'Anin, Reihan, Shaked, Mon 2.7.12, Afternoon
Translation: Bracha B.A.
15:20 – A'anin Agricultural Checkpoint
There are practically no people coming back through the checkpoint. A tractor is sitting in the middle of the checkpoint in the hot sun. The soldier tells us that the driver has entered Israel illegally. When he turns around and waves we see that it is the redheaded man who comes through here all the time. Is he an illegal? The soldier refuses to give us details and we assume that he did not come back in time according to the occupation clock. The man continues on to A'anin after 20 minutes, and we will try and find out what his offence was.
16:00 – Shaked Tura Checkpoint
Each time we arrive here there's something new added to the checkpoint. In addition to a stoplight there is now a foolish-looking crosswalk and red and white stripes on the curb signifying "no parking"! At this hour there is little traffic to or from the West Bank, but that doesn't stop the impressive renovation going on here. Perhaps tomorrow they will issue fines to anyone crossing against the light or failing to cross at the crosswalk! There is no end to the money being wasted on this unnecessary place.
16:30 – Dotan Checkpoint on the Yaabed – Jenin Road
On our way to the Dotan Checkpoint we counted eight trucks and vans, waiting on the burning hot road to be checked. At the Dotan Checkpoint soldiers are busy waving their arms directing cars here and there and back again. Drivers coming from Jenin are asked to present ID cards and vehicle registrations. A taxi driver is delayed for a few minutes until his personal details are checked. When we asked a resident of Yaabed if the checkpoint at the village had been taken down, he said that soldiers had come to the village and told people, in a patronizing manner, that if they behaved well the punishment would be removed. The residents responded like children after receiving punishment, and promised not to throw rocks any more, and the checkpoint was taken down. In my opinion this is an expression of how much the occupation is assimilated; the man acted as if these events were the law of nature.
16:50 – Reihan Barta'a Checkpoint
The eight trucks we saw on the way are still waiting on the road. We declare the olive oil that we received and go through the routine check. A young woman on her way to work from Nablus to Barta'a is in the upper parking lot behind the fence waiting for someone to check her car. One of the workers says it will take 15 minutes. The woman is very angry and demands that they hurry up and let her out of the cage. This evil fenced-in area is part of the vehicle inspection facility. It is hard to see her standing there, like an caged animal. We wait 20 minutes until she is let out.
A lot of people are coming back from work to the West Bank. More than 100 people have crossed in the last half hour. Six detainees
are waiting on the bench at the entrance to the terminal. After some time five of them are called inside and after some more time the sixth is handed a letter by a security guard summoning him to the Liaison and Coordination Administration in Salem.
We left at 17:20.