28 kilometers of distilled apartheid

"The lack of states man is your problem. if Arafat was BenGurion today we were friends. Arafat does not have the courage todo peace." You do know that Yasser Arafat died five years ago? Maybe the mistake is either because of your poor English or just being out of step with the times.

.....approving an illegal road to help illegally placed settlers! Under international law there there can be no changes to the structure in the occupied terriory by the occupying power which is why the four-teen justice panel ruled unanimously in 2004 all Israeli structures in the Palestinian territories must be "dismantled " and " void". Thus the justices should be upholding that law and the ICJ's ruling not rubber stamping the Israeli government's misuse of it or the army's abuse of it. Shame on them for not being a voice of conscience! It all becomes a disservice in the end as people turn away from Israel and withdraw their support for it. Is that what they want? Dutch

Pal Brit has been comprehensively refuted. No-one has been able to produce evidence to falsify Joe's statement that: "Palestinians drive the same roads as the settlers. Yea, there are a few exceptions, but the Palestinians in the west bank drive on about 95% or more of the same roads that the Israelis drive on. Pal Brit is lying when he says Palestinians can`t drive to Efrat. The two highways bordering Efrat have mostly Palestinian traffic. And yes, Palestinian cars of local businessmen and tradespeople are indeed allowed in to the settlements in and around Efrat. I was there today and saw them myself." Human rights activists take note.

All Petra says is "build baby build", to which I say you reap what you plant. The US, under pressure from the Jewish lobby, has been unconditionally supporting israel's immoral and illegal behavior, however, history has shown us that things change, especially when there is injustice and then Israel will have many a angry neighbor to deal with. And to sdhd who justifies the occupation, the settlements, building in east jerusalem all based on some fantasy that Jews were expelled from these lands between 1948 and 1967 I say you are a disingeneous Zionist. You can't have it both ways; if Jews and Muslims, Israelis and Arabs are to live in the same areas then they should be nationals of one country. Are you OK with that? I didn't think so. If there are to be two states for two peoples then Israel's illegal and immoral occupation and settlement enterprise should be dismantled. There can never be fair negotiations with the status quo. Which is it?

Apartheid is an Afrikaans word. What's needed is a Hebrew and Arabic word that has it's own meaning for the situation. In the US, we had Jim Crow, Segregation and Separate but (un)Equal. What exists in the Palestinian territories is unique and should have its own name.

Nice post, but I don't think many are forgetting that most Palestinians are good people who yearn only for an uncomplicated existence. The problem is they are the victims of primitive and criminal leadership who are not motivated by the best interests of the majority. How does that little problem get solved? Happy New Year to All.

In actual reality "Racist Oppression" should be the appropriate name, a term certainly not applicable to Jewish-Arab relations in Israel and the territories.

Thank you for your sensible comment. With love, respect and understanding, Peace is possible. To my friend Baruch Gold: if you don't reconsile very soon with yours brothers and neighbors, the Pals, believe me, you will have to do without "foie gras, yes no more "foie gras".Happy new year to all.

Separation of populations the in territories occurs for reasons of security. 60+ years of attacks on Israeli civilian populations justifies this policy. Removal of security would result in a massacre. Let's be honest. Only a fool would propose such a thing. What next Gideon? Perhaps you could complain that Hamas operatives are experiencing discrimination when they try to join the IDF?

There should be some law in the country against such lies and defamation that only provide ammunition to the enemies of Israel. In reality there is no similarity whatsoever between South Africa and Israel. Israel's measures that are the subject of Levy's distortions, constitute purely defensive actions against terror attacks connected with the ongoing war against Israel.

Stop Pal terrorist violence first.

Two systems: one clean shiny and new; the other broken down and dirty. Day what you will, but that's apartheid ladies and germs.

I have friends in Beit Jala and my wife went to school with many of the kids from there growing up and there was never a problem until the first intifada and later the suicide attacks. No Jew has an issue with sharing a road with their neighbors if security was not the issue. Do we not have rights to drive safely? Arabs are delayed, Jews are murdered, cannot you see the concern here?

"Create a state like Israel did." Is that what you really want? Israel created a state by driving out as many indigenous non-Jews as possible with a campaign of violence and terror, then imported Arab Jews to replace them. That is probably not the model you had in mind.

As I recall the word for the South Africa situation was Apartheid. So many are so upset over the word because it describes the SA situation which is inexact parallel. In the US we had Separate but (un)Equal, Jim Crow and Segregation. What is needed and couldn't be disputed is a Hebrew or Arabic word for the unique situation in the territories. Using a Hebrew or Arabic word, instead of an Afrikaans word doesn't change the situation, but would focus the debate on the problem and not the word.

If the road were used for the usual purposes of travel there would be no need to exclude the Palestinians from its use.The need arises when it is being used by an enemy population to facilitate the killing of as many Jewish men ,women and children as it is possible to kill.Seperation from an enemy who has declared its desire and intention to destroy you -is not apartheid.It is common sense.

Israel has a narrow list of religions that it recognizes. Christian Protestants are not included. Probably most of the people reading this, from the world's free democracies, are not included. If they would have had the misfortune of being born in Israel, but being Israeli citizens, their marriages, their parents' marriages, would not be recognized by Israel. That is why there is a thriving business for Israeli citizens going to other countries to be married. And, dear Leonard, I haven't even begun to talk about the religious bigotry laws in Israel.

Mr. Levy will be on record for having tried to make a difference. G-d bless him.

'Not your roads and not your lands. Get used to the idea.' Stop calling yourself a 'Palestinian' Brit. Call yourself a Briton - full stop!- one who adopts British ways, culture, and attitudes. Get used to THAT idea - or get out, and stay out, of my country. There is no room in Britain, and should be no tolerance for, anything other than Britons. MV

The English translation is literally, "apartness." It's not strictly racial, not strictly old South Africa. If you favor separation, apartness, of Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Arabs in the West Bank, favor Jews-only roads and land areas, favor different laws applying to Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians, in the West Bank, then you support apartness. You support apartheid. By definition. Don't be ashamed. Simply say you favor separation, apartness, of the peoples. Apartheid.

I find Carter contemptible. His criticisms of Israel and his friendliness with the world's terrorists are beyond the pale. His Sunday School lesson transcripts leads me to believe that he simply has something against Jews in general. But he has made it very clear that he does not regard "Israel proper" as an apartheid state. Instead, he is referring to the condition Israel has set up in the West Bank. You don't have to be dishonest to criticize Carter - there is an abundance of legitimate things to criticize him for. (And the column's author did not call Israel proper an apartheid state, either.)

The road to hell may be paved with good intentions, but the final push is always given by the devil. Read my lips: Palestinians drive the same roads as the settlers. Yea, there are a few exceptions, but the Palestinians in the west bank drive on about 95% or more of the same roads that the Israelis drive on. Pal Brit is lying when he says Palestinians can't drive to Efrat. The two highways bordering Efrat have mostly Palestinian traffic. And yes, Palestinian cars of local businessmen and tradespeople are indeed allowed in to the settlements in and around Efrat. I was there today and saw them myself. Pal Brit and Mike from NYC are invited to come stand with me on the highway tomorrow and count the white and green license plates. The only apartheid is in the minds of the gullible dupes who listen to Palestinian propaganda. There is a serious confrontation between Israelis and Arabs over disputed territory. That is not the same as apartheid.

So much space wasted on whether a definition of Apartheid is apt or not. The term is unimportant; the facts on the ground will determine our fate, not the dictionary. The facts are thus: We defeated the the Arab forces numerous times. We might defeat them in the next X wars. But it will only take one defeat for the Zionist experiment to fail. Peace must therefore be our ultimate goal. The Palestinian economic, political and social structures are debilitated, (to a large degree, our fault). Peace is in their interest. It is our common sad plight that the leadership of the two sides is composed of self -interested failures and fakirs. Our extremists and theirs care nothing for their peoples. I suggest a two-state solution: one for rational human beings, and another for paranoid and feral tribalists.

Take off your blinders and your liberal hat for a moment....you cannot compare Israel with the South of the U.S. The south was not under threat of terrorism and death just because they were southerners...you seem to forget the most important part of this equation...SURVIVAL... and the reason Israel has to take these measures. The palestinians are out for blood and death and the destruction of Israel..do you need a hit on the head to understand this? Measures have to be taken for survival whether you like it or not..the olive branch has been extended to the palestinians over and over and in return Israel receives a bomb. Wake up...grow up and realize what Israel is up against. Do you want Israel to survive?...with your views I doubt it.

Used to justify keeping the African Americans opressed by stating: They steal our chickens , so we have to keep them away??Wouldn't you do the same if your chickens are threatened...The Chutzpah...

It is admirable that major newspapers in Israel offer an outlet for opposing opinions. It seems that Gideon Levy believes that he represents a voice of Israeli conscience. If he does represent a part of the Israeli population then there is an urgent need for an intervention therapy before these suicidal tendencies materialize!

Gideon, I hear you on a lot of things, but this was pure drivel. "out of our faces". We have a matchbox of land in a football field. Get real; they want us out. hard work will get them what they need. Look at Japan. In 1945 it was wasteland. Today, it's a dreamland. Come on my friend.........

This article is simple libel. "apartheid" requires racist intent while Israel's intent is security. Once again naive leftist select words, not for their actual meaning but for their emotional sting. Its why they like to use analogies to Nazis, simply because it disturbs Jews. Truth is optional to some folks.

"Apartheid S.A. is closest historical parallel." Not at all. Try ANY civil war, or ANY war for that matter. People of the nationality of the warring party is separating from the other party until the fighting is over. My, how stupid the anti-Israelis are.

ities. Israel is under attack by the PA leadership and Hamas and until the day these people give up armed struggle and opt for peaceful coexistence,Israel will and must do what is right to protect its civilians from suicide bombers and the like.Gideon put your effort into education the Pals that their own leadership is selling them and the liberal left a bag of lies. Teach them about History, who Nazi inspired arafat really was and about their own crafted history to be used as a tool by arab regimes and evil extremists joined by Iran against Israeli children and the freedoms of the west. Gideon you don't really understand apartheid where is S.Africa whites replaced blacks.Not true in Israel, 850, 000 Jews left the arab world not to mention europe.Examine the immigrating arabs into the area along with the Pals foreign born leadership and in truth Palestinians were Jews.Gideon learn history,live in an apartheid country like Saudi or Iran and understand you don't know the meaning!

Stop the terrorism, like Ben-Gurion did. Blame Arafat not Israel for todays situation. Create a state like Israel did. The lack of states man is your problem. if Arafat was BenGurion today we were friends. Arafat does not have the courage todo peace. Anounce clearly Israel is your neighbour. Aby

"Hate only brings on more hate, but love can bring peace and happiness". All nice and well, but please don't forget to tell this to the Arabs as well.

I think this article should be read by anyone who questions whether Israel is aparthead. They should also read the backlash in many of these talkbacks against Levy. This one is a gem.

Gideon must still clasify America as an apartheid state becuase it still allows gated communites that restrict access to roads?!?!?! same thing with Canada with all our reservations and how the natives have to right to restrict access... By levy's defintion any country that has any form of segregation is an apartheid state...

Dear Gideon, Isn't your critique a BIT LATE? It doesn't take much courage to write an article like yours after the court's decision stating that it is unlawful. By the way, in an apartheid state, a court decision like this would be non-existent, heck, there wouldn't even be a case. To unnecessarily agitate and cause trouble after the fact, that's all what your article is designed to do.

Who do you think you are fooling. I'm not a decade out of touch but you forget everything. Why do you deny. The truth is before 2000 every day 200,000 Palies and you were entering to Israel from WestBank earning money in Israel and turnback to your homes at night. How can you enter to Israel if there were checkpoints?_ CheckPoints arrived to West Bank after Arafat Second intifada, after you've blown your self in the middle of the cities after Operation Defense Shield. Aby

2 states for 2 people = Peace

The 443 highway connects between 2 cities (Modiin and Jerusalem) both Jewish. Innitially , Palis were allowed on this road , until they started terrorists attacks on Jewish motorists. Exactly the same as happened 20 years ago when Gaza Palis used to work freely in Israel and used the occassion to muder some Jews (Since then no work in Israel)

The Palestinian propaganda machines spreads lies to try and get you believe that fables are the truth. One of the biggest lies is that kassam rockets are not dangerous. Canadian propagandist Dianna Buttu has many times claimed that kassam rockets "have no warheads". Obviously, since kassams have also killed several Palestinians as well as over a dozen Israelis, we know she is lying. Pal Brit says Palestinian cars can't drive the roads to Efrat. Well, go to Google Maps and plug in "efrat, israel". Look at the neighboring Arab towns of Bayt Fajjar, Bayt Umar, Halhoul to the south, Tkoa (the Arab town) to the east, etc. The Palestinians in these towns drive on all the roads you see that the cars of Jewish residents of Efrat, Alon Shevut, Elazar, Migdal Oz, Karmei Tsur, etc etc. You even see Pal cars inside settlements. Pal Brit cant drive the tunnel road into Jerusalem, which is indeed closed to Palestinian cars after dozens of Palestinian suicide bombings and car bombings in Jerusalem

Judaism is an invented religion mate, nothing more. Why do people who follow it or whatever think they have any more rights than anyone else?

1: Hamas get toppled in Gaza by IDF not just deterred,but kicked out for good. 2: Palestinians stop resorting to violence which includes drive by shootings at Israeli civilians ,suicide bombings at public spaces,lynchings or throwing stones at or lynching soldiers etc. Then maybe 1967 bordders with some modifications and landswaps can be made.

Gideon, as usual, is spot on. Israel is the American South in the 1950s, South Africa and Rhodesia in the time of apartheid, and a nauseating perversion of the Zionist dream.

The only criminals are those that prevent peace.

People seem to forget that Palestinians are human beings with wants and needs. The day that we all start realizing that and begin to treat them as the human beings they are, with respect and love, will be the day when there is peace. I do not like the idea that we as a people were homeless for two thousand years, and we now have a country at the expense of another people. It is Israel and the Jewish people's duty to ensure that no group out there is without a home. That's why we must help the Palestinians create a state out of the West Bank and Gaza. Hate only brings on more hate, but love can bring peace and happiness

As a correcton to my earlier post, the Website address is http://www.stopthewall.org. I hope that a two-state solution is still possible despite these policies. Otherwise, a binational state in which Palestinians and Israelis have equal rights would become inevitable.

Gideon is right again. No matter the usual "they dont want to give their land, they are terrorists" world is fed-up while they go on playing their childish little games until doomsday. USA will not bomb a quarter of the world for a few hundred of thousand settlers. Times have changed and fast and they dont understand anything.

The situation in Apartheid era South Africa is not exactly the same as in the occupied West Bank, but close enough to be cited as a legitimate analogy. As #1 pointed out the key element of Apartheid as applied to blacks was the assignment to them of citizenship in phony bantustans. This allowed the government to treat the blacks living in most of the country as non-citizens of South Africa with very few rights. Israeli apartheid has similarly tried to limit Palestinians in the territories to local autonomy in a portion of the occupied territories and to deny them the rights of Israeli citizenship, while the settlers in their midst enjoy full rights of Israeli citizenship, green grass and swimming pools and unlimited access on apartheid roads. Only at Taba and with Olmert in the dying days of his rule has there been any talk of granting the Palestinians a true contiguous state, rather than what Colin Powell termed a "phony state that's diced into a thousand different pieces."

The valid analogy would be the relationship between Bangladesh (substitute Israel) and Biharis (analogue to "Palestinians", refers to Urdu-speakers from Bihar who migrated east to Dhaka/Chittagong at Partition and descendants thereof). As "Palestinians" (through their first "leader" Haj-amin Husseini) supported Nazi Germany (Husseini signed a blood-covenant with Hitler, and recruited Kosovar/Bosnian/Albanian SS--there are proven pictures of the red-haired mufti in Sarajevo with SS troops), Biharis supported a Naziesque (given the atrocities and scale of "Operation Searchlight") government against their own Bengali (largely Muslim) neighbours--also, analogously, both backed losing sides. Basically, why should any nation give rights at all to its enemies--especially when "inherited" through a war (specifically 1967) which was thrust upon Israel by its neighbours (Egypt, Syria and later Jordan) who lost the territory as result?

You didn't answer the question What would you do? Jews were pretty active in reisting the LEGAL British mandate administration so I'm sure you would be doing pretty much what the Palestinians are doing in resisting a totally illegal occupation.

This kind of stuff is not going to make you look good in the eyes of the world which will view this as a form of apartheid or race-based discrimination. If you have to take these types of extraordinary measures to ensure safety of a West Bank Settlement then maybe you don`t belong there.

Newspapers, both printed and online, should have a clear separation of news and opinions. It aggravates me, and others I am sure, that opinion makers try to hijack the news by conveniently masking their articles as being news worthy. Gideon is not a journalist. He is someone with an opinion and agenda. For his monthly pay-check he needs to produce opinion. He wakes up every day, scratches his head often proceeds to write trash and about things he knows very little about.

You are at least a decade out of touch! Checkoints arrived after the first Gulf War in 1991. Oslo was supposed to ensure a Palestinian state and bilateral ties. HO Ho!

There is no defending this discrimination. I'm glad the courts finally saw fit to do something about it. My only question is: What took them so long???

Anyone who does not think that Israel is an apartheid state are blind, deceived, very prejudice, biased, racist, and just plain fundamentally IGNORANT!! Two systems for two people is apartheid.

Gideon Thank you for telling the truth.

Gideon,I read most of your articles and realize how sensible they are.It is clear to me that you are a good Israeli citizen who cares about the long term future of his nation.You show humanity in your writings because humanity cannot differentiate between an arab and a jew. You care about the future of your children whose destiny is to live with arab neighbours all their life,and how miserable life they will live in with hatred and arrogancy. All the leaders of Israel lie to the people,they exegerate about the dangers of the Palestinians and give excuses to the massacres of Gaza.Any honest person jew or other can compre between what happened in Gaza and that at Sderot.It is 100 to 2 or 3. Life is cyclical,israel is strong now but what it will in a decade or two from now.One must realize changes of circomstanses and how good or bad it will be on his country.Nothing can beat live and let other people live especially if they are your eternal neighbors.

HAPPY NEW YEAR. HAPPY TRAILS.

for Palestinians--one huge leap for humanity. Today a french belgian bank announced it will no longer give loans to illegal Settlers. Now we have the Israeli court chipping away at the Apartheid laws of the so called democracy. More to come Guys---and the Goldstone issue is just around the corner. Cock a doodle doo. I,M HOME.

It is an injustice. A grave injustice. But it is not Apartheid. Apartheid had its specific, perverse ideological underpinning of white superiority. The separation on the road is based on a military reasoning against a background of landgrab. Maybe for a Palestinian it does not matter whether he/she gets bitten by a cat or a dog. But Apartheid is perverse in another way. Michael

No - Palestinians cars are not allowed through the tunnels into Jerusalem. What happens if an Israeli car drives into Jericho? The Palestinian police stop them, arrest the Israelis, and then hand them back to the IDF. Isn't that apartheid if the Palestinians ban Jews from driving in their cities? When you leave your home in Beit Jalla and drive south to Hebron, yes, you are allowed to drive on all the roads that serve the Jewish settlements. No, you can't drive down to the border crossing and make the left turn there. Neither can Israelis. But Palestinians are allowed to drive all around the same roads the settlers use between Jerusalem and Hebron. You try and give the impression that they can't, and that is simply not the truth. I dare you to meet me at the Al Khadr intersection and we'll drive in a Palestinian car with Palestinian plates (and a couple of news reporters as witnesses) straight up to the entrance of Efrat. Hundreds of Palestinian cars and trucks do it every day.

The world doesn't love us, but they hate the Palies. The Palies have murdered plenty of them too.

So, who are actually building the settlements?

I like traveling on the "apartheid" road and I'm sorry about the pain it causes the innocent Palestinians on the other side. But, I also like that my family is safe from the frequent sniper attacks before the closure, that claimed the lives of innocent people and leaving small children like my own, orphaned. I don't recall the author lamenting about the loss of innocent Jewish lives before the road was closed. Our responsibility is to make sure our own citizens can travel safely on the roads. Let the Arabs show some responsibility for the themselves and punish and expel those who make their travel on this road impossible to our security. Until then, the innocent have to suffer for the actions of a few.

that the road was originally open to Palestinians but was closed to them after repeated terror attacks on Israeli cars. The method was simple, pass an Israeli car, roll down the window and open fire from your AK47 into the Israeli car, with the goal of killing all of it's passengers, men, women and children. Personally, I think that the Supreme Ct made the right decision, since the masses of Pals not involved in terror shouldn't be punished for the crimes of the few, especially now that things are relativly quite in the WB. But Gidon would have a bit more credibility if he were willing to acknowledge that these issues are complex.

is not blowing your self in the middle of the malls. The reason you can not move is there is an ongoing war today between you and me. You try to make war on Israels soil by blowing your self in the middle of cities. Israel shifted the war to your soil. If you want to move in your soil stop your hostilies, violence to Israel. Everything would change to normal. Aby

If you were blessed by Tutu, you were blessed by a man who has many times called the occupation "Apartheid". He knows the true meaning and you don't want to.

"What would you do if you were living under a military occupation?" You could start by asking yourself, "Why am I occupied?" Then come up with HONEST answers. Then you could ask yourself, "Is there anything I could have done which would lead to me not being occupied today?" Come up with a few more honest answers. Finally, you can ask yourself, "What can I do to most effectively reduce the severity of the occupation, or get rid of it completely." Try being HONEST. You'll find that when the yahoos among you resorted to violence, you've become worse off. So, what would you do? Resort to violence then complain about the consequences?

"Apartheid was a systematic scheme for "separate development" of South Africa," "Apartheid" means "separation". The "development" bit was Afrikaaner propaganda for English speakers. Of course the Palestinians in the West Bank are restricted to artificial "homelands" - another Afrikaaner propaganda word. The settlements and Israeli roads and checkpoints have done just that. A Palestinian Bantustan system is what Israel wants to disguise the de facto Apartheid which now exists in the West Bank and Gaza. Mandela, Tutu, Kasrils and other ANC leaders have called the occupation "Apartheid" and they are the expert witnesses whose judgement is to be trusted.

When you refer to the property the road was built on as "our land", you have already discounted the legal opinions of the rest of the world (to a zionist the only thing that counts is what YOU say). However, please remember that Israel is a big frog in a little pond, and things may have to change if the rest of the world states leaning on you.

"What would you do if you were living under a military occupation?" First thing I would do is as, "why am I under military occupation?" Could it be because I attempted to grab an entire territory and wipe it clean of Jews a few times (and failed)? Could it be because I continue using terrorism as a tactic against Jews? So, why don't you ask yourself why you are occupied in the first place, and try being honest for a change. Is it at all possible that you created your own problems?

It's 28 kilometers of distilled apartheid. High Court of Justice approves,but you,Mr Right,call then,the High Court,racist.Jutzpa,I call this, Mr Right

The reason Israeli goverment is preventing the citizens traveling to WestBank, you are murdering lynching shooting the Jews who is visiting you. The reason Palies could not visit to Israel is another story. If you don't blow your self in the middle of malls you would visiting today freely where ever you want like you did before 2000.

What would you do if you were living under a military occupation? If you couldn't move without the permission of that occupation force? If your water was diverted to hostile settlements. If your land was confiscated for the use of the hostile occupiers. I guess you'd just sit there and proclaim it to be God's will eh?

And when did the IDF perform an extrajudicial killing on an Israeli?

Why the barbed wire and seperation fences did you ask to your self. What is the difference between Apartheid Africa and Israel. If you would not kill the Jews there would be no seperation fences no road blocades like before 2000. While in South Africa there was no violence there were discrimantion, but here in Israel you your self are the reason of this apartheid., Stop the violence, everything would change to normal like it was before 2000. Aby

We build them and we will drive on them. In YOUR lands you can prevent us "infidels" from that: http://www.middle-east-info.org/league/saudi/apartheidhighwaymecca2.gif We won't allow that type of apartheid here in OUR land; on OUR roads. Better get used to that.

"Not your roads and not your lands. Get used to the idea." Jews were only cleansed from the West Bank and East Jerusalem for 19 years. You'll never have 100% of the territories cleansed of Jews again. You had your chance already. These lands aren't exclusively yours. Get used to THAT idea.

Joe, you say the roads are open to Palestinians. Well, I`ve never been there,so I`ll take your word for it. But it looks like your countryman Yishai #20 does not agree with you, he`s got it all wrong, better let him know...

Chaim Bialik, recognized as Israel's national poet, wrote that "we will be a normal state when we have the first Hebrew prostitute, the first Hebrew thief, and the first Hebrew policeman." One is much more likely to find this sort of sentiment among those who shaped modern Israel than some sense of moral superiority, but then your repetitive and broad and snarky generalizations about Jews bear little evidence for any concern with historical evidence and are mostly a compendium of stereotypes. Jewish history seems to have bred, in fact, a strong sense of irony and self criticism, which accounts for the Israeli New Historians, Gideon Levy, and Larry David, to name a few.

When's the last time a Palestinian terrorist blew himself up in Nablus or Gaza city? They only blow themselves up among Israelis, don't they?

as popular struggle , as uprising to justify and give legitmacy to secular arab and Islamic terrorism . to steal sovreign territorial Israel, to deny , demonise and delegitimise Israel's right to self defence and to exist as jewish state . All is done by abuse of democratic system and western notions of human rights .

Not your roads and not your lands. Get used to the idea.

I know that Hamas and Fatah fight one another as well, but do they send suicide bombers into one another's public areas? Or do they reserve this form of "apartheid" for Israelis alone? Why not "equal treatment" when it comes to suicide bombers? When's the last time a suicide bomber blew himself up in Ramallah or Gaza City?

The tunnel road is immediately below my home. It is the stretch from Gilo to the checkpoint and NO Palestinian cars are allowed to travel on it! YOU come over and see for yourself!

Help the Palestinians return back to their homes in Egypt(Genesis 10-13&14)

"Equal access to roads is a must." If that's the case, should Israelis start shooting at Palestinian cars equally?

"Out of the first twelve posts, nine attempt to defend this road -- most simply by denying reality." If there weren't so many Israelis (Arab and Jew) who were shot upon the roads previously, there would be no need for this type of division. That is the reality YOU are denying.

Can't be apartheid. Because the Palestinians don't have dark skin.

Dear Gideon you relly make me cry this morning. I hat it i get eye bag and panda eyes after. Now i need more concealer to seek and hid it. I cant understand you and your point of view on defining Apartheid. But some above me already explain to you what dose it mean so' i save my breath and my time. Just to say that crocodile tears never save anyone. I wish to live in peace with all my neighbors, are they? Justis is the other state Israel name. no one can take it from us. We are proud to save life in this tiny threatened country day by day. You call it Apartheid . I call it saving my brothers and sis.Good day to you. Don't take it personally.

M. Levy is the chronist of the state of art in Israel. He is one of the hopes that his stories will open the eyes to the Israelis how rotten their nation is. Please M. Levy, continue to write about the lies, which are dominating the political conciousness in Israel, otherwise there will be no change towards just peace with the Palestinians.

This article and most of its talk backs effectively imply that we are really working to a one state solution. Funny thing is no one who is rational in this region beleives a one state solution will work, mainly because it will end in civil war something no one wants. Wake up and smell the coffee guys, both sides are going to have to comprimise. I feel for the palestinians in the west bank but they need to stop missing every opportunity, no matter how cynical you maybe the reality is Israel has signed peace agreements, Israel has withdrawn from terriotory now it is time for the palestinians and their supporters to realize that they need to make 3 basic. 1. recognition of Israel as a jewish state. 2. recognition of Israeli soverignty in some manner in Jerusalem. 3. denouce of armed struggle by all factions of Palestians in return for peace. These were basic tenants of all peace agreements with Israel and their niegbours and they have proven sustainable

Let's get something straight - the roads around Efrat and in fact, all throughout Judea (the region south of Jerusalem) are open to Palestinian traffic. In fact, Hwy 60 - the main artery that was modernized, widened, and is maintained by Israeli taxpayers (including the people who live there) has more Palestinian traffic than Israeli traffic. The road used to get to Efrat (Road #3157) is also used mostly by Palestinians and God is looking at you, buddy boy, and wondering what the heck you are talking about. Wake up, world! There is a lot of phony propaganda out there. Don't believe it. Go see for yourselves.

Hmm....against apartheid in South Africa but living as a Settler in Hebron.... I wonder if Desmond has ever read any of your posts on Haaretz?

... South African apartheid, and now practice it yourself in Hebron with a vengeance...

So you can't drive on OUR roads. It's that simple.

... is 'justice' for you... ... it's not enough that Pals are forbidden to use roads on good land requisitioned from them... ... you are now complaining that you can't use the alternative dirt-tracts that the Pals are allowed on...

I also can't stand when the term Apartheid is mishandled..but the cynical appropriation of land and the wholesale discrimination is not called for. We can always look for excuses and demons to fall back on. If and when security issues really arise..they should be dealt with. Equal access to roads is a must.

Of course ,it is apartheid--when laws,practices and policies have different application depending on ethnic or religious background that's apartheid.Of course there are different forms of apartheid --the South African form was one and the Israeli form is another. "Apartheid" of course means separation and that's precisely the goal and aim of Israeli policy vis a vis the Palestinians . This is openly stated in Israel: "the demographic problem ",the separate roads ,the different land-owning rights of Jews and Palestinians,the separate schools ,etc etc --every day Haaretz articles openly discuss how much racism is permissable and this without apology. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ,its generally a duck .

Out of the first twelve posts, nine attempt to defend this road -- most simply by denying reality. If mirrors aren't illegal in Israel, they should be. You'd never, never want to look in one. Sometimes I think Israel is intended as some kind of Divine corrective for the Jewish people. You see, through all those centuries of powerlessness and oppression, they hugged to themselves a sense of themselves as spiritually superior: more just, more ethical. If only we were in charge... Now you are, and you're at least as bad as everyone else. In fact, don't even let me get started.

There are some pro-Israeli Jews who say that there isn't apartheid, because what exists is not identical to what South Africa had. Apartheid means separation. You could say the US segregation regime in the South in the 1950s til the 1960s was America's version of apartheid at that time, and Israel's separation scheme in 2010 is Israel's segregationist, apartheid regime. No segregation regime in the world is identical to the other anymore than every democracy is identical. There are moderate Jewish and Arab voices who sorely would like peace, the embracing of confessional understanding over sectarianism and war.

If you're afraid, have your government hire some more traffic cops and put them on that road. Chalk it up as a cost of occupation, which is what it is. Maybe that will also slow traffic and keep a few drunks off the road. Occupations are not supposed to be cost-free. Besides, the burden will be borne by those inside the green line, not those in the territories.

Well move, then Chaim. Do people normally choose to live in an area of danger? Don't they usually avoid it? The road you use to get to Efrat is built on the land of my neighbours, but they are not allowed to travel on it That privilege is reserved for you and your neighbours. Do you think God is lookig and down and smiling, thinking it is a good and generous thing his chosen people are doing to the Palstinians? I don't think so!

OH big deal! Israeli Arabs are Israeli citizens and should be able to travel as freely as Jews. Shouldn't they????? The areas where Jews are prevented from travelling in the West Bank are prevented by their own government, not by the Palesinians. If Palestinians can't visit their families in Nazareth, Haifa or Jaffa, then why should we have Jews in our territory - small as it is. Especially as all they want to do is take the land from under our feet!

Ever listened to Desmond Tutu on his visits to Apartheid Palestine? He himself has said many times that it reminded him of exactly of South Afrrica - the barbed wire and separated areas of Jewish privilege in the form of Illegal Settlements. The Jews-only roads and the Palestinian water diverted to the Settlements. Swathes of land taken in order to provide "security' for the Settlements etc etc.

#2: Born and bred in RSA,three generations in RSA,I'm not a great fan of Mr Levy's suppositions but cannot but empathize with what he has expressed.This local variation on an old theme will eventually fade away as did empires and despots of yore.

As someone who actively demonstrated against South African apartheid and has many South African friends of ALL races and has met Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu and has been blessed by him for my efforts I find your flippant usage of the word Apartheid to be cheapening and vulgar. Gideon throws words like Holocaust, Apartheid, racism without any consideration of their true meaning and thus cheapens these once impacting words. Thanks you and others have turned the word Apartheid into a lie and a cliche. Good JOB!

Gideon Levy's voice represents true Jewish humanism and sense of justice. Israelis should be proud of him. I only wish there were some Arab voices like his. Thank you Ha'aretz.

There is no such thing in Israel. The writter is completely bias against Israel and the Jewish people, who have the right to live in peace and security.

What about the acts of terrorism that will inevitably occur once road 443 is open to Palestinians ?

So it's clearly not "apartheid". On the other hand, there are a number of roads where no Jews at all are allowed, but Israeli Arab citizens use them along with other Arabs. That IS apartheid.

But that is just it Levy, they were shooting... and the only crying I heard was of the families and loved ones of the Israeli victims. There are injustices across the world, but don't white wash history just to prove your own political point.

If you had you'd know that you (or Jimmy Carter), calling Israel an apartheid state is nothing less than incitement and libel. In South Africa they labelled people by the color of their skin, and robbed them of their rights if they didn't have the right colored skin. In Israel everybody is equal in the eyes of the law. The fact that there's discrimination in a country constantly at law is the source, not racism (as you'd have readers believe). You're abuse of the term apartheid should be against the law, and you should be ashamed of yourself.

Gideon Levy repeats the same column over and over but that repetition cannot change falsehood into truth. Apartheid was a systematic scheme for "separate development" of South Africa, by which Whites only had full and unrestricted access to state resources; Asians suffered discrimination; and (Black) Africans were exploited for their labor with minimal labor rights, systematic wage discrimination, and under legal prohibition of staying overnight in South Africa (away from artificially designated "Bantustans") without passes. Palestinians are a national (minority) in conflict with Israel for the territory between the Jordan and the sea--they are not exploited for labor within Israel (they are not wanted) and they are not restricted to artificial homelands by the Israeli government; they remain in their national communities established with the 47-48 conflicts across the Green line. Disputes regarding refugee rights and artificially dis-entailed holdings are not apartheid.