Professors for a Strong Israel

Statement to the Press - 16 March 2000

Re: An end to deception: The Green Line returns to Latrun

Professors for a Strong Israel protests against the continuing campaign of deception regarding the northern "Safe Passage" (safe for whom?), a campaign carried out by the Government and its propaganda agents in the Press. The media have carried the message that the Government offered the Palestinians a border crossing at Beit Sira near Ramallah. In point of fact, Beit Sira is not near Ramallah but adjacent to Maccabim, not far from Modi'in and Latrun. Putting a border crossing near Maccabim and Latrun means the return of the Green Line to the midpoint of the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, and handing over the Modi'in-Jerusalem lifeline to hostile Arab occupation.

The handing over of Route 443, the Bet Horon pass from Modi'in to Jerusalem, means a return to the situation in which Israel's capital is a frontier city, the end of the road, connected by a single access route to the rest of the country. This is a grave situation for many reasons: security, safety, transportation, economics, environment. The loss of the section of highway between Maccabim and Giv'at Zeev will result, for example, in the doubling of travel time to Jerusalem from Modi'in and its suburbs Maccabim, Re'ut, and Kiryat Sefer. Traffic and accidents on Route 1 will rise dramatically; travelers from the coastal plain to the Dead Sea will have no alternative but to drive through the heart of Jerusalem, already choked with traffic.

Dr. Ron Breiman, Spokesman
Tel: 050-518 940
Pager: 03-610 6666 / 28345