Removing 50 Roadblocks

3 March 2008

Israel has notified the U.S. and the Fatah leadership that it has removed 50 roadblocks to ease movement for Fatah residents in the West Bank.

The removal of the barriers was part of a package of measures agreed Sunday at a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Jewish defense minister Ehud Barak, and Fatah terrorist Salam Fayyad to fulfill the obligation from pressure by the United States.

The barriers, mainly ditches and dirt mounds, are designed to prevent vehicles from moving freely between the cities of Jenin, Tulkarm, Kalkiliya and Ramallah.

Over 500 barriers will remain on roads linking Palestinian settlements in the West Bank, including unmanned trenches, earth mounds and border checkpoints manned by dozens of troops.

Jewish authorities say they consider the roadblocks,one of the most effective means of fighting terrorism, while Fatah say they are one of the main obstacles to economic development in the region.

Fatah receives financial assistance from the West, while those within the Fatah terrorist organization suffer economic development, because of internal misappropriation of funds and refuse to make proper peace with the Palestine legal government to receive help.