Barta'a-Reihan, Tura-Shaked, Wed 8.5.13, Morning
Translation: Yael Bassis-Student
6:00 Barta'a-Rihan checkpoint
Many people who had crossed from the West Bank into the Seam Line zone are waiting from transportation at the upper car park.
Workers come out of the terminal through the sleeve
in a fast pace. We spoke with the person in charge of the shift in regards to the opening of the gate on Fridays at 07:00. He claims that this hour was agreed upon by the people of Barta'a and managers of factories at the Shahak industrial zone, to everyone's satisfaction. He thinks that those crossing now hadn'tunderstood this new arrangement and continue coming at an early hour, thus creating crowding at the gate.
B., who works at the carpet factory, told us that one problem is the change of shift, which holds up the passage, and another problem has to do with the late hour at which people working in Israel return home. In Israel the work day ends early on Friday. The Israeli employers won't accept his workers being late on Fridays, so they must get up early and cross on time through the Jalama checkpoint, North, or through the Irtach checkpoint.
7:10 Tura-Shaked checkpoint
Only now the gate opens and there are already crowding and shoutingby the turnstile. Schoolchildren and students go through immediately and cross in the direction of the West Bank.
Vehicles cross on both sides, passage is swift.
People who go into the Seam line zone complain, once again, that one of the female soldiers double-inspects them.
7:40 Exit from the inspection cabin (the computer cabin) is extremely slow and by the checkpoint some cars have been waiting for 30 minutes to take the workers who are detain inside.