Mevo Dotan (Imriha), Reihan, Shaked, Sun 18.3.12, Morning

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Observers: 
Ruthi T., Hassida S, (Reporting)
Mar-18-2012
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Morning

Translation: Bracha B.A.

 

It is still very cold but it is a beautiful spring day.  Dew is sparkling on the plants by the side of the road and a shiny new barbed wire concertina extends along the ditch between the fence and the village.

Four cars are waiting to be checked in the usual routine: the driver enters the inspection booth, comes out, moves the car up to the gate, waits for the soldier to wave him forward, waits for the car to be checked, and then drives on to wherever he wants to go within Palestinian territory. The same thing takes place when cars go the other way. Pedestrians come through in both directions.  The soldiers ignore us.  We wait for the children's transport to school, but someone tells us that the children already came through at 07:00.  We are not sure why – perhaps they have started daylight savings time. 

 

Dotan Checkpoint, 07:40

We drove to the Dotan Checkpoint to deliver a bundle of used clothing to the village of Emricha, which appears to be very poor. The checkpoint is manned by soldiers and we see each other from far away. Things appear much more logical here – cars going to Jenin are not checked at all, and those coming from Jenin and the surrounding area only present their papers if they are checked at all.  The soldiers are already acquainted with the people who come through every day and they pass through. We wonder why the same is not true at the Shaked-Tura Checkpoint which is a daily checkpoint and all the people passing through there are also known to the soldiers.  We see the school principal in his battered car, the banker in his new car, and teachers from the school in Um-a-Reihan.