North: A young man spilled out his frustration about the Palestinians and their impossible attempts to make an honest living
Neta Golan, Shuli Bar (Reporting) with Guest Michelle S., (Doctoral Student from MIT)
During today’s shift we had a refreshing change of hosting Michelle S., a young doctoral student from MIT, who is studying the history and social aspects of biometric technology in Israel. During a tour in the West Bank guided by Daniela she became interested in examining the topic at the checkpoints and hoped to meet people who experience this technology. That was how she came to us.
06:00 – Reihan – Barta’a Checkpoint
We could observe two biometric checks – one for fingerprints and the other a retinal scan. Both were standing unused (in the morning at least) at Barta’a Reihan checkpoint. She was also interested in finding out who was the Palestinian security guard in the black uniform who was walking around the Palestinian parking lot. We explained that he is a remnant of not long ago when scuffles used to break out between people waiting in line to go to work in Israel. The attendants were hired by the checkpoint authority together with the Barta’a Regional Council to keep order in the waiting line and to collect money for parking. This money is handed over to the pockets of the occupation together with the regional council and the Palestinian who owns the land on which the checkpoint was built. The attendants were at first armed with clubs and smoke grenades. Today they are armed with nothing but a book of receipts for parking fees. The other solution to the scuffles in the mornings was a massive retraction of work permits for people to cross from here to work in Israel. Meanwhile the owner of the kiosk at the exit from the terminal is spreading rumors about renewing work permits to cross in the morning. If that happens, the Palestinian attendants will be busy again.
When we left the checkpoint we talked with the people who were waiting for their rides to work. One of them was a young man who spoke English. He spilled out his frustration about the simple Palestinians and their impossible attempts to make an honest living in the bureaucratic and political entanglement that is getting worse every day. From what I could understand, he feels that the solution to the suffering is one state for both peoples, but he knows that will never happen. Michelle’s presence reminded us of the curiosity that our young volunteers aroused at the checkpoints, and the Palestinians’ eagerness to talk and answer questions. It is important to bring in young people again.
We did not have time to observe A’anin Agricultural Checkpoint because of a meeting with M., a resident of the West bank about exchanging documents that were needed to claim his belongings from Kishon Prison where he had been released after being held there for a short time two months ago. His belongings had not yet been returned to him. We therefore hurried to Tibeh Romena and arrived there at 07:00. The military police who open and close A’anin Checkpoint go straight to Tibeh Romena and we arrived before they did after quickly crossing Um Al Fahem. Today few people crossed there. We met some of them while driving through Um Al Fahem on our way home.
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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Tayba-Rummana
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Tayba-Rummana is an agricultural checkpoint. It is located in the separation fence in front of the eastern slopes of the Israeli city of Umm al-Fahm. The Palestinian villages next to the checkpoint are Khirbet Tayba and Rummana. Dozens of dunams of olive groves were removed from their owners, the residents of these villages on the western side of the separation fence. The Palestinian villages next to the checkpoint are Khirbet Tayba and Rumna. Dozens of olives dunams were removed from these villages' residents and swallowed up in a narrow strip of space, on the western side of the separation fence. The checkpoint allows the plantation owners who have permits to pass. Twice a week, the checkpoint opens for fifteen minutes in the morning and evening. During the harvest season, it opens every day for fifteen minutes in the morning (around 0630) and fifteen minutes in the afternoon (around 1530). (February 2020).
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