On Friday November 14th at 10:30am, Palestinian, Israeli and international activists joined together in an action to remove a roadblock outside the village of Deir Izbi’ in Ramallah area. The roadblock is preventing 14 villages direct use of Road 463 and thereby making the transportation time to Ramallah much longer and more difficult.
The action was organised by Ras Karka village council and the National Committees and was supported by the National Popular Committees.
When the activists arrived, they immediately opened a metal gate that also denies villagers access to the road. After that they went about a 100 meters further up the road and started moving the big concrete blocks.
Soon after the Israeli army arrived. Some activists had stayed by the metal gate in an attempt to block the way for the Israeli jeeps, leaving the other activist would had the time to move the concrete blocks, but the Israeli soldiers used sound bombs and teargas to get through. They also shot teargas close to the concrete blocks, making it impossible for the activists to continue their work. At that point they had moved one of the concrete blocks several meters. The army then drove their jeeps up, shot more teargas and attempted to arrest some of the activists, but they did not succeed.
The road-block prevents 14 villages, with around 30,000 people, from traveling directly to Ramallah. The road leading from Ni’lin and Bil’in to Ramallah is unable to be accessed directly by 14 villages including Ras Karkar, Al Janiya, Deir Ammar, Deir Ammar camp, Jammala, Ni’lin, Al Midiya, Budrus ans Shuqba. Instead these villages either have to travel on an agricultural road that links Ras Karkar with Kafr Ni’ma or travel a much longer route to Beir Zeit or through Ni’lin.