Israel Set to Ease Restrictions on Palestinian Bridge to the World
Media Line News Agency
July 22, 2009
By Benjamin Joffe-Walt
West Bank Palestinians' only artery to the outside world is set to immediately open 24 hours a day for the passage of goods in an Israeli effort to boost the Palestinian economy, it was decided on Wednesday.
A ministerial committee headed by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu adopted a recommendation to open the only West Bank crossing into Jordan 24 hours a day "for the import and export of goods in order to increase the volume of commercial activity and improve the Palestinian population's quality of life."
The crossing—referred to as Allenby Bridge by Israel, as Al-Karameh Bridge by Palestinians and as King Hussein Bridge by Jordan—connects the West Bank Palestinian city of Jericho with Jordan.
The move, a pilot project until the end of the year, is part of a recent Israeli initiative to remove roadblocks and promote economic activity in Palestinian territories. It comes after growing protest by West Bank Palestinians whose only access to the outside world is via the bridge.
Palestinians wishing to travel abroad must obtain both Israeli and Jordanian travel permits to cross the bridge and then continue on to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman.
Palestinians have not been permitted to use Israeli airports since the outbreak of the second Palestinian Intifada in 2000, when Israel also limited the time given to Palestinians to cross the bridge. There is no airport operating in the Palestinian territories.
There was initial confusion as to whether the extension would affect Palestinian travelers, those transporting goods, or both.
"The extension affects goods only and is effective immediately," Mark Regev, the Israeli Prime Minister's spokesperson, told The Media Line. "If that's today or tomorrow I don't know."
Israeli border officers did not seem to be aware of any change.
"Nonsense," Rotem, a non-commissioned Israeli officer at the bridge told The Media Line. "It's only open until 8."
"For Palestinians the last bus is at 4.30," he added, refusing to give his last name. "We haven't heard anything else."
"I heard it on the news but they haven't told us anything," added an Israeli bank official at the crossing.
"I have received no instructions," added a senior officer named Ani. "As far as I am concerned, we are continuing to operate as usual."
Palestinians say, in practice, those from the West Bank are generally permitted to cross the bridge until 3 p.m. Palestinian residents of Jerusalem and those with special permits are allowed over until around 3:45 p.m. Furthermore, such crossing times mean the bridge is only open to Palestinians during the day, when from May through October the daytime heat averages between 90 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
Foreign tourists enjoy much more liberal crossing procedures at the bridge and diplomats can cross until 8 p.m. Israeli citizens are not permitted to enter the Palestinian territories nor use the crossing.
In the 1990s the bridge was open until 10 p.m. and Palestinian Authority police were stationed on the Palestinian side of the crossing. Israel forced the P.A. police to leave and reduced the crossing hours following the outbreak of the second Intifada in 2000.
In recent years, a number of improvements have been made for Palestinians using the crossing on the Jordanian side of the bridge, namely establishing a numbered ticket system so travelers can sit in an air-conditioned hall while waiting for their papers to be processed. Jordanian officials have furthermore confirmed their willingness to extend the crossing hours on a number of occasions over recent years.
Palestinians complain, however, that on the Israeli side of the bridge, travelers are regularly made to stand for hours in line and spend hours in buses waiting for permission to cross. The average crossing time, they say, is 6 to 10 hours which, if travel time to and from the bridge is added in, means Palestinians must leave their home in the West Bank in the early morning and arrive in Amman just before sunset, having travelled an average distance of about 65 miles.
The Israeli Ministerial Committee also announced it would bypass a series of bureaucratic barriers that have delayed the development of a number of industrial and export zones in the Palestinian territories.
"Wherever we can ease restrictions on the Palestinian population without endangering the security of the citizens of Israel," the Prime Minister said, "we will make every effort to do so."
"We have made progress today," said Vice Premier Silvan Shalom, who co-chaired the meeting. "Many of the impediments have been removed... It is Government policy to promote the economic peace and I call for increased cooperation from the Palestinian side on this issue."
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, also at the meeting, said the removal of roadblocks had also eased daily life for Palestinians. "The large scale removal of checkpoints and roadblocks is of long-range political importance due to the position of the international community and world opinion," he said.
West Bank Palestinians' only artery to the outside world is set to immediately open 24 hours a day for the passage of goods in an Israeli effort to boost the Palestinian economy, it was decided on Wednesday.
A ministerial committee headed by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu adopted a recommendation to open the only West Bank crossing into Jordan 24 hours a day "for the import and export of goods in order to increase the volume of commercial activity and improve the Palestinian population's quality of life."
The crossing—referred to as Allenby Bridge by Israel, as Al-Karameh Bridge by Palestinians and as King Hussein Bridge by Jordan—connects the West Bank Palestinian city of Jericho with Jordan.
The move, a pilot project until the end of the year, is part of a recent Israeli initiative to remove roadblocks and promote economic activity in Palestinian territories. It comes after growing protest by West Bank Palestinians whose only access to the outside world is via the bridge.
Palestinians wishing to travel abroad must obtain both Israeli and Jordanian travel permits to cross the bridge and then continue on to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman.
Palestinians have not been permitted to use Israeli airports since the outbreak of the second Palestinian Intifada in 2000, when Israel also limited the time given to Palestinians to cross the bridge. There is no airport operating in the Palestinian territories.
There was initial confusion as to whether the extension would affect Palestinian travelers, those transporting goods, or both.
"The extension affects goods only and is effective immediately," Mark Regev, the Israeli Prime Minister's spokesperson, told The Media Line. "If that's today or tomorrow I don't know."
Israeli border officers did not seem to be aware of any change.
"Nonsense," Rotem, a non-commissioned Israeli officer at the bridge told The Media Line. "It's only open until 8."
"For Palestinians the last bus is at 4.30," he added, refusing to give his last name. "We haven't heard anything else."
"I heard it on the news but they haven't told us anything," added an Israeli bank official at the crossing.
"I have received no instructions," added a senior officer named Ani. "As far as I am concerned, we are continuing to operate as usual."
Palestinians say, in practice, those from the West Bank are generally permitted to cross the bridge until 3 p.m. Palestinian residents of Jerusalem and those with special permits are allowed over until around 3:45 p.m. Furthermore, such crossing times mean the bridge is only open to Palestinians during the day, when from May through October the daytime heat averages between 90 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
Foreign tourists enjoy much more liberal crossing procedures at the bridge and diplomats can cross until 8 p.m. Israeli citizens are not permitted to enter the Palestinian territories nor use the crossing.
In the 1990s the bridge was open until 10 p.m. and Palestinian Authority police were stationed on the Palestinian side of the crossing. Israel forced the P.A. police to leave and reduced the crossing hours following the outbreak of the second Intifada in 2000.
In recent years, a number of improvements have been made for Palestinians using the crossing on the Jordanian side of the bridge, namely establishing a numbered ticket system so travelers can sit in an air-conditioned hall while waiting for their papers to be processed. Jordanian officials have furthermore confirmed their willingness to extend the crossing hours on a number of occasions over recent years.
Palestinians complain, however, that on the Israeli side of the bridge, travelers are regularly made to stand for hours in line and spend hours in buses waiting for permission to cross. The average crossing time, they say, is 6 to 10 hours which, if travel time to and from the bridge is added in, means Palestinians must leave their home in the West Bank in the early morning and arrive in Amman just before sunset, having travelled an average distance of about 65 miles.
The Israeli Ministerial Committee also announced it would bypass a series of bureaucratic barriers that have delayed the development of a number of industrial and export zones in the Palestinian territories.
"Wherever we can ease restrictions on the Palestinian population without endangering the security of the citizens of Israel," the Prime Minister said, "we will make every effort to do so."
"We have made progress today," said Vice Premier Silvan Shalom, who co-chaired the meeting. "Many of the impediments have been removed... It is Government policy to promote the economic peace and I call for increased cooperation from the Palestinian side on this issue."
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, also at the meeting, said the removal of roadblocks had also eased daily life for Palestinians. "The large scale removal of checkpoints and roadblocks is of long-range political importance due to the position of the international community and world opinion," he said.