Tag: Jewish New Year

Total Closure of the West Bank for 4 days – from midnight for 1-day Jewish New Year

As has become the custom here, the Israeli Defense Forces have announced a total closure of the West Bank, starting at midnight tonight (Tuesday) through midnight Saturday, to mark the Jewish New Year.

But Rosh HaShana is from midnight Wednesday until midnight Thursday, followed some 18 hours later by Shabbat — so this total closure starts a day before the Jewish New Year holiday, and continues for two days afterwards resulting in a four-day total closure, for security reasons, for a 24-hour holiday…

The net result — and maybe this was the intention — was to have this lock-down also cover the three-day post-Ramadan Eid, invalidating any and all permits for family visits during this important holiday.

Here we go again – General closure announcements

Here we go again – received by email from the Israel Defense Forces:

“General Closure of Judea and Samaria Region [the West Bank] during the Jewish New Year“

“In accordance with Ministry of Defense directives and in light of security assessments, a general closure of Judea and Samaria will commence tonight, September 28th, 2008 at midnight. The lifting of the closure will be carried out on Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 at midnight, in accordance with security assessments.

For the duration of the closure, the passage of those in need of humanitarian and medical aid will be authorized by the District Coordination and Liaison offices. Entry of senior Palestinian officials, doctors, medical personnel, lawyers and families of arrested Palestinians on their way to courts, religious workers, teachers, NGO members and additional professional groups will also be authorized at the discretion of the DCO.

The IDF regards the Jewish New Year as a highly sensitive time. Accordingly, the IDF will increase its alertness in order to ensure the safety of the citizens of Israel , while preserving, to the best of its ability, the daily life of the Palestinian population“.