Ethnic segregation in the West Bank

Recent developments in West Bank are quite alarming. After a series of complaints by Jewish settlers about Palestinians being a security risk while using public transportation such as buses, the Transportation Ministry bowed to the pressure of the Mayor of Ariel, Ron Nahman: Since 4th of March 2013 the Afkim bus company has started to run separate lines for Jewish and Arabian/Palestinian travellers from the West Bank into central Israel, even with different routes. Palestinians are not allowed to enter Jewish settlements and are required to board buses from specific bus stops on the Trans-Samaria highway. Although any Palestinian who holds an entrance permit to the State of Israel is allowed by law to use public transportation, newspapers reported on ongoing witnessed incidents that police takes off Palestinians at checkpoints by stating for example ‘You’re not allowed on Highway 5’. Police has not yet answered to those reports.
The Transportation Ministry denied to have issued any instruction or prohibition that prevents Palestinian workers from riding the public bus lines. The Transportation Ministry seems to avoid to call the respective bus lines ‘segregated’, but instead promotes them to be a relieve for the distress of the Palestinian workers and to be an improvement of service for the both Jewish and Palestinian travellers. But as Palestinians seem to be forced to take ‘Palestinian lines’ and their design results in segregation, there remains a strong flavour, to say the least, of discrimination or human rights issues.