Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Security checkpoint on route 443.

In accordance with standard security procedures, Israel has closed the entry and exit crossings with the Palestinian Authority in advance of the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, which begins Sunday evening at sunset.

Effective midnight Saturday night, Arabs from the Palestinian Authority are blocked from entering pre-1967 Israel for the next 48 hours.

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As with every Jewish holiday, there will be exceptions made for humanitarian cases and medical emergencies, pending approval from the IDF Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).

The crossings and checkpoints are expected to reopen Monday night at midnight after the end of the holiday, pending a ‘situational assessment,’ the IDF said in a statement.

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Hana Levi Julian is a Middle East news analyst with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. A past columnist with The Jewish Press and senior editor at Arutz 7, Ms. Julian has written for Babble.com, Chabad.org and other media outlets, in addition to her years working in broadcast journalism.