Reihan, Wed 18.6.08, Morning
10:15 Reihan Checkpoint
Two cars being checked in the direction of the West Bank. The drivers wait on a bench. The inspection appears to be long.
In the Palestinian parking lot, six commercial vehicles wait for inspection of their cargoes. In the closed compound, four vehicles are being checked and another four are waiting outside. Many people passing through the terminal. Transit seems to be brisk.
A police jeep arrives at the Palestinian parking lot. The policeman goes over to one of the private cars and announces to rthe driver that his vehicle has forged number plates (which once belonged to a taxi) and he must come to the jeep for clarification. The driver remains calm. Says that he bought the car with his own money, but has not yet succeeded in transferring the documents at the Palestinian Authority. He received a summons to court and a requirement to put up 500 shekels guarantee until he comes to court. This whole investigation lasted more than an hour. We did not leave till it was all over, because there was some uncertainty about the continued handling of the affair.
12:00 – we left.
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).
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