(Jerusalem Post) Efraim Inbar - Ma'ale Adumim serves as the linchpin in establishing an effective line of defense along the Jordan River Valley against aggression from the east. Building a Jewish-populated corridor to Ma'ale Adumim would prevent the division of Jerusalem and secure the only safe route via which Israel could mobilize troops from the coast to the Jordan Valley in case of emergency. In addition to Jerusalem's historical and religious importance to Jews, the city also holds strategic importance in controlling the only highway from the Mediterranean coast to the Jordan River Valley along which Jews can travel with little interference from Arab population concentrations. Objections to a Jewish presence in the Area E-1 corridor express concern for Palestinian contiguity, which is a deceptive argument. Free travel between Samaria and Judea can be arranged quite easily by constructing overpasses or tunnels. The Palestinians suggest precisely these arrangements in response to Israeli concerns regarding the Palestinian demand for a corridor between Gaza and the West Bank that would divide Israel in two.
2005-11-03 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive