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Israel removes dozens of West Bank roadblocks
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff

Recent weeks have seen a dramatic change in Israel's roadblock policy in the West Bank. Right under the nose of the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israel Defense Forces has lifted some of the main, permanent roadblocks in the West Bank, which have played a central role in restricting the movement of Palestinians, mostly between the main Palestinian cities.

The decision of the defense establishment to ease Palestinian travel very much reflects the steps the Palestinian Authority security forces have taken against the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank. American pressure and demands the Palestinians be allowed to move freely in areas where there is no security risk are also a factor.

Currently, there are only 10 manned roadblocks within the West Bank (excluding those linking the territories with Israel), and searches are not carried out at every one of them. A year and a half ago, there were 35 manned roadblocks in operation.
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Moreover, the defense establishment has allowed several hundred Palestinian businessmen, holders of BMC (Businessman Card) permits, free access to Israel. However, the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says its data shows there are 630 different obstacles and roadblocks in place throughout the West Bank.

A week ago the DCO roadblock (set up by the Civil Administration) was removed from the way heading into Jericho from the south. This gives the city's residents free access to all parts of the West Bank. The lifting of the roadblock to Jericho also allows access to the city to Israelis who might want to visit the casino there.

Twenty days ago the DCO roadblock to the eastern entrance to Qalqiliyah was removed, and the Einav roadblock east of Tul Karm was also lifted. In it place there are soldiers but they do not check Palestinian vehicles but only cars with Israeli license plates to prevent Israeli citizens from entering Palestinian towns.

At the roadblock of Shavei Shomron, on the exit from Jenin to Nablus, checks on Palestinian vehicles are no longer being carried out.

In essence, Palestinians from the main cities can now travel in the northern West Bank without any security checks.

The roadblocks surrounding Nablus, a city that had been under complete siege, have now all been lifted. Several months ago the roadblocks to the west and east of the city were dismantled, and two weeks ago the northern and southern roadblocks were also lifted.

Soldiers where the Nablus roadblocks stood prevent cars with Israelis from entering the city during the week, but Israeli Arabs are allowed into the city on Friday and Saturday.

The soldiers are also under orders to carry our random checks of Palestinian vehicles.

On a trip to Ramallah, Palestinians will be checked at the Za'atra roadblock, which is south of Hawara, but Palestinian eyewitnesses said there are no delays. This is the only roadblock in the northern West Bank where checks of Palestinian vehicles are still being carried out. On average, a trip between Ramallah to Jenin takes 90 minutes, while several months ago it took hours.

Last week the Aatra (Bir Zeit) roadblock north of Ramallah was lifted. Between Ramallah and the southern West Bank, Hebron and Bethlehem, the Jaba roadblock is still in operation at the Adam-La Ram junction. Palestinians told Haaretz there are still random checks on cars, but Israeli security sources said only Israeli vehicles are subjected to checks to avoid accidental entry of Israeli citizens into unauthorized Palestinian areas.

Haaretz was told "the matter will be taken care of" by security sources.

The Wadi Nar roadblock, located northeast of Bethlehem, remains manned, and random checks of vehicles are carried out. Residents of Hebron, in the southern West Bank, wishing to travel north to Jenin, will be stopped at two roadblocks for random checks, and the delays are not long.

The decision to lift the roadblocks was made by the commander of the Judean and Samaria Division, Brigadier General Noam Tivon, along with Brigadier General Yoav Mordechai, commander of the Civial Administration. Mordechai and Tivon will meet with their Palestinian counterparts today at the PA's headquarters in Bethlehem.

The dismantling of the roadblocks may have begun under while Ehud Olmert was prime minister, but the pace was significantly slower than it is today. The World Bank, the international community and the Americans demanded that Israel take substantive action to improve the lot of the Palestinians in the West Bank.

The World Bank stressed in each of its recent reports that only a substantive change in the roadblock situation and easing of restrictions on movement between Palestinian cities would enable economic growth in the PA.

The lifting of the roadblocks is being done with the authorization of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, the Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and with the blessing of the Shin Bet.

On a number of occasions Netanyahu has said that he is in a position to take action to improve the day-to-day life of Palestinians in the West Bank in a way that would significantly better the economic conditions in the area.

Both Netanyahu and Barak believe that ultimately they will have no choice but to evacuate the outposts in line with American demands. While that evacuation will be met by reaction from the right wing, lifting roadblocks does not bear a significant domestic political price if there are no terrorist attacks as a result of the easing of restrictions.

Moreover, the good relations between Netanyahu and Barak has enabled the prime minister to rally the defense minister in support of removing roadblocks, while the bad blood between Olmert and Barak blocked progress on the issue.

The latest easing of travel for the Palestinians allows Israel to claim it is meeting its promises to lift restrictions and is contributing to the bettering of the Palestinian economy.

An Israeli security source told Haaretz that "the improved security situation in the West Bank permitted the lifting of the roadblocks. "When there is law and order, [and] there are no armed [Palestinians] in the streets and efforts are made to prevent terrorism, then there is no need for roadblocks," said the source.

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      1.   Perhaps Abbas has a vision 17:00  |  judith 01/11/09
      2.   Israel removes roadblocks 17:00  |  gadban 01/11/09
      3.   A drastic change of policy for Mr. Netanyah 17:00  |  Mark Lincoln 01/11/09
      4.   Bait. 17:00  |  BBSNews 01/11/09
      5.   oh please spare us. 17:00  |  sami 01/11/09
      6.   Don`t Gamble our lives away on false promises and lulls 17:00  |  Baruch Gold 01/11/09
      7.   Improved Arab economy yes but more terrorism no 17:00  |  Baruch Gold 01/11/09
      8.   window dressing and nothing more 17:00  |  peacelover 01/11/09
      9.   The author couldn`t resist the urge to present opinion as fact 17:00  |  Jane 01/11/09
      10.   Roadblocks 17:00  |  John 01/11/09
      11.   Abbas the moderate. 17:00  |  Lane 01/11/09
      12.   #5 Sami - gee, why are the blocks there? 17:00  |  eli75 01/11/09
      13.   The old switcheroo 17:00  |  Joel 01/11/09
      14.   abbas just released all hamas that were arrested 17:00  |  vik 01/11/09
      15.   #6 These are roadblocks INSIDE the West Bank, Baruch 17:00  |  Johnboy 01/11/09
      16.   THEATER/TRICKS Again? Removed...TODAY. Back In Place...TOMORROW! 17:00  |  U.S. Pal Defender 01/11/09
      17.   #7 Baruch -- Deal With YOUR/ISRAEL`s Terrorism Issues! 17:00  |  U.S. Pal Defender 01/11/09
      18.   Gadban 17:00  |  Brad 01/11/09
      19.   Mark Lincon 17:00  |  Brad 01/11/09
      20.   BBS 17:00  |  Brad 01/11/09
      21.   Son of palestine 17:00  |  Brad 01/11/09
      22.   #5 sami of Palestine 17:00  |  S 01/11/09
      23.   removal of roadblocks 17:00  |  rm 01/11/09
      24.   Huwwara 17:00  |  West Banker 01/11/09
      25.   Block the settlers in Hebron, not palestinians 17:00  |  Joe W 01/11/09
      26.   Good News! 17:00  |  Gili 01/11/09
      27.   Let`s now remove roadblocks INSIDE the green line 17:00  |  yona 01/11/09
      28.   this is actually good news - 17:00  |  ivo 01/11/09
      29.   road blocks 17:00  |  emilia 01/11/09
      30.   Good news! 17:00  |  john Spear 01/11/09
      31.   Block the settlers, Joe W. 17:00  |  john Spear 01/11/09
      32.   First admit the roadblocks 17:00  |  Sandra 01/11/09
      33.   The name Nablus is wrong 17:00  |  Jackie 01/11/09
      34.   The name Nablus is wrong 17:00  |  Jackie 01/11/09
      35.   Ingenious! 17:00  |  Jon 01/11/09
      36.   Jackie and Nabus (not Shechem) 17:00  |  David James Vickery 01/11/09
      37.   Oht hank you for allowing us to move freely in our country 17:00  |  Pal 01/11/09
      38.   A Casino in the West Bank? 17:00  |  Lynn 01/11/09
      39.   A very good step, not just PR. 17:00  |  Gil 01/11/09
      40.   Listen to the griping 17:00  |  Lynn 01/11/09
      41.   enabling economic growth in the PA 17:00  |  Akiva P 01/11/09
      42.   Lift roadblocks = Palestinian Homicide bombers 17:00  |  D 01/11/09
      43.   To Lynn #40- absolutely right 17:00  |  Gil 01/11/09
      44.   Removal of roadblocks PROVES that Israel is not interested 17:00  |  Boris 01/11/09
      45.   to Brad.... Don´t forget that israel had its... 17:00  |  Tony Silver 01/11/09
      46.   Jericho Casino 17:00  |  yona 01/11/09
      47.   Road blocks 17:00  |  Just Asking 01/11/09
      48.   road blocks 17:00  |  Mick MCClanahan 01/11/09
      49.   #6 17:00  |  Harold 01/11/09
      50.   #12 17:00  |  Harold 01/11/09
      51.   Tony Silver #45 17:00  |  Jew 01/11/09
      52.   Israel, the State born of terrorism--dares to berate others. 17:00  |  Jane@amazon.com 01/11/09
      53.   Any incident will make the israeli rise the numbers again 17:00  |  Kris Lazar 01/11/09
      54.   do everytning to take the focus off illegal settlements 17:00  |  Labhras 01/11/09
      55.   #45 Hi Yo Silver - Don`t ignore why 17:00  |  *BEN JABO 01/11/09
      56.   sacrificing more jewish lives on the altar of leftis`m 17:00  |  chaim schonbrun 01/11/09
      57.   Obama`s role 17:00  |  Genya 01/11/09
      58.   Thank you BOTH, Bibi & Barak 17:00  |  Shlomit 01/11/09
      59.   #45 Tony Silver - Those weren`t "Terrorist" orgs. 17:00  |  *BEN JABO 01/11/09
      60.   #32 Sandra...no one I know of is denying 17:00  |  Lynn 01/11/09
      61.   Gil.....boosting the economy is a good first step 17:00  |  Lynn 01/11/09
      62.   #37 Pal....there are road blocks in Atlanta? 17:00  |  Lynn 01/11/09
      63.   It is clear , less terror =less restrictions 17:00  |  TOMY 01/11/09
      64.   Credit where credit is due 17:00  |  r cummings 01/11/09
      65.   Come to the casino, Lynn 17:00  |  yona 01/11/09
      66.   Hebron belongs to the Tribe of Judah 17:00  |  Maria 01/11/09
      67.   #65 yona....I don`t think the Pals of the West Bank 17:00  |  Lynn 01/11/09
      68.   Jew in Tel Aviv # 51 17:00  |  Sammar 01/11/09
      69.   # 67 Lynn 17:00  |  Sammar 01/11/09
      70.   True, Lynn, WB was biggest cultural interface between Jews & 17:00  |  yona 01/11/09
      71.   Just wait the terror always follows 17:00  |  Baruch Gold 01/11/09
      72.   Lynn #67 17:00  |  Guido 01/11/09
      73.   YES MARIA@66 Hebron belongs to the Tribe of Judah 17:00  |  JUST ME 01/11/09
      74.   This move is nothing but a big show for Americans 17:00  |  AM Citizen 01/11/09
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