Reihan, Shaked, Tue 29.5.12, Afternoon
15:30 Shaked checkpoint
Occupation grows stronger. There are already two lanes for enter and exit and preparation for a street light for cars like similar to the one in Riehan. A decorated Bridal car passes by followed by its entourage.
A male and a female soldier came out towards us to explain to us how important their role in the defense of the country and how important is the checkpoint.
16:15 Reihan checkpoint
Traffic streams along. Line forms up and slows down as usual when people return from the opposite direction, from the Seam Line zone in the direction of the West Bank.
Despite the long line a second window opens only at 16:30. A detainee who has been sitting of the bench for a long time complains that he holds all the proper papers and despite that he is being detained coming and going. His main problem is in the morning, because he is late for work. He has no idea as to the reason for that and today his employer told him that if he is late once more for work, he'd lose his job. We ask if there is an old offence in his record and he says that yes, a long time ago he was imprisoned but since then he has been receiving passage permits. He appears very worried.
When we came out of the sleeve
on our way to the car we met a worker who had a court order to appear in court tomorrow in Tel Aviv. His "crime" is entering Israel without a permit, to look for a job. His current problem is that he has no permit to exit the West Bank thus cannot appear in court. He went today the Salem DCO with the court order, but he wasn't given a passage permit to leave for Tel Aviv.