Jerusalemites brace for traffic chaos as world leaders arrive
Leaders from 46 countries - accompanied by high-level delegations - will make their way to the capital in the coming days, ahead of the Fifth World Holocaust Forum at Yad Vashem on Thursday.
By EYTAN HALONU.S. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen wave as they board an airplane ahead of their departure from Ben Gurion International airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv(photo credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
As commuters prepare for another week of stormy weather across the country, bringing treacherous driving conditions and inevitable traffic chaos, residents of Jerusalem are bracing themselves for an additional bout of travel disruption.Leaders from 46 countries – accompanied by high-level delegations – will make their way to the capital in the coming days, ahead of the Fifth World Holocaust Forum at Yad Vashem on Thursday, marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.Last week, Foreign Minister Israel Katz described the gathering as the "biggest event since the establishment of the state."Unavoidably, the arrival of the most prominent figures will necessitate visibly increased security measures around the city, including the closure of roads as they make their way between Ben-Gurion Airport and Jerusalem, and the ceremony at Yad Vashem.Among the leaders who have confirmed their attendance are Russian President Vladimir Putin; US Vice-President Mike Pence; French President Emmanuel Macron; Charles, the Prince of Wales; and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.Major road closures will start with the arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin, currently scheduled to land at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Police will close Highway 1 toward Jerusalem and the city's Chords Bridge area until his convoy has passed by. In the city, there will be widespread closures lasting most of the afternoon along Yitzhak Rabin Blvd. and major roads near Sacher Park, the Knesset and the prime minister's Balfour Street residence.On Wednesday evening, city center roads will be closed for a short period as the convoys of visiting leaders make the journey from their hotels to the President's Residence on HaNasi Street.The same major routes will be closed on Thursday morning as US Vice President Mike Pence arrives at Ben-Gurion Airport and travels to Jerusalem. Roads between the hotels and Yad Vashem, located next to Mount Herzl, will be shut between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. as leaders make their way to the ceremony, and sealed off again at 3 p.m. for approximately one hour.Further road closures will be in place later on Thursday as Pence travels from Yad Vashem to the Western Wall, and subsequently to the Crowne Plaza hotel. On Thursday evening, Pence will travel from his hotel to the US Embassy in Jerusalem's Arnona neighborhood.Putin will also travel on Thursday afternoon to Bethlehem for a scheduled meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Local authorities recommend that residents of Har Homa do not attempt to enter or leave the neighborhood between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. due to frequent road closures in the area.
