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1917 England's General Allenby
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| "The victorious Allenby dismounted, enters Jerusalem on foot out of respect for the Holy City, 11 December 1917" |
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| Opening of the Allenby Bridge in 1918 |
Since the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty, the Allenby Bridge Terminal has been operated by the Israel Airports Authority.
It serves as a border crossing between the west and east banks of the Jordan River.
Al-Karama border crossing (colloquially known to Palestinians as
Al-Jissir, the bridge) is the only border crossing available to West
Bank Palestinians [indigenous non-Jewish men, women and children]
In 1885 the Ottoman government of the Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem built a bridge at this site, over the Jordan River.
In 1918 British general Edmund Allenby built a bridge over the
remnants of its Ottoman predecessor. This newer construction was
destroyed a first time in the 1927 Jericho earthquake, when it fell
apart and collapsed into the river.
It was destroyed again during the “Night of the Bridges” operation by
Palmach (the elite force of the Jewish militia Haganah, a Zionist
terrorist organization that also oversaw the July 1946 bombing of the
King David Hotel in which 91 people were killed) on 16 June 1946. The
next destruction occurred during the 1967 Six-Day War, after which it
was replaced in 1968 with a temporary truss-type bridge.
In 1994, subsequent to the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, a new, modern,
paved crossing was constructed adjacent to the older wooden one with
the aid of the Japanese Government.
After the 1967 war, all Palestinian lands came under the control of
the Israeli occupation, which considered all West Bank areas “closed”
areas from which Palestinians were not permitted to leave, except after
obtaining a special permit.
The Al-Karama crossing became the main or only exit for Palestinians in the West Bank wishing to travel to the outside world.
“Humiliation and suffering”
As the only border crossing to leave the West Bank, many Palestinians
have no choice but to face the difficult conditions at the bridge in
order to travel, including the high tax of NIS 158 Israel imposes on
travelers leaving through Al-Karama (travelers, including tourists, who
leave through Israel’s other border crossings with Jordan, are exempt
from the departure tax), as well as a collection of other fees imposed
by the PA, Israel, and Jordan.
When Israel closes the bridge due to Jewish holidays or imposes other
restrictions, a majority of West Bank Palestinians have no other
options for travel. https://jerusalem.24fm.ps/15833.html
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