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Israel Cancels Project Barring Palestinians From Some Buses Israel Cancels Project Barring Palestinians From Some Buses
(about 9 hours later)
JERUSALEM — Responding to intense criticism, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Wednesday abruptly shelved a contentious pilot project introduced this week that prohibited Palestinians returning to the West Bank from riding on the same buses as Israelis headed to Jewish settlements. JERUSALEM — The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday abruptly shelved a pilot project that prohibited Palestinians from riding home to the West Bank on the same buses as Israelis headed to Jewish settlements.
The Israeli government’s turnabout reflected the acute domestic sensitivity over Israel’s image abroad, particularly given its new, narrow government dominated by right-wing and religious parties, and the growing frustration in the West over the impasse in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The Israeli government’s turnabout came as it has been trying to address Western frustrations over the long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process and has engaged in delicate efforts to head off a Palestinian attempt to have Israel suspended from the world governing body of soccer.
“These proposals are unacceptable to the prime minister,” said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Mr. Netanyahu. “He spoke to the defense minister this morning, and they decided to shelve the matter.”“These proposals are unacceptable to the prime minister,” said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Mr. Netanyahu. “He spoke to the defense minister this morning, and they decided to shelve the matter.”
The decision to cancel the plan came as the European Union foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, arrived in the region to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, and as Israel was involved in delicate efforts to head off a Palestinian attempt to have it suspended from FIFA, the world governing body of soccer. Just as the pilot project started — and ended — the European Union foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, arrived in the region to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Opposition politicians in Israel joined Palestinians in dismissing the idea that the plan was justified because of security concerns, denouncing the plan as immoral and racist, and saying it smacked of apartheid. There was also criticism from some more conservative quarters, including Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, who welcomed the decision to halt a process that he said “could have led to an unthinkable separation between bus lines for Jews and Arabs.” When the Israeli news media reported on Wednesday that the three-month project had begun, opposition politicians in Israel joined Palestinians in denouncing it, dismissing the idea that security concerns justified the new policy. Some even said that it smacked of apartheid.
Criticism also emerged from some more conservative quarters. Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, said the project “could have led to an unthinkable separation between bus lines for Jews and Arabs.”
Such ideas “have no place being heard or said,” Mr. Rivlin said in a statement.Such ideas “have no place being heard or said,” Mr. Rivlin said in a statement.
They “go against the very foundations of the state of Israel, and impact upon our very ability to establish here a Jewish and democratic state,” said Mr. Rivlin, whose voice carries significant moral weight even though his position is largely ceremonial. “Such statements cause great damage to the state of Israel, and to the settlement movement.” They “go against the very foundations of the state of Israel, and impact upon our very ability to establish here a Jewish and democratic state,” added Mr. Rivlin, whose voice carries significant moral weight though his position is largely ceremonial. “Such statements cause great damage to the state of Israel, and to the settlement movement.”
Mr. Rivlin has long opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state in territories that Israel conquered in the 1967 war and has supported building and maintaining settlements, which most of the world considers to be a violation of international law, while advocating equal rights for all.Mr. Rivlin has long opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state in territories that Israel conquered in the 1967 war and has supported building and maintaining settlements, which most of the world considers to be a violation of international law, while advocating equal rights for all.
Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian leader in the West Bank, said that the plan for segregated buses was particularly “blunt,” but that other forms of segregation were still in place, pointing to the existence of roads in the West Bank that are exclusively for use by Israelis. “This revealed the fact that Israel unfortunately has transformed the situation into a system of apartheid,” he said. Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian leader in the West Bank, said that the plan for segregated buses was particularly “blunt,” but that other forms of segregation remained, pointing to the existence of roads in the West Bank that are exclusively for use by Israelis. “This revealed the fact that Israel unfortunately has transformed the situation into a system of apartheid,” he said.
The prime minister appeared to have been taken by surprise when the Israeli news media reported on Wednesday morning that the three-month pilot project had begun, though officials in Mr. Netanyahu’s office declined to confirm that. Mr. Netanyahu appeared to have been taken by surprise by the news that the project had gotten underway, though officials in his office declined to confirm that.
The bus plan was conceived by the Israeli Defense Ministry, apparently in response to pressure from Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank who have long demanded separate transportation for the Palestinians. The bus plan was conceived by the Israeli Defense Ministry, apparently in response to pressure from Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank who have long demanded separate transportation for the Palestinians.
The plan called for Palestinians who work in Israel to return to the West Bank at the end of the day through one of four designated Israeli checkpoints, and then take Palestinian buses to their towns and villages. They would no longer have been allowed to take Israeli buses traveling in the direction of West Bank settlements, which cuts down on travel time for Palestinians who live along the way.The plan called for Palestinians who work in Israel to return to the West Bank at the end of the day through one of four designated Israeli checkpoints, and then take Palestinian buses to their towns and villages. They would no longer have been allowed to take Israeli buses traveling in the direction of West Bank settlements, which cuts down on travel time for Palestinians who live along the way.
The defense minister, Moshe Yaalon, denied that there had ever been a plan to segregate the buses.The defense minister, Moshe Yaalon, denied that there had ever been a plan to segregate the buses.
“There was no discussion to do so, no decision was taken to do so, and there will be no decision to do so,” he said in a statement later on Wednesday.“There was no discussion to do so, no decision was taken to do so, and there will be no decision to do so,” he said in a statement later on Wednesday.
Mr. Yaalon said that the idea had solely been to tighten security by supervising the re-entry of Palestinian workers into the West Bank, having them pass through the designated checkpoints. Mr. Yaalon said that the idea had solely been to tighten security by supervising the re-entry of Palestinian workers into the West Bank, by having them pass through the designated checkpoints.
Israel’s deputy defense minister, Eli Ben-Dahan, a member of the right-wing, pro-settlement Jewish Home party, said he was surprised by the reversal, having heard about it as he was defending the new policy in Parliament. Israel’s deputy defense minister, Eli Ben-Dahan, a member of the right-wing, pro-settlement Jewish Home party, said he was surprised by the reversal, having learned of it as he was defending the project in Parliament.
“There is no apartheid here,” he said, telling opponents of the policy to “stop blackening Israel’s reputation.” He defended the separate bus policy on security grounds, citing Palestinian attacks on Israelis. “There is no apartheid here,” he said, telling opponents to “stop blackening Israel’s reputation.” He defended the separate bus rules on security grounds, citing Palestinian attacks on Israelis.
Critics have said there is no security rationale for barring Palestinian workers from Israeli buses, because the workers had received permits from the authorities allowing them to work there. Critics have said there is no security rationale for barring Palestinian workers from Israeli buses, because the workers had received work permits from the authorities.
The newspaper Haaretz reported in October that the defense minister, Mr. Yaalon, had issued an instruction to stop Palestinian workers traveling on Israeli buses, but Mr. Yaalon, who remains in his post in the new government, apparently waited to introduce the plan until after the March elections. The newspaper Haaretz reported in October that Mr. Yaalon had issued a directive to stop Palestinian workers from traveling on Israeli buses, but Mr. Yaalon, who has retained his post in the new government, apparently waited to introduce the plan until after the March elections.
Representatives for the settlers had complained that the buses were overcrowded and unpleasant, in addition to the concerns about security.Representatives for the settlers had complained that the buses were overcrowded and unpleasant, in addition to the concerns about security.
Mordhay Yogev, a legislator from the Jewish Home party, was quoted in Haaretz at the time saying that the situation was “unreasonable” and that “the buses are filled with Arabs.”Mordhay Yogev, a legislator from the Jewish Home party, was quoted in Haaretz at the time saying that the situation was “unreasonable” and that “the buses are filled with Arabs.”
“I wouldn’t want my daughter to ride them,” he said, adding that girls and women had complained of being sexually harassed by male Arab passengers.“I wouldn’t want my daughter to ride them,” he said, adding that girls and women had complained of being sexually harassed by male Arab passengers.
On Wednesday, Mr. Yogev said that those who opposed the plan for separate lines “are unfamiliar with the reality, and their statements are tinged with hypocrisy, lies and irresponsibility.”On Wednesday, Mr. Yogev said that those who opposed the plan for separate lines “are unfamiliar with the reality, and their statements are tinged with hypocrisy, lies and irresponsibility.”
Isaac Herzog, the leader of the center-left Zionist Union and leader of the opposition in Parliament, described the plan for separate buses in a Facebook post as “gratuitous humiliation and a stain on the face of the country and its citizens. Needless oil on the bonfire of hatred towards Israel in the world.”Isaac Herzog, the leader of the center-left Zionist Union and leader of the opposition in Parliament, described the plan for separate buses in a Facebook post as “gratuitous humiliation and a stain on the face of the country and its citizens. Needless oil on the bonfire of hatred towards Israel in the world.”
Also on Wednesday, a Palestinian driver was shot and killed in East Jerusalem by Israeli border police officers after he drove into a group of them, injuring three, according to the Israeli police. The police said they were treating the event as the latest in a wave of attacks against Israeli police and civilians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank in recent months by Palestinians who have used vehicles, knives and guns as weapons. At the start of his meeting with Ms. Mogherini on Wednesday evening, Mr. Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to peace and said he supported the vision of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, seeking again to correct remarks that appeared to contradict that position on the eve of Israel’s March elections.
“I look forward to discussing with you how we can advance that vision forth in a practical, secure and responsible way,” Mr. Netanyahu told Ms. Mogherini, according to a statement from his office.
Also on Wednesday, a Palestinian driver was fatally shot in East Jerusalem by Israeli border police officers after he drove into a group of them, injuring three, according to the Israeli police. The police said they were treating the episode as the latest in a wave of attacks against Israeli police and civilians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank in recent months by Palestinians who have used vehicles, knives and guns as weapons.
The Palestinian driver was identified as Omran Omar Abu Dheim, a resident of East Jerusalem.The Palestinian driver was identified as Omran Omar Abu Dheim, a resident of East Jerusalem.
The independent Palestinian news agency Maan quoted an unnamed Palestinian as saying that he was at the scene and that the driver was not trying to run over the police officers but was trying to make a U-turn in the middle of the road.The independent Palestinian news agency Maan quoted an unnamed Palestinian as saying that he was at the scene and that the driver was not trying to run over the police officers but was trying to make a U-turn in the middle of the road.
The episode took place in the predominantly Palestinian neighborhood of A-Tur, on the Mount of Olives, in territory that Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war and then annexed in a move that has not been internationally recognized. The episode took place in the predominantly Palestinian neighborhood of A-Tur, on the Mount of Olives, in territory that Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war and then annexed.