Israel's security forces have forbidden Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from traveling on the Modi'in-Jerusalem "443" Highway, due to the elevated threat levels -- a result of the road's opening to general Palestinian traffic.
Israel's Supreme Court ordered the opening of highway 443 to Israeli and Palestinian traffic, after years of it being closed to Palestinians after dozens of terror attacks that left Israelis dead and wounded.
This morning, Netanyahu surprised his cabinet when he announced that he was no longer allowed to travel on that road due to security precautions imposed upon him by the Shin Bet / Israel's internal security department, in light of the road's opening to all a few weeks ago. (Reported by ynet in Hebrew)
A few of my previous posts on 443's security situation: I, II, III, IV, V, VI
Some good news: The traffic light at the dangerous Atarot intersection on 443 has resumed operation, after a 3rd transformer was installed atop a very high electric pole (the previous 2 were stolen by Palestinians after the IDF abandoned a checkpoint at the intersection in favor of a different one, a few kilometers west of it).
Additional background information: I've been asked what roads are off limits to Jews in the West Bank. Some that come to mind are as follows out of many:
1. Road 574 between road 55 and road 505, which used to be a connection between the 2 primary East-West central Shomron roads. (Connecting the Maaleh Shomron/Karnei Shomron are to Elkana). (link)
Israel's Supreme Court ordered the opening of highway 443 to Israeli and Palestinian traffic, after years of it being closed to Palestinians after dozens of terror attacks that left Israelis dead and wounded.
This morning, Netanyahu surprised his cabinet when he announced that he was no longer allowed to travel on that road due to security precautions imposed upon him by the Shin Bet / Israel's internal security department, in light of the road's opening to all a few weeks ago. (Reported by ynet in Hebrew)
A few of my previous posts on 443's security situation: I, II, III, IV, V, VI
Some good news: The traffic light at the dangerous Atarot intersection on 443 has resumed operation, after a 3rd transformer was installed atop a very high electric pole (the previous 2 were stolen by Palestinians after the IDF abandoned a checkpoint at the intersection in favor of a different one, a few kilometers west of it).
Additional background information: I've been asked what roads are off limits to Jews in the West Bank. Some that come to mind are as follows out of many:
1. Road 574 between road 55 and road 505, which used to be a connection between the 2 primary East-West central Shomron roads. (Connecting the Maaleh Shomron/Karnei Shomron are to Elkana). (link)
3. The Betunya bypass road between Jerusalem and the Dolev/Talmon region. (link)
4. Road 60-45 from Adam to Atarot. Closes traffic to Jews from the Eastern side of Jerusalem to the Western side of Jerusalem/Highway 443 (link)
There are many more examples; these are just a few that come to mind. If you have any more, please feel free to leave them in the comment section.
hat-tip: RRW
In Israel this summer?
Call the US for the price of a Local call!
Jameel,
ReplyDeleteThere are SO many more roads that are closed off. All of the roads that go through area A and most of the ones that go through area B. In fact, it would be a lot easier to just list the roads that Jews ARE allowed to travel on.
Just another one of the "bagatz greatest hits". Aren't judges supposed to be wise?
ReplyDeleteIsrael's leftist elite won't have to drive 443. Not the judges who ordered the road open to Arab traffic and not Israeli government bigshots. That risk is left up to the Little Jews to shoulder.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been on since it opened to Palestinian traffic. What's it like now - are Palestinians actually using it, or since it seems like they have nowhere to go, and is a big pain to go through their checkpoints, they're staying away?
ReplyDeleteEt tu Muqata?
ReplyDelete"West Bank", what is that, a California financial institution!
Please don't use the terminology of the lunatic left. Even the Israeli government used to require newsreaders to say Yehuda V'shomron (Judea and Samaria)!
Using their language, is giving in to their world view. We need to be careful.
Just noticed Jenny's comment. I have made more than 10 roundtrips J'lm Modiin, and haven't seen even 1(!) car with green license plates.
ReplyDeleteThe money wasted on the barbed wire and moving the roadblock would have paid for free dental work for all the children in the country.....
NormanF,
ReplyDeleteIsraeli leftists drive on 443 all the time. I'm regularly struck by the irony of drivers with די לכיבוש stickers on their cars using 443 as part of their commute.
Jameel,
ReplyDeleteYou say the the PM can't travel on 443 "due to the elevated threat levels". Is this just speculation on your part, or do you know that he was allowed to travel on it before the High Court's ruling took effect. The articles I've read in the press seem to be pretty vague on this point.
I was wondering why the traffic light wasn't working!
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any green license plates... but I am not on the 443 during work traffic hours. I have seen green plates in and around Givat Ze'ev (my home) what's with that?
btw: The News said yesterday that US diplomats are not allowed on the 443 after dark. Afraid of the Boogie Man?
The Palestinian plates are white, not green. Green or blue was pre-autonomy. As for the roads which are off-limits to residents of the yishuvim, thereby making life very inconvenient for residents of Dolev, Talmon, etc., there is and always was a solution. 100-200 cars go out on a convoy on one of those roads every so often, with everybody well-armed. Send a message to both the government and the Arabs that we will not be pushed around. The problem is that there are only a few serious people and they can do a "divide and conquer" strategy against us.
ReplyDelete