Reihan, Shaked, Sat 1.10.11, Morning

Shaked-Tura Checkpoint 07:30-08:00

There is a lot of traffic - pedestrians, cars, and herds of goats.  Crossing is quick but since the inspection booth can hold only one person at a time there is some delay.

There are a few new buildings: a concrete roadblock on the road, one near the inspection point, and one on the above the inspection position.

Several people told us that a woman soldier in the inspection booth was behaving badly.  They explained that she was worse than anyone before and one man said that it was all he could do to keep from shouting at her.

Reihan-Barta'a Checkpoint – 08:10-09:00

Here, too, there is a lot of traffic in both directions but crossing is quick.  One of the people walking past asked us to help his brother. At the end of the conversation we gave him one of the bilingual cards that we had printed recently. This was a good idea and we should have made them sooner. Good for those who made them!

A woman student from Jissar a-Zarka, in Israel, attempted to cross the checkpoint with a lot of belongings, accompanied by her father. She was planning on going to Jenin where she was beginning her fourth year of study. After her father left she got to the window and was told that her permit was no longer valid and that she could not cross.  We called Sharon, the manager of the checkpoint, who explained that students can only cross the Barta'a checkpoint if they are on a list approved by the university, and he had not yet received this year's list.   She might be able to cross at Jalameh.  We helped her call her father and left her at the entrance to the sleeve, hopefully she managed to get to Jenin.