Barta'a/Reikhan, Tura Shaked, Saturday 30.03.13 morning
Translation: Yael Bassis-Student
7:15A border police truck stops two bicycle riders on the road going up to Kazir; the riders turn around and continue cycle slowly up the hill. The truck drives slowly behind them, and we follow them. Due to the slow drive we gave up our wish to see where the Border Police takes them and sped up.
07:30 Tura-Shaked checkpoint
When we arrived, 8 people sat in the waiting shed. Vehicles arrived and picked them up to work. Most of those crossing over come from the direction of Tura in the West Bank into the Seam Line zone. One person approached us with a well-known problem; He works as a painter and does some repair work in a school at Um-el-Rihan, as well as in Shaked and Hinanit. He showed us a special permit for that, which is about to expire within a month. Today he was told that he couldn't cross "Because you haven't gotten back last night, but since today is a holiday, I'll let you through" . He says that from time to time he is told, out of the blue, that he can't go through and is sent to the DCO to renew his papers, despite the fact that his papers are valid! Usually it happens when there is no registration on his return from the Seam Line zone to Tura. He thinks that it comes as punishment for the fact that they are not listed properly. It has to do with the soldiers' handwritten reports, when the computer is down. Therefore he and others are listed not returning on the same day as when they went out. As stated above, this results in their permits being taken away for a period of one month or more.
The trip to the DCO is a full day's event, at time the soldier is not there, at other times he just went out and is about to return, :"wait, wait, wait" and at the end of the day they are told: "Go home and come back tomorrow".
08:10– We left as the herd of goats came closer to the gate from the side of Tura.
08:20 Barta'a-Rihan checkpoint
Daylight saving time is in effect at the Occupied Territories , same as in Israel. Passage time today is relatively short - 10 minutes.
There aren't too many people, corridors seem empty and the usual sounds are not heard.
Those coming out of the terminal holding, their belts, appear relaxed and no one complains of crowding.
We shouldn't ne mislead - the occupation in its ugliness and brutality is still here.
08:45 We left.