A’anin Checkpoint, 15:20

An older couple with two sacks of olives and a bucket were waiting for the checkpoint to open after a day of harvesting olives.   They were waiting for another farmer from the village who is harvesting not far from here to arrive who would help them carry the sacks with his tractor.   He has time until 16:00 until the checkpoint currently closes. 

A car from the border patrol arrived at 15:30.  They remained in their car and didn’t open the checkpoint and said that it would open at 15:45 on time. 

When is the checkpoint supposed to open in the afternoon during the harvest?

A woman soldier from the District Coordination and Liaison Office  sent a message on Sunday October 17^th that the afternoon hours would be from 16:00 – 16:15, but that day the checkpoint opened from 15:30 – 15:50.  (See report from 17 October).   The following day, Monday, A. called me from the checkpoint at 17:00 and said that it had not yet opened.   After I called  the District Coordination and Liaison Office  they opened the checkpoint 29 minutes later.  We called our friend M. but he was not going out to work today.  On Tuesday the checkpoint opened at 15:30 and today it opened at 15:45.

The policemen opened the gate but were met with a serious problem.  They were unable to move a yellow pillar that blocked the way for tractors to cross.  The pillars were put there to prevent people from driving stolen cars from Israel to the West Bank.   (See report from 15.07.2021).  At 16:00 the tractor driver from A’anin did not arrive.  The policemen and we thought that the couple would cross on foot  and there would be no need to move the pillar,   The 64-year-old man put one bag on his back with difficulty while the woman took the bucket and both entered the checkpoint.  The man returned for the second sack and a minute before the checkpoint closed the tractor driver arrived and loaded both sacks onto his wagon.  Meanwhile the border patrol car blocked our view and we did not see whether they managed to move the pillar or whether the tractor miraculously managed to float over it.   

There are no catastrophes at A’anin checkpoint or in the area.  There are no wild settlers who uproot or burn vineyards,  There are no sheep or shepherds but there is an intolerable routine of occupation in which there is no respect for the occupied people’s dignity or time.   The other thing that characterizes A’anin Checkpoint and other checkpoints is that they stand on the separation barrier but the fence no longer separates.  There are breaks and holes in the fence that have been there for a year.  There are holes right next to the checkpoints and others farther away.   Many people cross there who have permits but are tired of being checked at the checkpoints.  Some cannot take advantage of the holes in the fence because they are not large enough to accommodate tractors or vehicles.  Only three people crossed at A’anin Checkpoint during the olive harvest.  Perhaps many others crossed through the hole hear the checkpoint when the checkpoint was not open. 16:30 – Tura – Shaked Checkpoint

Everything is the usual routine.  A few workers arrived in a transport vehicle and crossed to the West Bank.  A few pedestrians arrived and crossed.   Only one person crossed to the seamline zone.

16:30 – We left and the filth remained, as usual.