24 January 2004	Saturday	01 Zilhaj 1424

TEL AVIV, Jan 23: The general who heads Israel's "civil administration" in the West Bank called on Friday for a major rethink on the scores of army roadblocks that impede Palestinian movement across the territory.

"The attitude of the soldiers who man the roadblocks must be completely changed and some must be removed," General Ilan Paz said in an interview with Israel's top-selling daily, Yediot Aharonot.

"We have already lifted many of them but there is yet more that can be done," said Gen Paz, criticizing the Shin Beth domestic intelligence service for taking an overly cautious position that viewed the Palestinians "through confrontational blinkers".

The Israeli general was also critical of the army's repeated closures of the occupied territories, which have cost more than 100,000 Palestinians their jobs in Israel since the eruption of the intifada in 2000.

"We should allow Palestinian workers to come to Israel because the evidence shows not one of them has ever taken part in a suicide bombing," said Gen Paz.A report published by the Israeli human rights watchdog B'Tselem this week counted 56 permanent army roadblocks in the West Bank and dozens of temporary ones.

"Most checkpoints and physical obstacles do not prevent entry into Israel. They prevent travel between Palestinian cities and villages within the West Bank," the rights group said.

"They disrupt every aspect of Palestinian daily life - children cannot get to schools, adults cannot reach jobs, and patients cannot get medical treatment. The restrictions on movement have contributed to a collapse of the Palestinian economy.-AFP