Barta'a-Reihan, Tura-Shaked

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Observers: 
Zafrira Z., Vera M.
Jul-20-2016
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Afternoon

 

15:00 Tura-Shaked checkpoint  

Traffic is relatively heavy,. Cars get out into the West Bank and return . There are no delays or any unusual occurance. Filth all over, nothing outstanding.

A couple riding  an electric motorcycle stop by us and greet us. The man, with an oxygen tank, is waiting for a lung transplant. The woman is good looking and smiley. They have been married for 8 years. He is an Israeli citizen from Um-el-Fachem. For some reason, he has no permit to cross into the West Bank. She is a resident of Tura who has applied long ago for family reunification but has yet to be answered. She wants to cross for a family wedding, and is carrying gifts. He waits there for a telephone  call from her, to ensure that she has arrived safely.

A resident of Daher-el-Malec, the village close to the checkpoint, arrives in his car. He says that there is still no electricity in the village . There is no money - half a million Shekel is needed. "They are thieves, stealing from us".

On our way back we gave a lift to a woman who lives in the orange house on the side of the road. She wanted very much to talk with us but, frustratingly, we do not speak Arabic.

15:30 Narta'a-Rihan checkpoint 

At this time people return home from work. They come in a hurry, talking to each other, some smile and some do not. This has been the life of Palestinians for 3 generations already. The young people are not familiar with anything else.

There are many young people among the workers, the seamstresses, and a few older people. The majority of them have been working in Israel for a while  and do not have to go through  the inspection of papers. Those who are required to present permits stop by the machines and insert their card. The morning , according to them, passage went well. Between 05:00 and 06:00 it was somewhat slow and people waited for about an hour. After 06:00  passage was swift, "only" half an hour. What else can one do if he wants to get to work early?

We wanted to drink from the cooler that was moved to the entrance of the sleeveinfo-icon. The water was not "cool" at all. A tiny detail.