Anin Checkpoint: The Theater of the Absurd
14:50 – Anin Checkpoint – Two female soldiers, two male soldiers, and one Palestinian woman
We arrived early. No one was there. The opening is at a15:15 and usually, people come early. We waited a while and called our acquaintance, M. He evidently did not cross this morning; he had work next to his home. He didn’t know if other people crossed. After a time, one woman arrived who came up from a Bedouin encampment on the slope of olives. She sat down on a stone to rest in the shade of an olive tree. She said, with the help of hand gestures, that she is a resident of Anin and she is the only one who crossed the checkpoint this morning. She showed us, with her fingers, that 10 others crossed via the breach in the fence. The opening hour arrived, and no soldiers came. We suspected that no one would come, so we phoned the District Coordination Office. A female soldier told us she would check with the brigade. At the request of M., we asked if the checkpoint would be open on Monday. The soldier said that as yet there were no instructions. After about 15 minutes, a jeep came; two female soldiers and two male soldiers got out. The two female soldiers and the one male soldier who protected them, wore helmets. The second soldier got out to check the area around the waiting shed. The two female soldiers inspected the identity papers of the woman and accompanied her to the additional gates
in the middle of the checkpoint. Theater of the absurd.
15:40 – Tura-Shaked Checkpoint
On the side of the road that leads to the checkpoint, a young olive grove was planted. There are only soldiers at the checkpoint. There are no people crossing.
16:00 – Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint, the upper parking lot.
Various vehicles enter the parking lot and let out their passengers at the opening of the long sleeve (the enclosed, passage to and from the terminal). Our guest, a former dairywoman, said the appearance is humiliating and is appropriate for leading cows to the pen.
16:15 – We crossed the Barta’a checkpoint and stopped for ice cream with our friend, F., at Amricha. The store is orderly, the garden is blooming, and F. is especially pretty today, in a traditional dress with matching maroon-colored hijab.
16:30 – Ya’bed-Dotan
The traffic, most of it in the direction of Ya’bed and Jenin flows without disruption.
16:45 – On the way back to Barta’a Checkpoint, our trunk was inspected, and we travel home.