One of the many things anti-Israel activists fail to mention is that for the most part, Israel allows Palestinians to travel on Israeli roads in Judea and Samaria (The West Bank) while Israeli citizens are forbidden from traveling on Palestinian roads. However, this accommodation given to Palestinians is having a negative impact. According to a special report by a Knesset committee, the lack of enforcement of traffic rules by Palestinian drivers is creating a hazard.

The report of the Knesset Research Center revealed that among other things, there is no supervision of Palestinian vehicles that get on the road and commit serious traffic offenses. Many Palestinians have little regard for double white lines, speed limits or even narrow shoulders on the road, which lead to serious accidents. 

Another issue, it was noted, was the lack of access to Palestinian automobile registrations which led to an inability to enforce any fines imposed on the recalcitrant drivers. The Palestinian Authority refuses to cooperate with Israel’s Transportation Ministry so when a car is spotted on a traffic camera violating a rule, there is no way to trace to who the car belongs.

Meanwhile in Qalqiliya, #West_Bank - A driving lesson gone wrong... pic.twitter.com/WiglF3pi5k

— AbuAliEnglish (@AbuAliEnglishB1) June 25, 2022

Knesset member Michael Bitton, chairman of the Economics Committee, said: "This is an acute matter that means human life. Enforcement must be increased in Judea and Samaria area every day of the week, including by way of electronic enforcement...” As of now, much of the enforcement falls to the Israel Defense Forces and Border Police, which takes them away from their primary missions of protecting the borders.  

⁴The State of Israel must start to act like a sovereign, and understand that, in addition to investing billions on upgrading and developing the roads and infrastructure, it must enforce the law in Judea & Samaria and throughout Israel. pic.twitter.com/G1APXC1LhM

— Regavim (@RegavimEng) June 28, 2022

Speaking to this fact, Bitton added that “Enforcement should stop being dependent on soldiers. It is a great shame that that is the reality. "

The council that governs Judea and Samaria, The Yesha Council (YEhuda & SHomron) said they had been warning about the problem for years, noting that the Economics Committee would require a comprehensive plan to solve it. "We are working day and night on the development and promotion of road infrastructure, but the problem will not be solved as long as there is no synchronized database on Palestinian drivers." 

The head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, Shlomo Neeman, partly blamed the state. "There is ostensibly double discrimination here. On the one hand, the Arab casualties are being ignored in order to save the money that will be invested in defining the roads as 'red,' and on the other hand, there are waterfalls between the residents of Judea and Samaria and those living within the Green Line." Ne'eman added that "this is not a matter of left or right. This is human life, and this contempt for our lives must stop."

The head of the Beit El Council, Shai Alon, claimed that the report showed a lack of respect for the lives of the residents of Judea and Samaria, "in the name of the ideology of abusing settlers and draining every possible budget associated with them." 

On of the most scenic yet dangerously fatal roads in Israel, Route 90, is finally getting a makeover. Lieberman and Michaeli agreed last night to put 110 million ₪ for safety as well as 300 million ₪ for for widening between Katura & Nahal Shitah. pic.twitter.com/SMyM6XqBlC

— Chaim (@ChaimSmierc) June 23, 2022

Kedumim Council Chairman Hananel Dorni said that "inquiries to the police about the response showed their inability to take control of the situation on the roads due to lack of manpower".

Benjamin Regional Council Chairman Israel Ganz also noted that "we have cried for years that lack there is an issue regarding sovereignty and lack of enforcement for Both Jews and Arabs. The State of Israel is negligent in its role and closes its eyes in the face of national failure."

Many roads created by Israel in the Judea and Samaria regions of the country are dual-use roads, meaning Palestinians are not barred from using them. Palestinian roads, despite tens of millions of international dollars being donated to the Palestinian Authority specifically for infrastructure development, are usually unpaved - and in many cases simple dirt roads. The well-maintained roads built by Israel are more desirable to many Palestinians as there is less damage to their automobiles, and it enables them to reach their destinations faster.

Israel: Making (In)Roads into the West Bank I https://t.co/qFCsooQQlf Documentary https://t.co/pn5rxHb6jU @YouTubeより

— Sebastiano Tazawa (@vigosebagenova) June 22, 2022

The lack of adherence to driving rules and simple courtesy on the road is not localized to Judea and Samaria. In Northern Israel, where many Israeli-Arabs live, the roads are notoriously dangerous with deadly accidents happening frequently. Some blame it on a lack of value to human life, while others say it lies within the Palestinian culture in general, where ‘machismo’ and ‘one-upmanship’ is rampant. Whatever the cause, education is required and even more, a stronger police presence on the roads.