Israel Matzav

Israel's 'Supreme Court' acknowledges reality?

In what may be its first acknowledgment of the reality of 'Palestinian' terror, nearly two weeks ago, the Supreme Court quietly issued an order that allows Route 443 - the 'back road' from northern Jerusalem to Ben Gurion Airport, with direct access to most of Jerusalem at its southern end - to remain closed to 'Palestinians' for at least another six months, while the State tries to find a location for an 'alternative road' for 'Palestinian' use. (Please note that the article I am about to quote was written by Akiva Eldar, one of Haaretz's most leftist writers. This is Israel, so even the news is often written like an op-ed. I disagree with much of this article).

The interim decision issued 10 days ago by the High Court of Justice on the use of Route 443 marks the first time the justices have issued a ruling to close a road traversing occupied territory to Palestinian use, for the convenience of Israeli travelers.

The interim ruling on a petition by six Palestinian villages adjacent to the highway, which links the coastal plain to Jerusalem, gave the state six months to report progress on the construction of an alternative road for Palestinian use.

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, which 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.

...

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.

What Eldar doesn't mention is that many Israelis were killed and wounded in terror attacks on Route 443. In fact, as some of you may recall, I was almost a terror victim myself on Route 443, which passes close to my home.

So long as the 'Palestinians' continue to insist on attempting to perpetrate terror attacks, there are only two choices: let them have Jews for target practice or protect the law-abiding Jews who want to peacefully use the road that traverses territory that Israel liberated in a defensive war. You all know where I come out on this. Let's hope the 'Supreme Court' comes out that way too for a change.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:32 AM