Tura checkpoint: "Everything is not right, neither in the morning nor in the evening"

Place:

Barta'a-Reihan

Tura-Shaked

Ya'bed-Dotan

Tags:

Environmental Hazards

Observers:

Rachel Weizman and Ruti Tuval Translation: Naomi Halsted

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May-2-2023

Afternoon

In front of Zabda: the parking lots in the vicinity connect

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

North, May 2, 2023

15:20 Barta’a-Reihan checkpoint

A large number of workers are arriving at the checkpoint on their way home to the West Bank. On the Palestinian side, heavy equipment continues to work on the new parking lots – digging on the hills on both sides, filling in and levelling.

On the way to Ya’abed checkpoint, beside one of the pillboxes, two soldiers are positioned on the other side of the concrete blocks with rifles aimed at the road, one facing east, one west.

15:40 Ya’abed-Dotan checkpoint

Traffic is flowing. The checkpoint doesn’t appear to be manned at all.

We drive to the abandoned Hermesh checkpoint and wander around a bit in the settlement of the Turkmen shepherds on the other side of the hill opposite.

16:30 Tura-Shaked checkpoint

The flags of Israel and the Border Police are flying at the entrance to the checkpoint. In the sleeve info-icon leading to the inspection room, we can see a group of workers squashed together. At the same time, a group of women and children is arriving from the West Bank and waiting for their ride. One of the drivers tells us that “Since the Border Police got here, the checkpoint has been disgusting. It takes ages for the line to clear.” They say “the checkpoint hasn’t been functioning properly for a long time. It’s chaos in the morning and chaos in the afternoon.”

Tura checkpoint - waiting for transportation

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

30 מחסום טורה-שקד

בכניסה למחסום מתנוססים דגלי ישראל ומשמר הגבול. בשרוול המוליך לחדר הבידוק ניכרת הצטופפות של קבוצת פועלים. באותו זמן הגיעו נשים וילדים מן הגדה והמתינו להסעה. אחד הנהגים אומר לנו "מאז שמשמר הגבול כאן – המחסום גועל נפש". התור השתחרר אחרי זמן רב. אומרים לנו ש"המחסום לא בסדר כבר הרבה זמן. בלגן בבוקר ובלגן אחה"צ".

Location Description

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).

Ya’abad-Dotan

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This checkpoint is located on road 585, at the crossroads of Mevo Dotan settler-colony / Jenin/ Ya’abad. It has an army watchtower (‘pillbox’ post) and concrete blocs that slow down vehicular traffic. It was erected when Barta’a Checkpoint, lying to the west on the Separation Fence, was privatized and its operation was passed over to civilian security personnel. Since December 2009 this checkpoint enables flow of Palestinian vehicular traffic towards the Barta’a Checkpoint. Seldom is it manned by soldiers sitting in the watchtower, who conduct random inspections of vehicles and passengers. (february 2020)