Israel lifts more checkpoints after Obama speech

[UndertheOcean]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/05/AR2009060500987.html

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel lifted restrictions at two checkpoints in the West Bank on Friday, the army said, after U.S. President Barack Obama urged Israel to take concrete steps to improve the lives of Palestinians in occupied territory.

Washington wants Israel to lift army roadblocks and checkpoints and to freeze settlement building as part of a policy that would lead to establishing a Palestinian state.

The United States has long urged Israel to ease restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank, where the military maintains a border wall and more than 600 checkpoints and roadblocks that choke Palestinian travel and trade.

An army statement said one crossing, known by the number 422, east of the Palestinian town of Qalqilya, and the nearby "Hableh" roadblock, were opened to allow travel to and from nearby villages.

......> continued at link

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


2 gone , 598 to go ! Yohooo !

[DesertFlower]

1. it's a step in the right direction.

let's hope we see some positive steps by the palestinians too.

[Recursion]

3. Like what? When was the last rocket? NT

[DesertFlower]

4. the rockets must stop.

[Recursion]

6. My point was they have

First off, Hamas did a very good job at greatly reducing the number of rockets fired from Gaza, and the IDF seems to have stamped out the remaining few. When was the last attack?

[Vegasaurus]

7. Hamas finally stopped the rockets

because of OCL.

It was a painful lesson, but it did exactly what the Israelis wanted it to do, which was to stop the rockets.

The 2nd Lebanon war did the same.

The rockets would still be flying if not for the military operation.

Sad that force and restriction is all that works to stop the terrorism.

[monmouth]

2. Small steps can lead to big inroads. ...n/t

[UndertheOcean]

5. Hope so . n/t