Barta’a-Reihan, Tura-Shaked
It’s annoying even to simply say “the occupation routine,” and so very frustrating.
06:10 The large Barta’a-Reihan checkpoint continues to expand; new buildings, which purpose is unclear, have been going up.
Many laborers already wait outside for their rides; more keep coming. We asked one of them how long it took him – he’d gotten on line at 05:00, entered at 05:30 and exited the facility at 06:00.
We enter the “sleeve,” the very long fenced corridor leading to the entrance/exit of the inspection building. It’s better organized than similar facilities elsewhere, with two revolving gates, one to enter and another to exit, and you don’t have to push your way in.
Most welcome us with a smile, say “today’s better than yesterday;” everything’s relative, apparently. Most exit holding their belts, arranging their clothes as they come. There’s a bench next to the exit/entrance. A few very well-dressed women come out, greet us warmly, wait for one another. They say today is good because the soldier at the machine is working quickly.
06:30 An endless flow of people comes through. There are two document inspection stations and only one scanner, but today most people are pleased.
06:45 We exit the “sleeve” and leave the checkpoint.
06:55 Shaked-Tura checkpoint
No soldiers, the gate from the seamline zone is open, only the one leading to the Palestinian Authority is locked. People already wait there to cross.
The olive groves near the checkpoint have been plowed and pruned, awaiting the rain that stil hasn’t come.
07:00 A heavily armored military vehicle arrives; soldiers emerge and get organized. A vehicle arrives from the seamline zone, a Palestinian gets out, and waits at the open gate for the soldiers to signal him to enter.
07:04 People begin crossing. Sixteen enter the checkpoint area.
07:07 The first woman crosses, gets into a waiting car and drives off.
07:09 A second person exits, also gets into a waiting car and leaves.
It’s a school vacation so there are no children or teachers at the checkpoint. But we do meet the principal who speaks fluent Hebrew. He says he worked many years in the carpet factory at the Shahak industrial zone; when he was offered the job of principal he didn’t get severance pay from the factory because he resigned. He still works there during vacations and on weekends to supplement his income.
07:15 A constant flow of people exiting the checkpoint; few entering; cars cross in both directions after a quick inspection.
The owner of the flock of sheep arrives, greets us warmly. He hasn’t taken out his flock because there’s no grass. He says only heaven knows whether and when it will rain.
There was a delay at the entrance to the checkpoint; we heard angry voices. A man emerged, very angry,because the soldier refused to let him bring in two old shirts belonging to his sister; he argued with the soldier, which was apparently the reason for the delay. He finally managed to carry them through.
Another Palestinian complains about Tali, the Salem DCO civilian liaison officer,whose job is to issue permits. She doesn’t answer the phone, sends people hither and yon and treats those who need her services very badly. His permit hasd expired and had to be renewed. There was no problem with it, only her indifference and lack of consideration.
07:35 Fewer people cross.
Chana, the veteran, says more people went through today, and also many young people.
07:50 We left the checkpoint.
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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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)
Mar-21-2022Anin Checkpoint: A magnificent breach in the center of the checkpoint
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