North checkpoints: Harvest is over, less people crossing, but there was still much work left
12:45 – A’anin Agricultural Checkpoint
We came to verity that the opening hours had returned to regular hours after the olive harvest was completed – as of now the checkpoint will only open twice each week. Evidently in the District Coordination and Liaison Office there are agronomists who are certain that these are all that is needed to fertilize, prune, plow, and tend olive groves, since the farmers who live in A’anin across the separation barrier and can only come twice a week to tend their groves located in the seamline zone. A vehicle arrived carrying soldiers who identified themselves as trackers. Their job was to inspect the security road.
12:50 – Tura – Shaked Checkpoint
An empty truck drove quickly to the west bank, and two young men crossed to the seamline zone.
On our way to Mevo Dotan Checkpoint we stopped at the attractive grocery store in Emricha and bought delicious olives.
13:40 – Yaabed Dotan Checkpoint
The soldiers were keeping a lookout from the pillbox. Traffic was moving without delay and was not being checked. A truck driver coming from the West Bank shouted “There’s a problem, there’s a problem” at us, but didn’t stop to explain.
Soldiers from the Nachal came to ask what we were doing and to see how were doing. A driver going to the west bank greeted us with “Shalom Aleichem”.
14:00 – Barta’a Reihan Checkpoint
The parking lots were full. The transport drivers were bored at this time of day with nothing to do. Agricultural workers from the Hadera area who had been working from 06:00 to 13:00 were coming back from work. They had crossed at Tibeh Checkpoint in the morning.