Mohammed Mar'i Saudi Gazette RAMALLAH – The Israeli Transportation Ministry decided to prevent Palestinian workers from riding on Israeli buses taking Jewish settlers to West Bank. The Hebrew Walla news site said that the ministry decided to allocate busses from the Tel Aviv central bus station to take Palestinians to return home to West Bank to prevent them from boarding busses allocated to settlers. The report said that the ministry took the decision after complaints from settlers that the Palestinians passengers create problems with them and there is physical and verbal violence from the Palestinians' side. The development comes after Israeli bus drivers from the Afikim Public Transportation did not allow Palestinians from the West Bank onto their buses even though they posses work permits in Israel. In several cases, the drivers called the Israeli police and requested to take the Palestinians of the bus under the pretext that they are suspicious. Shaher Sa'ad, Secretary-General of the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), slammed the decision saying it is a “racist.” Sa'ad said that the ministry discriminates between people based on nationality.” He added that the move “constitute a blatant violation against human rights guaranteed by the international laws mainly the freedom of movement and work.” Israel says some 32,000 Palestinians earn their living inside the country and another 27,750 Palestinians work for Israeli employers in the West Bank.
