Israel Matzav: Leftists complain over new road to connect Route 443 to northeastern Jerusalem

Leftists complain over new road to connect Route 443 to northeastern Jerusalem

'Human Rights' groups are outraged that Israel is planning a new road that would connect Route 443 with the northeastern Jerusalem suburbs of Neve Yaakov and Pisgat Zev.

According to an Army Radio report, planning officials are diligently laying the groundwork for Highway 20, an artery which will connect Highway 443 - the road which has remained off limits to Palestinian traffic since the outbreak of the second intifada - with the northern neighborhoods of Jerusalem, including Pisgat Ze'ev.

Officials at Peace Now slammed the plan for the road, which they say will be built on privately owned Palestinian land to be condemned for the project and will cater solely to Israeli motorists.

Peace Now, which submitted an official complaint to the Transportation Ministry's planning committee, says that the planned highway will usurp land in the adjacent West Bank village of Beit Hanina.

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The government views Highway 20 as a means to ease the traffic burden that has plagued the French Hill section of Jerusalem.

The highway's opponents hope that last week's High Court ruling allowing for Palestinian motorists' use of Highway 443 will serve as a precedent.

There is a huge traffic bottleneck at French Hill every morning with people heading from Pisgat Zev and Neve Yaakov to both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. There is currently a road that goes directly from the Atarot Airport (just north of Neve Yaakov) to Givat Zev, where it hooks up with the connector from Route 443 to Ramot and Givon, but that road is not considered safe (and may pass through 'Area A,' which means that it cannot be used by Jews - I cannot remember ever being on it, but I know it exists).

The City of Jerusalem says that the new road will be open to all.

For the record, I believe that Beit Hanina is within the Jerusalem city limits, and Pisgat Zev, although nominally a Jewish suburb, has a significant Arab population.

Israel Matzav: Leftists complain over new road to connect Route 443 to northeastern Jerusalem