Reihan, Shaked, Sat 6.10.07, Morning
Observers:
Shula N., Noa L. (reporting)
Oct-6-2007
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Morning
Shaked CP 07:30 - 08:00
There is traffic in both directions: pedestrians, vehicles, and donkeys. The passage is relatively quick and continuous for cars and for pedestrians. The latter enter the inspection hut.
Reihan CP 08:10- 09:30
There is relatively heavy traffic of both vehicles and pedestrians. Cars wait for 20 minutes before they are called for inspection in groups of 4, and after that there are another 20 minutes of inspection, which includes unloading objects onto carts by those who do the cleaning at the CP, inspection by dogs, inspection by the civilian inspectors, and re-loading of the objects.
The passage for pedestrians through the terminal is relatively quick, except for those chosen for 'inspection in the room', which is likely to delay them for an hour or more.
The minute we arrived, we met a member of the Barta'a Council in the 'sleeve'. He told us that a short while ago, the Inspectors broke a tv set that was being transported by the doctor who comes to Barta'a every Saturday. We approached the place where the vehicles were being inspected, but the civilians responsible for the inspection did not allow us to go up to the doctor and to talk to him. They claimed that everything was fine and nothing had been broken. Judging by the number of civilian inspectors and by the fact that the doctor was still at the CP; it seems to us that the story was based on fact. Again there are the questions: Who is responsible here? and who is in charge of the CP? To whom can we turn with a question, or a complaint, or to ask for an explanation? As we have already written several times (as have other shifts and the 'Haaretz' reporter), turning the CPs over to civilians is highly problematic.
A person from Kafin, who has a grove in the Barta'a enclave, and also has a permit for the agricultural gate, which is closed today, asked for help. He wants to go through at Reihan in order to solve an urgent problem in his fields. At the Salem DCO, they say that the CP is their responsibility, but according to his place of residence, this man belongs to Tulkarm. At Tulkarm, they say that the the man belongs to them, but the CP is the responsibility of Salem. That's the way he was being tossed from one to the other. Finally, a courteous woman soldier at Tulkarm promised to find out if it would be possible to open the agricultural gate for him, and 'please call in another 10 minutes.' When we called, it turned out that the man had already disappeared, and we had shaken up the system for nothing.
We wrote down the personal data of an adult who had problems with attaining an agricultural permit for the olive-picking in his grove.