Checkpoints and the Freedom of Movement

Not only has the wall restricted the movements of Palestinians within Palestine, but so have checkpoints. This combination, along with other things, serves to divide Palestinians, in an effort to minimize opposition to the occupation.

At permanent checkpoints, all those traveling though must present their documents. Israeli’s are let through immediately, and this is usually the case for internationals. Palestinians, though, must present their id, have it scanned and checked, and then must put their hand on a scanner in order to take their fingerprints.

The checkpoints are run by Israeli soldiers, and they do many things to delay and humiliate Palestinians. [The following are all things that I witnessed at checkpoints] Often they will only open one of the lines for Palestinians to pass, no matter how many people are waiting in line. Other soldiers will stand around and chat, instead of opening another line. The soldier who is running the only operating line will often be on the phone, taking their time in checking documents, even yelling at Palestinians who seem to be ‘hurrying’ them.

Then there is the metal detector. When I was passing through, a Palestinian set off the detector, and immediately was screamed at by a soldier. He went back, took out the coins in his pocket, and then passed through. I then passed through, also setting it off. A voice started screaming at me, too, in Hebrew. Of course I didn’t understand, so I went back through and started to take off my belt. But the yelling continued, and finally a soldier screamed in English “go through, go through”.

Many have to go through these checkpoints on a daily basis, and it is really a draining process. People are turned back for no reason whatsoever- it just depends on the mood of the 19-year-old soldier on duty. I saw one man who lived in Jerusalem and had the proper identification turned back without a reason. He pleaded and pleaded to be let through so he could go home, but was denied.

Pastor Mitri Raheb, a Christian Palestinian who is pastor at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, wrote a great book called “Bethlehem Besieged”, which includes many examples of what life is like under the occupation. His step father, in an ambulance on the way to Jerusalem to one of the hospitals with heart troubles, was denied entry even with documentation permitting him into Jerusalem. They tried another checkpoint, which allowed the step father to pass, but not the ambulance. So they had to wait 30 minutes for an ambulance from Jerusalem to come. Sometime during this process he had a stroke, and died the next day. The checkpoints are a matter of life and death.

All this is done in the name of ‘security’.