Israel,
An Alleged State of Democracy!
Israel has long proclaimed itself as a democratic state and even
though it is well known what democracy represent, it's hard to
apply that same definition of freedom and what it means until you
pass through an Israeli checkpoint, at least in the occupied
Palestinian territory, where Israeli democracy is tailored to suit
their belligerent acts. .
Checkpoints were constructed throughout the Palestinian Territory
after the Israeli Occupation in 1967. However, it was not until
1993, that Israel started to become more stringent on these
checkpoints, which were set to control and restrict movement of
Palestinian within and between Palestinian districts and
localities and Israel. A turn of the nature of the different kinds
of obstacles (checkpoints is one of them) started immediately to
become evident in the year 2000 when movement through these
different obstacles became harder than ever before. Nowadays,
about 592 different forms of Israeli obstacles planted within the
Palestinian territory to restrict and control Palestinians
movement. These different obstacles: checkpoints, earth mounds,
iron gates, agricultural gates, and roadblocks divide Palestinian
towns and villages into small cantons, which make it very hard for
Palestinian residents to move without restraint. According to
Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (ICCPR), Freedom of movement must be granted to every
person in a free state, it states: 'Everyone lawfully within
the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the
right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence.
Article 3 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 also
strictly prohibits the occupying power from initiating 'violence
to life and person' and 'outrages upon personal dignity,
in particular humiliating and degrading treatment'.
During the past seven years, the Israeli occupation Army elevated
it aggression on the Palestinian people and continued imposing
hard complications and harsh restrictions on Palestinian citizens
of the West Bank and Gaza, with particular emphasis in the
northern area of the West Bank where the Palestinian people has
witnessed the establishment of an unprecedented levels in the
numbers of checkpoints and other obstacles, used to close all
entrances of many Palestinian villages and put up iron gates for
people to use in order to reach their residences or land.
According to ARIJ's monthly reports, the Israeli Army established
121 flying checkpoints and 8 iron gates during the period of
October 2006 until April 2007. Table one below illustrate the
number of flying checkpoints and iron gates erected in the West
Bank during the aforementioned period.
Table 1: Number of
flying checkpoints and iron gates during the period of October
2006 until April 2007
|
Month |
Governorate |
# of flying
checkpoints |
# of iron gates |
|
October 2006 |
Tubas |
5 |
0 |
|
Jenin |
2 |
0 |
|
Nablus |
4 |
1 |
|
Salfit |
1 |
4 |
|
November 2006 |
Jenin |
5 |
0 |
|
Nablus |
6 |
0 |
|
Tulkarm |
1 |
0 |
|
Bethlehem |
1 |
0 |
|
Salfit |
1 |
0 |
|
Ramallah |
1 |
0 |
|
Tubas |
15 |
0 |
|
December 2006 |
Bethlehem |
|
1 |
|
Qalqiliya |
1 |
0 |
|
Tubas |
3 |
0 |
|
Nablus |
6 |
1 |
|
Jenin |
1 |
0 |
|
Tulkarm |
1 |
0 |
|
January 2007 |
Qalqiliya |
1 |
0 |
|
Salfit |
1 |
0 |
|
Nablus |
3 |
0 |
|
Tubas |
7 |
0 |
|
Jenin |
10 |
0 |
|
February 2007 |
Bethlehem |
1 |
0 |
|
Tubas |
3 |
0 |
|
Nablus |
2 |
1 |
|
Jenin |
7 |
0 |
|
Tulkarm |
1 |
0 |
|
March 2007 |
Jenin |
6 |
0 |
|
Hebron |
3 |
0 |
|
Tulkarm |
1 |
0 |
|
Qalqiliya |
4 |
0 |
|
Salfit |
5 |
0 |
|
Nablus |
1 |
0 |
|
Tubas |
2 |
0 |
|
April 2007 |
Salfit |
3 |
0 |
|
Tubas |
3 |
0 |
|
Jenin |
3 |
0 |
|
Total |
121 |
8 |
What
is 'flying checkpoints?'
The term may sound unfamiliar to many living in other society and
even though they might experience one randomly and quickly, it is
incomprehensible for them that they have to deal with it almost on
a daily basis and for prolonged periods. Flying checkpoint is in
fact a roadblock operated by Israeli soldiers and is set up
randomly on Palestinian roads supposedly for security checks.
Palestinians who has to deal with flying checkpoints usually has
to wait sometime ranging from 20 minutes to 90 minutes and in
certain areas more than that. Its impact is more of a
psychologically nature and more devastative than permanent
checkpoints. Most of the flying checkpoints in the West Bank occur
in the northern part of the West Bank particularly in Nablus,
Tubas and Jenin governorates. It is worth mentioning that
Palestinian residents (Students, workers, children and women) have
a hard times accessing these checkpoints and are forced to wait
long hours until they are finally allowed to pass. These
restrictions make it difficult for Palestinians to reach their
destinations, to access hospitals, schools and universities. Other
than that Palestinians crossing the Israeli checkpoints has to
deal with the Israeli soldiers mood swings as people often get
humiliated, attacked, assaulted or beaten. Tables below show the
Israeli checkpoints surrounding the northern governorates of the
West Bank.
Table 2: Israeli
checkpoints surrounding Nablus governorate
|
Israeli checkpoint |
Glance about the
checkpoints |
|
Za'tara checkpoint |
Lies 11 kilometers to the south of
Nablus city and is situated on bypass road # 60. This
Israeli checkpoint was established on the expense of
Palestinian lands of Huwwara and Iskaka villages. Za'tara
checkpoint is the gateway between the northern Palestinian
governorates Jenin, Tulkarm and Nablus with the middle and
southern governorates of Ramallah, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and
Hebron. It also links the western governorates of Qalqiliya
and Salfit with the eastern governorates of Tubas and
Jericho in the Jordan valley. |
|
Huwwara |
It Is located 4 kilometers south of
Nablus city and is considered as one of the most restricted
checkpoints in the West Bank. Palestinians traveling through
this checkpoint usually face the daily restriction on
movements as no men under the age of 35 are allowed to cross
under any circumstances. |
|
Beit Iba |
It Is located 8.5 kilometers to the
northwest of Nablus
city; it lies between the two villages of Beit Iba and Deir
Sharaf. This checkpoint is considered the only gateway to
the governorates of Qalqiliya and Tulkarm. Beit Iba
checkpoint opens daily from 05:00 A.M until 17:30 PM.
Men under the age 30 are not allowed to cross the checkpoint
unless they have special permit from the Israeli Civil
Administration. |
|
Beit Furik |
Located about 3.5 kilometers to the east
of Nablus city. It controls the movement of five Palestinian
villages trapped into two separate enclaves, the first
includes the villages of Beit Furik and Beit Dajan while the
second enclave includes the villages of Salem, Deir El Hatab
and Azmut. An Israeli road cuts through the two enclaves,
which leads to the Israeli settlement Allon Moreh.
Palestinians are prohibited from accessing this road as it
is only used by the Israeli settlers of Allon Moreh and
Itamar. |
|
'Asera Ash Shamaliya |
It is located 5 kilometers northwest of
Nablus city. This checkpoint is designated to pedestrians.
Vehicles are incapable to cross through due to the several
earth mounds layers set up by the Israeli Army. |
|
'Awarta |
It is located 3.5 kilometers to the
south of Nablus city and about one kilometer from Huwwara
checkpoint. This checkpoint is used for moving goods in and
out of the city. 'Awarta checkpoint opens daily between 6
A.M and 6 P.M. |
|
Shave Shomron |
Shave Shomron checkpoint, is the only
gateway way between Nablus and Jenin governorates. It lies
10.5 kilometers northwest of Nablus city and its use is
restricted to Palestinians holding special permits from the
Israeli Civil Administration. |
|
At Tur |
Lies 2 kilometers to the southwest of
Nablus city and connects the Samaritan district of Jerzim
with Nablus city. This checkpoint opens only for Samaritans
and occasionally opens for Palestinian vehicles. |
|
Ma'ale Efrayim |
Located 16.5 kilometers southeast of
Nablus city. It connects Jericho governorate with Nablus
Governorate. This checkpoint is classified amongest the most
difficult checkpoints established in the West Bank as
Palestinians accessing this checkpoints face the harshest
inspection measures until they're allowed to enter Nbalus
Governorate. |
Map of checkpoints in Nablus Governorate
Table 3: The Israeli
checkpoints surrounding Jenin governorate
|
Israeli checkpoint |
Glance about the
checkpoints |
|
Salem DCL (District Civilian Liaison Office) |
Located 12.25 kilometers to the
northwest of Jenin city on the 1949 Armistice Line (Green
Line). It's the only entrance to Jenin, the Israel DCL
office and the nearby military base. Palestinians are only
allowed to pass through this checkpoint to access the DCL
office. The checkpoint opens seasonally to farmers, mainly
in harvest times as to allow Palestinian farmers from
harvesting their products. |
|
Reikhan |
It was inaugurated in August 2004. It
lies 17.25 kilometers to the west of Jenin city.
Construction works and militarized activities are taking
place at the checkpoint in an attempt to turn it into a
crossing border. |
|
Mevo Dotan |
Located 11.5 kilometers to the southwest
of Jenin city. It is connected with the regional road # 585. |
|
Al Jalama commercial terminal |
Al Jalama terminal is one of the 10 main
terminals Israel announced to construct in September 2004
along the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Al Jalama a is
Back-to- Back terminal which lies on the 1949 Armistice Line
(Green Line) to the north of Jenin city. |
map of checkpoints in Jenin Governorate.
Table 4: The Israeli
checkpoints surrounding Tulkarem governorate
|
Israeli checkpoint |
Glance about the
checkpoints |
|
Jubara |
Located 4 kilometers to the south of the
Palestinian city of Tulkarm. The checkpoint lies on road
#557 which connects cities inside the 1949 Armistice Line
(Green Line) with towns and villages in Tulkarem
Governorate. |
|
Al Kafriat |
It is located at the southern entrance
of Tulkarm city and serves farmers from Far�un
and Ar-Ras villages. |
|
Al Tayba |
Located to the southwest of Tulkarm city
on the 1949 Armistice Line (Green Line). This checkpoint is
open for trades using the commercial Back-to-Back system.
Official opening hours are from 7:30 A.M to 17:00 P.M and
closes on Saturdays. |
|
'Anabta
|
It is situated on Nablus-Tulkarm
roadway. The Israeli forces manning the checkpoint do not
allow Jenin residents to cross it and it is usually closed
to men under the age of 35. |
|
Sha�ar
Ephraim (Commercial Terminal)
|
Sha�ar
Ephraim terminal located in Tulkarem governorate and
classified a commercial passage for merchandise between
northern governorates and Israel. It is also to be used be
Palestinians in possession of Israeli issued permits to
enter Israel for employment purposes. The terminal, which
stands as an integrated part of the Israeli Segregation Wall
built on Tulkarem's lands has been under construction for
sometime. |
map
of checkpoints in Tulkarm Governorate.
Table 5: The Israeli
checkpoints surrounding Qalqiliya governorate
|
Israeli checkpoint |
Glance about the
checkpoints |
|
Qalqiliya north |
It is located about one kilometer to the
north of Qalqilyah city and operates daily from 4:00 A.M-
19:00 P.M. The checkpoint is for pedestrians use only;
vehicles are prevented from crossing it. |
|
Jaljoulia |
Located 3 kilometers away from the 1949
Armistice Line (Green Line). Access is only granted to those
holding permits and it opens 24 hours a day. |
|
Jit |
This checkpoint lies 20 kilometers to
the northeast of Qalqilyah city, on Nablus- Qalqilyah
roadway. |
map
of checkpoints in Qalqiliya Governorate.
Table 6: The Israeli
checkpoints surrounding Salfit governorate
|
Israeli checkpoint |
Glance about the
checkpoints |
|
Kafr Kasem |
It is located 0.7 kilo meters meters
away from the Green line and is situated 17 kilometers to
the northwest of Salfit city. |
|
Deir Ballut |
Located 13.5 kilometers to the west of
Salfit governorate and opens from 6:30 A.M till 18:00 P.M.
|
map
of checkpoints in Salfit Governorate.
Table 7: The Israeli
checkpoints surrounding Tubas governorate
|
Israeli checkpoint |
Glance about the
checkpoints |
|
Bisan |
Situated on the 1949 Armistice Line
(Green Line) and lies 15 kilometers to the northeast of
Tubas city. This checkpoint is manned 24 hours a day by
Israeli forces. |
|
Tayasir |
Located 6.8 kilometers to the east of
Tubas city. It was established near the Jordan Valley at the
outbreak of the Second Intifada. It's considered to be the
first checkpoint that drew an eastern border of the West
Bank. It has been recently replaced by a terminal-like
building in which electronic devices are used. |
map of checkpoints in Tubas Governorate.
To
Conclude
Despite international condemnation, Israel continues with its
plan to erect more and more illegal checkpoints in an attempt to
isolate the northern part of the West Bank from its south. More
than that, Israeli checkpoints intend to humiliate Palestinians
and have caused the death of hundreds over the years. All the
Israeli established obstacles throughout the occupied Palestinian
territory are used by Israel as another tool of collective
punishment, which is forbidden under international law.
