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| November 28, 2005 |
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| Palestinians Assume Control of Border Crossing |
WASHINGTON - November 28, 2005. Palestinians took control of a border for the first time Friday with the
festive opening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, a milestone
on their rocky path to independence and a rare moment of joy for fenced-in
Gazans, reports The Associated Press (11/25).
The inauguration of the crossing, attended by scores of local and
international dignitaries, was hailed as the beginning of a new era for
Palestinians and especially the people of the Gaza Strip, badly
demoralized after five years of bloody fighting with Israel. The opening
of the border -- under an agreement with Israel -- bolstered Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas' message that independence can only be won through
negotiations and gave him a boost ahead of the January 25 parliamentary
polls fiercely contested by the Islamic Hamas group.
Officials were almost giddy with optimism as they addressed 1,200 guests
at the ceremony in a large tent outside the terminal. Abbas said he hoped the Palestinians' new gate to the world will spur investment but added that no economic recovery can take place without an end to rampant
lawlessness in the Palestinian territories. In preparation for the
opening, Palestinian workers renovated the terminal, painting walls,
replacing ceiling tiles and fluorescent lights and installing blocks of computers. Rows of blue and orange chairs filled the hall. New metal detectors and X-ray belts stood nearby. A new banner over the entrance
read: "Rafah crossing: the gateway to freedom."
Dow Jones (11/26) adds that Rafah is being managed by the Palestinian
Authority, with the help of European monitors, part of a US-mediated deal
with Israel. Initially, the crossing it to be open for four hours a day,
to allow the European monitors to settle in. Palestinian border officials
said they expected to process about 600 passengers in four hours.
Eventually, the terminal is to operate around the clock, officials said.
While some Palestinians said they were disappointed at the truncated
hours, European and local officials said it was more important to get the
border open quickly than to wait until they were prepared to run it
full-time.
The crossing was not expected to have an immediate impact on Gaza's
economy. Eventually, though, Gazans will be able to export major cargo
through Rafah, providing an alternative to the Karni cargo crossing into Israel, said Nigel Roberts, the World Bank's Regional Director. Palestinians will only be allowed to import goods from Egypt through a terminal being built at the junction of Israel, Egypt and Gaza that will be partially controlled by Israel. Israel also retains control of Gaza's coast and its airspace.
The news agency further writes that Nazmi Muhanna, the Palestinian
official in charge of the crossing, said that because of security concerns
and short hours of operation, Israel processed fewer than 400 people a day
- when the border was open. He hopes to process at least 1,500 people
daily once the terminal gets up to speed, he said. Under the agreement
reached last week, Israel is to let more Palestinian cargo pass through
Karni and bus convoys can travel between the West Bank and Gaza starting
December 15, linking the two territories for the first time in more than five years. The Palestinians also were given permission to begin building
a Gaza seaport.
The Financial Times (11/26) meanwhile reports that the re-opening of the
Rafah crossing, now under joint Palestinian-Egyptian control, will
liberate 1.5 million Gazans who have been virtually enclosed inside the
territory in recent years. An assessment of the benefits of an
internationally brokered agreement on the Palestinian economy nevertheless
awaits implementation of a new regime for commercial border crossings
elsewhere in Gaza. But Abbas said free movement for civilians was already
an important step forward. "We will now say No to anyone who hinders our
movement or tries to humiliate us."
Source: The World Bank |
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