In one of its attempt to impose new realities in the Palestinian Territory, the Israeli Authorities decided to reassign the delivery point of fuel for Bethlehem from its traditional location 'Al Nashash checkpoint' west of the city to Tarqumiya commercial Terminal located west of Hebron city and parallel to the 1949 Armistice Line (Green Line).

 

In year 2007, the Israeli Civil Administration verbally informed The Palestinian General Petroleum Cooperation of a decision to relocate the point where fuel is delivered from its usual point in Bethlehem to Tarqumiya terminal but did not act on it since then, at least until recently when the decision went into effect in February 15 by the orders of the Israeli Civil Administration. Again, the Israeli civil administration conveyed its decision verbally. The controversial order came in just at the time the section of the Segregation Wall at the town of Khader west of Bethlehem city is near to completion. Upon which, the Israeli Bypass Road number 60 will become off limit for Palestinians and for the explicit use of Israeli settlers, forcing the earlier to use alternative routes, which are dangerous and cost more in terms of fuel per additional driving kilometers, and maintenance for ten times more driving distance than the current traditional road.

 

Tarqumiya Terminal

It is located west of Hebron city, near the 1949 Armistice Line (Green Line) and is one of the 17 crossings Israel announced about between the years 2004 and 2006 in the West Bank designated to regulate the movements of Palestinians and Palestinian trade between the different Palestinian Governorates on one hand and between the West Bank and Israel on the other hand.

 

Tarqumiya Terminal is set to function as a trade passage between the West Bank southern governorates; (Bethlehem and Hebron; with particular emphasis on the latter) and Israel; It is also to function in the future as a doorway of the West Bank – Gaza route thus confining all that moves in between to Israeli control; especially since the terminal is rigged as an integral part of the Segregation Wall; currently under construction in Hebron governorate. Table (1) shows Israeli crossings deployed in the West Bank & See Map 1

 

Table (1): Israeli crossings deployed in the West Bank
No.	Crossing Name	Governorate	Function	Current Status
1	Gilo 300	Bethlehem	Crossing Point	Operational
2	Mazmuryia	Bethlehem	Trade Passage	Under Construction
3	Al Jab'a	Hebron	Trade Passage	In Planning Phase
4	Al Khader	Bethlehem	Crossing Point	Under Construction
5	Qalandyia	Jerusalem	Crossing Point	Operational
6	Tarqumiya	Hebron	Commercial Terminal	Operational
7	Betunia	Ramallah	Trade Passage	Operational
8	Sha'ar Ephrayim	Tulkarem	Commercial Terminal	Operational
9	Ras Abu Sbeitan	Jerusalem	Crossing Point	Under Construction
10	Al Walajeh	Bethlehem	Crossing Point	In Planning Phase
11	Um Salamuna	Bethlehem	Trade Passage	Under Construction
12	Meccabim	Ramallah	Crossing Point	Operational
13	Metar	Hebron	Commercial Terminal	Operational
14	Hizma	Jerusalem	Crossing Point	Under Construction
15	Hasam Tzahub	Jordan Valley	Commercial Terminal	Operational
16	Al Jalameh	Jenin	Commercial Terminal	Operational
17	Al Za'ayyem	Jerusalem	Crossing Point	Operational

Source: Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ) – 2008

 

 

Map 1: Location of Tarqumyia Terminal

 

 

Tarqumiya Terminal, like the many commercial terminals deployed in the West Bank, will increase the burden on Palestinians, industrialists and traders of them, as the Israeli procedures and constraints systemized on these crossings are complex and demanding in terms of shipping and packing and Palestinian traders have to wait until they can transfer cargo; thus, delaying the exit of trucks loading goods from one day to three days. Ultimately, the alternative routes set to reach the crossings, the time wasted on cargo inspection and security clearance, and the mood of the Israeli soldiers at such crossings all contribute to waste more time and money causing increase of commodities value, which the average and already financially exhausted Palestinian have to pay for to make up for this un-called for increase in prices.

 

This terminal is part of much more comprehensive Israeli plan aiming to manipulate facts on the ground, so even though the terminal exist within close proximity to the 1949 Armistice Line (the Green Line); it tend to serve much more; to eliminate any prospect of an Israeli free-geographical contiguity between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which basically summarize the function of every other crossing and/ or commercial terminal  

 

To conclude:-

If Israel remains determined to carryout its verbal-unlawful decision to relocate the fuel delivery point from 'An Nashash checkpoint' in Bethlehem Governorate to Tarqumiya Terminal in Hebron,  the tankers of the Palestinian General Petroleum Cooperation will be forced to travel a distance of 114 kilometers round trip instead of the current 11 kilometers; to maintain the usual daily flow of fuel need, which in turn, will increase the transportation costs and hardship on PGPC and will defiantly be the cause of shortage of fuel quantities delivered to Bethlehem Governorate daily and certainly cause an increase in fuel prices, which already stand on much exaggerated rates as it is now.

 

The political implications if the Israeli verbal-decision goes through are far more devastating as it hits the peace process hard with such actions that aim to send the Palestinian a message that the territorial contiguity between Palestinian Governorate on one hand and between the West Bank and Gaza on the other will never take place, thus making each entity one big prison on its own.

 

 

 

Prepared by 
The Applied Reserach Institute – Jerusalem