World Bank: Israel halting W. Bank trade

Report says Palestinian private sector won't prosper whilst checkpoints, cargo crossings hamper trade.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
allenby bridge 248 88 (photo credit: courtesy)
allenby bridge 248 88
(photo credit: courtesy)
The Palestinian private sector won't prosper as long as Israel checkpoints in the West Bank and cumbersome cargo crossings hamper trade, the World Bank said in a report Monday. Israel has been slow in easing its tight restrictions on Palestinian movement, citing security concerns. However, the World Bank said Israel could make improvements. It singled out the Israeli-run Allenby Bridge crossing between the West Bank and Jordan, the main route for Palestinian exports to the Arab world. The World Bank warned that the Palestinian economy, heavily reliant on trade, will not recover unless the restrictions are eased significantly. "As long as the internal barriers exist, and imports and exports are forced to go through a system of back-to-back transfer, the Palestinian private sector is unlikely to prosper," the bank wrote. Under the back-to-back system, cargo is loaded from one truck to another at crossings to allow for stringent security checks. Government spokesman Mark Regev did not address the specifics of the report, but said Israel was committed to easing Palestinian movement and access. "Much depends on the security situation," he said. However, the report noted that shipping goods from the West Bank to Israel was becoming increasingly difficult as Israel completes its security barrier. The bank said that, on average, it took almost two hours for a shipment to pass through barrier crossing points. Israel's Crossing Point Authority had set 30-60 minutes as a target, the bank said. The bank predicted that these delays would grow significantly. The crossings now only handle a fraction of the traffic between the West Bank and Israel, but this would change when Israel completes the barrier and all traders must use the crossings, the report said. Improving operations at the Allenby Bridge, the West Bank's link to Jordan and the Arab world, will be crucial, the report said. Israel could obtain larger scanners, extend working hours and allow the use of containers, the bank said. It proposed posting a Palestinian liaison official at the crossing and allowing cargo from trusted shippers to pass without extensive security checks.