‘Anin, Barta’a-Reihan, Tayba-Rummana, Tura-Shaked
This was one of the hardest days we’ve seen at the Barta’a Checkpoint in our long ‘career’ here, consisting mostly of counting the number of Palestinians getting through the checkpoints (14 years now). It is frustrating and depressing to witness the results of the damned, corrupt and idiotic bureaucracy of occupation.
Video of Barta’a Checkpoint this morning, May 5, 2016
Barta’a Checkpoint 06:00 – Checkpoint+large regional terminal for transferring goods and people from all over the West Bank into the Seam line zone and Israel
The checkpoint is operated by a civilian security company, overseen by the Ministry of Defense’s Crossings Administration. For those arriving from the West Bank, the entrance to the terminal is from the lower car park, filled to bursting with vehicles. As we arrived at 6 a.m., one hour after opening time, we estimated about one thousand Palestinians crowding nervously in a non-line. At any given moment dozens of workers kept arriving, most of them young, while about 8-10 of them could enter the checkpoint through the turnstile every quarter of an hour. One need not be an Einstein to predict the results of such treatment. In spite of the crowding, there was no violence in the air, but people were stressed and desperate. Iyad, the volunteer usher gave up and moved away. A month ago, in a similar situation, some of the incomers stopped traffic into the terminal until more counters would be added to hasten procedures. The administration preferred finding a culprit first, and Iyad was easy prey. His entry permit was instantly revoked and he was instructed to go to the Salem DCO to renew it. He shared the story with Raslan, head of the East Barta’a local council as well as with Machsomwatch, and somehow, with or without intervention, the administration backed off and apologized, returning his permit. More counters were added and the waiting line was solved. This morning seemed to be a repeat of the same, with no solution in sight. Iyad brought Raslan into the picture, we woke up Hannah Barag and she took action. Somehow, when we got back here at 07:20, we found the checkpoint empty.
One of the young men from a village in the Northern West Bank asked for advice. His father was working in Israel, permit and all, until he took ill and underwent heart surgery in Nablus. He has recovered and now wants to get back to the Israeli contractor in order to receive the money he is still owed, but he is not allowed through because he has suddenly become ‘security black-listed’, like hundreds and thousands of others who are suddenly unemployed and there is no explanation or answer to their problem. The brother of W., an old friend, found he also fell victim to this latest nasty trick of cancelling thousands of entry (into Israel) permits for no reason whatsoever. Every day for a whole week he has been going to the checkpoint, and when he gets to the counter he is told he is black-listed and should go to Salem. So he goes to Salem and at the counter there he is told he is black-listed, get back to the checkpoint. So back to the checkpoint it is, and so on and on. Now, broken and exhausted, he sits at home doing nothing. No livelihood, no bread on the table.
As we were just leaving the Barta’a Checkpoint (06:30) several people who had had enough waiting in line went on strike again. They blocked the entrance to the terminal and demanded that three more counters be added for ID checks. This chaos went on for about 20 minutes and finally caused the checkpoint management to come out of their rooms and approach the raging crowd. The strike was over, the turnstile was opened and everyone got through. At the same time, another three counters were opened and all the inspectors worked energetically and took care of the whole waiting line.
Later that morning a forum convened – Barta’a Al Sharqi’a’s local council head and his deputies, and Iyad, and a decision was reached: metal pipe banisters would be put up for two waiting lines an several ushers will be in place, paid, every morning. The council would charge a parking fee which would finance this operation, and everyone will be happy… But until 6-8 inspection counters will be in operation inside the terminal, all this will be of no help at all. Meaning – the last word still belongs to the masters of Israeli occupation.
‘Aneen Checkpoint 06:40 – Agricultural Checkpoint no. 214, opening on Mondays and Thursdays
Compared to Barta’a, silence here booms. About 20 persons and 2 tractors crossedduring our 25 minutes there, from the village through the checkpoint to the Seam Line zone. At least one tractor driver who wanted to get across, didn’t. The tractor crossing permit was confiscated. It was found “inconsequent”.
Two self-conscious youngsters approach us to ask how they could arrange a daily crossing permit through the Barta’a Checkpoint that is open every day. They work in Barta’a and most likely also stay there around the Monday and Thursday opening times. Their employer has to provide them with a letter of request and validate their employment, so they can get the Barta’a permit, but this costs him money so he is not cooperating.
Toura-Shaked Checkpoint 07:30
At this time all is quiet at the Toura-Shaked Checkpoint. It is deserted. Today is a religious holiday so the schoolchildren are on vacation.
Tayibe Roumana Checkpoint 08:00 – Agricultural Checkpoint open on Mondays and Thursdays, operated by the Border Police
A small tractor is raking the track along the fence. Up the road, a truck and shuffle are transporting soil from this site to another. At 8:20 the Border Police arrived and half an hour later they began to let people through. We are greeted with smiles by the Palestinians. Lately they have begun to call up for help and advice. We are now accepted…
'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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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)
Ruti TuvalMar-21-2022Anin Checkpoint: A magnificent breach in the center of the checkpoint
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