Jalama, Reihan, Shaked, Tue 12.4.11, Morning

Translator:  Charles K.

06:10  Reihan checkpoint – Barta’a

The seamstresses and others are leaving the terminal and walking up the fenced corridor on their way to work.  Laborers arrive at the Palestinian parking lot and are immediately swallowed up in the terminal.  At the same time the night shift workers from the industrial zone are coming out on the way to their homes on the West Bank, tired, their eyes heavy.

Some trucks are on the road, and two small trucks carrying agricultural produce wait in the parking lot for inspection.

We heard complaints about the way the Dothan checkpoint is being run – drivers are being delayed.  On Sunday A. waited about 40 minutes to cross while the soldiers were busy doing their own thing.

06:55  Shaked-Tura checkpoint

The soldiers are opening the checkpoint gates.  One car and a number of people arrive at the revolving gate on their way to the seam zone.  The soldiers first let the pupils and teachers cross to the West Bank.  A girl walks through behind the stone fence; there’s no soldier there and she continues to the checkpoint gate.  The soldier suddenly appears, stops her and asks that she open her schoolbag.

Five children of various ages come from the direction of the isolated house, the youngest boy holding the hand of the oldest.  They also stop before the soldier, who inspects their schoolbags.  The pickup truck follows, disgorges bunches of little children who run mischievously toward the checkpoint, open their schoolbags in the soldier’s face and run straight on to the gate through the mud piled up after the rain.

08:30  Jalameh checkpoint

We came to take a Palestinian youth from the West Bank to the hospital.  The inspectors are on their break.  Even so, the few people on their way to the West Bank go through.  The vehicle checkpoint isn’t operating.  Many police cars.  We’re told there’s a training exercise underway.

We ask them to call the youth who has the hospital appointment.  “No problem,” they tell us, but don’t do anything.  Again we ask them to call him.  They say he has to be inspected.  We wait, and again ask the inspector.  She says, “He’ll go through like everyone else…”

That lasted until 09:15, when the exercise as well as the break ended.

09:15.  We left.