Does anyone have an opinion about the checkpoints in the WestBank?

Question

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=5124139&ch=4226714&src=news

This video shows a checkpoint by CNN which was posted on Yahoo. Please if we could make it a debate and not an argument or hurting others . Thank you.

edit big bobby: I've tried to search for your link but I could only find many about woman giving birth at checkpoints because they could not get through to the hospital, do you have a link by chance? Thank you.

Canute and to all others who don't have an understanding. There are more than 500 checkpoints within the WestBank, that's not to mention the checks that are on the border. Thanx.

Answer 1

Sadly the checkpoints are not just about security and there's more than just a few soldiers here and there who are out of line. I know of a man who was forced to wait at a checkpoint all day and then had to kiss the soldier's boots. Then had to take off one of his own shoes. The soldier threw it down the valley so after waiting, being humiliated, and having one shoe taken, he was let through.

Another had to bark like a dog before he was let through.

A friend of mine was waiting at a checkpoint when a soldier pulled out a sound bomb. Parts of it bounced off the pavement into her stomach - gave her a big bruise and pain.

I've come across temporary checkpoints that popped up and stopped traffic for a few hours. I went up to talk to the soldiers who said they were looking for someone and know who he is. I said great, then check these people's IDs and if it's not the person you're looking for then let them through. He said no, just following orders. We sat down under a tree and the soldiers hated that - internationals seeing what is really going on. Within 15 minutes they cleared the road and left. Guess they didn't need that guy so badly after all.

Next day - another make shift checkpoint in another location. Almost same thing - cars waiting for hours. This time I was alone but I did the same thing - I walked up to the soldiers, asked what the problem is. This time they didn't seem to know - just "following orders". Okay, I again sat down by them. Within 5 minutes they left and road was clear.

It's important foreigners go there and just watch. That alone changes what is happening.

It's one thing security....it's another thing humiliation, oppression, and collective punishment. One's okay, the other clearly not.

Answer 2

Hi Hopeless

I have very mixed feelings about these checkpoints, because I hate to see the misery they cause to the mainly innocent Palestinian population, but I know that at this point in time they are a necessary evil for protecting me and other Israelis against Palestinian terrorism, and that they are one of the key reasons that suicide bombs in Israel now occur roughly once a year as opposed to almost every day as was the case five years ago.

From personal experience, I have seen that the checkpoints at the edges of the West Bank are much softer than the ones deep inside it, and I believe the reason for this is that it is much more practical to place tight controls around the few population centres known to be hotbeds of terrorism (such as Nablus) than to attempt to have strong checkpoints at every possible exit point from an area as large as the West Bank.

If progress is made towards the creation of a Palestinian state, I anticipate that the internal checkpoints will then be handed over to Palestinian control, and that Israel will switch to having its strong checkpoints along the West Bank border, assisted by the barrier wall which is currently under construction.

Developments beyond that will depend on the success or failure of the Palestinian state. If the Palestinians can maintain law and order and control their extremists, then we will have two states side-by-side with commerce and transit taking place relatively smoothly between the two. But if the Palestinian state degenerates into chaos, Israel will have little choice but to shut the gates as it has done with Gaza.

Londoner In Israel

Answer 3

Checkpoints are something, which is uncomfortable for everybody on both sides, but unfortunately still necessary.
There is no way to take them away regarding the fact that Israel is constantly threatened from terror and suicide attacks.
What other solution do you see?
I know that it’s a shame, that thousands of innocent and good people loose their time at the checkpoints and I understand that they are angry, because they loose time and money queuing up. They have nothing to hide and no bad intentions.
But as long as these crazy terrorists come over the border and try to introduce bombs, what shall the government do?
It’s the government’s duty to protect its citizens don’t you think so?
I have seen the misery going on there and thought that it’s inhuman. But then I thought, that one horrible day maybe 99,99% of these poor people do have nothing to hide and are treated in this unfair way - But 1 terrorist is among them and will cause injuries and death if not discovered at the check point.
I also would wish that the situation would be a different one and these horrible checkpoints would belong to a grey past, but actuality shows us, that unfortunately this isn’t possible at the moment.
I think there should be more people working there to avoid long hours of waiting and accelerate this sad process as much as possible, because nobody wants innocent people to loose their time and despair.
This is and has been always the big injustice in the world: Millions suffer the consequences of the acts of a few crazy people...
I hope things will change in the future, I hope that the next generation will do better...
Once again, I think we should try to make many more efforts to try to find a solution, which suits both parts, and we have to find this solution soon for the sake of everybody living in Israel and for the sake of the next generations.
It’s no way to say, oh things are like that and it’s the fault of the others… this way of pessimist thinking has no future!
In the end nobody will win, everybody will loose.
I won’t give up my hopes…

Answer 4

Its a simple matter really.

If israel dismantles all the (illegal) Israeli settlements in the west bank,then the military prescence would not be required in the area thus dismantling all the checkpoints in teh West Bank.

Israel would have just checkpoints on the border though.

From there things can get settled but i doubt that will happen.

Answer 5

I understand why the checkpoints are hated, but I hope you also understand why Israel considers them neccessary. The checkpoints have stopped literally hundreds of attacks and helped the army apprehend dozens of terrorists. I can assure you that the checkpoints are a function of terror and not the other way around, and Palestinians freedom of movement is inversely proportional to that implied threat. It is a shame that civilians also must be impacted in this way, but unless terrorists stop hiding among the civilian population that's just the way it has to be.

To ABC: Israelis say those phrases you mention to each other on a near constant basis, especially in the army.

Answer 6

The checkpoints only exist because of suicide bombings. This is the consequences of there actions. The Arabs should be complaining to those who are the reason for those checkpoints, not the Israelis who are protecting themselves.

You think those soldiers like working at checkpoints? You have one guy telling you Hitler was right, a woman screaming that your mother is a whore, a rock hits your head and you have no idea where it came from, all this while watching everyone closely to make sure nothing looks abnormal, such as a bomb under someones coat.

If most suicide bombers came from my city, I wouldn't blame people for wanting to stay far away from me and having checkpoints all around the city border.

Answer 7

The checkpoints are absolutely nessesery and serve security only. I have served on checkpoints myself as well as guarded palestinian prisoners in Israeli military jails. I have never misstreated anyone while I was in uniform on my duty arab, jew or christian. I have seen some of our soldiers that did. Among any people there are better and worse people, and just because there are those soldiers that do shameful things doesn't mean that the whole thing is bad. In general Israeli army is by far more moral then any other army in the world. As a civilian I also drive through the same checkpoints every day and when I have to waist my time waiting in line it is very frustraitng. But I'd rather wait and loose some time then spend time participating in the funerals of inecent Jewish civilians murdered in cold blood by palestinian terrorists, as I had to do several times, including loosing some of my close friends being shot as they drove on the way home just 5 minutes away from home

Answer 8

I have to go across them everyday here in the West Bank. The Israeli soldiers make the Palestinians wait for long time at those checkpoints. Sometimes the soldiers pick some cars and make them wait while they let others go. This is allegedly done for security, that's not true, because the Palestinains travel inside the Palestinian territories only not to Israel.

Answer 9

My opinion about checkpoints in the West Bank:

I hope that one day they are not necessary. I hope that one day there is peace. Israelis don't WANT them there, they are there out of necessity.

The soldiers at the checkpoints (who are scared) are doing the best they can. It's a hard situation and they know that any wrong move could leave one of the following dead:
a. an innocent palestinian
b. their family in israel
c. themselves
they are heavily trained in morality and do the best that they can... it's tough when you see an ambulance with a pregnant woman who needs care NOW and then an ambulance with a woman pretending to be pregnant carrying a bomb screaming that she needs care NOW. if there were not suicide bombings and security didn't mean we NEED these things... we wouldn't have them, trust me, they're horrible for everyone involved.

Answer 10

I've done quite a bit of travelling in the mid-east. There are some checkpoints, and they are a bother.
The problem is that there are some terrorists who attempt to infiltrate. When I was in Israel almost a year ago, a woman in"labor" was stopped at a checkpoint. Her 'baby" was 20 kg of explosives.CNN reported on the pregnant woman, but not on the explosives.
I am sure that all of the Israelis wish that there was another way.