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

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Observers: 
Shosh Fried, Hanna Heller Translation: Bracha Ben-Avraham
May-2-2018
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Morning

06:00 – 07:35

Reihan – Barta'a Checkpoint 06:00

The upper parking lot was filled with workers and cars.    Many workers were coming up out of the terminal to the parking lot on their way to work.  On the Palestinian side there was no waiting line at the entrance.  Six windows were open and everyone was entering immediately.  A group of workers were crossing towards the West Bank and were returning from the night shift at the Shahak Industrial Zone. 

Eight Palestinian men and women who were residents of Jerusalem with blue (Israeli) ID cards wearing yellow vests and carrying IPads were stopping some of the workers to conduct a survey.  They were representatives from the Ministry of Transport.  They were asking workers who agreed to stop and answer questions where they were coming from, where they went to work, and how long they remained at the checkpoint.  

Our friend A. the contractor told us of his concern because his crossing permit had been taken, and dealing with renewing it takes a long time.  When we left we saw a person in civilian clothes at the upper parking lot running and photographing all the cars parked on the road with a mobile phone.

A'anin Checkpoint, 06:25

The checkpoint was already open and about 25 people and one tractor crossed.  Two people complained that many permits have still not been renewed.   A young man who is married to an Israeli woman from Um El Fahem and who has a permit to cross at A'anin and at Barta'a complained that lately has not been permitted to cross at Barta'a because the permit has been cancelled.

Tura – Shaked Checkpoint, 06:50

The checkpoint was open and crossing was very slow because the computer was not working.  A group of people was standing next to the turnstile and slowly entering the inspection room.  Here, too, we noticed that there were fewer people crossing than there had been in the past.  There were only about 25 people crossing.  Ten cars crossed to the seamline zone quickly and four cars underwent a slow inspection and crossed to the West Bank.   

The school children arrived early today and at 07:00 was already crossing quickly.  A young man who is a floor tiler told us that he has an agricultural permit to cross to the seamline zone but he cannot work in the settlements because he had been in prison.