Beituniya Checkpoint/Place
This checkpoint is meant for commercial goods only. Trucks bearing wares cross it on their way between Jerusalem and Ramallah. It is open daily from 7 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. 150 trucks cross it every day, mostly bearing goods to Ramallah. Added Value Tax is paid either to the Palestinian Authority or to the State of Israel, depending on the site of origin.
The Beituniya range is bordered by road 443, Ofer base, and the Separation Fence. The village lands including olive tree groves, nature sites, and maqam sites (sanctified by Muslim observants and serving Palestinian heritage in general) are all caged by the Separation Barrier. The area according to Dror Etkes in his book Gan Na’ul (Hebrew: Locked Garden) stretches over 14,000 dunams. We are told that 80% of the village lands are caged inside the site and Palestinians have no access there. Olive tree groves, springs, and important maqam sites that had served as places of worship and assembly are beyond the fence. The landowners are allowed only 3 days a year to enter the compound and harvest their olives. Naturally, this does not suffice for maintenance and harvest.
