Barta'a-Reihan, Tura-Shaked

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Observers: 
Rachela H., Noa L. reporting, translation Tal H.
Jul-11-2015
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Morning

Tura – Shaked 07:20-07:50

The checkpoint is wide open and people cross swiftly from the West Bank into the seam-line zone. Traffic is thin but continuous. Very little traffic in the opposite direction.

A person holding a vehicular travel permit at this checkpoint tells us he changed his car and has appealed to the Salem DCO to receive a permit for his new one. The new permit has not arrived yet and still he came to the checkpoint today with his new vehicle hoping he would be allowed to reach his land. He wasn't. Could we be of help? Unfortunately, no. It's all up to the DCO and they do take their time.

Others tell us passage is reasonable, but nearly every day the checkpoint is opened 10, 20 or 30 minutes late, and it's infuriating. The tobacco fields are still in bloom, the leaves drying and being harvested – all the phases in sight.

 

Barta'a – Reihan 08:00 – 08:30

The checkpoint is crowded as usual in spite of the holiday, but there hardly any traffic bound for the West Bank and naturally no coffee stands or people smoking. Two people arriving from the seam-line zone to the terminal go through the turnstile and approach the inspection installation, discover that this is not functioning and turn to us. We called the checkpoint crew to take care of this, but until they did anything (if at all, we saw no practical action taking place) the two already continued into the terminal labyrinth and crossed without difficulty. We must say that on Saturdays we have not really seen the installation in action, an usually those entering simply continue into the terminal. People exiting told us that passage was reasonable, there was no waiting line seen in front of the counters. At the parking lot we met Amjad and his disabled daughted Marie. They have a hard time during Ramadan but this will be over in a week (next Thursday). Marie will apparently have to undergo another surgery soon, and in the next few days she is schedule for examinations and consultation at Sheba Hospital (inside Israel).