The Gush Etzion Junction in Judea and Samaria has become a symbol for the current wave of terrorism. Since early October, four Israelis have been killed and many more wounded in the numerous terrorist attacks carried out there. Local residents suggested paving a road that would go around the intersection, and the military complied. However, despite the need created by the fraught security conditions, the road has yet to be put into use. The intersection, through which tens of thousands of vehicles travel daily, is considered difficult to secure. After a terrorist attack in November, when a terrorist opened fire on cars stuck in traffic on a road leading to the intersection from Alon Shvut, killing three and wounding six, area residents contacted the military and the Gush Etzion Regional Council with a detailed plan for a 300-meter detour. The detour was designed to decrease the number of cars that cross the intersection, thereby reducing congestion and allowing the site to be more effectively secured. The military adopted the idea and immediately began implementation. Three weeks ago, the regional council began work on the infrastructure for the detour. But two and a half weeks ago, after the work was nearly complete, the project stalled until the road could be inspected for safety and approved for use. Kfar Etzion Field School Director Yaron Rosenthal addressed the "bureaucracy" involved in the new detour on Tuesday, calling it "unreasonable." Gush Etzion Regional Council head Davidi Perl added that "there's an opportunity to prevent the next terrorist attack, but it's not urgent to those who are supposed to supply us with security." The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said in response that "paving the road is in the planning stage to ensure [its] safety, and when that is complete, the road will be completed." The local council said, "Paving a road entails a professional, orderly planning process as per the safety instructions of the Transportation Ministry to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers, and therefore the Civilian Administration recommended a planning period before the work was resumed."
