'Anin, Barta'a-Reihan, Tura-Shaked

05:40 – Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint
A gray morning, cloudy, rain hangs in the air.  The first ones out of the terminal are women.  They smile, wave “hello” and are swallowed up in a minibus that takes them to work at Barta’a.  A young man in a dark hooded jogging suit, asked us to help him shorten the period of time of his prohibition (prohibition from entering Israel).  Seven years ago he was caught for an illegal stay in Israel and was given 9 years’ prohibition from entering Israel.  We referred him to the staff that helps Palestinians to file an official request for a reduction of a prohibition.

The sleeve was full of workers exiting for their day of labor.  We went down to the opening of the terminal, whose path the workers hurried along, as they went up to the vehicles that take them to work.  We noticed that none of them are threading a belt through their trousers, a widespread sight in the morning. A man is praying on his knees.

The turnstile turns incessantly.  In the terminal 5 inspection windows are open and the pace of passage is quick.  The Israeli security guards greeted us this time with smiles and joking.  This time also they did not forbid us to stand where we always stand but they did not permit us to go down by foot to the Palestinian parking lot.  Leah was interested in the possibility of putting up a shed for those who wait at the entrance to the terminal so that they don’t get wet in the rain.  The guard agreed; it is easier to inspect a man who is dry, but there is no budget for a shed.  He requested that we should pressure the appropriate places.

06:35 – Anin Checkpoint

The sky was covered with rain clouds.  The checkpoint was opened on time but today only a few passed through.  Some of them immediately retraced their footsteps.  According to them, they expected a flood any minute.  Altogether, about 40 men and 3 tractors left the checkpoint and about 10 returned to the village.  The soldiers waited in the rain until they closed the checkpoint at the appointed time.  Leah looked for the head of Anin village; she wanted to be updated on the expropriation of the village land. His nephew gave us his name and phone number.

A resident of Anin whom we knew, rode with us until Umm Reihan to visit relatives.  He was happy to tell us about a great grandchild about to be born to him and about his grandchild who is about to get married.  He said that in his time, he was a merchant and sold books, among other things, in the settlements between Haifa and the Western Galil.

07:05 –Tura-Shaked Checkpoint
Heavy rain fell.  The checkpoint was almost completely empty.  Two women waited for a ride to the sewing workshop in Barta’a along with a few workers. A man of about 40 from the area of Yabed told us that he left his car at the checkpoint and is waiting for a “tramp” that would come and take him to work in Hadera. He is a merchant there.  The rain harms his livelihood; he has a wife and five children.  School children entered and exited for the checkpoint, running to their wet day of studies.

Despite the rain or perhaps because of it, people were in a good mood.  We need the rain.  It is good for agriculture.  It is good for a person, they said.

07:25 – We leave in the rain.