Northern checkpoints: There is no connection between the beauty of nature and the occupation

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Observers: 
Rachel Weitzman and Ruti Tuval (photos and report)
Dec-13-2022
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Morning

6:45 Barta’a -Reihan Checkpoint

Among the many men coming out of the terminal and up the ‘sleeveinfo-icon’ we see two lone women. Serious-faced. We slow down, wave at them and they smile and wave back.

The car-parks are already filled as well as the roadsides beyond the no-parking area.

 

6:55 Ya’abad-Dotan Checkpoint

Everything is quiet here, unlike what was to be expected after the Jenin events. Traffic is thin and flowing. Apparently, the checkpoint is unmanned, and we climb onto the armored concrete block on the left side of the road in order to get a new camerainfo-icon angle.

On our way back, we noticed that the military gate closing on Palestinian grounds, the keys to which are in the hands of the Ma’oz Tzvi colonists, is wide open. We decided to go up the hill. The entrance gate to the colony was open as well. A few pre-fab houses are seen in the area, some of them already getting their stone cover. Cute children are waiting for their transport at a station. We asked a young woman about the site of the view we got to know in our previous visit. “Nice, you are up and travelling early in the morning”, she was impressed us. two elderly ladies.

 

We looked upon the Dotan Valley and at Ya’abad village opposite us, with its plenty of fresh flowers, the beauty of which does not let us forget that two of the outpost colonists chased Anwar away from his own olive grove after he had nearly finished harvesting his olives, and would not let him take the olive sacks with him. One of them even punched Nir in the face a week later when he helped Anwar finish his harvesting.

 

8:00 Toura-Shaked Checkpoint

A woman awaits her sister at the end of the ‘sleeve’ -  fenced track leading to and from the checkpoint – who has been detained at the checkpoint with her car. The tobacco field nearby is plowed and waiting for the planters.

 

We entered Dahr Al-Malih to see whether any changes were made in the space between the village and Shaked colony. Someone who drives behind us wishes to speak with us. He is a young man, disabled after a work-related accident inside Israel. He live with his family at the home of his sister and her husband, and cannot feed his family. The Israeli authorities do not enable him to transport wares from the West Bank into the Seam Zone. He says Charly (director of Reihan Checkpoint) wishes to help, but the DCO refuses. He is begging for work. We suggested he get in touch with Kav La-Oved (hoping they can help) and tomorrow we’ll call him to hear if he received at least some good advice.