Defense Minister Moshe Dayan toured the Jordan Valley today and remarked that the “open bridges” policy was serving the Arab population well and was being carried out in good order. The “open bridges” policy permits West Bank Arabs freedom of movement to and from Jordan across bridges spanning the river. The bridges also carry considerable trade between the East and West banks. Gen. Dayan said if the bridges were closed the Arab population would suffer.
He visited the Damiya bridge, accompanied by Chief of Staff Haim Bar Lev and other senior military officers, and conversed at random with Arab pedestrians and drivers. He talked with an Arab truck driver from Nablus on methods of transporting produce to Amman and with a woman from Kuwait on her way to visit relatives in Tulkarm. Gen. Dayan noted that 16,000 foreign Arabs have visited relatives on the West Bank since June 16 when the summer visitors program began. The Kuwaiti lady told him that she carried two passports because the authorities in her country and in Saudi Arabia which she must transit would not recognize a passport stamped with an Israeli entry permit.
Gen. Dayan also visited a construction site at Nahal Argaman and conferred with Arab building workers there.
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