Weekly Commentary: NGO shows agenda in reaction to express bus service

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 7 March 2013

This week an Israeli bus company began offering express service for
Palestinians commuting from a checkpoint to key destinations inside Israel.
The move was welcomed by the Palestinians as convenient service at a
fraction of the cost of alternative forms of transport from that location.
It should be emphasized that Palestinians can of course continue using the
Israeli buses that follow routes to serve the Israeli communities.

The Palestinian commuters welcomed the development.

But B'Tselem didn't.

Instead they used it as an opportunity to criticize Israel for separate
busses.

Would they criticize the MTA for an express commuter bus line running from
Harlem to Midtown Manhattan?

If B'Tselem really wanted to serve the interests of the Palestinian
commuters then instead of attacking the express service they would be
voicing their support for the request of the Palestinian commuters that the
express service lines be extended from the checkpoint up to key central
Palestinian urban locations (now being considered).

To emphasize again: Palestinians can of course continue using the Israeli
buses that follow routes to serve the Israeli communities.

It is obscene and cynical to assert that express bus service is an
expression of some form of apartheid.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il