Barta'a-Reihan, Tura-Shaked
15:00 Tura-Shaked checkpoint
Three military vehicles exit the checkoint. Traffic is very scarce in both directions.
An Israeli man arrives in his car; he is moving around nervously while speaking on the phone. One can see that he is in distress, but he does not want to get help or to talk with us. Later on we find out that he comes from the nearby Hinanit settlement to get a banister for his house. the bnaister was built for him in a metal workshop in Ya'abed (a big village on the west bank). The problem is that he has no permit to get it through this checkpoint. The lorry carrying the banister, wrapped in blue plastics, is waiting on the other side of the checkpoint, while the metalwoker, who had worked many years in Israel and speaks Hebrew, accompanied by two workers who are supposed to install the banister, stands near us and is negotiating with a soldier and a woman soldier. The woman soldier explains politely that she would have liked to help, but she is not allowed to let this merchandise go through. The solution - to get permit at the Salem DCOto let this through Barta'a checkpoint. A delay of two or three days.
The area at the entrance to the checkpoint is still littered with all kinds of garbage.
15:15 We left.
15:40 Barta'a Reihan checkoint
The place is empty. Quiet. There are no taxis, no cars. A few minutes later some workers arrive in transportation from work in the seam zoneor in Israel.
16:00 We descend the sleeve
towards the terminal. With us there are many workers who are returning from work.
A family comes from the West Bank to the seam zone. The father speaks with us. He tells us that he had read in the newspaper about MachsomWatch and knows what we are doing. He thanks us. "You are helping", he says.
The many workers pass quickly. Most of them are in a good mood. Almost all of them greet us and smile.
A man arrives, carrying a small pink plastic table. It looks like a children's table. The table does not get through the turnstile. He tries different positions until he finds the way to get the table through. I look and think how much those people lack freedom. One cannot bring a present to one's daughter because there is a checkpoint, and it is narrow and it turns and prevents free movement, and this is the way one's whole life has been for decades.
We get back to the parking lot. One car exits checkup.
16:35 We left.