Anin Checkpoint: The detached DCO

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Observers: 
Hagar D., Neta G. (Reporting), and the driver Marcia L., Translation
Dec-8-2021
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Afternoon

District Coordinating Office is disconnected 

We were not able to find out through the District Coordination Office (DCO) the opening hours of Anin Checkpoint after the olive harvest ended.  During the harvest, they opened every day; now they returned to opening twice a week.  During the last months, there was no relation between the hours that were declared as opening hours and when the soldiers came to open the checkpoint.  We phoned our friend M., a resident of Anin, one of the few who officially passes through the checkpoint with a tractor, and he says that they open at 15:30.  On the way to the checkpoint we again phoned the DCO and a female soldier answered that they are not opening. To my amazement, she explained that they did not open in the morning because of the stormy weather and even notified the farmers beforehand. (How??). In normal weather, they open on Mondays and Wednesdays between 07:00 and 07:15 and close between 16:00 and 16:15. Hagar phoned M., and it turns out that indeed, they opened that morning, and he was already waiting next to the checkpoint for the afternoon opening.

 

 15:00 - Anin Checkpoint:  The Permanent Ritual

M., his son, and his tractor are already waiting for the gate to open.  In the morning, an additional man was with them and now he already passed through via the breach in the fence.  A car with two border police inside stops beside us.  According to them, it is prohibited for us to be in this place or on the entire road, from the juncture to the checkpoint.  The reason?  “Military area.” We explained to them who we are and after pointless arguing, they settled down and continued on their way.

15:30 - A military police car stops, and the soldiers also don’t understand what we are doing. However, they are easily convinced that we are all right.  Our driver wasn’t comfortable, so we asked M. to notify us when he passes Anin and leaves.  They passed through at 15:45.

 

15:40 - Tura Checkpoint

A resident of Umm Reihan passes through.  This is all that occurred during the short time we were there.

We made a detour on Highway 611, which leads from the new city of Harish to the junction before Barta’a Checkpoint.  Everything is “as usual:  The breaches in the separation fence are active; at the foot of the villages Daher al Malec to Abd Qeiqis,  there are many cars of those who passed through those breaches; and there are transportation vehicles for workers, which are parked on the sides of road 611.

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6:00 - Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint, the Seamline Zone side

Many are returning from work at this hour, and we join them on their way via the long sleeveinfo-icon (the enclosed and roofed passage for pedestrians) to the turnstiles for crossing to the West Bank.  On our way back, we walk opposite them, and some greet us.

16:15:  We travel home and notice police vehicles at the upper entrance to Umm al Fahm and also on the Wadi Ara Road.