ברטעה-ריחן, טורה-שקד

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Observers: 
Hanah H, Rony S (reporting), Tamar K (guest) Translator : Mike Shalit
Mar-26-2014
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Morning

 

 

06:05 Bartaa-Rehan checkpoint

Many workers are waiting for their transportation outside the checkpoint.  The coffee-cart which was moved outside the “sleeveinfo-icon” (see explanation below) is very busy.  Many cars  with Israeli license-plates are waiting for their passengers.  An acquaintance of Hanah tells us that the terminal is very congested.  More workmen have received permits recently, and his leg was injured as a result of the crowding there.

 

We descend to the terminal through a long corridor called “the sleeve" because it is made of strong wire mesh ( which envelopes us from the side and also from above – why ?), and 06.05  Barta- Rechan checkpointsthis Kafkaesque place through the eyes of our guest.  We go against the tide of men exiting the inspection booths, with their belts in their hands;  why? Most of them greet us with a “shalom” and a wide smile;  why?

 

The elegently dressed seamstresses who work in Barta’ah pass through the checkpoint.  We stand at the point where the stream of workmen pours out from the inspection booths in the terminal into the “sleeve.

 

06.30  One of the workmen pauses next to us and is angry at the slowness of the passage through the checkpoint today.  According to him, it took him over half an hour to pass.

 

06.40  We go outside, and  pass the security officer, to the lower car-park.  There the passengers get out of the Palestinian  taxis, and are swallowed-up into the turnstiles in the inspection facility ; they are hurrying.

 

06.55  The flow of workers slows and we leave the checkpoint.  On the way, we try to explain briefly the subject of the Seam-line Zone to our guest.  She has already put her name down for one of the (MachsomWatch) tours and will see more.

 

07.05  The Tura-Shaked checkpoint

 

The checkpoint is already open and functioning.  A teacher leaves the checkpoint (on the Palestinian side), and  is collected by a driver and travels to the school in Rechan (which is in the Seam-line Zone).  Small children arrive and pass through the checkpoint into the Palestinian Authority to go to a school in Tura.  It is difficult to explain (to our guest) the dreadful absurdity of this checkpoint which divides village from village and school from school without any logic.

 

07.25  There are still many people waiting to go through the checkpoint into the Seam-line Zone  and to their work.  It seems to us that the crossing is slow today but we didn’t count how many have passed.

Cars enter the checkpoint on their way to the West Bank after their drivers have been checked, and  cars exit into the Seam-line Zone and collect passengers who have already passed on foot and are waiting for transport.

 

07.45  The quantity of people waiting decreases and we leave the checkpoint.