Route 443
Photo: AFP
Rightists want WB roads open to Jews
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Baruch Marzel demand IDF open roads inside West Bank to Jewish traffic following High Court's decision to allow Palestinians to use Route 443
Following the High Court of Justice's ruling to open Route 443 to Palestinian traffic, right-wing activists approached GOC Central Command Avi Mizrahi with a demand to open roads inside the West Bank to Israeli vehicles, and said that if their request is not granted, they will turn to the High Court.
Rightists Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel wrote in their letter to Mizrahi: "There is no justification for the movement restrictions imposed on an entire population," and cited the court ruling stating that "barring Palestinian movement led to an ongoing violation for a long period of time while seriously disrupting all aspects of their life fabric, and such a violation is in no way proportionate to the violation of human rights it causes."
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Marzel accused the High Court of discrimination, and said, "There is no place for racial discrimination. They are allowed to use Route 443, so we are allowed to drive on all routes closed to us."
The two wrote that the judges in the High Court panel are of the mind that there is no place for a general ban against Arabs using the road, despite the military's claims that security concerns compel it.
Marzel and Ben Gvir said: "Roads cannot be closed to a certain group, all the more so when closing these paths seriously harms the life fabric of the residents of Judea and Samaria. If this is true regarding the Arabs, then there is no reason to differentiate between Jews and Arabs – by law, all are equal."
The rightists further wrote that: "Jews also have freedom of movement and basic rights."
The roads they demand be opened to Israeli traffic include the road from Elon Moreh to Shavei Shomron, the road dubbed "Wallerstein route", the road from Gross Square in Hebron to the Jewish cemetery and Hebron's Zion road.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said in response: "Following the High Court ruling the Central Command has begun examining the repercussions in order to implement the ruling."
