Israel plans West Bank roads just for Palestinians

By Dan Williams

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel plans to pave new roads in the
West Bank exclusively for Palestinians while Jewish settler
vehicles keep to the existing network, a senior Israeli
security source said on Thursday.

Palestinians condemned the idea as a form of apartheid and
said the initiative appeared aimed at cementing the Jewish
state’s hold on occupied land that they want for a state.

The Israeli source, who asked not to be named because the
government has yet to finalize the road plan, said there was no
intention of formally limiting Palestinian movement.

“We want to ease access to various Palestinian
communities,” the source said. “There is no intention of
bringing about a separation of Israeli and Palestinian traffic.
Palestinians will continue to make use of the roads they use
today.”

The source said, however, that Israelis would be banned
from the future Palestinians-only roads because “we do not want
them to get into a situation where their lives would be at
risk.”

No details were immediately available of the extent of the
proposed network or of when the plan might take effect.

“This is an apartheid system,” said top Palestinian
negotiator Saeb Erekat. “We urge the international community to
help us in order to cancel such policies and end Israeli
occupation.”

About 245,000 Jews live among 2.4 million Palestinians in
the West Bank.

Israel, which quit the Gaza Strip last year in what it
called a step to “disengage” from conflict with the
Palestinians, says it will keep major West Bank settlement
blocs under any accord. Debate over any withdrawals from more
isolated settlements is looming large ahead of next month’s
Israeli elections.

Using curfews and military checkpoints, Israel has often
imposed ad hoc restrictions on Palestinians since fighting
erupted in 2000. Palestinian and settler vehicles have
different number plates, which eases the enforcement of Israeli
bans.

In the Gaza Strip, settlers had at least one major road for
their exclusive use, which circumvented a Palestinian highway.
Israel called the move a security measure.

The World Court has branded all Israel’s settlements on
occupied land illegal. Israel disputes this.

(Additional reporting by Mohammed Assadi)