05:45-06:40 – Barta’a Checkpoint

Dozens of people, who had already passed through the terminal, were waiting in groups in the upper parking lot for their rides to work, as usual. Some of them were wandering carelessly between the taxis and cars that were coming and going. It was already hot and people, carrying bundles, were smoking, drinking coffee, and waiting.  They are accustomed to devoting a part of their lives under the occupation to waiting, getting permits, crossing barriers, getting their documents checked, or riding to work.  Their lives are spent waiting.  

I walked down the sleeve leading to the terminal, which was filled with people on their way to work.  After years of observing at the checkpoints it seems to me that people were tougher than ever.  Perhaps this is due to my personal difficulty with the events of the past few days. I receive no response, or only a murmur, to my usual greetings of hello or good morning. People look but ignore me.  I asked but only received a curt yes or no.  I sat down on the bench at the entrance to the terminal and the man who was sitting there got up and moved aside.  Perhaps this was just a coincidence. I went out holding my notebook; did they view me as one who was inspecting them, as if they were asking, “What are you doing her,” a representative of the occupation.  

There were six open inspection booths.  People were coming out quickly with or without their belts in their hands and cigarettes in their mouths. There was a constant flow of humanity coming up the sleeve that was confined by barbed wire going out into the human chaos outside.

Later at the crossing to the lower parking lot there were two guards in black uniforms. I asked if they were from Palestine or Israel. They explained that they were Palestinian guards from Jenin. I saw six or seven of them, armed with clubs, supervising the waiting line.  The parking lot was empty and no taxis were coming in.  I didn’t manage to figure out why this was so.  There was a waiting line of dozens of people in front of the turnstile that did not get any shorter as people left and arrived.  People were crossing quickly and no one was delayed.  According to the guards 8,000 people cross here each day.  There are two new rest rooms at the front of the parking lot.  

At the vehicle inspection point trucks carrying food and trucks carrying other cargo are separated.  Trucks with food are checked at 08:00 while others are checked from 10:00 on.  Perhaps this is the reason why there are fewer smaller trucks than usual.

07:15 – Tura Checkpoint

People reported that the checkpoint opened ten minutes ago.  About 15 people crossed into the seamline zone during the shift and two cars on their way to Tura.  There was no line at the entrance to the checkpoint.  All the cars that arrived crossed immediately. The school children were on vacation.  The garbage container had been emptied, but the entrance to the checkpoint was covered with garbage and litter.  

The village of Dahar al Malec is still not connected to electricity.