I took this video last week from the back seat of a cab traveling from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv on a highway through the occupied West Bank. I was struck by the architecture of apartheid: the complete separation of one group — the Israelis allowed on the Israelis-only road — from Palestinians, the villages we pass through whose residents are not allowed access to a road on their own lands.
The extent of the barrier was staggering to me. The video culminates at 3:15 with views of Ofer Prison. I’ve been to several demonstrations at Ofer, but never seen it from the apartheid road.
You will notice that the cabdriver goes in for a lot of racist characterizations of Palestinians as ill-educated and incapable of work. I wish I could say his attitudes are atypical.
Here is a B’Tselem report on Route 443 that describes much of the architecture you see in this video.
Philip, I suggest you retract this article and issue an apology for misleading your readers. A large section of the Road 443 is open to West Bank Palestinians. The Israeli Supreme Court decided this a while back. Your report from B’Tselem is out of date and wrong.
By the way, you are coming across in your interviews like a fish out of water. You really do not understand the region.
The four attacks that changed 443
http://www.jpost.com/LocalIsrael/InJerusalem/Article.aspx?id=175959
Again my comment from the previous post (https://mondoweiss.mystagingwebsite.com/2012/08/the-world-according-to-sheldon-adelson.html#comment-483877) )stands- Apartheid my a..!!!!
The wall, barrier and the rest were erected because of shooting, blowing-up people, buses and constant flow of attacks. Also in the post itself, apartheid argument is failing since the roads are PARTIALLY closed to Palestinians and are open for Israelis (Jews and non-Jews alike).
@Gilad. Phil dose look completely out of touch.
There is a roadblock, thankfully, near Modi’in. There is another roadblock on the outskirts of Jerusalem and again, thankfully. All of the road in between is open to Palestinians. Now go back and read Philips headline. Don’t worry, I’ll post it here again..
“Traveling through the occupied West Bank on an Israelis-only road”.
IT IS NOT AN ISRAELIS-ONLY ROAD (sol). Do you want me to post photographs of Palestinian cars on this road with blue number plates? How many do you want.
The B’Tsalem report was posted over one and a half years ago. B’Tsalem has been found out to distort the situation on many occasions. Just because it says B’Tsalem does not give the article automatic credibility.
Question: is this an “Israelis-only road” or a “Jews-only road”?
20% of Israeli citizens are non-Jews (ethnic Palestinians). Can they drive on this road?
If the answer is no, then the highway should be called “Jews-only” instead of “Israelis-only”.