Northern c.p: Technical failure stops the checkpoint for three hours
15:30 – Tura – Shaked Checkpoint
A car with no driver in it was parked next to the gate. Evidently the mechanism that operates the electronic gate was broken since 2:00 this afternoon and no vehicles could cross. The driver returned
After he was unable to convince the soldiers that he had arranged to bring a washing machine that he had bought in the West Bank to his sister in Dahar Al Malec. The washing machine was in a friend's car on the West Bank side. He has a furniture store in Barta'a. This checkpoint, he exclaimed, is on his land, he's fed up, and he is going to move to Dubai and that's it. At 16:10 a technician arrived in a car from Electra and we continued on to Barta'a intending to return here later on.
16:20 – Barta'a Reihan Checkpoint
The checkpoint was extremely full, busy, and noisy. The Palestinian attendants finished their work at 16:00. Transport vehicles were pushing their way in, while others were attempting to leave, and there was honking and shouting. We made our way on foot to the turnstile. People told us that today everything was OK. Many people had received their new permits after their old ones had expired at the end of the year. Others would wait a week or two to receive theirs. Today no one asked us for help.
16:50 – Tura Shaked Checkpoint
The cars had disappeared, but all was not yet well. The technician had not been able to fix the problem with the gate, and all the cars had to drive to Barta'a Checkpoint. An elderly couple, of which the man was a respected resident of Um A Reihan, had to leave their car on the West Bank side. They were loaded down with large packages and accepted our offer to drive them to the village.
16:20 מחסום ברטעה-ריחן
המחסום מלא לגמרי וההמולה גדולה. הסדרנים סיימו לעבוד בשעה ארבע. רכבי הסעה נדחפים פנימה ואחרים מנסים להיחלץ החוצה בצפירות וצעקות. אנחנו מפלסות את דרכנו ברגל לעבר הקרוסלה. אומרים לנו שהיום דווקא הכל בסדר. רבים קיבלו בחזרה את האישורים שתוקפם פג בסוף השנה ואחרים יחכו עוד שבוע-שבועיים. איש לא ביקש היום את עזרתנו.
16:50 מחסום טורה-שקד
המכוניות נעלמו אבל השמחה מוקדמת. הטכנאי לא הצליח להתגבר על התקלה וכולם נסעו למחסום ברטעה. זוג מבוגרים, הוא מנכבדי אום-ריחן, נאלצו להשאיר את רכבם בצד הגדה. הם עמוסים בחבילות גדולות ונענים להצעתנו לנסוע איתנו לכפר.