mbgg--catw is CORRECT, in the Old City there ARE pickpockets. CATW just conveniently forgets to mention WHO the perpetrators of the beak-ins ( minor) and pickpockets ARE! The very same Arabs won't do it in Bethlehem because the "justice" system run by the PA is much harsher than that run by Israel.
re: Jerusalem being a Ghost town--all I know is all those ghosts look real to me. The old city is crowded and there are plenty of open tourist sites in the New city!
#16 (catw)
No Israeli bus could go to Bethleem as Israelis are strictly forbidden by Israeli law to enter the Palestinian territory (except for armed settlers).
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Nonsense. All Israelis are forbidden from entering Palestinian Authority areas ("Areas A"), including "settlers", whether they are "armed" or not.
All Israelis are forbidden by Israeli law to enter the Palestinian West Bank, with the exception of setttlers who can access the settlements built in the West bank in violation of international law. However the average Israeli never sets foot in settlements.
Another comment from Catw that shows her ignorance. Tell us how YOU differentiate between settlers and other Israelis.
An Israeli citizen is someone who lives in Israel.
A settler is someone who lives in one of the settlements built in the neighbouring Palestinian territory (West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza) in violation of international law.
According to the latest survey released earlier this month, there are currently 7,5 million Israelis living in Israel and 500 000 settlers living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
But the question was how the authorities prevent "regular" Israelis from entering the West Bank while allowing "settlers" in. How do you tell them apart ?
Ma'ale Adunim, Ramot, Gilo and Pisgat Ze'ev are settlements located in the Palestinian territory. Settlers who live there would move back to Israel tomorrow if they could afford to.
The Old City has a specific status, which has not been definitely solved to this day.
#32 (catw)
Your usual parroting of international anti-Israel organizations' opinions. Don't you have an opinion of your own based on your reading of International Law (IL)? As I have shown you many times, their opinions are inconsistent with IL.
BTW, you totally disregarded what I wrote in #31. Are you planning on answering the specific questions I posed? Or are you planning on ignoring them - as usual - since you can't answer them?