Palestinian tour companies in the Ramallah area are exploiting an existing loophole in the separation fence to carry out hundreds of organized tours for Palestinians in Israel.
The phenomenon began with Palestinians visiting the beaches of Israel, but recently the destinations have been expanded, marketing on social networks has become massive, and companies openly announce that the trips are being carried out as a result of a loophole in the Modi'in Illit or Samaria area.
For example, in a correspondence between a large tour company in Ramallah "Blue Line" and a researcher in the movement if you will.
The interrogator impersonated a young Palestinian woman while trying to find out details about one of the trips.
When asked by the "young woman" if a permit to enter Israel is needed, the company replied: "Without an entry permit, you pass through a gap in the fence of a shoe. It is quite easy and very fast, without problems."
Correspondence with other companies has made similar statements.
An examination by "Israel Today" shows that the entry into Israel is made by means of a Palestinian bus that brings the group to a breach in the fence, the travelers cross to the other side and board an Israeli bus that is waiting for them.
Additional entrance: An Israeli bus picks up the group at a collection point, drops off passengers in the area of the fence breach, passes the checkpoint and goes to the breach from the Israeli side.
It should be noted that once the bus reaches Route Six, it is almost impossible to stop it.
A disturbing phenomenon
A look at the Facebook pages of the travel companies shows an increase and expansion of the phenomenon since November, when the companies take out dozens of trips a week.
The phenomenon began in the summer months a few years ago, when during the Feast of Sacrifice the shores of the center of the country were filled with thousands of Palestinian families.
The security establishment was aware of what was happening, but in a kind of humanitarian gesture to the victims of the Feast of Sacrifice turned a blind eye and hardly stopped the buses full of families.
Palestinian tour companies have seen that no one is stopping them, and in addition have seen how worthwhile the tours are, and have recently expanded their destinations.
It is no longer a trip to the beach but to popular sites such as Mount Hermon, Rosh Hanikra, the safari, Ganei Yehoshua, Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, the Old City of Jaffa, Haifa, Lod and Tiberias.
The cost of the trip: between 400-150 shekels per participant, depending on the destination and distance.
The money is paid in cash to the guide.
In a simple calculation, the profit can reach NIS 20,000 per trip.
Post from a trip to Mount Hermon, Photo: From Facebook
The phenomenon is very disturbing to the security establishment due to the fear that Palestinians will exploit and exploit the loophole for terrorist infiltration, smuggling of weapons and drugs. The separation was taken for inspection, where the terrorists opened fire on border guards.
Two were killed, and a third was seriously injured.
The investigation revealed that the three planned to arrive in Jerusalem and carry out a shooting attack on the Temple Mount.
This is not the only case.
The defense establishment believes that the terrorists, residents of the PA - who have carried out attacks in Jerusalem, Jaffa and Petah Tikva in recent months - came to Israel in this way.
Security lawlessness
These serious incidents illustrate to the security establishment how easily the seemingly innocent trips can easily be used for terrorism and crime.
"Israel Today" has learned that efforts to thwart them have increased, and in the Border Police's operational plan for 2022, special emphasis was placed on increasing the frustration of trips.
As mentioned, the Border Police conducts intelligence and operational activities that include monitoring the publications on social networks and setting ambushes for the seizure of buses, but even there they know that some are arrested but many do not. This means: For the more popular among the Palestinians, who enjoy visiting sites they heard about from their ancestors and on the way singing hymns to Yasser Arafat and liberating the occupied territories.
"This is a creeping return into the State of Israel," says the chairman of the If You Will Matan Peleg movement, adding:
Demographically, too, it is a disaster, as there is no one who checks who enters and who leaves.
The security implications are disastrous: the travelers sing intifada songs and raise their children for a nationalist Palestinian heritage.
The defense establishment must stop the celebration of these Nakba trips, which explicitly call for the destruction of Israel from within. "
Matan Peleg, Photo: Kobi Doverz
The IDF spokesman said: "IDF and Border Police fighters are deployed in the area in accordance with the assessment of the situation and use various means and advanced capabilities against anyone who is identified as a corrupt, terrorist or attacker to the security fence.
Thanks to the joint intelligence activities of the IDF, the Border Police and the security forces, multi-participant organizations for crossing the separation fence have been identified and apprehended.
In the past year, Border Police forces have seized about 200 organizations and confiscated about 120 buses used to enter illegal residents.
More than a hundred indictments have also been filed against bus drivers and tour operators.
In addition, the drivers and organizers of the transportation are fined heavily and some are detained until the end of the proceedings, and as stated, indictments are filed against them. "
In conclusion, they said: "IDF and Border Police forces will continue to operate using all means and capabilities to minimize the security risk arising from the destruction of the security fence and entry into the territory of the State of Israel in violation of the law."
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