Part One: Out of 660 road barriers only 23 have been up lifted most of them for minor use

Israeli Checkpoints – Part 2

On the 16 of the last month the Israeli army announced that it began to remove 100 barriers in the West Bank in implementation of the decisions of the political level in Israel claiming that the target barriers are mainly earth mounds.

An Israeli military spokesperson said the removal of these barriers would take some days and the process has to be completed before Eid Al Fetter ( the feast of the slaughtering) in November.

The spokesperson claimed that this decision came as “a continuation of the Israeli government’s efforts to improve the economic situation for the Palestinians of the West Bank while maintaining the operational flexibility of the Israeli army and security apparatuses”.

He went on to say that “this decision is an implementation of the improvements that were initiated by Ehud Barrak, the minister of defense, based on security evaluations done by the commander of the central leadership of the Israeli army and by the chief of staff, Jabi Ashkenazi”.

Is this what has been done?

After having a number of field trips by LRC field researchers it was found that only 23 barriers as followed:

1. 19 in Hebron governorate along roads number 60 and 35;

2. 2 in Bethlehem governorate;

3. 1 in Haris village, Salfit;

4. 1 in Azzun as Shamaliya, Qalqiliya.

Out of this big fuss the Palestinians were allowed to use only seven roads at the time they are prohibited from using the most vital roads whose opening facilitates their movement to a great extent and whose number is about 637. Is this the Barrak’s improvements made after nine years of torment and closure?! No real impact has been noticed on the life of Palestinians as a result of the “generous Israeli improvements”.

One Palestinian affected by these barriers compared the Israeli “improvements” to a mountain’s birth to a mouse”, adding that “Barrak offers use only misleading media bubbles and thousands of bombs against Gaza”. All of the removed barriers, except seven, lead to arid land or to agricultural fields and they shouldn’t have been closed in the first place. The Israeli move is meaningless in compare to the Palestinians’ daily suffering at the Israeli checkpoints.

To support what are we saying, table one offers detailed information and photographs about the removed barriers:

Is it necessary to have these barriers?!

Table 1: Barriers recently removed in Hebron governorate on roads 35, 60 and 317

#	Location	Barrier type	Nearby colony	Areas connected by barrier		Notes
#	Location	Barrier type	Nearby colony	From	To	Notes
1	Khirbet Hasaka	Earth mound	None	Hasaka	Bir Mahjar	It is located three meters from Road No.35
2	Bir Nahjar-Farsh Al Hawa	Iron gate	None	Idhna	Farsh Al Hawa-Bir Mahjar	Connecting between Hebron and road No.35
3	Farsh Al Hawa	Earth mound	Before Telem colony’s Military camp	Arid land affiliated to Hebron	Road No. 35
4	Farsh Al Hawa	Earth mound	Before Telem colony	Arid land affiliated to Hebron	Road No. 35	This barrier is only few meters from the one mentioned in point three
5	Farsh Al Hawa	Earth mound	Before Telem colony	Arid land affiliated to Hebron	Road No. 35	This barrier is only few meters from the one mentioned in point four
6	Tayba-Tarqumiya	Earth mound	Before Telem colony	Arid land affiliated to Tarqumiya	Road No. 35	Not used by Palestinians
7	Suba Junction	Earth mound	Telem and Idora colonies	Suba and the land to the north east of Idhna	Road No. 35	Next to Suba gate which is opened during daily work hours only
8	Zaghayer quarter	Earth mound	None	Zaghayer quarter	Road No. 35	A minor entrance that leads to some houses and barley used
9	Halhul bridge	Iron gate	Military watch tower	Halhul	Hebron	Vital road that can be re-closed at any time by soldiers manning the nearby watch tower
10	Ar Ramah quarter	Earth mound	None	Land to the north of the living quarter	Road No. 35	Dirt road linking between Ar Ramah quarter and Halhul and Road No. 35
11	Hahul-Wadi Qabun	Earth mound	None	Wadi Qabun quarter in Halhul	Road No. 35	Opposite Barrier mentioned in point ten separated by Road No. 35
12	Qayzon-Hebron	Earth mound	None	Qayzon agricultural land	Road No. 35
13	Bani Nai’m	Earth mound	Kiriyat Arba’	Wadi Al Juz Land west of Bani Na’im	Road No.60	An uneven dirt road connecting between arid land
14	Al Hijra	Earth mound	Hagai	Al Hijra south land	Road No.60
15	Wadi ash Shajna	Earth mound	None	Wadi ash Shajna land	Road No.60	A dirt road leading to arid land
16	Karma	Earth mound	Otne’il	Khirbet Basim	Road No.60
17	Wadi Qabun	Earth mound	None	Agricultural land	Road No.60	Leads to agricultural land
18	Wadi Qabun	Earth mound	None	Agricultural land	Road No.60	Leads to agricultural land
19	Ar Radeem land	Earth mound	Shema and nearby outpost	Ar Radeem land	Road 317	It connects a Radeem with as Samu’ town and is only used by one family and there is a nearby open road in better condition

Source: LRC field work on 17.10.2009

Table 2: Barriers recently removed in Bethlehem governorate

#	*Location*	*Barrier type*	*Nearby colony*	*Areas connected by barrier*		*Notes*
#	*Location*	*Barrier type*	*Nearby colony*	*From*	To	*Notes*
1	*Artas*	*Earth mound*	*Efrata*	*Artas*	*Road No. 60*
2	*Talita*	*Earth mound*	*None*	*Talita*	*Beti Jala*	*Once removed the street was paved*

Source: LRC field work on 20.10.2009

Table 3: Barriers recently removed in Salfit and Qalqiliya governorates

#	*Location*	*Barrier type*	*Nearby colony*	*Areas connected by barrier*		*Notes*
#	*Location*	*Barrier type*	*Nearby colony*	*From*	To	*Notes*
1	*Haris*	*Earth mound*	*Revava*	*Haris*	*Road No. 505*
2	*Azzun ash Shamaliya*	*Earth mound*	*Ma’ale Shomron*	*Azzun ash Shamaliya*	*Road No. 55*