Near the breaches in the fence in front of Road 611: "We stop those who are unlucky and caught"

Place:

Barta'a-Reihan

Tura-Shaked

Ya'bed-Dotan

Tags:

Breach in the separation fence

Separation fence

Observers:

Rachel Weizmann, Reporting, Ruthi Tuval, Photos Translation: Bracha Ben-Avraham

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Dec-7-2021

Morning

Students cross the checkpoint in Tura

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

A cold and dirty morning at the Tura checkpoint

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

A red light at the Tura checkpoint

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

06:50 – Tura – Shaked Checkpoint

We were told that the soldiers arrived at 06:30 on time today, but the first worker only came out of the checkpoint at 07:13. Because the computer was not working. The soldiers were only letting cars and girls going to school pass through. They photographed every ID and called the District Coordination and Liaison Office to get permission to let every person through. 13-year-old schoolgirls from Dahar el Malik that is nearby but on the other side of the fence were walking up to the checkpoint and passed through quickly. Cars came to pick up workers and teachers. The traffic light at the center continually changed from red to green as if this were a busy traffic junction. We left at 07:30.

We passed Barta’a Checkpoint where workers a few were waiting by the side of the road. The parking lots were nearly full, and we continued on to the abandoned Hermesh Checkpoint. We examined a field of crocuses next to the place where the Turkmans had settled. We found a field of narcissi instead. There were also piles of junk next to the road near the pretty field of flowers.

08:05 – Yaabed – Dotan Checkpoint

There was a large presence of army vehicles along the road. At the checkpoint traffic was moving without delay and a soldier waved at us from up in the pillbox. At the northwest side of Emricha Junction an army truck was parked opposite the direction of the traffic. When we returned from Yaabed Checkpoint we went to see the car and woke up a soldier, who reported that he was not alone. The driver was sleeping.

08:15 – Barta’a Reihan Checkpoint

We quickly drove around the Palestinian parking lot, which was not full. The rented parking spaces were still empty. Evidently they belong to merchants from Barta’a who arrive at around 09:00. The improvised taxi stand next to the hole in the fence on Route 611 on the way to East Barta’a was full of activity. A police car stopped a driver for a traffic violation, but it did not deter the taxi drivers. We continued eastward to the old Barta’a Checkpoint wo see if anyone was crossing there. An army jeep stopped next to us and two soldiers and one woman soldier stopped a car. We asked why they had stopped them, since there were holes in the fence where people cross anyway. If it is forbidden, why don’t you repair the fence? A soldier explained: “There is no budget to repair the fence. We simply stop whoever is unlucky.” We understood.

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)