BICOM

Israel’s cabinet yesterday voted in favour of improving facilities at the Allenby Bridge border crossing with Jordan, a major terminal for Palestinian civilians and goods.

The Allenby Bridge was originally built by British General Edmund Allenby in 1918. It was destroyed during the 1967 Six Day War but a modern paved crossing was constructed following the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty. It is the only conduit for West Bank Palestinians to cross into Jordan and then further afield while it is also a very significant Palestinian trade route.

Yesterday’s cabinet decision will see a new X-ray system deployed at the terminal, which will speed up the crossing process and according to a survey conducted on behalf of the Quartet and Israel’s government, will result in a thirty per cent increase in Palestinian exports. The Dutch government subsidised part of the new equipment, although Israel has devoted around £6million to the project. In addition, Israel’s office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced yesterday that the Allenby Bridge crossing will extend its daily opening hours by two hours from Sunday to Thursday.

Yesterday’s cabinet decision came after Israel last month announced a series of new initiatives designed to boost the Palestinian economy. These included an increase in the number of work permits granted to West Bank Palestinians to its highest level since 2000, plus an improvement in the water supply to Palestinians, a new fuel pipeline to the West Bank and greater cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) on tax matters.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Israel’s Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who heads Israel’s negotiating team in current peace talks rejected speculation in the Israeli media last week that the negotiations are aimed at concluding an interim agreement with the PA. She said, “My goal is an agreement that will end the conflict and all claims for both sides.”