Israel Partly Reopens West Bank Road to Palestinians

[Mosby]

BEIT SIRA, West Bank — Israel’s military on Friday partly opened a major highway that runs through the West Bank to local Palestinian traffic, the latest twist in the story of a road that for many Palestinians has become a symbol of the injustices of Israeli occupation.

The military had resisted opening the road, known as Highway 443, because of security fears, but it was forced to do so by an Israeli Supreme Court ruling that deemed its continued closing to Palestinians — and its sole use by Israelis — inconsistent with the rules of international law regarding a belligerent occupation.

Still, residents of the Palestinian villages that line the hills along the route, like Beit Sira, say that the new arrangements will make little difference.

West Bank Palestinians using the highway still will not be able to enter Ramallah, the nearest Palestinian city, directly because the Israeli-controlled crossing point that leads from the road into the city is for cargo only. The new system mainly allows for limited movement among the villages themselves.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/world/middleeast/29israel.html?ref=middleeast