names of those allowed to cross it appear in a list held by the soldiers. Usually traffic here is scant.
- fabric of life roads and checkpoints, as defined by the Terminals Authority in the Ministry of Defense (fabric of life is a laundered name that does not actually describe any kind of humanitarian purpose) are intended for Palestinians only. These roads and checkpoints have been built on lands appropriated from their Palestinian owners, including tunnels, bypass roads, and tracks passing under bridges. Thus traffic can flow between the West Bank and its separated parts that are not in any kind of territorial contiguity with it. Mostly there are no permanent checkpoint on these roads but rather ‘flying’ checkpoints, check-posts or surprise barriers. At Toura, a small (less than one dunam) and sleepy checkpoint has been established, which has filled up with the years with nearly .every means of supervision and surveillance that the Israeli military occupation has produced. (February 2020)
Mar-21-2022Anin Checkpoint: A magnificent breach in the center of the checkpoint
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Ya'bed-Dotan
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Ya’bed-Dotan
This checkpoint is located on road 585, at the crossroads of Mevo Dotan settler-colony / Jenin/ Ya’abad. It has an army watchtower (‘pillbox’ post) and concrete blocs that slow down vehicular traffic. It was erected when Barta’a Checkpoint, lying to the west on the Separation Fence, was privatized and its operation was passed over to civilian security personnel. Since December 2009 this checkpoint enables flow of Palestinian vehicular traffic towards the Barta’a Checkpoint. Seldom is it manned by soldiers sitting in the watchtower, who conduct random inspections of vehicles and passengers. (february 2020)
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