Appetites of soldiers must be satisfied during Ramadan

Place:

'Anin

Barta'a-Reihan

Tura-Shaked

Ya'bed-Dotan

Tags:

Breach in the separation fence

Ramadan

Observers:

Rachel W. and Ruthi T. (Reporter and Photographer Marcia L., Translation

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Apr-26-2022

Morning

Anin checkpoint: The breach was sealed and the soldiers guarded it

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

Anin checkpoint: barbed wire fences thrown in the field

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

Anin Checkpoint: A waiting shed

Photo:

Ruti Tuval

A bad accident at Alyakim Junction delayed us quite a bit, and we only crossed Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint at 07:30. At this late hour, all the workers had been picked up from the junction. We passed by full parking lots, including the truck parking lot and those on the opposite hills. We traveled to Harmish Checkpoint only to make certain that it was functioning again. A smiling young girl grazed goats on the side of the road. We turned back and continued to Ya’bed-Dotan Checkpoint. There, we observed vigilant activities by the soldiers: some were on the roof of the pillbox (we were told that was to prevent stone-throwing); others came from the field, and two arrived to worry about us. The traffic was light, and we crossed with no delay. A pack of dogs crossed the Junction.

On our way back in the direction of Amricha, we noticed that the road leading to the settlement of Maoz Zvi was closed. It had been open wide for a few months. We traveled to see if it was locked. Beyond the gate, a vehicle approached and a stocky young man, armed with a gun, opened the lock and the gate passed through and locked it again. On his shirt was written “Guard Yehuda and Shomron.” Yes, he lives in the settlement. In response to our question as to why he returned and locked the gate so far from Maoz Zvi (which blocks the farmers of Ya’bed), he answered: “Speak with Tzahal (the army).” When we asked how it is that he had the key to the military gate, he mumbled something unintelligible.

We returned to Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint on the Seamline Zone side at 08:30. We approached the taxi drivers who met us with this complaint: "Many people are not working now, there are no permits. Do something so they will open the breaches in the fences. Let the army know . . .” At 08:45 the merchants in Barta’a and non-construction workers started to arrive. The taxi drivers returned to their vehicles.

At around 09:00, we arrived at Tura-Shaked Checkpoint. A man with two children arrived from the West Bank and complained that he had waited 25 minutes to cross. Just like that . . . for no reason. Nothing happened at the checkpoint. After he left, we turned to the soldiers and asked for an explanation. A male and female soldier who introduced herself as the commander of the checkpoint approached us. She behaved rudely. One of her excuses was that just at that time, food arrived from the base. Another soldier arrived all the while eating. In the terminal, two Palestinians waited for a ride. We asked the soldiers if they had any instructions for behaving respectfully during the Ramadan fast, and they again answered rudely. We left, angry. We entered Daher al Malec to see the new sidewalks.

When we passed the nearby Anin Agricultural Checkpoint, we decided to approach and peek at it even though it is not open for crossing today. We discovered that it was staffed by a few soldiers and looked like a decent place. Apparently, food was also supplied to them.

Location Description

Anin agricultural checkpoint

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located on the Separation Fence east of the Israeli community Mei Ami and close to the village of Anin in the West Bank. It is opened twice a week, morning and afternoon, for periods of time that are growing shorter Lith time. It is meant for Anin farmers whose olive groves have been separated from the village by the fence. Transit permits are only issued to those who can produce ownership documents for their caged-in land, and sometimes only to the head of the family or his widow, eldest son and children. At times the inheritors lose their right to tend to the family’s land. The permits are eked out and are re-issued only with difficulty. 55-year old persons may cross the checkpoint (into Israel) without special permits. During the olive harvest season (about one month around October) the checkpoint is open every day and more transit permits are issued. Names of persons eligible to cross are held in the soldiers’ computers. In July 2007, a sweeping instruction was issued according to which whoever does not return to the village through this checkpoint in the afternoon will be stripped of his transit permit when he shows up there next time. Since 2019, the checkpoint has not been allways locked with the seam-line zone gate (1 of 3 gates info-icon ), and the fence around it has been broken in several sites.

Tura-Shaked Checkpoint

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This is a fabric of life* checkpoint through which pedestrians, cabs and private cars (since 2008) pass to and from the West Bank and the Seam-line Zone to and from the industrical zone near the settler-colony Shaked, schools and kindergartens, and Jenin university campuses. The checkpoint is located between Tura village inside the West Bank and the village of Dahar Al Malah inside the enclave of the Seam-line Zone. It is opened twice a day, between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., and from 12 noon to 7 p.m. People crossing it (at times even kindergarten children) are inspected in a bungalow with a magnometer. Names of those allowed to cross it appear in a list held by the soldiers. Usually traffic here is scant.

fabric of life roads and checkpoints, as defined by the Terminals Authority in the Ministry of Defense (fabric of life is a laundered name that does not actually describe any kind of humanitarian purpose) are intended for Palestinians only. These roads and checkpoints have been built on lands appropriated from their Palestinian owners, including tunnels, bypass roads, and tracks passing under bridges. Thus traffic can flow between the West Bank and its separated parts that are not in any kind of territorial contiguity with it. Mostly there are no permanent checkpoint on these roads but rather ‘flying’ checkpoints, check-posts or surprise barriers. At Toura, a small (less than one dunam) and sleepy checkpoint has been established, which has filled up with the years with nearly .every means of supervision and surveillance that the Israeli military occupation has produced. (February 2020)

Mar-22-2022

Ruti Tuval

The locked gate at the Anin checkpoint

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Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint

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This checkpoint is located on the Separation Fence route, east of the Palestinian town of East Barta’a. The latter is the largest Palestinian community inside the seam-line zone (Barta’a Enclave) in the northern West Bank. Western Barta’a, inside Israel, is adjacent to it. The Checkpoint is open all week from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Since mid-May 2007, the checkpoint has been managed by a civilian security company subordinate to the Ministry of Defense. People permitted to cross through this checkpoint into and from the West Bank are residents of Palestinian communities inside the Barta’a Enclave as well as West Bank Palestinian residents holding transit permit. Jewish settlers from Hermesh and Mevo Dotan cross here without inspection. A large, modern terminal is active here with 8 windows for document inspection and biometric tests (eyes and fingerprints). Usually only one or two of the 8 windows are in operation. Goods, up to medium commercial size, may pass here from the West Bank into the Barta’a Enclave. A permanent registered group of drives who have been approved by the may pass with farm produce. When the administration of the checkpoint was turned over to a civilian security firm, the Ya’abad-Mevo Dotan Junction became a permanent checkpoint. . It is manned by soldiers who sit in the watchtower and come down at random to inspect vehicles and passengers (February 2020).

Ya’abad-Dotan

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This checkpoint is located on road 585, at the crossroads of Mevo Dotan settler-colony / Jenin/ Ya’abad. It has an army watchtower (‘pillbox’ post) and concrete blocs that slow down vehicular traffic. It was erected when Barta’a Checkpoint, lying to the west on the Separation Fence, was privatized and its operation was passed over to civilian security personnel. Since December 2009 this checkpoint enables flow of Palestinian vehicular traffic towards the Barta’a Checkpoint. Seldom is it manned by soldiers sitting in the watchtower, who conduct random inspections of vehicles and passengers. (february 2020)