Occupation 101 - Borders

A major question of sovereignty is the control over one’s own borders. The Palestinians have none whatsoever.

To travel abroad from the oPt (Occupied Palestinian Territories), one can theoretically speaking either fly out of Tel Aviv, cross into Jordan from one of the three border crossings, or into Egypt.

The Palestinians, however, don’t get to choose: their only way out is through Jordan, whether going to Jordan or otherwise. The only airport they can fly out of is Amman.

And to get to Amman, they are only allowed to go through one unique border crossing, the King Hussein Bridge (or Allenby Bridge).

So one has to travel to Jericho by bus or car, then get into a special (Palestinian) bus, where a Palestinian soldier will check your passport. Palestinian officers will actually get on the bus to check your paperwork, you don’t have to get out. Then, onward to the first Israeli check - essentially get off go through a metal detector and show the passports to a soldier who will just look at them (no data entry or recording of any sort) so this one is essentially needless. Then, onwards to the Israeli customs. Yes, we are still in the West Bank; but it’s Israeli customs nevertheless.

Imagine if Russia was to record every person that travels into or out of the US; and actually decides who would or would not be allowed. Absurd, no?

So, Israeli customs will take as long as they will. You pay an exit tax of 105 shekels - a hefty 30 dollars. Which goes to Israel, of course. Then, onwards to another bus to go pick up your luggage, which would meanwhile have been piled up on a side of the highway. Literally. Piled up, and not so neatly either.

So you get off and start looking for your stuff in the mess, which is very, very disrespectful.

Then, you cross the King Hussein bridge, and you’re in Jordan, where you go through your fourth passport check (one Palestinian, two Israelis, and now a Jordanian) of the trip.

THEN you’re in Jordan; and from there you take a car or bus to your destination, or to the airport to fly from there abroad.

The trip took me 6 hours. 6 hours for 180 km tops.

In the summer, though, with delays and with the pressure on this single entry and exit point, it can take up to...

40 hours. 40 hours, sitting in buses or on uncomfortable benches to cross a stupid border.

The opening hours of the border don’t help, either. The traveller in me finds ludicrous that a border would close in the first place. Now, since the Israelis, whimsical as they are, control the King Hussein bridge on the Palestinian side, everyone follows their timing this it is the most constraining... 5 days a week, the Bridge is open from 8 to 4pm (officially to 6pm, but that’s a lie); and on Friday and Saturday, it’s open from 8 to 11:30 AM (officially to 2pm).

I was trying to travel back to the West Bank from Jordan last weekend, and I arrived to the bridge at 12:00 noon on Saturday, and was meanly sent back. I took a car for roughly 100 km north, crossed from the Jordan River / Sheikh Hussein bridge, which is reserved for Israelis and foreigners, then 100 km south to get to Jerusalem from which I took a bus to Ramallah. The trip took me 8 hours. EIGHT hours for what should’ve been a stupid 2 hours max trip, because we need to obey Israeli restrictions even if we’re not going anywhere near Israel.

I kept wondering how travelling would’ve been - if I were 70 years old, or if I were a mother with her three children. If I were sick. If I had an emergency.

Gaza’s border with Egypt - well, that’s easy: they’re closed for everything but a small number of medical emergencies. Roughly 10% of those who apply (2 weeks in advance) for an exit permit from the Israelis are allowed out. Then the Egyptians need to approve them in, and they’re a little nicer about it but are still a long way from where they should be. Nothing is allowed in or out, save for some humanitarian supplies, and some fuel (roughly 15% of the needs of the Strip). More on Gaza some other day, though.