What Are The Big Red Warning Signs in The West Bank About?
Around the time of the second intifada, an order issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) banned Israeli citizens from entering areas classified as Area A under the Oslo Accords (under full control of the Palestinian Authority).
In order to warn motorists not to enter these areas, Israel erected conspicuous signs throughout the West Bank (Hebrew: Yehuda and Shomron) warning motorists when they were on a road leading into one of these localities.
The red signs positioned at the entrance to area A cities note that entrance for Israeli citizens is “illegal” while those at the entrance to Palestinian villages — typically area B — use slightly different language, noting that the entrance is “dangerous” (the IDF officially advises against it).
Despite the presence of the many signs, Israeli motorists continue to accidentally stray into area A and B territories — and are sometimes met with hostile ‘welcomes’.
