Israel launched two new bus lines on March 4 for Palestinians working in Israel. Even before it began operations, the service had attracted worldwide attention as left-wing politicians and local and international human rights advocates accused Israel of implementing racial segregation and made comparisons to the situation in the United States before the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Early on the morning of March 5, however, among the Palestinian workers coming through the Eyal checkpoint, there was enthusiasm for the new buses. Exiting the checkpoint, they rushed across the parking lot, past the honking drivers of private minivans who normally would take the laborers to their respective destinations. A few of the workers who stopped to speak told Al-Monitor that the new buses are cheaper, safer and run more direct routes than other options.
