Roni Shalit and Shuli Bar (photos, report)
Anin Agricultural checkpoint 15:10
Five people wait for the soldiers to open the checkpoint so they can go home after their workday or various errands. 62-year old P. (photo left) does not need a transit or work permit in Israel. Twice a week he may cross here, and on other days at any other checkpoint thanks to his age and ID alone. He is a plumber and has not found work for three days now, returning home empty-handed. No money for food he says, my 21 grandchildren come on Friday, search my pockets and I have nothing to give them. As in every conversation we have with him, he reminisces about the bet time in his life. Until 1967 villagers raised cattle, sheep and goats, grew vegetables and fruit for their own use, money was not abundant but food was aplenty. There was a Jordanian army post in the village with 4 officers and as a child he used to sell them cold water and coffee. Then came the 1967 war, the Israeli army entered the village on many jeeps, the Jordanian soldiers ran away and the village was occupied. Then the land of endless opportunity opened up – everyone got rid of their livestock and went out to look for riches in Israel. I had Jewish friends, he says, who were like my own brothers. The Intifada and the Separation Fence broke the dream and everyone came home. All his sons are married professionals, livelihood is difficult for them all, and “that’s the way it is”, he concludes, chain-smoking.
The Israeli soldiers arrive to open the middle gate. But wait a minute, they forgot to bring a key. Well, the most…. army in the world. 20 minutes later the key arrives and everyone gets through.
Tayibe-Roumana Agricultural checkpoint 15:30
The soldiers arrived one minute before we did. They on the security road, and we through the town of Umm Al Fahm. Five men wait to get back home. They complain that their transit permits are not being re-issued. “The Palestinian DCO, like the Israeli DCO, does nothing for us”. The soldiers get ready to open the checkpoint. Our friend, Abu Ali, over 60-years old, informs us joyfully that 20 days ago he married a new wife, a second one. Congratulations, man! his friends applaud.
Barta’a Checkpoint 16:00
(In the photo, Roni is impressed with the size of the fish)
Much workday action. Construction workers get back from their workday in Harish city, holding small blue lunchboxes, bypass the terminal quickly and come out in the Palestinian car-park. Apparently most of them have private cars and the taxi drivers remain without work. People say they’ve heard this checkpoint is about to be shut down! They complain that in the morning only one belt is functional and everything moves slowly, with lots of nerves. The two little coffee vendors run to us, pouring us cold bitter black coffee. We make a big mistake and give both of them much more than one shekel, the official price. In no time another four little ones stick to us and do not give up. A hard, sad experience. One can also find here fresh fish from Jaffa, fresh tomatoes straight from the field, strawberries and more.
'Anin checkpoint (214)
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'Anin checkpoint (214)
'Anin checkpoint is 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, on days with shorter light time, for Anin farmers whose olive groves have been separated from the village by the fence it became difficult to cultivate their land. 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. Sometimes 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 daily 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, stating that 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), and the fence around it has been broken in several sites.
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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).
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Tayba-Rummana
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Tayba-Rummana is an agricultural checkpoint. It is located in the separation fence in front of the eastern slopes of the Israeli city of Umm al-Fahm. The Palestinian villages next to the checkpoint are Khirbet Tayba and Rummana. Dozens of dunams of olive groves were removed from their owners, the residents of these villages on the western side of the separation fence. The Palestinian villages next to the checkpoint are Khirbet Tayba and Rumna. Dozens of olives dunams were removed from these villages' residents and swallowed up in a narrow strip of space, on the western side of the separation fence. The checkpoint allows the plantation owners who have permits to pass. Twice a week, the checkpoint opens for fifteen minutes in the morning and evening. During the harvest season, it opens every day for fifteen minutes in the morning (around 0630) and fifteen minutes in the afternoon (around 1530). (February 2020).
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