Northern checkpoints: Have someone explain what the checkpoints are for?

  16.50 – 14.45

14:15 – Route 611 opposite the Palestinian village of Qeiqis in the West Bank

We saw the hole in the fence that was in use and workers who were finished for the day were walking down to return to the West bank.  On the hill going down to the village there was a parking lot for cars belonging to people who are going to work in Israel.  There is an improvised transportation station on Route 611 for use by Palestinian workers.  A group of women and children were walking through the hole in the fence on their way to a family visit on the Israeli side.  Many workers were getting out of cars and returning to the West bank.

Further down the road there was a large sign advertising the second housing plan to populate the settlement of Reihan.  There was indeed a lot of construction activity going on there.  There were signs in the business center in the Palestinian village of Um Reihan in Hebrew as well. 

A’anin Checkpoint, 15:20 – There were large piles of litter at the entrance to the checkpoint, as there are at most of the checkpoint in the seamline zone.  No regional authority seems to feel responsible for these areas.

A family was harvesting olives in the grove close to the checkpoint.  They were still working hard and we wondered what time the checkpoint would open today.  According to the District Coordination and Liaison Office  it is supposed to open at 15:30. 

A large truck arrived at 15:30 that had been converted into a bus for “Rose Tours” carrying two soldiers.  They did not open the checkpoint, but continued driving along the security road.  We called the District Coordination and Liaison Office  to find out what was going on.  We were answered politely but didn’t get an answer.  A., who was still working in the olive grove with his family, told us that this morning the checkpoint had opened at 10:00 instead of 06:30, and that was only after he had called Shuli to alert her as to what was going on.  The 20 people who were waiting with him crossed through the hole in the fence, but he had to wait because he had a tractor with him {and couldn’t drive through the hole}.  They promised they would come back to open the checkpoint at 16:00, but they were late again and came only at 16:30.  The reset of the people had evidently returned home through the hole in the fence.

Tura Checkpoint 15:50 – There was light traffic in both directions and workers were returning to the West Bank from the seamline zone.

Barta’a Checkpoint 16:00

There were several houses on the hill near the checkpoint.  An army truck dropped off a car with several soldiers who scattered among the houses.  There were also several army vehicles at the checkpoint itself and a lot of soldiers at the nearby firing range.

Dozens of workers were returning to the checkpoint on busses from “The Peace Dove” and “Rose Tours” and from cars belonging to contractors.  People were walking down the sleeve quickly, stopping at the kiosk, and continuing to the West bank.