Middle East Studies

Source: New York Times
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/28/world/middleeast/28road.html?ref=middleeast

The Supreme Court of Israel recently handed down a ruling that allowed the army to restrict Palestinians from using Highway 443, a major road into Jerusalem from Palestinian territory in the West Bank. Over 40,000 Israeli cars use the road daily, but access from local Palestinian villages is blocked. Palestinians are crying foul and declaring that this decision supports legal apartheid in the West Bank. They recall how in the early 1980’s the Supreme Court allowed the road to be built on Palestinian land because it was to serve them and to be for their benefit and now they cannot use it. Israelis, on the other hand, are insisting that this is again a safety measure. They cite five Israelis murders from drive bys in 2001 and numerous other injuries from stone throwing. They also insist that different roads will be built nearby to accommodate Palestinians.

This road is one of a number of “segregated” roads around Jerusalem and this decision by the Supreme Court, and although it does not address the legality of separate roads, it encourages their development. It marks a new form of restriction of movement around the West Bank that Palestinians have to deal with, along with checkpoints, whose numbers are growing by the year. Palestinians are rightfully declaring this an apartheid policy, which is illegal under international law, and that it is only more unjust separation into inferior conditions. If this policy of separation becomes more widespread, Palestinians’ lives will become even more difficult, but perhaps more pressure will be put on Israel from the International Community as it can be interpreted that they are breaking a UN declaration. Nevertheless, this policy may protect the lives of a few Israeli motorists from flying rocks and bullets.

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