'Anin, Reihan, Shaked, Thu 20.12.12, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
A’anin checkpoint 06:25-06:40
A rainy dawn at A’anin.
We arrived five minutes before the checkpoint closed. One of those crossing told us that about 30 people went through to the seam zone, despite the rain. He also said his wife can’t get a crossing permit to the seam zone even thought his father has land trapped there between the fence and the Green Line. “We went to Salem (the DCO) this week; they said she’s not my wife.” We took identifying information to find out more about this Rashomon.
Shaked/Tura checkpoint 06:50-07:25
A relatively small checkpoint that handles a small population, so it’s not clear why it’s necessary to fill it with endless fences, poles, sheds, roofs, traffic signs, road markings and a traffic light, unless someone’s benefitting from it (not necessarily Israel’s security).
We arrived at the same time as the soldiers who hurried to open all the gates and let people cross ten minutes before the official opening time. While we were there they weren’t able to open the lock to the fenced corridor for pedestrians, so today all crossed through the middle of the checkpoint. The strike of Palestinian teachers reduced significantly the number of people crossing this morning to the West Bank.
Reihan checkpoint 07:35-08:15
Had this been a standard border crossing between the state of Israel and the state of Palestine we would undoubtedly have been amazed at the tremendous investment in landscaping and care of the area. But it’s an occupied area, stolen from the local inhabitants, and the bucket hanging above the fake well won’t help.
Very heavy traffic of people and vehicles, along with intermittently heavy rain. Most traffic heads toward the seam zone and Barta’a. Hadi’s stand is bustling; the rain brings him customers. His brother is helping him today, benefitting from the teachers’ strike. A local youth asks for help; he wants to get to the Saint John ophthalmic hospital in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem but can’t obtain a crossing permit. We gave him Dalya Bassa’s phone number; she’s the coordinator for health matters at the humanitarian office.
At the end of the shift Neta took Amjad and his son (West bank residents)to an ).appointment at Rambam Hospital in Haifa (Israel