Road Rage

December 4, 2006 - 9:18 PM by Allison

David at Treppenwitz, who lives in the Gush Etzion block on the other side of the Green Line, is more than a little agitated at what’s going on with the roads there:

During the beginning of the Palestinian uprisings (intifadas) the Israeli government decided that having Israeli (Jewish) motorists driving directly through Arab towns and villages was too much of a temptation/provocation, and quickly set about building a network of bypass roads. The rationale was that the Arabs would continue using the existing roads that bisected their communities, while the Jews would go around them on these new bypass roads, thus removing what had become too-tempting a target for rocks, fire-bombs and gunfire.

However, as soon as these bypass roads were completed there arose cries of ‘Apartheid Road’ from the Arabs, from the Israeli left and from useful idiots civil libertarians and human rights-niks throughout Europe. Having been raised on a steady diet of liberal politics, I have to admit I too was somewhat bothered by the idea of certain roads being ‘Jewish only’, and was relieved to see these new bypass roads ‘integrated’, even though it obviously made the security situation significantly more complicated for those who had to patrol them.

So, that was that.

But not really.

You see, not far from where I live there was yet another proposed bypass road that was to be constructed from the eastern part of Gush Etzion, connecting it to the Har Homa neighborhood of Jerusalem. The road was many years in the governmental planning and approval process, but its completion was eagerly anticipated by all as it promised to cut a 40-60 minute drive (sometimes as much as 90 minutes during ‘rush hour’) to as little as 8 minutes! And best of all, like the other ‘bypass roads’ this new road would eliminate the need for cars from the affected Jewish communities to drive directly through the center of Arab communities.

This should have been a win-win for all involved. With the concept of ‘Jewish Only’ roads long ago set aside as legally untenable, this new road would end up serving Arab and Jew alike… Arab sensibilities would be protected from ‘offensive Jewish traffic’ in their midst… and a new, safer road would provide quick access to Jerusalem for all.

It’s all good, right?

Yeah right. Nothing is ever that simple in Israel!

You see, this shiny new road was recently completed and opened… but only to Arab traffic!

Yes, you read that right. Jews living in communities such as Tekoa and Nokdim are barred from using this new road, and still have to drive almost an hour on winding roads through Arab villages to reach Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Arabs whose communities are in the same area are given free access.

Look, I’m sensitive to moves that might smack of heavy-handed ethnic discrimination against the Arabs, but what could possibly be the point of excluding Jews from this new road (other than deliberately making their lives more difficult/dangerous)?

He can’t figure out why this has happened, and speculates on the possible reasons, and manages to discuss the issue while miraculously preserving his comments section as a “no-flame” zone.

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