'Anin, Barta'a-Reihan, Tayba-Rummana
Northern checkpoints, A`anin – The sun rises gloriously over an ugly occupation.
05:50 Barta’a checkpoint is emptier than ever
This large checkpoint, built for the passage of huge numbers of people going in both directions, is bare of activity. That’s because new regulations determined that people can’t cross here to work in Israel, and after crossing permits were invalidated for those who claimed they had jobs in Barta’a only to be able to cross here and continue to work in construction at Harish inside Israel. But everyone is allowed to return through here to the West Bank in the afternoon when the checkpoint comes to life. And, consequently, we see fewer blue picnic coolers of construction workers.
06:30 A’anin checkpoint. Sunrise, and routine.
Occupation or no occupation, the sun above puts on a glorious sunrise display, just when the soldiers below begin moving those waiting, three at a time, toward the seam zone. Those age 55 and older, who don’t need a crossing permit, stroll toward their olive groves, or to visit family at Umm Reihan. Most of those crossing are young; it’s not clear to us where they’re headed. As usual Mahmud comes through with his tractor pulling a wagon. He’ll return in the afternoon with a pile of junk, the soldiers will delay him but finally let him through.
About twenty men, and a woman and her son, crossed. She was tired. We gave them a ride.
07:00 Tayibe-Rummaneh checkpoint
We see two women among those waiting, each holding a toddler in her arms and accompanied by two more children. All are festively dressed; we wonder where they’re going. But as we expected, they didn’t go through. Apparently they didn’t have crossing permits. All the others, the regulars, crossed with no problem, not happily, without hope. They simply crossed.
'Anin checkpoint (214)
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'Anin checkpoint (214)
'Anin checkpoint is located on the Separation Fence east of the Israeli community Mei Ami and close to the village of Anin in the West Bank. It is opened twice a week, morning and afternoon, on days with shorter light time, for Anin farmers whose olive groves have been separated from the village by the fence it became difficult to cultivate their land. Transit permits are only issued to those who can produce ownership documents for their caged-in land, and sometimes only to the head of the family or his widow, eldest son, and children. Sometimes the inheritors lose their right to tend to the family’s land. The permits are eked out and are re-issued only with difficulty. 55-year-old persons may cross the checkpoint (into Israel) without special permits. During the olive harvest season (about one month around October) the checkpoint is open daily and more transit permits are issued. Names of persons eligible to cross are held in the soldiers’ computers. In July 2007, a sweeping instruction was issued, stating that whoever does not return to the village through this checkpoint in the afternoon will be stripped of his transit permit when he shows up there next time. Since 2019, the checkpoint has not been allways locked with the seam-line zone gate (1 of 3 gates), and the fence around it has been broken in several sites.
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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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Tayba-Rummana
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Tayba-Rummana is an agricultural checkpoint. It is located in the separation fence in front of the eastern slopes of the Israeli city of Umm al-Fahm. The Palestinian villages next to the checkpoint are Khirbet Tayba and Rummana. Dozens of dunams of olive groves were removed from their owners, the residents of these villages on the western side of the separation fence. The Palestinian villages next to the checkpoint are Khirbet Tayba and Rumna. Dozens of olives dunams were removed from these villages' residents and swallowed up in a narrow strip of space, on the western side of the separation fence. The checkpoint allows the plantation owners who have permits to pass. Twice a week, the checkpoint opens for fifteen minutes in the morning and evening. During the harvest season, it opens every day for fifteen minutes in the morning (around 0630) and fifteen minutes in the afternoon (around 1530). (February 2020).
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