Petition against the Israeli Ministry of Defense to remove checkpoints in and around Jerusalem

The following is a reply by Israeli Defense Minister, Benjamin Ben-Eleizer, to the letter sent by JCSER on 11 November 2001. The letter requested the removal of military checkpoints in and around Jerusalem, specifically the ones in Beit Hanina, Ras Al-Amud and Qalandia.

Jerusalem, 3 January 2002

Ras Al-Amud military checkpoint is under the responsibility of police and Ramout military checkpoint is under the responsibility of the army. These military checkpoints are subject to strict security measures to prevent the entry of suicide bombers or explosives to Israel. The army is aware of the impact they have on the daily life of Palestinians and that they sometimes lead to direct clashes and confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers stationed on the checkpoints.

Officers discuss in their weekly meetings the current situation to preserve the dignity of human beings in accordance with the principles and values of the Israeli army on one hand and to prevent the entry of suicide bombers or explosives on the other hand. Investigation files are opened against improper behavior by the Israeli soldiers.The improvement of infrastructure will help the Israeli soldiers in their duty. Recently, renovation works took place to improve the services provided to citizens at Qalandia checkpoint. We hope in the future to alleviate the suffering of citizens on military checkpoints.

Copy given to the Head of the Knesset.
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