A surprise at the Tura checkpoint
The North, 11.09.2023
Irit A., and Neta G., (Report and Photos)
Marcia L., Translation
05:50 – Barta’a
We traveled to Barta’a this morning with Pierre. We entered road 611 to Palestinian eastern Barta’a, and crossed to the Israeli, western side. The long, main commercial road, crosses both of the two Barta’as, the Palestinian and the Israeli. There is a different, physically better infrastructure on the Israeli side, but in reality, this is one settlement whose residents are all one family, the Kabahas; one family, but two citizenships. The residents of western Barta’a are Israelis; a sick person or a woman giving birth, will come at a needed time to Hillel Yaffa Hospital in Hadera. Residents of eastern Barta’a are Palestinians; someone sick or giving birth, must cross Barta’a Checkpoint and go to the hospital in Jenin. At this hour, the two Barta’as have still not woken up; the protective trellises of the stores are not up and the street is devoid of cars and people.
06:10 – Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint, Seamline Zone side
Many people have already crossed the checkpoint and wait for rides to their places of work. Many additional people continue to go up the long sleeve (the fenced-in and covered passage to and from the terminal). As a shortcut, a few jump over the fence. We go down to the terminal against the stream coming up, among them, a few women. At this hour, a few individuals cross to the West Bank. Somewhat surprisingly, a few greet us with genuine friendliness. One of them says that in the morning, the crossing was fast. After twenty minutes, there are fewer people going up the sleeve. We also go up in the direction of the parking lot. Drivers who are not regular shuttle drivers, call out for those traveling, especially to Umm-al Fahm, nearby. In the shed, where people wait, the buffet is open. People spread carpets on the cement floor and artificial grass surfaces to pray (photo). There are those who add their own prayer rugs.
07:05 – Tura-Shaked Checkpoint -Surprise!
The checkpoint is not opened on time. Police from the Border police arrive and open it a bit late. One man sits on the side of the shed and calmly smokes a nargila (hookah). Two cars wait to cross. Female students in striped dresses and hijabs enter the booth for inspection. Two people from the Border Police approach the man with the nargila and ask what he is doing. They also approach us. According to them, we are in the area of the checkpoint and we should be at a distance of 400 meters. We try to explain that this isn’t so. Their (female) supervisor arrives. According to her, we have to be 100 meters away. That is also not true. She explains that we are in a firing line of the checkpoint. To the statement that we have already stood here for twenty years, she says that even in fifty years we will not be allowed to stand in this place. To that statement–that in fifty years we hope there won’t be an Occupation– she answers, “Me too.”
07:40 – After that surprise, we leave.
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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