An Israeli online daily reported that the Israeli Army GOC Central Command, Yair Naveh, cancelled on Sunday a restriction that barred Israelis from transporting Palestinian passengers in their vehicles in the occupied West Bank.The ban order was issued several months ago by Naveh, who then claimed that it was meant to prevent Israelis from picking up what he described as “suicide bombers and illegal workers” and transferring them into Israel.
The order was due to take effect in January but several human rights groups filed appeals to the Israeli High Court of Justice, challenging the order.
The groups said that this order represents an “apartheid measure” since it represents racial separation.
Moreover, the groups wrote in their appeal that “such a situation was present in South Africa during the apartheid regime, and was present in the American south until 1960’s”, Israeli online daily Haaretz reported.
The report added that the Shin Bet Israeli security service and the army claimed that a significant number of bombers who carried out suicide attacks in Israel were transported by Arab residents of Israel.
The Shin Bet claimed that those residents had license plates allowing them to pass through West Bank checkpoints without thorough inspection.
