Israeli crackdown on Palestinian mobility began well before suicide bombings

[Jefferson23]

Most Israelis labor under the misconception that restrictions on Palestinian movement were a result of suicide bombings, but they started long before that.

By Amira Hass | Apr.01, 2013 | 8:23 PM

snip*The chronology is important here ? I’ve repeated it countless times and will repeat it countless more times ? because local readers like to think that the blanket prohibitions on Palestinian mobility were a response to the suicide attacks from 1994 on. That is not the case.

It began in January 1991, on the eve of the Gulf War. The Israel Defense Forces GOC Central and Southern Commands then revoked an earlier order, from the 1970s, of a “general exit permit to Israel” ? in other words, one that allowed the Palestinian residents of the occupied territory to enter Israel, and move freely within its borders and between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Initially, the revocation was interpreted as something temporary, a preventive measure during the unclear period of wartime. But after a lengthy curfew, the residents of the Strip woke up to a new reality. If up until 1991 Israel had respected ?for reasons of its own? the right to freedom of movement for all Palestinians, but withheld it from a few people, after 1991 the situation was reversed: Israel denied all Palestinians ?those in the West Bank as well? the right to freedom of movement, aside from a few groups and numbers that it determined.

Since then, this is the rule in effect, aside from shifts in the various categories and specific numbers of those permitted to leave. The expectation that signing the transfer of powers from the Civil Administration to the Palestinian Authority in May 1994 would restore freedom of movement was soon dashed. That was the first clear sign.

in full: http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/passover/israeli-crackdown-on-palestinian-mobility-began-well-before-suicide-bombings.premium-1.512752

[azurnoir]

1. since that time it has become sadly obvious that Israel does not consider Oslo temporary

this is evidenced by the continued herding of Palestinians out of area C into the Area(s) A and B, the continued building of and expanding of settlements called natural growth as shown here

The Israeli campaign strategy to create Palestinian enclaves in the West Bank has also been crowned a great success, and its name is Area C which is under full Israeli administrative and security control?. Areas A, B and C were established in the Oslo Accords as purely temporary categories, to mark the gradual nature by which the military forces would leave the Palestinians’ territory. Fourteen years later, Area C ? the last area the military was supposed to vacate ?in 1999? ? still covers about 62 percent of the West Bank, and is the expansion space reserved for the outposts, settlements, industrial zones and multilane highways. Permanent and sacred and ours, like the Temple Mount.

Separation and creation of distance between senior officials and ordinary folks by granting “generous” mobility permits to a select class of Palestinians: freedom of movement for senior PA officials who came from abroad and gave no thought to the reality that existed before, without a need for permits, and to several prisoners who had been released and positioned themselves high in the PA leadership;

Satisfying the PA and then PLO leader Yasser Arafat’s sense of pseudo-control ? closing the crossings and requesting permits necessitated coordination between the Civil Administration and its Palestinian twin the Ministry of Civil Affairs?;

Giving the PA a chance to develop the commercial monopolies of its people and cronies ? by sheer dint of the need to coordinate exits between the PA and Israel;

Most important of all: Severing the society in Gaza from that of the West Bank. In other words, undermining the basic condition for a Palestinian state, in both parts of the territory conquered in 1967.

[Jefferson23]

2. Thanks for highlighting that.

If you go back on edit and remove all parentheses, the smilies will be gone.

I needed to do that too.

[azurnoir]

3. IMO the restriction of movement is all about making Area C a permanent

part of Israel at least by usage if not officially, keeping Palestinians confined to 'their' area

[Jefferson23]

4. Yes, I don't see how else one could interpret it. n/t

[polly7]

5. Kick and Recommend for an excellent article. nt.

[Jefferson23]

6. Thanks for the kick, polly..it's been a quiet thread. n/t

[King_David]

7. When was the last murder by suicide bomb ?

Something's working .

[Jefferson23]

8. Israeli crackdown on Palestinian mobility began well before suicide bombings.

Something was working then, what was it?

[King_David]

9. The anti murderer Wall works well. nt

[Jefferson23]

10. The wall that's not on Israel's land, that the one you're referring to? n/t

[King_David]

11. The wall that almost put an end to daily occurrences of mass murder by suicide

That wall ...

[Jefferson23]

12. The wall that rests on land that does not belong to Israel. I'll repeat for you, what

you have not addressed: Israeli crackdown on Palestinian mobility began well before suicide bombings

Land, not security.

Israel could have built the wall on their land, they did not.

[King_David]

14. The wall has saved many many lives

And prevented many many massacres.

[Jefferson23]

16. Israeli crackdown on Palestinian mobility began well before suicide bombings.

Land.

[King_David]

17. Again

14. The wall has saved many many lives
And prevented many many massacres.

[Jefferson23]

18. Uh huh, The wall that rests on land that does not belong to Israel. I'll repeat for you, what

you have not addressed: Israeli crackdown on Palestinian mobility began well before suicide bombings

Land, not security.

Israel could have built the wall on their land, they did not.

[King_David]

19. Wall works, preventing murder and loss of life

Is far more important than land or property.

Property "rights "are not progressive values.

[azurnoir]

20. yep that holds especially true when

it's the 'other guys' property being taken

[Jefferson23]

21. Do explain, Property "rights "are not progressive values.

Wall works to take land that does not belong to you.

You have yet to address that issue, and the other more significant statement,
the OP's title.

[King_David]

24. Wall works in saving lives

Which is far far more important than land.

[Jefferson23]

25. The wall is not on Israel's land because if it were the wall would not save lives?

Waiting for you to address the title of the OP too.

[King_David]

28. Land is not as important as preventing massive loss of life nt

[Jefferson23]

29. That does not answer the questions...but you knew that.

[azurnoir]

13. Mostly Palestinian security co-ordination with Israel is what is working here

you know what 'some' here like to cry crocodile tears over as the PA infringing on Palestinian rights, in fact iut's the very same people that also make comments similar to yours 'oddly'

[King_David]

15. Just a coincidence that it occurred after construction of the wall ? nt

[azurnoir]

22. that would be true if the wall were totally impenetrable but it's not

no security co-ordination and the wind down of the second intifada have far more to do with it

[King_David]

23. Nonsense nt

[azurnoir]

26. so it is only brute force that those Palestinians understand?

nothing else according to you they are not capable of self control?

[King_David]

27. It is the barrier that stopped suicide mass murders. nt

[azurnoir]

30. so now justify why it was built on Palestinian land

it seems you do not believe Palestinians capable of self control, would that also extend to self governance?

[King_David]

31. What you going on about what 'I believe'

Where do you get these 'powers' from ?

[azurnoir]

32. why will you jnot answer can you not justify why Israel builds it's own security wall on Palestinian

land, so you go on the 'offensive/defensive'?

I asked if you believed that only brute force (the Wall for instance) was what controlled the Palestinians and you answered the only thing controlling them is the Wall