Barak Builds Bridges
Israel's Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak plans to build a four-lane elevated highway to connect the West Bank and Gaza Strip to ease travel for Palestinians, his spokeswoman said Friday.
Such a link, to span 25 miles, would boost Palestinian hopes of creating a state in the two territories that lie to the east and west of Israel.
Travel and trade between the two territories is very difficult. Palestinians require special permits to pass through Israel and are not allowed to use private cars.
Under the 1994 interim agreement, Israel committed to open two Â"safe passageÂ" routes between the territories using existing roads.
But it never followed through, citing security concerns. In November, bulldozers began clearing ground for a Â"safe passageÂ" terminal in the West Bank, but the work stopped after Barak's predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, suspended the Wye River land-for-security accord.
The chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, reacted to the Barak statements by saying he hoped the new prime minister would fulfill Israel's agreements.
Barak outlined his idea for an elevated highway in an interview with the Haaretz daily published Friday. His remarks were confirmed by his spokeswoman, Merav Parsi-Tzadok.
The bridge would include railroad tracks, water pipes and a communications cable. It would be elevated apparently to prevent Palestinians from leaving the road to drive elsewhere in Israel.
Barak said the link was inspired by a raised highway he saw in Miami and that he originally suggested it to slain Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin after the first autonomy agreements with the Palestinians were signed.
Â"It will happen. It's not pie in the sky,Â" he told Haaretz. Â"Will I do it? For sure.Â"
Barak, who has said a Palestinian state is inevitable, did not balk at suggestions that the safe passage route would help create it.
Barak said he was striving for a comprehensive peace agreement with the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon.
Although the Palestinians Â"are the weakest of all our adversaries,Â" Israel needs to make peace with them because they Â"are the source of the legitimacy of the continuation of theÂ" Arab-Israeli conflict, he said.
The Palestinians, concerned that Barak would try to move forward with accelerated negotiations with Syria and leave them for last, are trying to organize an Arab summit that would present a united Arab front in talks with Israel.
The statements to Haaretz were the most detailed Barak has given since the May 17 election. He has until July 9 to form a coalition.
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