Israel's defense minister has ordered that Palestinians be separated from Israelis on West Bank buses.
Moshe Yaalon launched the three-month pilot program following repeated complaints from Jewish settlers who ride on the buses.
Thousands of Palestinians enter Israel for work each day from the West Bank and often ride alongside Jewish settlers. According to the new edict, the Palestinian workers will now have to return to the West Bank through the same checkpoint they entered and will not be allowed to ride back alongside Israelis.
Jewish settlers allege the Palestinian workers constitute a security threat and frequently engage in sexual harassment of female Jewish riders.
Critics lashed out Wednesday against the proposed segregation. Opposition leader Isaac Herzog said the decision marked a "stain on the face of the country."
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