Obama Visit to Affect Traffic in Binyamin RegionThe emphasis and italics above are mine.
The visit by United States President Barack Obama to Ramallah, a week from Thursday, will result in occasional closings of Route 60 to the public in the Binyamin region, just north of Jerusalem. The highway will be closed between 8:30 and 10:30 in the morning and between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.
The Binyamin Regional Council said the closings will affect the communities of Adam, Beit El, Cochav Ya'akov-Tel Tzion and Pesagot. The communities of Migron and Ramat Migron also stand to be affected. Residents of other communities will have the alternatives of the Alon and Hamercaz routes.
Here's a map, not the best but to show you that from the Hizma-Jerusalem city line you should follow north. Geva Binyamin is Adam. The box with the illegible on my computer number would be the turn off to to Kochav Yaakov-Tel Zion and Psagot aka Maavar Michmas gas station. A kilometer south of that turn off is Shaar Binyamin. If you don't turn off but continue north you'll get to Givat Asaf the turn off to Beit El and the way that Obama is expected to go to Ramallah. Continue on that road, which may not be on the map-but imagine it, north and you get to Ofra, Shiloh, Eli etc.
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| Jewish Press |
Sha'ar Binyamin, the very busy shopping, commercial and industrial area with a Rami Levy, Yafiz, Kupat Cholim Le'umit Medical Clinic, a hardware store, other food and clothing shops etc., north of Jerusalem is right there in the middle of the effected area and will be blocked during those times. Considering that it will be the busiest Thursday of the year, just before Passover and Thursday is the biggest shopping day of the week, even without a holiday, Obama's route and travel plans will wreck havoc for thousands of people. There is no eastern entrance/exit from Sha'ar Binyamin. There is no alternative route.
Unlike the press release which so blithely says that we from Shiloh, Eli, Ofra etc. can just travel to Jerusalem on the Alon Road, the truth is that many of us work, shop, get medical care etc in Sha'ar Binyamin or must get to other affected areas. Or residents from there must get to us or Sha'ar Binyamin.
There is only one solution. United States President Barack Hussein Obama should be helicoptered from Jerusalem to Ramalla and back.
2 comments:
I live in Jerusalem and it was hell when Obama was here. All the streets from the Peace Park near the old railroad station to past Bezalel Street on King George Street were block off and then Derech Hevron was Blocked off in the middle of the day.
I did a lot of walking that day.
Yakov, it's never pleasant when the close the roads, but the Israeli Government should have put its citizens first less than a week before Passover.
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