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Left wing activists protesting on road 443 along side local Palestinians. (Archives)
Last update - 10:53 19/03/2008
High Court closes off use of major highway to Palestinians
By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent

h submitted the petition on behalf of Palestinians who have been injured by the travel ban, noted that had the justices sincerely sought to consider opening the road to all, without regard to race or nationality, they would not have requested details on the building of an alternate route, which entails the destruction of additional land and costs tens of millions of shekels.
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The decision was issued after both parties argued their positions. According to ACRI, the ruling marks a High Court precedent in upholding a policy of separation and discrimination with regard to movement that has already earned the name "road apartheid." It violates international law, ACRI holds, permitting the expropriation of land from the local population for the protection of the occupying power.

About 10 kilometers of Route 443 was paved on private Palestinian land in the early 1980s, on the grounds it was needed for the West Bank Palestinian population (and not for "security purposes"). A large part of the expropriated land had been earmarked for a housing development for local teachers. In response to a petition from a Palestinian whose land was expropriated for the road, the High Court ruled that the military government cannot plan and build a road system in an area held by its soldiers if the purpose is solely for the creation of a "service road" for the state. As a result, the state promised that the road was to be open to all.

Shortly after the start of the second intifada, after attacks on Israeli vehicles, the army closed the road to Palestinians. MK Ephraim Sneh, deputy defense minister at the time, admitted in an interview that the closure was not approved by the political leadership. The closure cut off the villages on either side of the road from their main city, Ramallah, and the rest of the West Bank. In court, the Civil Administration offered to issue travel permits for 80 vehicles, for a population of about 30,000 villagers. The villagers refused to cooperate with Israeli authorities and continued their legal battle for right to use the road on their lands. ACRI claimed in court that the Israel Defense Forces had recently begun frequent raids on the six villages that included the use of illumination bombs, pressure grenades, rubber-tipped bullets and live rounds. The IDF Spokesman's Office said at the time that these were routine operations in response to the throwing or rocks on vehicles traveling on Route 443.

ACRI officials say they fear the High Court stamp of approval for the illegal and immoral policy regarding Route 443 could be cited as a precedent for additional human rights violations. The petitioners protest what they call a lack of judicial process, noting that even though the decision was on an important principle, it was issued without any accompany explanation and with absolutely no reference to the points raised by the petitioners. In addition, they note, the alternative road will not provide for the needs of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in areas bordering Route 443.

Related articles:
  • Protesters block Highway 443 to protest ban on Palestinian traffic
  • Foreseeing the future
  • Mofaz: Court petitions against separation fence aid terrorists
  • State told to explain Palestinian travel ban on West Bank road
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      1.   Israel Proves Fomer US Pres. Jimmy Carter Was Correct All Along 04:43  |  Mr. Know-it-All 19/03/08
      2.   Seperation from Terror After Integration failed 05:01  |  Shafrir Yisraeli 19/03/08
      3.   It proves again that the High Court is racist as well! 05:03  |  Moses 19/03/08
      4.   This results from the fear of the Court from Friedman! 05:06  |  Israeli 19/03/08
      5.   Only Israel can get away with this 05:12  |  Harold 19/03/08
      6.   Jew-only Roads 05:13  |  Khalid 19/03/08
      7.   Good decision by the High Court 05:18  |  Protected Civilian 19/03/08
      8.   #1 | Apartheid? 05:20  |  Analyst 19/03/08
      9.   Ah, the joy of being an Apartheid State. 05:33  |  POP 19/03/08
      10.   Appartheid comes before a binational state 05:43  |  Ben 19/03/08
      11.   APARTHEID... Nelson Mandela said Israel`s like an apartheid state 05:44  |  anti-racist 19/03/08
      12.   and I quote "After attacks on Israeli vehicles" 05:47  |  Straight Talk 19/03/08
      13.   Israel the only democracy in the ME 05:48  |  SAM 19/03/08
      14.   Typical Haaretz--No Attempt at Balance 05:52  |  Steve 19/03/08
      15.   This is a matter of life and death, not convenience! 05:54  |  Gili 19/03/08
      16.   from Grand High Muckety Muck, KKK 06:10  |  Jim 19/03/08
      17.   Apartheid is... 06:35  |  Reality 19/03/08
      18.   #1 Sorry Mr. Know-it-All 06:36  |  JES 19/03/08
      19.   #6 - Hmmm 06:38  |  JES 19/03/08
      20.   #5 - Uh, Ben... 06:40  |  JES 19/03/08
      21.   These Arabs Themselves Practice Apartheid- Not Israel 06:48  |  Yishai Kohen 19/03/08
      22.   80 Permits for 30,000 07:04  |  Mark of Lewiston 19/03/08
      23.   No kidding, hey, ACRI? 07:08  |  Johnboy 19/03/08
      24.   israel has thrived on a series of lies? 07:11  |  eric 19/03/08
      25.   #7 Yishai Kohen 07:56  |  Jim 19/03/08
      26.   Road Use Is A Privilege!!! 07:58  |  Levi 19/03/08
      27.   Doesn`t look too good 07:59  |  English Resident 19/03/08
      28.   Apartheid State My Buttochs 08:02  |  Levi 19/03/08
      29.   #1 Mr. Know-it-all 08:07  |  Jim 19/03/08
      30.   to # 7 Yishai Kohen 08:24  |  Steve the Pals. 19/03/08
      31.   "convenience"? More like "safety" 08:32  |  Kenny 19/03/08
      32.   Stupid headline. Not "convenience" but security 08:36  |  Joe Sittizen 19/03/08
      33.   Not Jews only BUT Israelis only 08:50  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 19/03/08
      34.   Complicity. 08:50  |  Jean Van Daem 19/03/08
      35.   This ruling is disgraceful... 08:52  |  dutch 19/03/08
      36.   Worse than Apartheid 08:54  |  Chook 19/03/08
      37.   # 7 to yishai 08:58  |  eric 19/03/08
      38.   "a road traversing occupied territory" .......OCCUPIED? 09:20  |  DavidB 19/03/08
      39.   Israel a country of law or a jungle? 09:28  |  dana 19/03/08
      40.   Germany in the 1930s 09:38  |  Clickfool 19/03/08
      41.   Durban, South Africa, 1986 09:42  |  Clickfool 19/03/08
      42.   Israel has gone way beyond apartheid S.A. 09:47  |  Deborah 19/03/08
      43.   #3 - Israel was a huge supporter of Apartheid SA 09:52  |  Mr. Know-it-all 19/03/08
      44.   Traveling 09:56  |  Andy 19/03/08
      45.   Convenience? This is a matter of life and death 10:00  |  SLAVO 19/03/08
      46.   Zionist apartheid zionist apartheid zionist apartheid zionist apa 10:02  |  Chanalau, Tova 19/03/08
      47.   To Deborah..you have zero knowledge about the facts here 10:03  |  spade 19/03/08
      48.   BRAVO, JEWS 10:10  |  indrajaya 19/03/08
      49.   For DavidB # 21 10:16  |  Clickfool 19/03/08
      50.   A LEGACY TO REMEMBER 10:22  |  indrajaya 19/03/08
      51.   #26 boris the clucking fool and ulster 10:30  |  v hardman 19/03/08
      52.   Jewish judges and increasing racism towards Arabs. 10:38  |  Michael 19/03/08
      53.   #22 dana 10:39  |  Jim 19/03/08
      54.   Islamofascist genocide hides behind "apartheid" accusation 10:59  |  Joe Sittizen 19/03/08
      55.   A well justied action by the High Court 11:00  |  Simha C 19/03/08
      56.   #26 A question 11:10  |  Outsider 19/03/08
      57.   # 54, JOE SITTIZEN 11:10  |  indrajaya 19/03/08
      58.   All that`s left of Israeli "democracy" is a maggot-ridden carcass 11:12  |  Clickfool 19/03/08
      59.   Actions of a racist state 11:16  |  Paul Wood 19/03/08
      60.   You van`t have it both ways 11:17  |  Shlomo 19/03/08
      61.   I`ve always assumed that the Israeli Justice system is amarter. 11:19  |  Bandar Michaels 19/03/08
      62.   Palestinians are denied road access 11:25  |  PalFan 19/03/08
      63.   BRAVO, DURBAN II 11:37  |  indrajaya 19/03/08
      64.   Biased article 11:41  |  Dov 19/03/08
      65.   Indrajaya #48 11:57  |  Michael 19/03/08
      66.   Wouldn`t it be simpler to ban Israelis from that road? 12:00  |  Johnboy 19/03/08
      67.   What to do? It`s one of the 2 main roads 12:10  |  Yonatan 19/03/08
      68.   What to do? It`s one of the 2 main roads 12:10  |  Yonatan 19/03/08
      69.   Words of wisdom from Jakarta 12:16  |  Dov 19/03/08
      70.   for the convenience of Israeli travelers 12:20  |  NP 19/03/08
      71.   #43 - Mr. Know-it-All 12:26  |