Israel Matzav

'Palestinians' seethe: Israel has plan for train line to Ariel

The 'Palestinians' are seething because they have discovered that Israel has a plan on the books to build a rail line from the Tel Aviv suburbs to Ariel, which is in Samaria.

Transport Ministry spokesman Ilan Leizerovich said the new train line is currently only in the planning stage, along with other train lines, including some in the West Bank, and that there are no plans to actually begin work.

"There is no intention to carry it out at this time," he said

The project was quickly denounced by a spokesman for the Palestinian government in the West Bank.

"This shows not only Israel's short-term illegal activities in terms of settlement expansion, but its long term planning and execution of colonial projects that aim at nothing less than ending the two-state solution," Husam Zomlot said.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had no immediate comment.

The 'Palestinian' Maan website adds some details:

The spokesman stressed that it was only one of a number of projects under consideration but the right-wing Ma'ariv daily said three million shekels ($800,000) had been allocated for a feasibility study.

The proposed rail line would link the town of Rosh Ha Ayin, east of Tel Aviv, with Ariel and also serve Barkan, another settlement.

The idea was first mooted a few months ago by Transport Minister Israel Katz of the right-wing Likud party of hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"No operational decision has been taken at this stage," the ministry spokesman told AFP. "It's just one among a number of proposals."

Although Ariel lies 17 kilometres from the 1967 border between Israel and the West Bank, and cuts a deep indentation into the territory, successive Israeli prime ministers have insisted on keeping the settlement in any peace deal with the Palestinians.

With a population of 18,000 and a higher education college, it is one of the largest Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Let's go ahead and start building it and let the 'Palestinians' seethe. If they see they have something to lose by staying away, maybe they will actually come to the negotiating table. But don't bet on it.

Labels: Ariel, Israel Railways, Judea and Samaria construction

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:33 PM