Barta'a-Reihan, Tura-Shaked

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Observers: 
Observers: Leah Reichman, Hanna Heller
Nov-29-2018
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Morning

05.50-07.20.

Barta’a checkpoint.

People come up in the sleeveinfo-icon, but not in their usual numbers. In the terminal 4 windows are working.  At the kiosk we chat with the owner and with M. Both tell us that recently about two thousand fewer people have been passing and they expect further decrease in the coming month. Apparently permits have not been extended to exit Barta’a to Harish, and workers in Harish now have to go via Taibeh checkpoint (Sha’ar Ephraim) – which lengthens the route and increases the cost of the journey. One man also told us that at the end of December the validity of many permits will end and they have not yet been renewed. Another worker, a construction worker in Harish, who has a permit until the end of January says that his permit would be renewed by the contractor.

06.00. The flow of workers gets heavier and another 2 windows are opened. But there is no crowding.

06.30. Tura-Shaked checkpoint.

There are soldiers, but the checkpoint is not yet active.The soldiers sweep   checkpoint and put new green bags in the garbage cans – the same bags that will soon join their companions to add to the mess flooding the whole area outside the checkpoint.

06.35.  The checkpoint is opened and people enter the checking room. The first one comes out at 6.40, and until 7.20 a total of 45 people and 7 cars passed. People tell us that on Tuesday the soldiers came late and opened only at 7.00.

One man tells us that he had a permit to work in Israel, but in order to renew it he had to pay a contractor a MONTHLY charge of 2500 shekels out of his 6000 shekel wage.

Three Jenin high school pupils pass to the West Bank via the checking room. The young pupils begin to arrive at 7.10 and all pass immediately without checking.

07.15. 2 cars pass to the West Bank. They pass quickly.