A man gestures as he waits to disembark a Palestinians-only bus before on March 4, 2013. REUTERS/Baz Ratner
A new round of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police that broke out Friday in the Old City of Jerusalem is only the latest incident to draw heavy international scrutiny on Israel, and comes on the heels of prolonged West Bank protests, the embarrassing “Prisoner X” scandal, and the deportation of hundreds of Sudanese migrants (a move which drew U.N. censure). Amid all this bad press, however, the Israeli government chose to unveil a controversial public venture this week: Palestinian-only buses.
The non-mandatory buses have prompted comparisons to apartheid and segregation from critics in Israel and abroad, and have already been targeted by unknown arsonists who torched two buses on Monday. Israel has already admitted that the buses are, in part, politically motivated by a desire to appease Israeli objections about sharing buses with Palestinians. Yet despite the criticisms, the new bus lines have also been welcomed by Palestinian riders as a respite from harassment they often face when traveling inside Israel. But regardless of Israel’s purported good intentions — Israeli officials have defended the new bus lines as a way to ease long voyages by Palestinian workers — the controversial buses are unlikely going to win Israel any brownie points from the international community. Especially given its “growing impatience” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (last November, the prime minister announced his plans to expand settlements in the West Bank, despite overwhelming opposition to the move from the U.N. and many of its member nations.)
And Israel can ill afford to continue to prioritize domestic politics over diplomacy, especially now that Syrian skirmishes are edging dangerously close to its borders (notably in the Golan Heights this week). Coming mere days after Israel warned the U.N. Security Council that it cannot “stand idle” if violence reaches the Golan Heights, unrest in the region has the potential to force Israel’s hand. Given the enormous political stakes any military reaction would entail, and with continued spillover from Syria likely, now would be a sensible time for Israel to make nice with the international community. Starting with a moratorium on this (very questionably) well-intentioned public service.
