The Case of Road 443

This is a timeline of events that relate to the road infrastructure linking the villages of North West Jerusalem to Jerusalem, Ramallah, Lydda, and Yafa. The highway, now called 443, was formed by the connection of disparate roads that connected these cities. The timeline includes the the major events pertaining to the building of the road and its connections as part of the Zionist State's (i.e. 'Israel') settler colonial project in Palestine, and the different forms of resistance that fought this mode of settler colonialism.

National Library of 'Israel'
Map titled: "Israel 1:20,000 Sheet 15-14 Beit Sira" (1963)

1967

Six-day War

The settler state expands its colony following a war with Arab countries, occupying the West Bank, Gaza, Sinai, the Golan Heights and parts of Lebanon. At that time, and up to the 1970s the road infrastructure in the area will look as depicted on this Israeli map, based off of a British Colonial map from 1933.

Jewish Virtual Library
The Allon Plan

July 1967

Allon Plan

Yigal Allon Plan for the annexation of the OPT is proposed. The proposal states that west of Ramallah, the border should be drawn so that “the Latrun-Beit Horon-Jerusalem road will be in Israel’s hands."

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April 1976 — April 1076

Lydda-Jerusalem Road

“In one of the files of the-defense minister Shimon Peres, a document from the spring of 1976 lays out settlement plans. It includes a “new access road to Jerusalem, from the Lod area, via the Beit Sira junction, to Givon junction and Jerusalem…” The road will help link new settlement blocs, including one which is in the area of present day Givat Ze’ev.” (SJ)

June 29, 1976

A Road Paving Way for Colonies

Ministreal committee stresses important of building road 443 as part of Yigal Allon’s Plan of settlement facts on ground. “a meeting of the Ministerial Committee on Settlement. The committee was informed of a decision by a parallel ministerial committee that dealt specifically with settlements intended to “widen Jerusalem.” The latter committee had approved the road that would become Route 443.”[1] (SJ)

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1977

Likud Settlement Plan

Likud settlement plans which included east-west corridors cutting the WB show the road highlighted in red.

1979

Military Planners

“letter from a military government officer warns that highway planners must hurry to complete and get approval for the precise route. Otherwise, Palestinians might build houses where the road should run, making legal battles over seizing the land more likely.” (SJ)

1980

The Discovery

Israeli Military Administration freezes permits for Palestinian teachers’ cooperative to build a housing complex in the area of Qalandia, north of Jerusalem.

1980

The teachers' cooperative take the Military Administration to the Israeli High Court, subsequently uncovering the road plan—the actual reason the housing project got freezed.

1983

The Court rules against the Cooperative, allowing the construction of the road.

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December 8, 1987 — 1993

The Intifada

A Palestinian popular uprising spreads from the refugee camps of Gaza to every city and village in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).

1988 — 1999

Modes of Intifada

Several modes of resistance that relate to the road prevailed in the Intifada, one of them was road-blocking.

1988 — 1990

Bypass

The new highway section is paved, bypassing Palestinian villages and confiscating agricultural lands. A branching road is paved as well, to be later called 446.

1991

Restrictions

Israel' commences new restrictions on Palestinians' movement across the green line.

1995 — 1999

Ban

Palestinians are incrementally banned from using Road 443 altogether.

1995

Contemporary Aerial Photo

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Six-day War
1967
Timeline JS

Six-day War

Allon Plan

Lydda-Jerusalem Road

A Road Paving Way for Colonies

Likud Settlement Plan

Military Planners

The Discovery

The teachers' cooperative take the Military Administration to the Israeli High Court, subsequently uncovering the road plan—the actual reason the housing project got freezed.

The Court rules against the Cooperative, allowing the construction of the road.

The Intifada

Modes of Intifada

Bypass

Restrictions

Ban

Contemporary Aerial Photo

The Intifada

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