The real fist in the face of the Palestinians

[DuctapeFatwa]

By all appearances, it's possible to drive from the
village of Burkin to Jenin on the main road. It's
a five-minute trip. But at the end of the road is
an earth barrier that no car can get by. So you
have to take the roundabout route, between the
olive groves... Almost always a tank or some
other armored vehicle of the
Israel Defense Forces emerges
from between the trees. In some
cases, the soldiers tell the
driver to turn around go back
the way he came. Sometimes they
let him continue. It's
perfectly arbitrary. Sometimes
the soldiers slash the four tires to render the car immobile, or they may
impound the car keys for a few hours. There are
cases in which the soldiers open fire in the
direction of the passengers to frighten them,
and, in rare instances, they kill them...

This state of affairs has absolutely nothing to
do with the security of Israelis. The fact is
that traffic carries on somehow. You can get
from Burkin to Jenin, and you can even
transport terrorists and bombs, but to do it
you have to use back roads that are more like
trails. The purpose here is different. It's to
make the lives of the local residents as
miserable as possible...This is the sole reason for much of the army
activity in the territories, though it's
carried out under the lying guise of
maintaining security.

People who
thought that the cessation of the terrorist
attacks brought about an easing of this
situation are wrong; far from easing the
situation, in the past few days, the IDF has
been working to raise the height of the
barriers in the villages around Tul Karm and
Qalqilyah.

Few Israelis are aware of this reality...

"How old are you?" a soldier at a checkpoint
rudely asks a young Palestinian driver in the
2002 documentary "Ford Transit" (2002), a film
by Hany Abu-Assad that last week received the
Spirit of Freedom award at the Jerusalem Film
Festival. "A hundred," the Palestinian jokes,
and gets a fist in his face from the soldier.
Palestinians.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=322416&contrassID=2&subContrassID=4&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y

[tinnypriv]

1. Levy is a great journalist

This is the most succinct description of the checkpoints I've seen.

BTW, DuctapeFatwa haven't seen you posting for a while. WB :hi:

[Herschel]

2. Reject terror

Then we will discuss these greivances.

[Darranar]

3. Unfortunately, my friend...

These checkpoints do not combat terrorism. Ease of movement within Palestinian territory does not mean that the Palestinians will not be checked before they enter Israel.

Indeed, the Palestinians must reject terror-and soon, if the peace process will accomplish anything. They must reject those cold-blooded murderers who slaughter Israeli civilians with enthusiasm.

However, the Israeli government should make an effort to make life easier for the Palestinians-expecially where their troubles have no real security purpose.

[Gimel]

12. You forget

Apparently you have forgotten or are unaware that prior to building the Wall, most of the "border area" was completely porous. Terrorists did not need to go through checkpoints to enter Israel and bomb Natanya. Now the road blocks are being removed. The protests are working overtime. Typical.

[Darranar]

13. The wall should be built...

On the green line. Since the clear area for the Palestinian state has not been defined, it is simply immoral to define it with a wall. It seems to me that Sharon is trying to dictate the lines of a Palestinian state-something he should not be able to do.

[tinnypriv]

4. I suggest

Reading the article, before attempting to comment on it.

[Herschel]

5. I will thank you

To not become personal

[quilp]

6. You talking about Israelis?

A terrorist in uniform is still a terrorist!

[Herschel]

7. I think you know better

An IDF soldier hunting a killer is not the same as an animal strapped to explosives to blow up a bus.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Herschel]

9. Israel apologist?

Please!

[quilp]

10. Pick your own label

I was trying to find the most polite one I could.

[Herschel]

14. I prefer

Friend of Israel.

[Darranar]

16. Yes...

That label would indeed be more appropriate.

[quilp]

11. "IDF soldier HUNTING". "ANIMAL strapped to explosives"

Very revealing choice of words.

[Herschel]

15. I make no apology

For referring to terrorists as animals. I will leave it at that.