Translation: Bob Goldman
Shaked – Tura checkpoint 6:50
The big gate on the seam zone side is open so wide that it seemed as if there is no gate at all. The pedestrian path (the metal sleeve) is closed. On the west bank side (Tura) there is only one car and no pedestrians. In the center of the checkpoint there’s a large military vehicle. Soldiers are not seen. Afterwards it turns out that the soldiers are in the car, maybe because of the cold and rain. Probably those waiting on the other side sat in cars for the same reason.
Suddenly the checkpoint starts up. At 7:05, the first worker comes through, followed by others. A handful enters the territories… One student and another… A car drives from the west bank toward the seam zone and returns around after about ten minutes. Children haven’t come. Another day of teachers' strike. They haven’t received their salaries.
Reihan – Barta `a Checkpoint 07.35
The lower car park of the barrier isn’t full yet, but there are cars parked in makeshift parking lot up near the road leading to the territories. On this road, a little further up, there are two yellow metal arms, one blocking the way to the Kaffin (south) and second blocks access to the ZABDE (north). On the other side (blocked) of the metal arms are parked cars of people who make their way to Reihan checkpoint, but not ready to make a big detour and prefer to walk from here (about one kilometer).
People flow into the terminal. Cars come; unload passengers, who immediately proceed to the terminal gate. It seems that the other side also flows freely. We gave a ride to Ali, the youth being hospitalized again in Rambamhospital in Haifa. Crossing procedure for patients in his condition is simple and convenient and is carried out at the site where trucksare checked. His documents and luggage are checked and immediately we went out from the gate where the trucks go after inspection. Down the road about six trucks were waiting their turn to go through.
Another woman traveled with us to Rambam Hospital to be with her two and a half year old son and replace the father who was sitting with him. She didn’t enjoy the same leniency, and had to go through inspection at the terminal.
The occupation goes on; everything goes along ‘normally’, except of course, the occupation itself.
Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint
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This checkpoint is located on the Separation Fence route, east of the Palestinian town of East Barta’a. The latter is the largest Palestinian community inside the seam-line zone (Barta’a Enclave) in the northern West Bank. Western Barta’a, inside Israel, is adjacent to it. The Checkpoint is open all week from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Since mid-May 2007, the checkpoint has been managed by a civilian security company subordinate to the Ministry of Defense. People permitted to cross through this checkpoint into and from the West Bank are residents of Palestinian communities inside the Barta’a Enclave as well as West Bank Palestinian residents holding transit permit. Jewish settlers from Hermesh and Mevo Dotan cross here without inspection. A large, modern terminal is active here with 8 windows for document inspection and biometric tests (eyes and fingerprints). Usually only one or two of the 8 windows are in operation. Goods, up to medium commercial size, may pass here from the West Bank into the Barta’a Enclave. A permanent registered group of drives who have been approved by the may pass with farm produce. When the administration of the checkpoint was turned over to a civilian security firm, the Ya’abad-Mevo Dotan Junction became a permanent checkpoint. . It is manned by soldiers who sit in the watchtower and come down at random to inspect vehicles and passengers (February 2020).
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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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