Barta'a checkpoint: It Girl with a hijab
In the north-western checkpoints of the occupied West Bank, where the northern group of MachsomWatch usually places its vigils, there is a relatively small number of colonies, most of them ‘secular’, and apparently without nationalist aspirations. Therefore, our volunteers are at times able to enjoy sunrises, blooming flowers and meetings with old friends. Problems abound, of course, mostly around transit and work permits inside Israel (sudden prevention, non-issued permits). Since the breaches in the Separation Fence were sealed and in view of massive issuing of permits, the Barta’a checkpoint is filled with people in the morning hours. Many people also cross the Anin agricultural checkpoint twice a week.
Barta’a Checkpoint 5:05 a.m.
The Accordion Ritual
At the lower checkpoint from which the terminal is entered and passage into Israel is possible, there was a very crowded waiting line as we arrived, inside and in front of the transit shed. However, the waiting line was moving and was over within a minute and a half. ‘Clients‘ of this checkpoint send us photos showing greater crowding since 4:30 a.m. as well as long waiting to cross – an hour and a half and more. Apparently this does not happen every morning. Today we saw a usual ritual of crowding for a minute or two and moving on within a minute or two. Again and again.
The number of people crossing at Barta’a grows because no more breaches in the fence reduce the pressure at the checkpoints. There is massive issuing of work and transit permits into Israel, and mostly – the terminal is limited in its capacity to move human masses in short periods of time.
Oof, if only peace would come
We met a young woman dressed like an ‘it girl’ from Tel Aviv, entirely up to date, standing close to the entrance of the crossing shed, and looking hesitant whether or when to jump into this male mass and risk ‘friction’. She covered her face with a large black kerchief, a sort of young and modern version of the Hijab. This is Nur from Ya`abad village, working in Harish City (Israel) in one of the shops. She speaks Hebrew, sounds nice, we liked her.
We encouraged her to get in line, and she hurried and was disappeared there.
07/00 Anin Agricultural Checkpoint, opened only twice a week
Two soldiers guard the fence (they are not in charge of opening the gate). They stand facing the locked gate at the center of the checkpoint, in front of dozens of people waiting on the other side of the gate. Waiting. More waiting (see photo). The Military Police were about 45 minutes late, and when they arrived, passage began almost immediately. A young man approached us and said his brother was detained because he was ‘caught’ with an army sweatshirt bearing the inscription Tabor Battalion. Good gracious!
In the checkpoint that had emptied there was a huff and a puff around a heavy-set guy wearing a short-sleeved shirt (and it was a cold day), it sounded as though the military policemen were consulting someone on the phone (Smutrich?). We got as close to them as the law allows, and a sergeant and a policewoman approached us. A conversation ensued from which one could easily guess that this was a Ben Gvir boy who holds ignorance to be of prime importance, and is sure that he has just discovered a network of military equipment thieves, having grown up on a plant where the word ‘occupation’ does not even exist, and naturally, ‘everything is ours’. The suspected fellow claimed the sweatshirt was bought in a Jenin market, but can you believe him? Half an hour later he was released and went on his way (in short sleeves), and the incriminating evidence remained in the hands of the soldiers.
'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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