'Anin, Barta'a-Reihan, Tura-Shaked

Place:

Barta'a-Reihan

Tura-Shaked

'Anin

Observers:

Leah R., Ruti T. (Photo and Reporting)

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Oct-15-2015

Morning

Photos: Farmers from Anin go out to harvest in the Seam Zone. This year, too, a limited number of permits were issued for this important season

abobe: Lea helps to gather the olives

6:15– Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint

Many people and cars wait in the upper parking lot (the Seam Zone). We go down by car to the lower Palestinian parking lot and park by the opening of the entrance. Crowds mill around beside the only carousel to the terminal. The short sleeve info-icon that was recently installed there is closed from the top in order to prevent the young people from jumping over the heads of those waiting in the hours of difficult crowding, like now. The crowding inflames the nervousness and anger. Next to the second carousel nearby that is designated for transferring people from the Seam Zone to the West Bank, there are few women waiting. We wave past the inspection post and they open the carousel for them (even for one woman) and change the direction to cross the terminal. Everyone understands that the women, in no way, would dare to crowd together with the men in the line nearby. After a break that appears to be long, the carousel is opened and those waiting are pushed forward with force. They told us that about 60 workers entered in one round of the carousel. A worker of about 50 years, returns from his night shift as guard at one of the factories in the industrial area of Shahak, next to the settlement of Shaked. He is very satisfied with his working conditions and is proud of it. We hurry to the next two checkpoints that open at 7:00, but although we parked close to the exit, our car is blocked. Only after the dozing driver agrees to move his truck, were we successful in maneuvering out.

7:05 – Tura-Shaked Checkpoint

Seven o’clock is the opening hour but the soldiers are still marching to cross the checkpoint that obviously opens late. The traffic is conducted very slowly at the checkpoint. We didn’t see students because the schools are striking today as a token of mourning the death of many Palestinians in recent days. A young worker who returns from a night shift refuses to accept candy and claims that he upholds the commandment to fast on Mondays and Thursdays.

7:35 – Anin Checkpoint

At the intersection, about 200 meters before the checkpoint, we met many farmers who already passed through and are hurrying to their olive groves. We heard complaints that few of their family members received permits this special season, which the farmers wait for all year; that according to tradition, every member of the family, from babies to old people, participate in the work (of harvesting olives). We gave to those who were interested, relevant telephone numbers. An additional complaint concerned the non-opening of the checkpoints on Shabbatot, despite the fact that they received a notice that in the weeks of harvesting the olives, the farmers’ checkpoints would be open every day. Leah spoke with G., a new, polite officer at Matak, who promised to clarify the issue by the next week.

The people are checked next to the middle gate at the checkpoint, that is closer to the village, and it is possible to discern from afar, the tumult of many who were waiting. A representative of Matak parks close to the place and at a given time, conducts his own inspections. Tractors filled especially with women and children, are strictly checked. Names of the children, those who are too young to receive identity cards, are checked with identity cards of the parent who goes out to harvest. They explain to us that the children are on vacation because today is the Moslem New Year. At 8:05 the last tractor passes through and the three checkpoint gates info-icon are locked. We enjoyed ourselves a bit with the (olive) pickers and their children in a grove next to the checkpoint. Afterward, we picked up a worker who was ill from a serious work-related wound and brought him to his destination.

Location Description

Anin agricultural checkpoint

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located on the Separation Fence east of the Israeli community Mei Ami and close to the village of Anin in the West Bank. It is opened twice a week, morning and afternoon, for periods of time that are growing shorter Lith time. It is meant for Anin farmers whose olive groves have been separated from the village by the fence. Transit permits are only issued to those who can produce ownership documents for their caged-in land, and sometimes only to the head of the family or his widow, eldest son and children. At times the inheritors lose their right to tend to the family’s land. The permits are eked out and are re-issued only with difficulty. 55-year old persons may cross the checkpoint (into Israel) without special permits. During the olive harvest season (about one month around October) the checkpoint is open every day and more transit permits are issued. Names of persons eligible to cross are held in the soldiers’ computers. In July 2007, a sweeping instruction was issued according to which whoever does not return to the village through this checkpoint in the afternoon will be stripped of his transit permit when he shows up there next time. Since 2019, the checkpoint has not been allways locked with the seam-line zone gate (1 of 3 gates info-icon ), and the fence around it has been broken in several sites.

Tura-Shaked Checkpoint

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This is a fabric of life* checkpoint through which pedestrians, cabs and private cars (since 2008) pass to and from the West Bank and the Seam-line Zone to and from the industrical zone near the settler-colony Shaked, schools and kindergartens, and Jenin university campuses. The checkpoint is located between Tura village inside the West Bank and the village of Dahar Al Malah inside the enclave of the Seam-line Zone. It is opened twice a day, between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., and from 12 noon to 7 p.m. People crossing it (at times even kindergarten children) are inspected in a bungalow with a magnometer. Names of those allowed to cross it appear in a list held by the soldiers. Usually traffic here is scant.

fabric of life roads and checkpoints, as defined by the Terminals Authority in the Ministry of Defense (fabric of life is a laundered name that does not actually describe any kind of humanitarian purpose) are intended for Palestinians only. These roads and checkpoints have been built on lands appropriated from their Palestinian owners, including tunnels, bypass roads, and tracks passing under bridges. Thus traffic can flow between the West Bank and its separated parts that are not in any kind of territorial contiguity with it. Mostly there are no permanent checkpoint on these roads but rather ‘flying’ checkpoints, check-posts or surprise barriers. At Toura, a small (less than one dunam) and sleepy checkpoint has been established, which has filled up with the years with nearly .every means of supervision and surveillance that the Israeli military occupation has produced. (February 2020)

Mar-22-2022

Ruti Tuval

The locked gate at the Anin checkpoint

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Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint

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This checkpoint is located on the Separation Fence route, east of the Palestinian town of East Barta’a. The latter is the largest Palestinian community inside the seam-line zone (Barta’a Enclave) in the northern West Bank. Western Barta’a, inside Israel, is adjacent to it. The Checkpoint is open all week from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Since mid-May 2007, the checkpoint has been managed by a civilian security company subordinate to the Ministry of Defense. People permitted to cross through this checkpoint into and from the West Bank are residents of Palestinian communities inside the Barta’a Enclave as well as West Bank Palestinian residents holding transit permit. Jewish settlers from Hermesh and Mevo Dotan cross here without inspection. A large, modern terminal is active here with 8 windows for document inspection and biometric tests (eyes and fingerprints). Usually only one or two of the 8 windows are in operation. Goods, up to medium commercial size, may pass here from the West Bank into the Barta’a Enclave. A permanent registered group of drives who have been approved by the may pass with farm produce. When the administration of the checkpoint was turned over to a civilian security firm, the Ya’abad-Mevo Dotan Junction became a permanent checkpoint. . It is manned by soldiers who sit in the watchtower and come down at random to inspect vehicles and passengers (February 2020).