Eyal Crossing, Irtah (Sha’ar Efrayim), Te’enim Crossing, Tue 25.8.09, Afternoon
Translation: Bracha B.A.
A day during Ramadan
Workers are coming back at the end of along day’s work after a night made shorter by waiting in line at the checkpoint. They are fasting, it is not, but they still smile at us and greet us and are grateful that we are here.
16:00 Irtah Crossing
A contractor’s car is unloading workers and they hurry towards the turnstile to leave the checkpoint. Many of them greet us with “Asalamu Aleikum”, “Shalom” and nod, and we greet them with “Ramadan Kareem.” Occasionally the turnstile stops for a minute while the shift changes, but the line is not held up. Everyone is outside within a few minutes. The security guard is more polite than usual, and offers us cold water if we want it, and when we ask how things are today he answers that “Today we are trying not to hassle them too much.” (What is his idea of the normal circumstances?) After a half hour we continue westward.
16:45 Anabta
Cars enter and exit without delay. Cars also enter with yellow (Israeli) license plates. “Israeli Arabs are permitted to enter Tulkarem throughout the week. The checkpoint is open 24 hours a day,” says a the taxi driver who is waiting for Israelis to come to the checkpoint. He will take them into Tulkarem. We buy dates that were picked in Ramin.
Jubara Checkpoint
The military police commander A. asks us for our I.D. cards and checks that they are not forged. “Where do you live? Where are you going? How old are you?”“Read my I.D. It says what year I was born.” When we began to laugh at having to reveal our age, he ordered us to pull over to the side. He leaned on the car window with an air of authority to make things clear. “I’m the commander here and I decide what questions to ask. I’m…in charge…in principle…my job…yesterday we found an AK-47 rifle here…”Before we got involved in his militant outburst we asked to have our I.D. cards back.
18:00 Eyal Crossing
The parking lot is empty and no one is there. Several transport vehicles are waiting for the next day. We meet drivers from Rahat, who feel that fewer people are coming out because of |Ramadan. A few workers return and pass through quickly. Perhaps here they have decided not to bother Palestinians too much today as well.
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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Te'enim Crossing
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Te'enim Crossing The Figs checkpoint, located on Road 557, east of the Green Line and the Ephraim Checkpoint (Road 444), is a vehicle crossing, open 24/7 all year round. It serves the Israeli population, including those authorized to enter the Palestinian Authority. The passage of foreigners holding international passports recognized by the State of Israel is approved. In exceptional cases will the passage of a Palestinian be allowed here.
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