Northern checkpoints: The hallucinatory dimension of the occupation

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Observers: 
Neta Golan and Shuli Bar (photos and report), translatio Tal H.
Jul-28-2021
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Morning

06:00 East Barta’a Junction on road 611

No trace of the action that went on here a few months ago. Less and less workers congregate here for many of them wait for their transport to worksites along road 611 after having crossed the holes in the Separation Fence. While driving this road one can see several West Bank villages (Daher Al Abed, Laksur) whose back yards have turned into car-parks for those coming from the West Bank to work inside Israel.  A week ago, our friend Hanna reported that Border Policemen detained several Palestinians who crossed a whole in the fence around here and released them with a reprimand.  The entire checkpoint project collapses vis a vis the holes in the fence and the occupation gets another surreal, shocking, crazy dimension – as you wish. An extra bit along the way, words written on an Israel flag without David’s Star: No one but HIM…

06:30 Toura-Shaked Checkpoint

A small checkpoint, filled with enforcement, surveillance and directing mechanisms. This is opening time but no soldiers are to be seen. On the Palestinian side at elalst one car waits. The checkpoint compound is locked with a metal gate and yellow chain, fomr and behind the locked gate a green eye peeps and never blinks. No one crosses now. Whoever wants and needs to do so crosses whenever he wishes and has to, through the nearby hole about 100 meters from the checkpoint.

 

06:45 Anin checkpoint

This checkpoint has three gatesinfo-icon and a large hole. One on the Seam Zone side, another on the Area A side, both wide open – for years no one has bothered to lock them. The middle gate is hand-locked with a heavy lock that has undergone various security designs and now looks somewhat sophisticated, but it is not. About 2 months ago it was sawed and the gate was opened wide to pass stolen vehicles from Israel into the West Bank. That’s the rumor. In order to make crossing more difficult for the stolen vehicles, obstacles were produced: a large hole was dug and filled with dirt by the side of the checkpoint, but the hole was not touched. Finally heavy yellow metal rods were stuck in the ground, to block vehicular passage. The checkpoint is opened twice a week for two tractors (usually one), and the soldiers come and for their sake move one of the blocking posts. Apparently, there is no problem imitating this act. For months we have seen no pedestrians at the checkpoint. They cross when soldiers are not there.

07:20 Dotan and Yaabad checkpoint

Autumny weather, touching landscape. At this checkpoint nothing really happens, it would seem. Last week on the news we heard that the Israeli army chased suspects of hostile activity in the region. When we came we saw no soldiers at all. When we left, an army vehicle arrived, perhaps bringing soldiers.