Translation: Bracha B.A.

The gate is already open, but crossing would begin precisely at 15:00.   Children, who have received a special leave from school, are returning with their parents from the olive harvest.  A woman from the military police is quickly marking the people returning to the village on a handwritten list.  Everyone who comes to her presents her with their documents and then take a step or two back as if they were expecting to be rebuked.  We hurry on to the Reihan Barta'a Checkpoint to meet F., who will meet us there to give us documents so that he can be reunited with his family who live on the Israeli side of the separation fence.    

15:30 – Reihan Barta'a Checkpoint

The parking lot on the Palestinian side is completely full.  Four trucks are waiting by the road.  Workers are waiting by the road for rides.  F. arrived on time for our meeting.  We opened the back door of the car and took out forms for him to sign.  We returned to the seamline zone our trunk was checked.

16:05 – Shaked-Tura Checkpoint

Three elderly women are walking heavily towards the inspection booth.  There are more soldiers than usual.  The next day we heard that Anna had learned from soldiers that there had been a shooting incident on Saturday, during the course of a funeral of a resident of Dar el Makakh, who was buried in Tura.  This might have been the reason why there were so many soldiers at the checkpoint today.

A tractor goes through the checkpoint to the nearby olive grove.  Six women and a young girl walk to the inspection booth and wait there for some time.  They are impatient and occasionally try to open the door.  A polite sergeant from the Liaison and Coordination Administration asks how we are doing.  He is from the [Druze village] Dalyat el Carmel. 

At 16:20 there are about 15 people waiting by the inspection booth on their way to the West Bank.  Two of them arrive in the seamline zone. 

16:40 A'anin Checkpoint

We drove back to A'anin to see if there were any problems for anyone who had not arrived in time when the gates closed at 16:30.  The gate was still open and four workers were talking with two soldiers in the middle of the checkpoint.  We here one of the soldiers saying, "This is the last time…"  and demands that they stand in a line and leads them to the middle gate.   Two stand at the side leaning on the concrete barrier.  Two soldiers talk things over with the military policewoman and make a phone call. 

16:45– Two workers arrive from the road below.  A soldier receives them, saying, "You can't go through.  I got up at 4:00 this morning to open the gate.  You have to get here on time.  I know you're old enough to be my father, but I'm not an ass or a fool.  Let's go in and we'll see what can be done."   Now four people are waiting next to the concrete barrier.  The woman soldier has already lit a cigarette and hands it to another soldier.  She goes to the workers and writes something down, returns someone's green ID card, and tells him to stay there.  The last two to arrive were allowed to cross and are grateful.  At 16:52 the gates are locked and two detainees are still between the gates inside the locked checkpoint.   After a few minutes one is escorted to the inner gate and one is left. 

We left at 17:00.