Barta’a-Reihan, Tura-Shaked
Tura-Shaked 15:00
The checkpoint is quiet, there are no people; the only thing we hear is the wind.
As we arrive three people approach us – one female soldier and two male soldiers. They ask us what we are doing and who we are. Claire shows them her tag and tries to elaborate on the topic of Machsomwatch. One of them, kind-looking and speaking softly, says that he knows what it is about. The other male soldier says that he hasn't heard about us. However, the body language and the loud and aggressive voice of the female soldier soon take control of the conversation. Rudely and insolently, she attacks and insults us. We try to talk to her and the friendly soldier tries to calm her down but without success. She orders us to leave. The incident is over when she leaves together with one of the soldiers. In fact, they have finished their shift and are going back to the base. On the way she just "made sure that no rules were broken".
The checkpoint remains quiet.
Barta'a-Reihan 15:30
The checkpoint at Barta'a is also relatively quiet. A few people and some cars are crossing. The kiosk is closed. We are probably early, since the inner parking area seems to be full. We want to reach it so we start walking. We are stopped by a polite security guard. In spite of our explanation that we usually walk to the Palestinian parking area he claims that it is forbidden to walk there due to security reasons. We have to go by car. The man in charge of the shift arrives. Politely, he also refuses to let us pass. We wonder why it is more secure to cross by car. Not many Palestinians are in a hurry to return home. Nobody turns to us and there are no problems at the check post. When we inquire, we get the answer that both check posts in the terminal are working. At least that has been fixed.
We leave at 16:10.
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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