Northern checkpoints - “They pushed us like donkeys”
“They pushed us like donkeys”
15:30. Barta’a – Reihan (Northern parking lot “seamline zone”)
On our way to Ya’abed something stops us – an unusual crowd at the side of the road north of the checkpoint. We parked to look. The Border Police (men and women) stopped all those returning from work in the seamline zone and Israel, and they had to wait obediently while their documents and permits were being checked. Some of them waited until their issues was cleared up by phone. The elderly were sent to wait in a shed, but after a few minutes those over age 55 were allowed to go on their way. At 15:45 the police crossed the checkpoint and passed to the West Bank (we could not see where) and we continued to Ya’abed. We stopped at Umrikha to photograph the “firing zone” warning sign that has been placed right in the village!
16:00. Ya’abed-Dotan checkpoint
Cars coming from Area A Jenin , are stopped to have documents checked. Cars in the direction of the West Bank are directed by a woman soldier towards the dirt road that bypasses the checkpoint on the left, so that sometimes cars obstruct one another and there are traffic jams. At 16.20 there was quite a long line and the checkpoint was full.
16:50. Barta’a – Reihan checkpoint
People greet us an say, “They pushed us like donkeys.” Who pushed? “Border Police.” The new crossing is like a cage, where on most afternoon hours the workers pass through quickly towards the transport area. Today it was full of irritable people holding green identity cards. Border Policemen – whom we had seen at the beginning of our watch – stopped, checked, and apparently also pushed people back. It turned out that they had been there for more than an hour and caused great tension. At about 17:00 they left, taking with them four youths.
16:00 מחסום יעבד-דותן
מכוניות שמגיעות מכיוון שטח A נפת ג’נין, נעצרות במחסום לבדיקת מסמכים. מכוניות שנוסעות לכיוון הגדה מכוונות ע”י חיילת לעבר לדרך עפר שעוקפת את המחסום משמאל, כך שלעיתים מכוניות מצטלבות ונוצרים פקקים. ב-16:20 היה טור די ארוך של מכוניות והמחסום היה עמוס.
16:50 מחסום ברטעה-ריחן (חניון דרומי שטח C)
אנשים מקבלים את פנינו במילים: “דחפו אותנו כמו חמורים”. מי דחף? “משמר הגבול”. מתקן המעבר החדש דמוי המכלאה, שלרוב בשעות אחה”צ הפועלים עוברים בו במהירות לעבר מתחם ההסעות – היה הפעם מלא וגדוש אנשים עצבניים, תעודות הזהות הירוקות בידיהם. שוטרי משמר הגבול שראינו בתחילת המשמרת – עיכבו, בדקו וכנראה גם דחפו לאחור. מתברר שהם שהו שם יותר משעה וגרמו למתח רב. ב-17:00 בערך לקחו איתם ארבעה נערים ונסעו.
Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint
See all reports for this place-
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).
-
Ya'bed-Dotan
See all reports for this place-
Ya’bed-Dotan
This checkpoint is located on road 585, at the crossroads of Mevo Dotan settler-colony / Jenin/ Ya’abad. It has an army watchtower (‘pillbox’ post) and concrete blocs that slow down vehicular traffic. It was erected when Barta’a Checkpoint, lying to the west on the Separation Fence, was privatized and its operation was passed over to civilian security personnel. Since December 2009 this checkpoint enables flow of Palestinian vehicular traffic towards the Barta’a Checkpoint. Seldom is it manned by soldiers sitting in the watchtower, who conduct random inspections of vehicles and passengers. (february 2020)
-