‘Area A’ prohibition is for Jews not just Israelis - comment
Mayor Kuznitz warns that traffic near Kalkilya puts Israelis at risk and urges enforcement of the entry ban.
In Israel, traffic is everywhere, but in Judea and Samaria, traffic can be deadly. A car stuck in traffic can literally be a “sitting duck” for a shooter, a Molotov cocktail thrower, or a rock thrower on the hunt.
To raise attention to the problem, Yonatan Kuznitz, the mayor of Karnei Shomron, “moved his office” to the entrance of Kalkilya. He says the problem begins with the big red sign.
Kalkilya is a sizeable Palestinian city designated as “Area A” that abuts Kfar Saba as well as the settlements of Alfe Menashe and Tzufim. A big red sign in front of every Area A village reads: “Entrance for Israeli citizens is forbidden, is dangerous to your lives, and is against Israeli law.”
Why, then, asks Kuznitz, are there hundreds of cars filled with Arab-Israeli citizens clogging access to the checkpoint, blocking the turnoff to Kalkilya and causing traffic holdups in both directions that sometimes snake all the way up Route 55 to the Maale Shomron traffic circle?
Especially on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays such as Eid Al-Adha (this year on June 6-9), Arab-Israelis enter Kalkilya to visit relatives and shop at much reduced prices in the Area A city where the prices are much lower than they are in Israel. If entry to Kalkilya is prohibited to Israeli citizens, asks Kuznitz, why are Arab-Israeli citizens exempt from the law?
On June 22 last year, Amnon Muchtar, a 67-year-old Israeli from Petah Tikva, was shot and killed in Kalkilya while buying produce for his vegetable stall.
Two months later, another Jewish Israeli was shot and seriously wounded near a car repair shop in the same Palestinian Authority-controlled city.
'We must act now to protect our residents and prevent a tragedy'
“After the war [began], another crossing, Maavar Ayal (near Kochav Yair) was closed,” explains Kuznitz. “This was the standard crossing for cars and for PA workers who worked within the Green Line. Visiting Arab Israelis used to get in through that crossing as well. Since the crossing has been closed, traffic has been building. Especially with Tulkarm and Jenin experiencing army operations and becoming a war zone, Arab Israelis avoid them. Since Kalkilya is the closest and safest place to shop and bring family, the visiting crowds have increased.”When Kuznitz confronted the army, it indicated that it was inhumane to keep Arab Israelis from visiting their families. Kuznitz suggested putting cameras in the entrances to Kalkilya and fining Israeli car owners who enter. This was opposed by the legal authorities, who won’t let that happen because such a law must apply to all cars crossing, not just Arab Israelis.
“The next attack is around the corner – it’s time to stop and enforce the [prohibition] of entry of Israeli citizens into Palestinian villages in Area A,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
“Failure to enforce the law that prohibits Israelis from entering Area A could lead to the next attack – that I want to prevent,” Kuznitz clarified.
“The mass entry of Israeli citizens into Palestinian villages every weekend leads to enormous congestion at the crossings, which creates huge traffic jams without any security on the roads. Vehicles stand in traffic jams for hours, in a threatening and intimidating environment. Standing on the road for hours without security is fertile ground for the next attack, God forbid.”
Kuznitz added that the IDF was “responsible for prohibiting the entry of Israelis into Area A.” He said, “The time has come to change the military directive on the matter, a decision that must be made at the highest levels in the army. We must understand that this problem creates immediate dangers for the residents of the entire central Samaria region,” warns Kuznitz. “I call on the most senior officials in the IDF to change their approach and not allow Israelis to enter Area A, which is against the law.”
“I moved my office here, on Highway 55 near the entrance to Kalkilya, a central location where crowds of Israeli citizens come every weekend for shopping trips and family visits, to put an end to a phenomenon that endangers the residents of the area and threatens all Israeli citizens. It’s time to stop this now.”
Tzufim, the settlement closest to Kalkilya (besides Kfar Saba, which is only separated from it by Route 6) has a checkpoint which is strictly monitored by the army. All non-residents who are not visiting specific families are prohibited from entering. Tzufim’s strict rules do not allow a detour for those seeking to avoid the Maavar bottlenecks.
Work being done on the roads includes a project to widen the road going from the Jit junction on Route 55 down to where 55 merges into Route 444; a bypass road beyond the town of Nabi Elias; another bypass road in Huwara; and one under construction in the stretch of 55 that goes through the town of Funduq, where three were killed, and eight wounded in January 2025 when armed terrorists ambushed a bus – an example of slow traffic making terrorist attacks easier to execute.
While bypass roads do not restrict Arab drivers, they reroute traffic away from busy, pedestrian-filled main routes.Kuznitz points out that in Samaria, where roads are shared, traffic can create security problems. He blames the army, but the army shifts the blame to the Civil Administration, which, in spite of the law, looks the other way when Arab-Israeli civilians show up at Area A checkpoints.
An army spokesperson declined to comment on the situation, although he confirmed that the law against entering Palestinian villages in Area A applies to all Israelis, not just Jews. When asked why, then, Arab Israelis are allowed to enter Area A cities, the army spokesperson suggested speaking with the Civil Administration. When The Jerusalem Post contacted the Civil Administration spokesperson, the reply was a suggestion to contact the army spokesperson.And this, says Kuznitz, is precisely the problem. No one takes responsibility for the unfair and potentially dangerous situation.
On June 4, mayors Eliyahu Gafni of Emmanuel, Uziel Vatva of Kedumim, Kuznits of Karnei Shomron, Israel Ganz of Yehuda/Shomron and Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, together wrote a letter warning that illegal entries into Area A puts residents of the area at risk and endangers public order.
“We request that immediate action be taken to stop illegal entries into Area A and to include drastic measures to enforce order and security in the area, including increased patrols by the army and police to prevent illegal access and reduce the severe traffic congestion.”
Kuznitz called on the IDF and security authorities to strictly enforce the ban on Israelis’ entry into Area A.He added, “Effective enforcement is not only a matter of law – it is a matter of life and death. We must act now to protect our residents and prevent a tragedy before it happens.”
