13.01.2020
HaMoked to the Israel Police: Remove the barrier blocking the road to the East Jerusalem neighborhood of 'Isawiya; this is prolonged collective punishment, serving no reasonable purpose
On January 9, 2020, HaMoked sent the Jerusalem District Police Commander a letter requesting the removal of a concrete roadblock from the access road of the city’s neighborhood of 'Isawiya, to allow free movement into and out of the neighborhood. In its letter, HaMoked clarified that except for short intervals, the roadblock has been in place for the past 19 years, causing a severe and unreasonable harm to the locals’ well-being, daily routine and freedom of movement.
In its letter, HaMoked noted that many of those residing in the neighborhood work or study elsewhere in the city, and that many basic services are available only outside of the neighborhood. The blocking of this transportation route, means that the residents of the neighborhood must cope daily with heavy traffic, especially in the morning hours, and also leaves them exposed to unnecessary delays in the arrival of emergency services, such as the national fire and rescue service. To conclude its letter, HaMoked said that blocking the neighborhood’s access road due to “disturbances of the peace” that occurred two decades ago, in 2001, was unreasonable, disproportionate and “constitutes prohibited collective punishment of the residents of an entire neighborhood for deeds they did not commit; it would be unthinkable to impose such a measure on a Jewish neighborhood in the city”.
