Reihan, Shaked, Sun 10.4.11, Afternoon

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Observers: 
Ruthi T. reporting
Apr-10-2011
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Afternoon

Translation; Bracha B.

15:15 Shaked-Tura Checkpoint

There is little traffic at this hour.  One car goes towards the West Bank, one towards the seamline zone. One pretty and elegant driver, in a fancy car, drives an old woman and a boy to Dar Al Kalakh and returns with the boy after a short time.  She takes an interest in my tag and thanks me.  I take a woman and her packages to Um a-Reihan.

15:50 – Reihan Barta'a Checkpoint

The lower parking lot is filled with cars and drivers waiting for passengers.  A., the driver, received a speeding ticket and has to pay a fine of 1400 Shekels. I receive an Arabic lesson from Sami, the Bedouin:

"Yinkharak al allam, ana bas bali awaladi."  (Let the whole world burn, I'm only concerned about my children."    He has 18. He is in need of electrical appliances for his large family. I have his phone number.

At 16:20 the northern entrance to the terminal is empty!  Two windows are operating.   We hear arguments coming out of the terminal: "In the morning they told you to go to Salem.   He went to Salem and they told him he has nothing."    The young woman is arguing, and meanwhile workers arrive in small groups.

A young man from Barta'a, who is taking driving lessons three times a week to drive a bus in Jenin, complains that he is forced to wait on the infamous bench each time he goes to the West Bank, and when he comes back he is forced to strip to his underwear.  He showed us a power of attorney he gave three Israeli lawyers who work against harassment at the checkpoints.   

Three young men with sports bags are sent to wait on the detaineesinfo-icon' bench.  One man says that this morning he had to waste two and a half hours at the vehicle checkpoint because A. from Mevo Dotan was driving through with charcoal and everyone else was delayed.