The closure is on Jewish communities and does not include the industrial areas, still a good example of coexistence, or the Gush Etzion junction, where Arabs & Jews alike shop together at a Rami Levi supermarket.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
Many settlements decided on Tuesday night to temporarily close their gates to Palestinian workers on Wednesday, and in some cases for the rest of the week, to protect themselves against possible attacks in their home communities.

A right-wing Israeli activist hods a national flag on a hilltop near the West Bank city of Maaleh Adumim. – Photo: REUTERS

This includes settlements in the Gush Etzion, Samaria and the Binyamin Region as well as Givat Ze’ev and the cities of Ariel, Ma’aleh Adumim and Beitar Illit.

The closure does not include the industrial areas or the Gush Etzion junction, where a Rami Levi supermarket is located.

Although none of the attacks since October 1 have taken place inside the communities of Judea and Samaria, settler leaders, one  after the other, announced the closings.

In many cases communities said they would reassess the decisions, which heavily impacts the construction industry that relies mostly on Palestinian workers.

In Samaria, the council threatened to penalize contractors who ignored the ban. On Thursday the settlements will reassess the ban.

Separately the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea and Samaria canceled the rally it had planned for Tuesday night in Paris Square by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Jerusalem home to call for more security and settlement building.

It also ended the daily protest it had held outside Netanyahu’s home since October 1, when Palestinian gunmen killed Eitam and Naama Henkin as they drove with their four children in the Samaria region of the West Bank.

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan who began the daily protest said they halted the protests out of a sense of national responsibly.

“We sat across from the Prime Minister’s home in Jerusalem for 12 days, with the demand to bring back security and an adequate, Zionist response to terror: The strengthening of the settlement enterprise,” Dagan said.

“These are difficult days for the Prime Minister, too. In recent days I sat with him for many long hours, and we felt that leaving aside the disagreements, the Prime Minister opened both his heart and his head, so that he’s more open and understanding than ever before to our national and security demands,” Dagan said.

“We are returning from here to our settlements and communities, but we are not giving up our demands or our rights to build new towns all over the Land of Israel!,” Dagan said.

“Our enemies are trying to hurt our morale and national resilience, but our spirit is stronger than ever! We are one people, united, and together, with G-d’s help, we will win!,” Dagon said.

View original The Jerusalem Post publication at:
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Israeli-settlements-shut-their-gates-to-Palestinian-workers-in-light-of-violence-423918