Israel closes a main entrance for al-Ram

The Israeli military authorities closed with cement blocks Sunday night the main entrance to the northern Jerusalem town of al-Ram under the pretext Palestinian youth throw stones at Israeli soldiers from that area, according to al-Ram mayor Sarhan Salaymah. An al-Ram resident was recently shot and killed in that area during a demonstration against the Israeli occupation. Salaymah said closing the main northern entrance, which was completed only recently, will have serious effect on the mobility of 60,000 residents of the town, as well as on economic and trade activities and social life. “The town has become a big prison,” said Salaymah, adding that residents will have to use other more distant roads to reach Ramallah or travel north or south of the West Bank. He described such Israeli measures as acts of collective punishment and vengeance that aim to impose more restrictions on the residents. The town council plans to discuss this issue and ways to reopen the entrance. The town, which was at one point a hub of activity and a main Jerusalem  area commercial and residential center, was cut off from Jerusalem when Israel built a five-meter high concrete wall around it several years ago virtually shutting down its southern entrance. The northern entrance was rehabilitated following the construction of the wall to allow easy access to Ramallah and Jerusalem.