Learn From The Mistakes of The Past, by Yehudit Tayar

Yehudit Tayar is a veteran spokesperson for the Jewish pioneers living in Yesha, and lives in Bet Horon, in the Benjamin Region, with her family for the past 30 years.

B"H

Learn From The Mistakes of The Past,

by Yehudit Tayar

Listening to the explanations behind the plan to re-open Highway 443 to Moslem traffic, I wonder how it is that courts where people who are supposed to enforce the law and protect the citizens of Israel can coldly disregard the fact that the highway was closed following repeated terror attacks, and murders of innocent Israeli citizens by Moslems who were then given the privilege of driving there.

For a time we would joke with tears in our eyes that "at least there are no traffic jams" since only we the residents of western Binyamin traveled on 443, while everyone else found alternative roads where they felt that they could travel safely.

In a normal situation never would it be considered a possibility at all to open the highway to Moslem cars following the history of terror attacks on this road. Since when is a court allowed to ignore the dangers to Israeli citizens and pretend that it is an issue of human rights.

What more human right is there than to protect the lives of innocents from terror attacks that everyone knows will come the minute the barricades are lifted. What does the court mean by demanding the IDF to implement a solution to provide security for Israeli drivers? Unless the road remains closed to Arab drivers there is no way to ensure the safety of the drivers. As it is even today we face attacks from the Arabs living in the region with rocks and molotovs.

Under the Highway 443 another highway was built to allow Arab traffic to travel to Ramallah freely. From my community of Bet Horon one can see the traffic enjoying this new road which would cut the time from my community to nearby communities, Dolev, Talmon, Harasha and instead of having to travel all the way around and taking over half an hour, within minutes we could travel to one another.

This road is only for Arab traffic Jews are not allowed and the courts have ruled recently that Jewish traffic will not be allowed on this road since it was built for Arab use. Interesting that regarding Jewish lives there is no consideration of human rights, including the basic right of traveling safely to work or school.

Following the implementation of the Oslo Accords we bullet-proofed the school buses for our children who travel back and forth on roads because of the numerous murderous attacks on innocent school children. We learned to "rock-proof" our car windows in order to protect ourselves and those who travel in our cars from injury or worse.

I recall one day returning from exhausting meetings arguing with the Ministry of Defense and the IDF regarding the bullet-proofing of our school buses since I had the honor of being one of those who implemented the emergency safety throughout Yesha; bullet-proofing, emergency medical response such as ambulances for the communities, and immediate response teams. I came home and two of my children who were at the time quite young came up to me and holding out their small hands which were full of coins from their savings asked me, "Mommy is this a lot of money?"

I looked at my two small sons who were taught how to throw themselves down on the floor of our car when and if we were attacked by rocks etc in order to protect themselves almost before they knew how to walk, and answered them, "it depends for what".

They looked at each other and said, "You keep fighting to protect our lives by bullet-proofing the school buses, but you travel in your car and are attacked also. Is this enough money to bullet proof your car?"

I reassured them and said, "This is my country and I will not travel in a bullet proof car because terrorists are attacking us, the terror must be stopped and allow us to travel safely and freely."

I reiterate what I said to my small sons. No one, not a court nor a government has the right to knowingly allow people to be placed in danger; not on the roads, not in the cities nor anywhere else. Whether it is rocket fire, rocks or bullets, we who live here in Jewish communities, pay taxes, serve our country deserve to be protected, it is our basic human right. It is time for those who are supposed to protect those basic rights learn from the past mistakes and NOT REPEAT THEM.