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Defense Minister Ehud Barak shaking hands with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during their meeting in Jerusalem earlier this month. (AP)
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Last update - 09:49 15/11/2007
Watchdog group: Only two W. Bank roadblocks lifted recently
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: roadblocks, West Bank 

Only two of the 24 roadblocks that Israel claimed to have removed recently were in fact removed; many never existed to begin with, the Machsom Watch watchdog organization said Tuesday.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak recently told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that Israel had removed 24 West Bank roadblocks in order to bolster the Palestinian Authority by making life easier for Palestinians.

However, Machsom Watch activists conducted their own check and concluded the following:
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* While the army reported removing 11 dirt roadblocks around Hebron, most of them never existed to begin with.

* Three dirt roadblocks near Salfit also never existed; the same is true of two roadblocks between Al-Abed and Anabta, near Tul Karm.

* The checkpoint near Herodion, which was also on the list, was actually removed two years ago.

* At the Jitt Junction near Kedumim, two roadblocks were supposedly removed to allow pedestrian (but not vehicular) traffic through the junction.

However, Machsom Watch said, pedestrian traffic is still not being permitted.

The organization noted that since the Israel Defense Forces refused to give it the list of removed roadblocks, it relied on information from a third party that obtained the list from the IDF.

No response was received from the IDF spokesman by press time.

Last month, Barak told American officials that Israel has lifted 24 dirt roadblocks and one permanent obstacle on West Bank roads in an effort to make it easier for Palestinian civilians to move in the area.

He said that the roadblock changes were being made without publicity, as was common in the past.

Barak also told the American officials last month that Israel is weighing a series of measures that would make it easier for Palestinian businessmen and traders to conduct business.

Related articles:
  • U.S. official: PA unprepared to police West Bank
  • PA: Israel must dismantle 16 W. Bank roadblocks
  • Barak to propose: Replace W. Bank roadblocks with mobile checkpoints
  • Defense Min. was sitting on plan to lift W. Bank roadblocks for a year

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      1.   The settlement freeze will be monitored as well. 01:50  |  Peace Lover 15/11/07
      2.   israeli news releases 01:58  |  realism 15/11/07
      3.   watch dogs are focussed 02:03  |  ron 15/11/07
      4.   Remove barriers in Israel also 03:14  |  Dan 15/11/07
      5.   Road Map is a Mischief , 03:44  |  Joseph E . 15/11/07
      6.   Balloons 03:45  |  jjvanka 15/11/07
      7.   Roadblocks are needed 03:45  |  Johnny Weintraub 15/11/07
      8.   God`s lying people 06:31  |  Joe 15/11/07
      9.   As long as there`s Arab terror, there will be roadblocks 07:22  |  djdjd 15/11/07
      10.   A shame we are lying on such simple things BUT 08:48  |  S 15/11/07
      11.   Where are the grannies of Kassam Watch? 09:05  |  Jasmine Murphy 15/11/07
      12.   Nice Haaretz euphemism for Israel lying through its teeth 09:19  |  Clickfool 15/11/07
      13.   Where`s the Official Israel Liar when you need him? 09:20  |  Clickfool 15/11/07
      14.   REMOVE THE ENEMY, NO ROADBLOCS, NO WATCH DOGS NECESSARY))) 09:22  |  VOICE)))))))) 15/11/07
      15.   # 10 to `S` most "watchdog" report both sides 09:48  |  eric 15/11/07
      16.   nothing new here; it`s always been that way 09:52  |  eric 15/11/07
      17.   BooHoo, Bombers and Missile Launchers Can`t Get Through 10:00  |  Efox 15/11/07
      18.   re: Joe 10:01  |  Efox 15/11/07
      19.   re: Clickfool 10:04  |  Efox 15/11/07
      20.   Haaretz use of euphemisms in its English editions 10:06  |  Chanalau, Tova 15/11/07
      21.   I guess it`s just habit... 10:07  |  Johnboy 15/11/07
      22.   Machsom Watch 10:08  |  MarkC 15/11/07
      23.   For Efox # 19 10:39  |  Clickfool 15/11/07
      24.   This is two more than I expected 11:10  |  Natallie Durson 15/11/07
      25.   That is two TOO MANY 12:04  |  Kobi 15/11/07
      26.   why would we remove roadblocks? 12:05  |  meir 15/11/07
      27.   natallie durson "two more then i expected" 12:08  |  meir 15/11/07
      28.   Jewish State representatives ARE LIARS. 12:30  |  Shadi Fadda 15/11/07
      29.   Barak`s pants on fire 13:31  |  Scott Hunter 15/11/07
      30.   Abbas should want road blocks not be removed 14:13  |  Joseph E . 15/11/07
      31.   You`re right, S 14:34  |  Murray 15/11/07
      32.   scott hunter anyone who writes ha ha ha 14:38  |  meir 15/11/07
      33.   eric #15 you are not going to get away with this: 15:51  |  S 15/11/07
      34.   Murray #31 I rarely find balanced posts like yours. 16:23  |  S 15/11/07
      35.   Israel, lies onto the nations 18:53  |  Roy 15/11/07
      36.   Two out of more than 500 hundred 18:54  |  El-Birawi 15/11/07
      37.   Notice how Zionists avoid threads like this? 19:43  |  Clickfool 15/11/07
      38.   No26 Here to stay? 20:39  |  Palestinian Brit 15/11/07
      39.   #1 Monitor all you want. We`ll keep building our land. 20:45  |  Chaim 15/11/07
      40.   Machsom Watch harpies to jail! 20:48  |  Chaim 15/11/07
      41.   #37 Clickfool 21:20  |  Labhras 15/11/07
      42.   Israel is NOT a partner for peace 21:35  |  gabistan 15/11/07
      43.   Does Israel even know the truth anymore.... 22:20  |  Deborah 15/11/07
      44.   To Meir re: barbarians 23:13  |  David James Vickery 15/11/07
      45.   Disgraceful! Disgraceful! Disgraceful! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 23:31  |  Dutch 15/11/07
      46.   #40 The real law breakers are the settlers 00:04  |  Dutch 16/11/07
      47.   Fine psychology, Chaim - but what about the point? 00:34  |  Murray 16/11/07
      48.   All you anti-semites are invited to set the example 04:01  |  * BEN JABO 16/11/07
      49.   #17 The implications of this just pass over your head, hey, Efox. 06:18  |  Johnboy 16/11/07
      50.   # 17 to efox 07:14  |  eric 16/11/07
      51.   # 33 to "S" an addendum 08:44  |  eric 16/11/07
      52.   # 48 to johnboy in australia 09:36  |  eric 16/11/07
      53.   # 33 to "S", (3rd try! first two are no shows) 09:40  |  eric 16/11/07
      54.   # 48 no ben jabo; `tis YOU who are pathetic 10:25  |  eric 16/11/07
      55.   #54 eric - The point is at the top of your head 16:09  |  * BEN JABO 16/11/07
      56.   #50 Eric - not necessarily a missle or launcher 16:13  |  * BEN JABO 16/11/07
      57.   Eric - re: Murray 16:18  |  * BEN JABO 16/11/07
      58.   Not true, BEN JABO 16:35  |  Murray 16/11/07
      59.   #50-2 Eric - I forgot 18:08  |  * BEN JABO 16/11/07
      60.   #58 Murray - Milan 22:21  |  * BEN JABO 16/11/07
      61.   # 57 ben jabo; you`re too quick to judge... 07:37  |  eric 17/11/07
      62.   lol...well ben... 11:07  |  eric 17/11/07
      63.   #62 Eric - I don`t have the foggiest idea 04:53  |  * BEN JABO 19/11/07
      64.   # 63 god you`re dense, ben... 05:22  |  eric 22/11/07
      65.   re: eric 10:24  |  Efox 20/12/07
      66.   re: Johnboy 10:26  |  Efox 20/12/07
      67.   re: Clickfool 10:27  |  Efox 20/12/07
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