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

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Observers: 
Tami Ritov, Hannah Heller Chana Stein translating.
Aug-10-2017
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Afternoon
 
 
 
 

15.o0 – 16.30.

‘Aanin checkpoint – 15.10 – Owing to heavy traffic on the way, we arrived only at15.10. The checkpoint was already [?] open, but there are still people arriving, including women and children, who tell us that this morning the checkpoint opened on time. 2 tractors loaded with plastic discards (to be sold for recycling) and 1 tractor with a water container, pass to ‘Aanin. Two soldiers tell us that this morning many more people passed (about 200, including some women and children). We had an interesting conversation with them. They said they have been serving there 3-5 months. Concerning the ‘situation,’ one soldier said he is very aware of the dilemma. He claimed that in army service the soldiers do not understand that there is a dilemma in the current situation, but the reserve soldiers and officers – already understand.

Turah – Shaked checkpoint – 15.35 – The road to the checkpoint is being widened and large rocks lie on its side. We spoke with people from Daher el Malec, who reported happily on electricity In their homes. Cars pass from the W.Bank to the seamline zone, and workers return from the zone to the W. Bank. Three women sit in front of the checkpoint with large amounts of soaps and washing powder that they bought in Barta’a.  They are waiting for family members so as to divide all these purchases among them. Thus each one can carry a load – “non-commercial” – and it will not be necessary to ask for special co-ordination and permission.

From the checkpoint we see the expansion and building  in Shaked settlement.

Barta’a – Rehan checkpoint – 15.55 – Hundreds of workers arrive from construction sites in Israel and from their fields and quickly pass the checkpoint to their homes on the W.Bank. There is a bit of crowding at the exit from the checkpoint, apparently due to repair work there. One worker was wounded at a building site, and he was allowed to pass on the short road pass, accompanied by his friends.  There are also families crossing to the W.Bank – one group of women, loaded with small babies and many parcels, gets generous help from workers all along the way. From Jenin, too, come families and students, among them the Koran teacher who crosses each Thursday from Jenin to Barta’a. She tells us that she asked for her age to be taken into account to allow her to pass on the road serving vehicles – but without success.

We were approached by a man who has been married 25 years to an Israeli woman in Kfar Manda. His request for ‘family reunication’ has once again been recently refused, for a reason he does not know. We gave him a few telephone numbers in the hope that they could help him.