'Anin, Reihan, Shaked, Thu 20.1.11, Afternoon

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Observers: 
Tzafrira Z., Neta Golan
Jan-20-2011
|
Afternoon

Translation: Bracha B.A.

14:55: A'anin Checkpoint

We arrived together with the soldiers. About 15 men, two women, and a boy, plus a donkey and four tractors, have been waiting to cross from the seam zone to their homes in the village. The soldiers open the gatesinfo-icon. Today they do not have a computer, but instead use a written list. An elderly woman is detained because she committed the serious offense of sleeping at her son's house in the seam zone.  People complain that their permits will expire in the coming days and new ones have not yet been issued. 

15:20: Everyone, including the woman who "committed an offense," have crossed.  Another tractor arrives.

15:35 – Shaked-Tura Checkpoint

There is a lot of traffic in both directions.  A tow truck crosses to the West Bank and the soldiers and we watch the attraction.  We pick up three hitchhikers at the junction near the Reihan-Barta'a checkpoint.  They work in the settlement of Hinanit and live in Tura.  They are not permitted to cross at the checkpoint near their village and must travel to the Reihan-Barta'a checkpoint, which is far away.  They tell us that everyone who works in the settlements of Shaked and Hinanit and in the Shahak Industrial Park must cross at Reihan Checkpoint and then take two taxis to work and back: one from Tura to Yaabed and one from Yaabed to Reihan and back again. They return by hitchhiking.  It costs each of them NIS 40 a day.  

16:05 Reihan Barta'a Checkpoint

The Palestinian parking lot is filled with improvised transit vehicles waiting to take workers back home.  We waited for a man from Kafin to arrive and sign a power of attorney authorization.  He arrived in his car and stopped at the gate and walked to the checkpoint.  We don't understand why they don't open the gate.   We did not feel any tension following the shooting of a Palestinian near the Mevo Dotan Checkpoint and the settlement of Dotan.  People asked us if we knew anything and we asked people if they had heard what happened but they did not know.

16:40 Reihan Barta'a Checkpoint

The workers are returning home and there is only one window open, but there is no waiting line.  Four detaineesinfo-icon are waiting on the bench to have their cases dealt with.  A few people, mostly young families, are returning from the West Bank to the seamline zone.  A couple lovely with twin girls arrives.  The proud father says that there were triplets, but the third is at home.   

17:00 We left the checkpoint.  As we went up the sleeveinfo-icon we met workers coming back from work.