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

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Observers: 
Shula N., and Hannah H. Marcia L., translation
Feb-5-2018
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Afternoon

Northern Checkpoints:  Crossing permits are confiscated and people are left with no way of earning a living.

15:00 – Anin Checkpoint

At the intersection that precedes the road that leads to the checkpoint, two military policemen stop a taxi driver for a conversation. They photograph him and afterward, bring him to the checkpoint for a talk with the commander.  The driver calms us and says that everything is all right now.  Perhaps they suspect that he is transporting workers illegally.

There are eight soldiers at the checkpoint but still, they don’t open it.  Many army vehicles pass through the checkpoint.  Next to the checkpoint four tractors loaded with scrap and about 20 people are waiting.  They tell us that this morning the “fashion police” was working again; people who were not dressed in work clothes, in accordance with the standards of the military police, couldn’t pass through. They also checked if the workers had money because that is also a sign that they are not going to the olive groves.

At 15:10, passage to the village begins. All the people go through within 10 minutes.

15:30 – Tura Checkpoint

A family in a car returns from the West Bank. Workers returning to the West Bank pass through the terminal immediately and tell us that this morning the checkpoint opened on time but not everyone passed through and that the soldiers took their permits away from them.  A Palestinian man cleans the area of the checkpoint thoroughly but ignores the filth all around the area.

15:45 – Barta’a Checkpoint

Many vehicles return workers. And they pass through the terminal immediately.  Next to the sleeveinfo-icon (the enclosed wire fence leading to and from the terminal), A fish seller from Acre offers his merchandise to those going back. One man tells us that he has been prohibited by the police for six years (prohibited from entering Israel), that he works in Barta’a but doesn’t have much work.  He hopes to get a permit to work in Israel.  Another man tells us that they took his permit at the checkpoint and when he went to take it to the Palestinian Authority office in Jenin, he discovered that he was prohibited for two years, with no reason given.