From a reader: "To
speed up their travel from dwellings in the West Bank south of Jerusalem,
Israel’s settlers have persuaded the government to plough a six-lane motorway
(in some places it has ten lanes) through the Arab-populated
town. ....Before the municipality approves such big building
projects in the Jewish-inhabited districts of Jerusalem, it has to submit a
detailed plan, routinely holding public consultations to hear objections. But
the residents of Beit Safafa awoke in November to find bulldozers digging
outside their homes. Belatedly they headed to court, but the judge allowed work
to continue while she pondered her ruling and then rejected the petition. Police
have broken up demonstrations and handcuffed protesters for what the
municipality calls vandalism.
Walls
as high as first-floor windows are to be built to shield residents. The
municipality says it will cover 180 metres of the road, but has rejected pleas
for a tunnel. “They could never dissect a Jewish neighbourhood the same way,”
says Meir Margalit, one of the few Jewish councillors to have rallied to the
residents’ cause."
