Reihan, Shaked, Tue 25.1.11, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
6:15 New Barta’a checkpoint (Reihan)
Shahak staff come through the corridor. The seamstresses crossed earlier. There are no people in the lot. Two pickup trucks wait to be inspected.
6:30 Mavo Dothan checkpoint
Vehicles come through without being delayed. The checkpoint isn’t manned. We’re told the soldiers come at 7:00, and that the elementary schools have a semester break. On the way we met pupils from Amricha on their way to school. How come?, we asked. But no one can explain why they have to go to school when others have a two-week vacation.
Two local residents tell us exactly the same thing regarding the shooting of a resident of Yamun by soldiers at the Dothan checkpoint:
A week and a half ago a resident of the Jordan Valley on his way to work in Israel was shot at the Hamra checkpoint. He’d dropped a plastic bag of food on his way to being inspected, which fell on the ground. The soldiers thought it was a bomb and shot him to death. The person shot at the Hamra checkpoint was the uncle of the young man who’s from the Tzumudi family – 23 years old, single, who arrived from Tamun riding a donkey, holding a revolver to avenge his uncle’s death. Soldiers shot him twice, in the head and chest, killing him instantly.
7:15 New Barta’a checkpoint (Reihan)
Laborers arrive at Barta’a in groups. All work in shops, hurrying to enter, not knowing how long it will take them to get through. “Every day is a different story.” Fifty people came through in 25 minutes. A family with two dressed-up young girls also crossed to Barta’a. A bus carrying children of settlers is on its way to the West Bank; two other buses wait to collect pupils and bring them to schools in Israel. When we leave the checkpoint area we see a truck with a double trailer being carefully inspected by a dog and its handler. Guards stand in small groups with their weapons, perhaps because of the incident described above.
7:50 Tura checkpoint
The checkpoint is empty. No pupils, no one coming or going. One vehicle going to the West Bank is being carefully inspected at the checkpoint itself. A young woman waits for a ride. Ten minutes later, three men came from the West Bank, on their way to the seam zone, entered for inspection and came out a few minutes later.
8:10 We left.