Barta’a-Reihan, Tura-Shaked
On today’s shift, the Toura-Shaked Checkpoint that is usually quiet in the afternoons, surprised us.
15:00 Toura-Shaked Checkpoint
We arrived early, to this magnificent landscape of another planet, young tobacco shoots in the fields, and a fence of barbed wire and metal welcomed us.
Several vehicles crossed over to the West Bank and some into the Seam Line zone. They crossed quickly, no inspection. Two women came out of the checkpoint and waited on the Seam Line zone side. Even the trash can was empty and the waiting shed clean. Two Palestinian trucks came out of the checkpoint, and one of the women boarded it. The trucks took off, one of the drivers said that the soldiers today “are good”, and “no problems”.
From the corner of our eye we noticed that the two trucks were stopped at the entrance to Daher Al Maleh village nearby, by two soldiers who came out of an Israeli car (we have its license plate number). From afar it appeared the soldiers were questioning the drivers and checking them. We came closer to see what this was about. Until we got there one of the trucks was sent on its way. Two youngsters disembarked from the remaining truck, spoke with the soldiers and perhaps were checked and released, but the truck went back to the checkpoint The soldiers got back in their car and spoke with the Palestinian driver through the window. Even though we did not understand the Arabic, it seemed the driver was in distress and trying to explain something, asking to be believed. We went back to the checkpoint to speak with the two youngsters. They explained that they work in the Seam Line zone and that the soldiers had taken their permits and told them to wait at the checkpoint.
16:00 Before leaving we saw that the soldiers as well as the truck driver and their vehicles had “disappeared” for the time being. The youngsters must have decided they better return to the West Bank even without their papers (so they said). Unfortunately we could not figure out what went on.
16:10 Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint
A long line of young men, mostly constructions workers, are all in a hurry to get home. Since most of them did not stop at the inspection machines apparently they worked in Israel. Still a line of about 20 men was waiting in front of the only inspection counter operating. Waiting time per person was 12-15 minutes, rather long for those who still have a long way home. We tried to point this out to the security personnel at the top entrance to the terminal, but to no avail. Since there was no cellular reception, we could not call the checkpoint manager.
We noticed that the water cooler near the turnstile was gone. Only the kiosk (closed at this hour) and (probably out of order) vending machine, as well as the newer cooler at the entrance to the checkpoint sleeve were still in place.
We left.
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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