West Bank mayor urges action as illegal entries into Area A endanger lives

“Failure to enforce the law that prohibits Israelis from entering Area A could lead to the next attack, which I want to prevent,” the mayor of Karnei Shomron said.

In Israel, traffic is everywhere, but in the West Bank, traffic can be deadly. A car stuck in traffic is literally a “sitting duck” for a shooter, Molotov cocktail thrower, or rock thrower on the hunt. To bring attention to the problem, the mayor of Karnei Shomron, Yonatan Kuznitz, “moved his office” to the entrance of Kalkilya. He says the problem begins with the big red sign.

Kalkilya is a sizable Arab city designated as “Area A” that borders Kfar Saba as well as Jewish villages like Alfei Menashe and Tzufim, beyond the Green Line. A big red sign in front of every Area A village reads, “The Entrance for Israeli Citizens is Forbidden, Dangerous to Your Lives, and is Against Israeli Law.”

Why, then, asks Kuznitz, are there hundreds of cars filled with Israeli Arab citizens clogging access to the checkpoint, blocking the turnoff to Kalkilya and causing standstill traffic in both directions that sometimes snakes up all the way up Route 55 to the Maale Shomron circle.

Especially on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays like Eid al-Adha (June 6-8), Arab-Israelis enter Kalkilya to visit with relatives and shop in the tax-free Area A city where the prices are much lower than on their side of the Green Line. If entry to the city of Kalkilya is prohibited to Israeli citizens, asks Kuznitz, why are Arab-Israeli citizens exempt from the law?

The sign doesn’t lie. Area A is dangerous for Israeli citizens. Last year, Amnon Muchtar, a 67-year-old Israeli man from Petah Tikva, was shot and killed in Kalkilya on June 22, 2024, while purchasing produce for his vegetable stall. Two months later, an Israeli Jew was shot and seriously wounded near a car repair shop in the same Palestinian Authority-controlled city.

“After the war, another crossing, Maavar Ayal (near Kochav Yair) was closed,” explains Kuznitz. “This was the standard crossing for cars and for PA workers who worked inside the Green Line. Visiting Israeli Arabs used to get in through that crossing as well. Since the crossing has been closed, traffic has been building. Especially with Tulkarm and Jenin experiencing army operations and becoming a war zone, Israeli Arabs avoid it. Since Kalkilya is the closest and safest place for to shop and bring family, the visiting crowds have increased.”

‘Next attack is around the corner’

When Kuznitz confronted the army, they indicated that it was inhumane to keep Arab Israelis from visiting their families. Kuznitz suggested putting cameras in the entrances to Kalkilya and fining the Israeli cars that enter. This was opposed by the legal system, which won’t let that happen because a law like that must apply to all cars crossing, not just Israeli Arabs.

“The next attack is around the corner – it’s time to stop and enforce the illegal entry of israeli citizens into Palestinian villages in Area A,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

“Failure to enforce the law that prohibits Israelis from entering Area A could lead to the next attack, which I want to prevent,” Kuznitz clarifies.

“The massive entry of Israeli citizens into Palestinian villages every weekend leads to enormous congestion at the crossings, which creates huge traffic jams without any security on the roads. Vehicles stand in traffic jams for hours, in a threatening and intimidating environment. Standing on the road for hours without security is fertile ground for the next attack, God forbid.”

Kuznitz said, “The ones responsible for prohibiting the entry of Israelis into Area A is the IDF. The time has come to change the military directive on the subject, a decision that must be made at the highest levels in the army. We must understand that this problem creates immediate dangers for the residents of the entire central Samaria region,” warns Kuznitz. “I call on the most senior officials in the IDF to change their approach and not allow Israelis to enter Area A, which is against the law.”

“I moved my office here, on Highway 55 near the entrance to Kalkilya, a central location where crowds of Israeli citizens come every weekend for shopping trips and family visits, to put an end to a phenomenon that endangers the residents of the area and threatens all Israeli citizens. It’s time to stop this now.”

Tzufim, the town closest to Kalkilya (besides Kfar Saba, which is only separated from the by Route 6) has a checkpoint which is strictly monitored by the army. All non-residents who are not visiting specific families are prohibited from entering. Tzufim’s strict rules do not allow a detour for those seeking to avoid the Maavar bottlenecks.

While work being done on the roads include a project to double the road going from the Jit junction on Route 55 down to where 55 merges into Route 444, a bypass road beyond the town of Nabi Elias, another bypass road in Huwara and one under construction in the stretch of 55 that goes through the town of Funduq, where three were killed, and eight injured in January 2025 when armed terrorists ambushed a bus, an example of traffic aiding and abetting terrorist attacks. While bypass roads do not restrict Arab drivers, but reroute traffic away from busy pedestrian-filled main thoroughfares.

Traffic in West Bank can create security problems

Kuznitz points out that in the West Bank, where roads are shared, traffic can create security problems. He blames the army, but the army shifts the blame to the Civil Administration, who, in spite of the law, look the other way when Arab-Israeli civilians show up at Area A checkpoints.

An army spokesperson declined to comment on the situation, although he confirmed that the law against entering Arab villages in Area A applies unilaterally to all Israeli citizens, not just Jews. When asked why, then, Arab-Israeli citizens are being permitted to enter Area A cities, the army spokesperson suggested speaking with the Civil Administration spokesperson. Upon contacting the Civil Administration spokesperson, they suggested contacting the Army spokesperson.

And this, says Kuznitz, is precisely the problem. No one is taking responsibility for the unfair and potentially dangerous situation.

Mayors submit letter warning of illegal entries into Area A

On June 4, Mayors Eliyahu Gafni of Emmanuel, Uziel Vatva of Kedumim, Yonatan Kuznits of Karnei Shomron, Israel Ganz of Yehuda/Shomron, and Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, all submitted a letter warning that illegal entries into Area A place residents of the area at risk and endanger public order.

“We request that immediate action be taken to stop illegal entries into Area A and to include drastic measures to enforce order and security in the area, including increased patrols by the army and police to prevent illegal access and reduce the severe traffic congestion.”

Kuznitz called upon the IDF and security authorities to strictly enforce the ban on entry into Area A.

He added, “Effective enforcement is not only a matter of law — it is a matter of life and death. We must act now to protect our residents and prevent a tragedy before it happens.”