Reihan, Shaked, Sun 5.4.09, Afternoon
Translated by Hava S.
15.30 Shaked Checkpoint
Everything seems to be quiet but a big problem arrises. The residents of Dahar el Malech (on the seamline zone) are used to passing through the checkpoint into the West Bank for shopping in a grocery store for cheaper prices. In order to bring in heavy bags they were assisted by a van driver who holds a license that enables him to go through the checkpoint. The owner of the van was caught while passing 15 egg cartons from the West Bank into the seamline zone. His license was taken from him and then returned, but as a penalty he was prevented from going through the Shaked Checkpoint with his vehicle, although he lives in Dahar al Malech. It turns out this kind of penalty was applied to another member of his family, who also owns a vehicle and uses it for helping out residents of the seamline zone passing in things from the West Bank. They say they have no grocery store in Dahar el Malech.
From our experience, when we suddenly see a child with a wheel-barrow at the checkpoint, he is most probably passing through in order to bring back some goods from the West Bank. It turns out this is also the problem of another two people from Dahar el Malceh. No institution offers them an appropriate solution for the problem.
17.00, Reichan Checkpoint
No pressure, two stands open at the terminal. On the other hand, many cabs are waiting at the open grounds. They were glad to see us coming, and complained that at the Taibeh checkpoint (Irtach) the situation is very bad, but this morning two members of ours were there and apparently the entrance was quicker than usual and the checkpoint was O.K.
17.15 – Pressure again, because one of the stands closed (due to a computer that gave in…). The workers complain: why do they open only one stand? We are tired after a day's work. What kind of life is this?
17.30 another window opens again and with the help of an usher the entrance is arranged. And the usual question rises, why they do not take the care of opening enough stands at the rush hours and having one of the people in charge present in order to insure smooth passing through.
Hoping the passing through continues to flow, we left.
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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Tura-Shaked
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Tura-Shaked
This is a fabric of life* checkpoint through which pedestrians, cabs and private cars (since 2008) pass to and from the West Bank and the Seam-line Zone to and from the industrical zone near the settler-colony Shaked, schools and kindergartens, and Jenin university campuses. The checkpoint is located between Tura village inside the West Bank and the village of Dahar Al Malah inside the enclave of the Seam-line Zone. It is opened twice a day, between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., and from 12 noon to 7 p.m. People crossing it (at times even kindergarten children) are inspected in a bungalow with a magnometer. Names of those allowed to cross it appear in a list held by the soldiers. Usually traffic here is scant.
- fabric of life roads and checkpoints, as defined by the Terminals Authority in the Ministry of Defense (fabric of life is a laundered name that does not actually describe any kind of humanitarian purpose) are intended for Palestinians only. These roads and checkpoints have been built on lands appropriated from their Palestinian owners, including tunnels, bypass roads, and tracks passing under bridges. Thus traffic can flow between the West Bank and its separated parts that are not in any kind of territorial contiguity with it. Mostly there are no permanent checkpoint on these roads but rather ‘flying’ checkpoints, check-posts or surprise barriers. At Toura, a small (less than one dunam) and sleepy checkpoint has been established, which has filled up with the years with nearly .every means of supervision and surveillance that the Israeli military occupation has produced. (February 2020)
Mar-21-2022Anin Checkpoint: A magnificent breach in the center of the checkpoint
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