'Anin, Barta'a-Reihan, Tura-Shaked, Ya'bed-Dotan

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Observers: 
Ruthy Erez, Netta Golan (reporting). Translator: Louise Levi
Feb-2-2015
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Afternoon

 

14:50  Anin

Five tractors loaded with junk and firewood are waiting, along with ten people. The soldiers arrive and open the gate on time. In a few minutes everybody has passed without any problems.

The commander of the "Nachal" company and a number of female soldiers arrive on patrol. The commander seems to have a relaxing influence at the checkpoint. The problem is the mere fact that there is a checkpoint and that the land belonging to people in Anin remains cut off from its owners.

 

15:50 Tura-Shaked

About ten men and women arrive from Yaabed to the funeral of a family member in Um Reihan. The commander and the female soldiers are also here.

We reach the vehicle checkpoint at Barta'a-Rehan. The woman at the check post is evidently new at the job, she does not know Machsomwatch.  After inquiring she lets us through. We pass by the full parking lots. Many cars are also parking on both sides of the blocked "bridge". The road leading from Emricha to Yabed has been blocked for a long time as well.

 

16:10 Yabed-Dotan

There are no soldiers at the checkpoint and the traffic is moving freely in both directions. Some drivers stop anyway, since they find it hard to believe that they do not have to slow down. One of them even asks us if he is allowed to drive on.

 

16:40 Barta'a-Reihan

Many workers are going down the sleeveinfo-icon and cross on the side of the terminal. Most of them have working permits so they do not need to pass through the check posts. The passage is quick and there are no lines.

Hardly any people enter the seamline zone. From the terminal we hear the voice of a child. After some time we see a little girl jumping up and down next to the check post. Her mother, with a bandaged hand, is standing behind. The father is arguing with the woman at the check post until two security guards arrive. We have been waiting quite a long time until the family is allowed to cross. The father, who speaks Hebrew, explains to us that they live in Barta'a and that they are on their way home from the hospital in Nablus, where the mother has had her hand operated on.  She could not open the door to the check post, so he opened it for her. The woman who checked them got angry and detained the father. He felt that he was treated with disrespect for no reason at all and so the argument started. The father keeps repeating how important it is to show people respect.

 

17:20  Many workers return from work and go down the sleeve. We leave.

 

In the parking lot on the side of the seamline zone, a man is complaining  about  the way the DCO in Salem works. His son has applied for a magnetic card and has been to Salem four times already, in vain.