Occupation routine: overcrowding, late opening, long queues

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Observers: 
Neta Golan, Shuli Bar (reporter) and Irit Alber (new volunteer)
Aug-16-2023
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Morning

We gladly welcomed Irit, a new volunteer who is joining us

0600 – 0830

At Barta’a Checkpoing there was the usual morning crowd of workers who had exited the terminal and were waiting for their rides to work in Israel and the seamline zone.

In the lower Palestinian parking lot at the entrance to the terminal the line was growing longer because the turnstiles were not working and the terminal was full.  By the time we left the line had diminished.

Tibeh Romena  Agricultural Checkpoint  (Gate 154) -  The checkpoint opened a half hour late at 07:00.  The woman officer told us that they had arrived late because they had been busy with the fire at Kfar Mokaibleh (in Israel).

A’anin Agricultural Checkpoint (Gate 214) The checkpoint opened at 07:00 but we were not there in time to see the checkpoint open.

Tura Checkpoint  opened late at 07:00, and there were only a few people crossing.

Amira Hass wrote some very bad news about the future of A’anin Checkpoint in Haaretz today.   A’anin is an agricultural checkpoint that opens twice a week so that people can get to their olive groves on the other side of the separation barrier.  In the past before the barrier was built in 2006 farmers were able to grow vegetables for home consumption in the groves.  Today the separation barrier prevents them from keeping invading herds of cows from the village of Ein Salah, and they can no longer grow vegetables.   The army discovered by areal photography that the farmers were not growing vegetables any more or going to their fields and  consequently decided that if the farmers were only growing olives, they need to get to their fields only twice a year to plow and harvest, and the checkpoint will now open only twice a year.  This is a harsh blow to the farmers, who are now being deprived of their right to tend their land.   This is harassment.  The farmers appealed to the High Court in 2022 to attempt to keep the checkpoint open, but the chances of changing the decision are slim.

There is no limit to evil and cruelty.