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Meanwhile, Palestinians point to
Bank and severely restricting the
dangers they face in the uneasy bal-
movement of Palestinians travel-
ance of life in the West Bank, specifi- ing between villages and cities, now
cally from radical settlers. Attempts
there are 14, Lerner said.
by the Israeli authorities to evacuate
Today, the interaction between
three illegal settlement outposts last
Israelis and Palestinians in the
week, for example, met with ram-
West Bank is largely limited to the
pages on Palestinian
30,000 Palestinians
land nearby, with
who work in the
fields set on fire and
factories of Israeli-
Palestinian vehicles
owned industrial
reportedly pelted
parks or within the
with rocks.
Israeli settlements
Some settlers
themselves, usually
insist they are the
construction, main-
ones facing increased
tenance, agriculture
threats, linking
or service jobs.
recent violence on
Although Israelis
the roads to the
and Palestinians
recent reduction of
share many of the
military roadblocks.
West Bank roads, the
But Israeli army offi-
army also has built
cials actually credit
a series of bypass
the improvement in
roads used mostly
the overall security
— Yesha Council security chief by settlers and army
situation to the eas-
Shlomo Oiknine vehicles that avoid
ing of movement for
Palestinian popula-
Palestinians, good
tion centers.
military intelligence, the army's abil-
Israelis are not allowed to enter
ity to respond to terror threats and
Palestinian-controlled areas without
the West Bank security fence.
an army escort.
They also credit what they
Avital, the Ofra spokesman,
describe as the Palestinian
remembers the 1980s when she and
Authority's increased crackdown on
her neighbors would go to Ramallah
Palestinian militants and improved
on a daily basis — something no
ability to keep order in Palestinian-
one has done in years.
populated areas.
"We would go to the banks there
"It's about Palestinian security
for the shorter lines, get our pre-
working better," said Maj. Peter
scriptions filled in the pharmacies.
Lerner, spokesman for the Israeli
If our local grocery store ran out
army's Central Command, the mili-
of challah on a Friday, I knew I
tary authority in the West Bank.
could pop into the supermarket in
Ramallah and find Angel challot
Quiet During Gaza War
there she said.
Lerner noted the relative lack of dis-
Avital faults the Israeli govern-
turbances during the recent Gaza War,
ment, which she says is making
adding, "The Palestinian people in the
dangerous concessions to the
West Bank today are more interested
Palestinians in order to please the
in their daily lives and trying to get
U.S. government.
things back on track.
Referring to the American pres-
"By removing checkpoints, we are
sure in the past, she said, "The result
removing friction and giving our
when we have relented has always
forces more flexibility to operate, for been increased terrorism every
example, on the ground in settle-
single time."
ments themselves to help protect
Avigdor Schatz, the head of a cen-
them and to provide more patrols:'
tral region of the West Bank known
he said.
as Binyamin, noted the new freedom
"All of the checkpoints removed
of movement that has come with the
can be returned if the situation
lifting of so many roadblocks.
deteriorates. It's not an irreversible
"Statistically, there may be no
move."
increase in incidents, but there is a
In the past two years, about
discomfort people are feeling in see-
140 roadblocks and earth-mound
ing Palestinians in places they were
obstacles have been removed. Where not permitted previously," Schatz
once there were 41 manned army
said. "There is a sense that some-
roadblocks criss-crossing the West
thing bad is afoot." ❑
Even though
security is
much improved,
"we need to
be prepared
for all possible
scenarios."
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