Northern Checkpoints: Spring Overcomes the Occupation

Place:

Barta'a-Reihan

Ya'bed-Dotan

Observers:

Ruti T. and Marina B. (Reporting) Marcia L., Translation

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Mar-27-2022

Afternoon

Barta'a checkpoint: prayer rug

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

Marina in a red field on the way to the Hermesh checkpoint

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

Walking to the Barta'a checkpoint

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

Checkpoint Ya`abad: an ugly wound in the heart of spring

Photo:

Marina Banai

14:50 - We passed by Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint. Everything looked quiet and calm. Five Palestinian cars waited for inspection at the crossing to Israel.

A young man and young woman riding on horses from a settlement named Al Neve, passed us. We asked the young woman, who was dressed in a tank top (very provocative in the heart of a Moslem area), where she was from, and she told us that she came from Pardes Hannah.

15:10 - Ya’bed-Dotan

We noted that the soldiers were standing on the roof of the pillbox (the guard tower) and not inside it. During the time we stood there looking at them, settlers passed by and asked us if we didn’t have something better to do. Two soldiers came down from the pillbox and asked who we are and what is MachsomWatch?

15:45 - We arrived at Harmish Checkpoint and except for the beautiful flowers, we didn’t see anything interesting.

16:10 - Barta’a Checkpoint, the Seamline Zone side.

Many workers returned from Israel, all of them without masks and all looked joyful, and we even got tangerines from them.

16:30 - We returned home.

Location Description

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).

Ya’abad-Dotan

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This checkpoint is located on road 585, at the crossroads of Mevo Dotan settler-colony / Jenin/ Ya’abad. It has an army watchtower (‘pillbox’ post) and concrete blocs that slow down vehicular traffic. It was erected when Barta’a Checkpoint, lying to the west on the Separation Fence, was privatized and its operation was passed over to civilian security personnel. Since December 2009 this checkpoint enables flow of Palestinian vehicular traffic towards the Barta’a Checkpoint. Seldom is it manned by soldiers sitting in the watchtower, who conduct random inspections of vehicles and passengers. (february 2020)