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The death of three Israeli security men on the Israeli side of the King Hussein Bridge, when a Jordanian truck driver produced a pistol and opened fire, will undoubtedly cause even more suffering for Palestinians, especially for those in Gaza. But what happened on the morning of Sept. 8 must also be seen as a warning sign of the dangers of the widening of the war on Gaza.
In the past months there has been a systematic increase in anti-Palestinian violence by radical Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. These pogroms against innocent Palestinian civilians have taken place often with, and sometimes without, Israeli army protection of the attackers, and the perpetrators have rarely been held responsible. Far from condemning this violence, Israeli civil and religious leaders have at times publicly praised the attackers and incited more violence.
The war on Gaza and the escalation of attacks in the West Bank have been the center of attention for many in Jordan. There has been concern at the spread of the violence there, and the potential for some form of effort to expel West Bank Palestinians. Jordan has been the target of many threats stemming from Israelis, including the publicly circulated threat that Israel was considering deporting Palestinians who hold Jordanian citizenship. Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi went as far as to say that any attempt at expelling Palestinians from the West Bank would be seen as an act of war in Amman.
The most recent incident at the bridge took place despite efforts by the Jordanian government to screen all travelers, including truck drivers. That the attack took place after the truck had passed the Israeli border security area means that Israel cannot hold Jordanian security forces responsible, while its own security officers were also unable to detect that the attacker had hidden a small pistol in his truck.
In fact, judging by the experience of decades of passenger and cargo travel, it is amazing that the border has been so safe. In fact, the last time violence took place at the King Hussein Bridge was in March 2014, when an Israeli guard killed a Jordanian judge on a bus. Raed Zueiter was shot dead by an Israeli security officer because he had complained about the Israeli harassment of travelers. That incident has never been investigated, nor has anyone been held responsible. Israel claims that the cameras at the crossing point where the shooting took place were not working at the time, an explanation Jordan has rejected.
The border crossing between Jordan and the West Bank cannot go on as it has for the past 57 years. Israel as an occupying power cannot continue to militarily control the crossing between two areas populated by Arabs. Israelis cannot expect to live safely and securely while millions are experiencing the humiliation of a foreign military occupation and are forced to travel via a single crossing point controlled by the occupiers. For 57 years Palestinians have not been able to use their own cars, or even travel from, for example, Nablus to Amman without having to use three different means of transport. The humiliation and high cost of crossing the bridge cannot go on without a solution. It is absurd that goods and people are forced to use the same single crossing point while other possibilities exist, such as the now closed Adam Bridge. It is also unbelievable that Israel continues to refuse to allow Palestinians to build their own airport and sea port.
Every security expert knows that 100 percent security is next to impossible to guarantee. It is this context that should now be the focus of the discussion. There is a limit to what can be done to prevent armed attacks, and it is futile to even try without looking at other elements — including, most importantly, what could motivate an individual to commit an act that he knows will end with his own death.
The killings at the King Hussein Bridge should not result in the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Instead there should be a major rethink of the unacceptable situation in which the occupying Israelis have been able for decades to get away with restricting the movement of Palestinians without any serious effort at reforming this humiliating crossing point, which every Palestinian dreads to use.
- Daoud Kuttab is a former professor at Princeton University and the founder and former director of the Institute of Modern Media at Al-Quds University in Ramallah. Twitter: @daoudkuttab