Eyal Crossing, Irtah (Sha’ar Efrayim), Fri 21.6.13, Morning
Irtach/ Sha’ar Efraim Friday-dawn 21-6-13 observers: Leora Shamir, Annelien Kisch (reporting +pictures)
Misinformation and/or unfulfilled promises*…..
05.00 On our way to the fence where we can observe the Palestinians enter, we see under the large gate-way an army vehicle parked. We dread problems, but coming near we see just two soldiers resting from their night-duties. The pathway leading towards the turnstiles is no longer closed at the sides with the result that the crowds are now closer to the fence; no special gate for the women any longer. Apparently the management of the Terminal, who at one time send someone to take care of opening this gate for the first five minutes, has decided to abandon this service. Some laborers try to jump the queue by climbing over it.
05.06 The turnstiles are opened at last; the usual running to the magnometer. The area between the turnstiles and the magnometer is filthy and littered with paper, plastic bags etc.
05.20 At the exit side one of the two doors is closed so we cannot see how many checking booths are open, but we hear that in the 4 lanes (2 booths) that are open the checking is done efficiently. Indeed we hear less complaints this Friday. About 30 people exit per minute. It took one person 20 minutes from entrance till exit. The turnstile gives some problems: on and off it falters and people get stuck inside.
Some Palestinians who want to return home after their night-job tell us they are waiting from 05.00. Only at 05.45are they allowed to pass.
05.50 A gentleman who works for the P.A. in the Terminal (“they all know me”) and who only accompanied his aging and invalid mother to the Israeli side on her way to visit her daughter, also wants to return. We (and he) try to attract the attention of one of the guards without success. After some time a girl in one of the checking-booth notices our calling and gesticulations and tries –by phone- to relate the request of opening either the gate or reversing the rotation of the turnstile. To no avail! So, Leora decides to talk to the guards on the Terminal’s parking lot. *They claim the moment they hear someone wants to return they will ask to open the side gate. No way! Only after more than 40 minutes waiting (after 6.30) can this Palestinian return. Time is money, but not for the Palestinians apparently.
For about 20 minutes more, Leora tries to influence the -almost all of them Ethiopian- guards’-mindset to, at least, not generalize. One literally said: “every Palestinian I see here will murder me (if he has the opportunity)”. How can they think otherwise as their whole training is based on seeing the whole Palestinian population as “The Enemy”?!
Eyal Checkpoint / Crossing
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Eyal Checkpoint is intended for pedestrians and Palestinians only. This is the main barrier for workers to cross from the center of the West Bank. Workers with a work permit to enter Israel can pass through it for trade, medicine, and visiting prisoners. The checkpoint was built on the Green Line north of Qalqilya in the separation barrier that surrounds the city. The checkpoint began operating in 2004 by the military. Opening hours on weekdays from 04:00 to 19:00. We started holding shifts there in 2007. We arrived at the checkpoint before it opened at 4 in the morning. We reported on the difficult conditions and the long and cramped queues of workers who must continue their journey by commuting to work throughout Israel. At the end of June 2009, the checkpoint was operated by a civil security company, The transit time has been gradually shortened, today it is faster, but the Palestinians still have to arrive very early to make it to the transportation. Usually, about 15,000 people pass through.
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Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim)
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The checkpoint is for Palestinians only. It is the main barrier to the passage of workers from the northern West Bank to Israel. Workers with a permit to work in Israel and also for trade (with appropriate permissions), medicine, and visiting prisoners. One can cross the checkpoint only on foot. The checkpoint is located north of Road 557 and south of Tulkarm. Operated by a civil security company, opening hours: between 4:00 and 19:00 on weekdays. As members of Machsom Watch, we began our shifts to this location in 2007. We arrived before it opened at 4 in the morning and report since, on the harsh conditions and the long and crowded queues of workers. The workers who pass by continue their journey by transportation to work throughout Israel. In the first period of its activity, about 3,000 and then 5,000 people passed through this checkpoint every day. Due to the small number of checking points and arbitrary delays for long periods of time in the "rooms", workers feared losing their transportation. Hence workers leave their homes at 2:30 at night to be among the first. Today, 15,000 pass and the transition is faster. Workers are still leaving their homes very early to get past the checkpoint at 7 p.m. In an adjacent compound, there is a terminal for the transfer of goods on a commercial scale, using the back-to-back method.
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