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Last update - 22:39 27/06/2007 Peace Now: Israel does not need so many checkpoints in W. Bank By Reuters The Peace Now group said on Wednesday that Israel could do without many of its military checkpoints in the West Bank. Visiting two of more than 500 roadblocks Israel operates in the West Bank, officials of the Peace Now group questioned the efficacy of many of the checkpoints that hamper Palestinians' movement on roads that do not lead into Israel. "These checkpoints don't prevent terrorists from infiltrating into Israel," Hagit Ofran of Peace Now told reporters at a checkpoint near Jerusalem, where soldiers monitored passing Palestinian vehicles, occasionally stopping a driver to see identification papers. Advertisement Most Palestinian drivers at the crossing, roughly half-way between Bethlehem and Ramallah, would have to face at least one additional checkpoint, if they wanted to enter Israel, she said. If Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "wants to show he is serious about going towards some kind of political negotiation, the easiest thing to do is to ease traffic in the West Bank," Ofran added. Olmert pledged at a summit in Egypt on Monday to ease travel restrictions for more than two million Palestinians living in the territory, a bid to boost support for Western-backed Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah in his rivalry with Islamist Hamas, which seized control of Gaza this month. But aides to Olmert have said Israel would wait to implement such steps until Abbas made more efforts to rein in militants. The Israel Defense Forces has also lobbied against removing West Bank roadblocks, arguing this could hamper its security efforts and to keep suicide bombers away from the country's cities. The IDF had no immediate comment on Peace Now's recommendations. Palestinians have long denounced the checkpoints as a collective punishment measure that also hampers their economy. In a page-long report, Peace Now said Israel had built 560 roadblocks in the West Bank, since the second Intifada in 2000. Of these, 467 consist of metal fencing, earth mounds and concrete barricades used to shut roads, the report says. Another 93 are full military checkpoints staffed by soldiers and 58 of which - or more than 60 percent - monitor roads that run only inside the West Bank, the lobbyists said in the report. Bookmark to del.icio.us   By the numbers A study shows Jewish Israeli men live almost four years longer than Israeli Arabs. Local threat The Shin Bet arrests two Bedouin, accused of supplying information to al-Qaida.   1.   Don`t mess with Israel`s success in stopping suicide bombers 23:47  |  MM 27/06/07   2.   Peace Now Is Only Talking To Itself 00:01  |  Yoram 28/06/07   3.   They should change their name to Terrorism Now 00:11  |  McQueen 28/06/07   4.   Ahh, the plot thickens 00:23  |  El Haq 28/06/07   5.   Alternative Plot 00:29  |  El Haq 28/06/07   6.   Alternative plot (continued) 00:32  |  El Haq 28/06/07   7.   Oy - Peace Now again? 00:48  |  Joe Sittizen 28/06/07   8.   Stop useless harassements of Pals 01:05  |  Joe 28/06/07   9.   Peace Now`s only value is as reverse indicator. 01:40  |  Chaim 28/06/07   10.   checkpoints 01:43  |  colin 28/06/07   11.   It is ain`t broke don`t fix it 01:46  |  Jeff Ward 28/06/07   12.   Let the Peace Now Nicks 01:49  |  Brad 28/06/07   13.   Peace Now EU Funded Spies Traitors 01:56  |  Sam Weinstein 28/06/07   14.   What kind of a name is Peace Now anyhow? 02:05  |  Bill 28/06/07   15.   #1 Suicide Bombers 02:22  |  Atoo 28/06/07   16.   #3-5 "El Hack" -- thanks for your totally one-sided analysis 02:24  |  McQueen 28/06/07   17.   Foreign agents a threat to Israel 02:54  |  Brod 28/06/07   18.   Peace Now Doesn`t Understand Israel`s Strategy 03:05  |  Double Click 28/06/07   19.   Undermining Security 03:10  |  Brod 28/06/07   20.   to McQueen 03:44  |  El Haq 28/06/07   21.   @MM 03:47  |  Sebastian 28/06/07   22.   Peace Now proposal is acceptable for Gaza--parashute them 03:48  |  Sal 28/06/07   23.   To Peace Now Israel dosn`t need many Israelis! 03:59  |  Stuart 28/06/07   24.   #8 Joe - VA 04:13  |  * BEN JABO 28/06/07   25.   It`s not Peace Now - It`s Capitulation ASAP 04:14  |  * BEN JABO 28/06/07   26.   #15 Atoo - Canada 04:22  |  * BEN JABO 28/06/07   27.   #18 Double Click - Part 1 04:32  |  * BEN JABO 28/06/07   28.   #18-2 Double Click - Part 2 04:39  |  * BEN JABO 28/06/07   29.   Shalom Achshav 04:39  |  Mark Katzman 28/06/07   30.   Israel does not need "Peace Now" 04:52  |  Mufasa 28/06/07   31.   There will be no "Peace Now", and no peace in our time 05:08  |  Voice of Reason 28/06/07   32.   Israel can remove all the checkpoints 05:09  |  Avrum 28/06/07   33.   CHECKPOINTS 13:20  |  YAAKOV 28/06/07

Read & React Iran test fires missiles said to be capable of striking Israel, U.S. Responses: 385 Editorial: Israel must protect Palestinians from Jewish violence Responses: 163 Two Israelis arrested for allegedly aiding al-Qaida Responses: 80 Deodorant maker apologizes for topless DJ, Haredim still angry Responses: 104 Rosner's Domain On Iraq, Obama draws to the ground of reality Poll: The more religious the Jewish voter, the more pro-McCain Iran's bomb-building potential more than doubled (WTR) How good/bad is Obama's faith based initiative (WTR) More Headlines 09:19 IDF troops kill Palestinian who infiltrated from Gaza 08:28 Olmert wants U.S. to sponsor Israel-Syria talks 08:20 Israeli expert: Iran bluffing over range of tested missiles 07:53 2 Bedouin from Negev admit links to Al-Qaida 08:18 Kadima agrees to mid-September primary, but Olmert unlikely to run 07:37 Police: We'll get tougher with Olmert on corruption probe 04:12 At 3.225 shekels, dollar hits lowest point in 12 years 09:24 Nazi hunters urge 'Dr. Death': Turn yourself in 08:30 Labor Court upholds ruling that pimps must pay trafficked woman wages due 08:37 Health Ministry, hospital sued for negligence after patient's suicide 04:19 Border Police kills Hamas man trying to flee West Bank arrest 04:37 Peres to get hotel in Olympic village so he can keep the Sabbath 04:52 New green party seeks more than just eco-friendly voters 08:17 El Al to up ticket prices by 5% after July 14 Previous Editions Select Day 09 jul 08 jul 07 jul 06 jul 04 jul 03 jul 02 jul 01 jul 30 jun 29 jun 27 jun 26 jun

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