Israel accused of 'road apartheid' in West Bank

[Englander]

Chris McGreal in Jerusalem
Thursday October 20, 2005
The Guardian

The Israeli military has blocked Palestinians from driving on the main artery through the West Bank in a first step towards what Israeli human rights groups say is total "road apartheid" being enforced throughout the occupied territory.

The army sealed off access to Route 60 after the fatal shooting of three settlers near Bethlehem on Sunday. No private Palestinian cars are permitted on the road although public transport is still allowed.

The Israeli newspaper Maariv yesterday said the government quietly gave the military the go-ahead earlier this week for a plan to culminate in barring all Palestinians from roads used by Israelis in the West Bank. "The purpose is to reach, in a gradual manner, within a year or two, total separation between the two populations. The first and immediate stage of separation applies to the roads in the territories: roads for Israelis only and roads for Palestinians only," the newspaper said.

The Palestinian leadership and others claim the separation plan, and the road network to make it possible, are elements of a wider strategy to carve out new Israeli borders inside the West Bank alongside the 420-mile security barrier under construction and expansion of settlements. The plan for the occupied territory reserves the main roads for Jewish settlers and other Israelis while Palestinians will be confined to secondary routes, many little better than dirt tracks or roads which have yet to be built. Palestinian vehicles, including heavy lorries, travelling from Bethlehem to Ramallah, for instance, will be forced to take a lengthy route on a narrow road through the hills while Israelis driving between settlements near to each of the towns will travel on a highway.

More at;
Guardian Unlimited

[pelsar]

1. what the terrorists want...

and the cheerleaders just keep on falling for it.

the terrorists understand that they cant "beat israel"..they can only terrorize....and they also understand that, even that wont be enough...blow up busses, blow up resturants, target as many civilians as possible, use 14 year old kids, women......nothing seems to work, no matter how violent how "unethical".....

but push israel into using non voilent methods to defend itself, that keep the terrorists out, that separate the populations, that....and that causes intl condemnation....that produces results...and that is the goal of the terrorists..so they keep on terrorizing, keep on attacking civilians and they will so long as they can push the intl into condeming israel for their actions....

those "useful idiots".....

so hows the self rule in gaza coming along?

[Violet_Crumble]

2. Uh, pelsar. It's occupied territory...

If Israel wants to protect its citizens who insist on living outside of Israel, then instead of using a form of collective punishment on the Palestinian people, Israel should remove the settlements from occupied territory and move all its citizens back to Israel...

There is NO justification for collective punishment where an entire population is made to suffer for the actions of a few...

Violet...