Palestinians barred from Dead Sea beaches to 'appease Israeli settlers'

[Violet_Crumble]

By Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem
Saturday, 14 June 2008

Palestinians are being regularly and illegally barred from reaching Dead Sea beaches in the occupied West Bank, according to a Supreme Court petition filed by Israel's leading civil rights organisation.


The Association of Civil Rights (Acri) in Israel is challenging what it says is the frequently imposed ban by the military on Palestinians seeking to swim or relax at beaches in the northern Dead Sea. The salt-saturated sea is the only open water accessible to Palestinians from the otherwise landlocked West Bank.

The petition says that the Israeli military is using the Beit Ha'arava checkpoint on Route 90 – the only open access route in the occupied West Bank for travel to the Dead Sea – to turn back Palestinians, mainly but not exclusively on weekends and Jewish holidays.

Acri says that the ban is to appease Israeli settlers operating concessions along the Dead Sea's northern shore. They fear losing Jewish customers if there are large numbers of Arabs using the beaches in territory seized by Israel during the Six Day War in 1967.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/palestinians-barred-from-dead-sea-beaches-to-appease-israeli-settlers-846948.html

[Taverner]

1. This is what not talking does

I don't care what you say, they are not talking now.

Both sides get worse and worse.

[dipsydoodle]

2. The Israelis keeping themselves high in the popularity stakes

as usual. Not sarcasm : just a simple fact of life.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

3. If the tables were reversed here...

...and it was Palestinians in authority and imposing these kinds of restrictions on Israelis, can there be any doubt what label would be immediately applied to it?

Here's a look at what actually goes on over there:

(1/5) http://youtube.com/watch?v=0tAe3cbrT-w

(2/5) http://youtube.com/watch?v=Iku88saobmQ&feature=related

(3/5) http://youtube.com/watch?v=esc6199w6iw

(4/5) http://youtube.com/watch?v=t38NTvl2Gnw

(5/5) http://youtube.com/watch?v=7BGUv4KNbAs

[oberliner]

6. The same label that is applied to Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates?

Israeli citizens are refused entry into both of those countries.

[Violet_Crumble]

7. I'm not quite understanding how this is a 'if the tables were turned' thing...

You do realise that Palestinians in the West Bank are not visiting another country when they try to go to the Dead Sea? I'm not seeing the parrallels here...

[oberliner]

8. Palestinians do not have a country from which to restrict Israelis

There are Arab states however which do have that power and do make that choice.

I can't be entirely sure what the other poster meant when posting the comment about the tables being turned. The implication seemed to me that the poster was asking folks to imagine what would happen if Israelis faced a similar kind of prejudicial treatment.

My point is that there are unfair restrictions placed on Israelis for no other reason than the fact that they are Israeli.

Prejudicial policies against Israelis are in place around the region, so in that sense, those particular tables have already been turned.

Once this conflict is over and an independent Palestinian state is established, I would hope that Israelis and Palestinians would be able to travel to one another's country relatively freely.

I would also hope that Israeli citizens would be permitted to travel to countries like Kuwait and the UAE.

[Violet_Crumble]

10. The OP isn't about restricting anyone from another country...

It's about Palestinians in the West Bank not being allowed to go to another part of the West Bank. When someone talks about 'tables being turned' it's obvious that what's meant is if the situations were reversed - in this case if it were Israelis who were the occupied people and it was Palestinians not allowing them to go to the beach. 'Tables being turned' doesn't mean to bring up something completely different...

[oberliner]

11. Narrow interpretation

I'm not sure that the only way to take the post to which I responded is the manner in which you are interpreting it, but so be it.

In any case, based on the information presented in the article, I agree with the Israeli organization who has raised this issue and I hope that action is taken.

Once we have two states living side by side at peace with one another, these particular issues will no longer exist.

[grassfed]

12. thank you

I'm referring your post to

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x215345

[wtmusic]

4. Answer: build a wall

isn't that always best?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

5. Speechless. Utterly speechless. Truly, is there NO SHAME??!!

[LeftishBrit]

9. Disgusting.

I hope the petition is successful!