Reihan, Shaked, Tue 6.9.11, Morning

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Observers: 
Hanna H.
Sep-6-2011
|
Morning

Translation: Bracha B.A.

Reihan Checkpoint – 05:55

The women workers are ascending the sleeveinfo-icon towards the waiting cars and are smiling.  "Today is OK - it only took us a half hour to get through."   People are coming out quickly and there are two operating windows inside the terminal.  A pregnant student who crosses from Barta'a to Jenin every day confides that she is concerned about passing through the X-ray machine every day.  We called Sharon, the checkpoint manager, who ensured us that the machine is safe

We met a man who has a job request from a contractor in Hadera, but he has been forced to run back and forth between Salem and the employment agency in Hadera, with no results so far. 

There are workers who live near the Shaked checkpoint who work in the Shahak industrial zone near the settlement of Shaked, but since that checkpoint only opens at 07:00 they have to cross at Reihan checkpoint.  Since they must return via the same checkpoint at which they left, they have to travel to Reihan both times.

06:30 – Fewer people are coming out.  The terminal is empty and people are crossing through quickly.

Shaked-Tura Checkpoint

Ramadan is over and the clocks in the West Bank are once again synchronized with Israel.  The checkpoint opens at 07:03 and about 15 people enter from the West Bank side.  The first person comes out on the seamline zone side at 07:10 and people come out every 1-2 minutes.  At 07:15 children from the "lone house" arrive at the checkpoint.  There are so many boulders and walls that it is difficult to see how they are checked.   A van arrives with 23 children, and a woman soldier checks their bags while three armed security guards look on.  The children and the van cross within 5 minutes.  At 07:30 cars cross through in both directions. 

We returned to Haifa with 3 small children accompanied by their mother and uncle and drove them to Rambam Hospital.  The father is unable to come because is barred from entering Israel for 6 months.  He did not receive a work permit because he was not yet 30 years old (he was two months short of 30).  Since he has three sick children and needed NIS 200 each week to cover their medical expenses, he took his chances and went to work in Israel anyway.  He was caught and faced trial.  His attorney fought for him and a humane judge sentenced him to only 6 months probation during which he is barred from entering Israel (instead of two years).   .