The wall of fear and hatred continues to loom in front of Highway 611

Place:

Barta'a-Reihan

Tura-Shaked

Tags:

Soldiers at checkpoints

Walls and Blockades

Observers:

Rachel W. and Hannah H. (Photograhs) Marcia L., Translation

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Aug-15-2023

Afternoon

Barta`a Checkpoint: prayer rugs are waiting for users

Photo:

Hanna Heller

15:00 – 16:20

On the way to an observation on Highway 611 from Harish to Barta’a Checkpoint, we see the frightening, evil wall, which is being built in place of the Separation Fence and is already here.

Barta’a Checkpoint

We arrived earlier than usual today and happily met the veteran seamstresses who returned to the West Bank from work in the sewing workshop in Barta’a. Opposite us, workers leave from the terminal for the second shift. They complain about the difficulty of ascending the very long sleeve info-icon (the enclosed path) between the terminal and the upper parking lot. Also, women from Barta’a, who return home loaded with purchases, have to do the same, difficult path.

15:30 – The stream of workers returning from work in Israel and the Seamline Zone, gets stronger. They tell us that in the morning, the passage (through the checkpoint) was fast, and was not crowded (15-30 minutes). At about 15:30, two soldiers in work uniforms (secondary uniforms, without the insignia of the unit), arrive at the shed next to the entrance of the checkpoint, spontaneously stop young workers, and photograph their documents and permits. This checkpoint is run by the Civilian Directorate of Crossings. What are the soldiers doing there?

On the trees in the upper parking lot, several rolled-up prayer rugs are waiting.

Tura Checkpoint

Cars and transit vehicles carry workers and women who pass from the West Bank to settlements in the Seamline Zone. About 10 young men passed through the checkpoint to the Seamline Zone. They wait for rides, but refrain from speaking with us

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).