Barak. No permit
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Katz: Barak should reconsider
Photo: Amit Shabi
Barak prohibits MKs' tour in Hebron
National Union Knesset members say they will march in Palestinian areas of Hebron despite ban
Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced Sunday that he would deny Knesset members from the National Union faction permission to tour Palestinian areas in Hebron. However, the MKs will be permitted to enter the Cave of the Patriarchs.
A defense official said in support of the decision that "this is the correct balance between the need to allow freedom of expression and the authority of public officials to tour areas in which public order must be maintained and unnecessary disputes prevented".
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Chairman of the National Union, MK Yaakov Katz, slammed the decision.
"The defense minister's disrespectful conduct is regrettable," he said. "We have an official permit, and Barak still has the option of reconsidering the original approval. In any case we will be in Hebron tomorrow."
The MKs plan to march in Hebron in protest of what they have dubbed "Netanyahu's promotion of the easing of restrictions on Palestinians."
Settlers residing in Hebron and the nearby Kiryat Arba have presented the MKs with data showing that 97% of the city is closed off to Jews, while the Palestinians have restricted access to only 3% of it.
They also claim that only one road to the Cave of the Patriarchs is open to Jews, while the Palestinians boast a number of open routes. They say the severe restrictions of movement leave them more vulnerable to attacks.
Currently open to Palestinian traffic is Zion route, which leads from Kiryat Arba to the holy site and had been closed off for several years due to terror attacks. The settlers have demanded that the route remain closed as they fear it will become dangerous once again.
