Israel Matzav

How an Arab terrorist can get to Jerusalem

With Judea and Samaria constantly subject to security closures during which Arabs are not allowed to cross the 'green line,' how's a 'poor Palestinian' who wants to become a splodeydope supposed to get into Jerusalem or Tel Aviv? The answer is actually quite simple: Ride the bus.

Eyal Maimon lives in Jerusalem and works in Michmash, a Jewish community in the Binyamin region. He spoke with Arutz Sheva's Hebrew-language news service and related that on several occasions, he has seen PA Arabs board buses belonging to the Israeli Egged bus company and ride into Jerusalem without being asked for identification even once, or checked to ensure that they are not carrying weapons.

On one occasion, Maimon prevented four PA Arabs from entering Jerusalem. An Egged driver picked the four up near Michmash and at a second stop, he said, and did not ask any of them for identification.

Maimon confronted the driver, an Arab with Israeli citizenship, and asked if he was allowing PA Arabs to board freely because as an Arab he identified with them. The driver answered in the affirmative, Maimon said.

"I stood in the middle of the bus and announced that I wasn't willing to let the bus continue, given the situation,” Maimon recalled. “Passengers started to get angry. When we got to the Hizmeh checkpoint, several passengers spoke to the soldiers there, who took the Arabs off and let us continue.”

Maimon described the incident as “one of many” security lapses in the area.

IDF spokespeople said buses are checked before entering Jerusalem. In addition, they said, buses are supposed to collect passengers only within Israeli communities or immediately outside them.

I've ridden buses through Hizme many times. If they are Israeli buses, they are never searched. The border police or the IDF assume that you got on at a Jewish town and therefore that you pose no danger.

What could go wrong?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:38 PM