ARIJ Bypass Roads-The Israeli Approach Towards a New Apartheid Against Palestinians? May 2001 � Building Jewish colonies is usually compounded by the construction of a series of bypass roads.� These are built for the use of Israeli colonists to link colonies to each other and with Israel.� At the same time the roads �bypass� Palestinian areas, thus creating a physical separation between the two peoples.�� A 75m �buffer zone� cleared on either side of these roads results in the confiscation of vast amounts of Palestinian land. Often Palestinian houses are bulldozed in order to clear the land for the buffer zone. Palestinians are forbidden to use this land for cultivation or any kind of construction activity.�� � To date, the construction of bypass roads has required the confiscation and destruction of approximately 52.1 km2 of Palestinian land, most of which is agricultural.� The Israeli Zionist goals in its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip have consistently been guided by two principles, sometimes held in tension with one another: separation and territorial expansion. The construction of bypass roads is used to fulfill both. The construction of bypass roads commonly occurs along the perimeter of Palestinian built-up areas. This practice has created boundaries around Palestinian areas, fragmenting both land and people.� The resulting enclaves of Palestinians rapidly become overcrowded due to their inability to expand and absorb the natural population growth.� This leads to the stifling of development and the over-use and eventual depletion of natural resources.� The situation is very serious within the major cities of the West Bank where population growth and density is high.� Furthermore, Palestinians are restricted from using the bypass roads for their own transportation, particularly in times of heightened conflict.� Even parts of road 60, the main north-south artery of the West Bank is often off limits. Meanwhile, the colonists and Palestinians are subject to two different sets of laws that discriminate against the Palestinians and entrap them in a legal system designed to legitimize the occupation and disenfranchise them from their land.� Even though the Jewish colonists and Palestinians inhabit the same land, the colonists enjoy a quality life and access to natural resources that vastly exceeds that of the Palestinians. The situation thus created resembles an apartheid system. In addition to facilitating separation, the bypass roads are also used to secure territorial expansion.� The roads are often built in such a way as to demarcate new de facto borders that will ensure the Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank in the case of a final settlement with the Palestinians.� Examples are numerous.� On the southern edge of the West Bank a string of Israeli colonies stretches from Eshkolot in the west to Nof Nesher in the east; see map1.� Here we find two bypass roads linking these colonies while simultaneously severing the connection of many Palestinian villages on either side.� It is clear that all the land and villages south of the bypass road are in danger of being annexed to Israel.� Even before such a border is officially recognized it functions as such due to the restrictions on Palestinian growth and movement caused by the roads and military checkpoints. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
