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Falamiya North Checkpoint (914), Kufr Jammal

Observers: Tzvia S., Rahel A. (Reporting); Translation: Hanna K.
May-29-2016
| Morning

Nothing exceptional

Falamiya North (914) – 5:50

A quiet atmosphere. Business as usual. They open with a delay of 20 minutes and nobody gets excited. They wait for the announcement of the civil administration about the change in the schedule during the Ramadan, which is due to be made tomorrow. There are few people.

The royal donkey of Riad

Sal’it Kafr Jamal 6:40

Many tractors and carts in which there are women labourers. The men descend to be checked. The women’s ID cards are transferred by the driver. About 200 workers pass. Here too all is quiet. From time to time the Sergeant or his superior arrive to shout Irja (go back) and arrange them in rows. The people wait patiently and talk politics with us, and about opening times. Here too they are waiting for changes during the Ramadan. To return home at 4 instead of at half past five. They have submitted a request. Interesting to see whether it will be conceded.

Sal’it – waiting for the opening. 05:49

A topic for a morning conversation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Falamiya North (914)

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    • Falamiya North (914) Opens 3 times a day for about 40 minutes each time. This checkpoint has extremely important for all farmers in the area since the previous, Falamya checkpoint opening routine of continuously open for 12 hours has been discontinued. This took place after the separation fence was moved westward following the High Court of Justice.
  • Kufr Jammal

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    • Kufr Jammal This village, rising about 200 meters over sea level, is located about 14 kilometers south of Tul Karm town and about 17 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea. The families living there since the mid-18th century number about 3,000 persons at present. The village has lost thousands of dunams of its northern and western lands due to the construction of the Separation Barrier, leaving the lands themselves behind the barrier. After the Israeli Supreme Court ruling in 2011, the barrier was moved to the west and many farmlands were returned to their owners. It is a quiet village, its relations with the nearby settler-colony of Sal’it are favorable, and many of the villagers work in the colony’s industrial plants. Farmers cross the agricultural checkpoint close to this settler-colony in order to tend their fields unhampered. However, there are numerous acts of harassment and disorder taking place when the village farmers cross the other agricultural checkpoints: gates do not open at hours suitable to the farmers’ needs, and for a short period of time only; the Civil Administration usually prevents all kinds of crops except olives; tractors and other farm equipment are forbidden entry; only a single permit is issued per family, and occasionally such permits are confiscated and their re-issue is delayed – the common excuse is usually “security reasons”. How do the villagers make their living? Holders of work permits inside Israel travel at 3 a.m. to Eyal Checkpoint near Qalqiliya town in order to make it on time to their workplace at Sal’it (close to their village) and elsewhere. Owners of vegetable patches who hold permits are allowed to reach their fields beyond the Separation Barrier through the distant Falamiya Checkpoint. Importantly, fields returned to the village show amazing improvement intending, irrigation and farming variety – and instead of the neglected olive tree groves that were accessible only to holders of transit permits through agricultural checkpoints usually closed, farming has now flourished. (updated Jan 2021)  
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