Israel has opened a highway dubbed “Apartheid Road” in Jerusalem — a roughly 2-mile stretch that separates Palestinian drivers on one side and Jewish settlers on the other with a 26-foot-high fence, according to a report.
Route 4370 connects the settlement of Geva Binyamin to Route 1 – the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway – between French Hill and a tunnel leading to Mount Scopus, the Israeli Haaretz reported.
Its western side served Palestinian drivers, who cannot enter the holy city, while the eastern side will be used by Israeli settlers who will be able to reach French Hill and Mount Scopus more easily, according to the paper.
Segregated roads are common in the West bank, but until now, none are divided along their entire length by a wall.
“Apartheid Road,” which was built more than 10 years ago, remained closed amid a dispute between the Israel Defense Forces and the country’s police in connection with a new checkpoint.
The road, which lies outside Jerusalem’s jurisdiction, will be open from 5 a.m. to noon daily and used mostly be used by settlers commuting to the city for work and study.
Yisrael Gant, the head of the Binyamin Regional Council who attended the opening ceremony on Tuesday, called the road “no less than an oxygen line for the region’s residents, who work, study and go out for entertainment in the city.”
This story was originally published by NY Post
via USAHint.com
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