Massive expansion of Barta'a checkpoint parking lots

Place:

Barta'a-Reihan

Hermesh

Tura-Shaked

Ya'bed-Dotan

Tags:

Seam Zone

Observers:

Rachel Weizman and Ruthi Tuval (Photos) Translation: Bracha Ben-Avraham

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Jul-5-2022

Morning

Expanding the parking lots in front of the Barta'a checkpoint

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

Checkpoint in front of Zabda: Garbage mountains

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

Tura checkpoint: the ugliness of the occupation at its best

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

The Yabed-Dotan checkpoint is drowning in the yellow of the summer

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

06:40 We passed Reihan-Barta’a Checkpoint

06:40 – many workers were hiking uphill through the sleeve info-icon to begin a day of hard work – certainly a way to keep in shape…?

The parking lots were almost completely filled except for those reserved for merchants from Barta’a who will arrive at 09:00. We continued south and noticed changes on the left side of the road. We will examine this further when we come back.

07:00 Yaabed-Dotan Checkpoint

There was one lone soldier in the pillbox and this time we were not met by many soldiers. Drivers were traveling in both directions without delay and greeting us with “Sabakh el khair” (Good morning).

07:15 – Hermesh Checkpoint

The checkpoint was completely quiet. We drove on another 200 meters into Area A, a real adventure. At 07:25 we drove back to Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint.

Below Zabde south of the old parking lot, there were two new parking lots being paved. We parked at the site and were excited to discover that Charlie, the “secret manager” of the checkpoint, was there. Nothing changes, and it is impossible to talk with him. “Go ask the Ministry of Security.” Perhaps that is what we will do. Israel, after all, sees itself as the sovereign master in the area. So why is Israel not seeing to it that the area is cleaned up? Charlie is evidently dissatisfied with the sloppy manner in which the area is being prepared to pave new parking lots. There was a loud argument going on. We will follow up to see what happens.

07:40 – A long line of trucks drove up to the inspection facility. Many workers were still walking up to the junction.

07:50 – Tura – Shaked Checkpoint

A worker remarked “Nice morning.” An army jeep stopped next to us. A major took real interest in our organization and asked significant questions. We answered as best we could and recommended that he visit our website.

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)