Ramallah: Alcohol will not be allowed to be sold after 10pm in Ramallah following an increase in the number of late-night drunken brawls, according to Fatah officials.
A senior Fatah official told Gulf News that alcohol-related disputes had increased, especially during weekends when more youngsters come to the city.
Fights are usually either between customers or between customers and local residents who are disturbed by the drunkards.
Ramallah is the only West Bank city in which alcohol is served and sold legally. Alcohol is also sold in canteens and cafeterias in a few petrol stations in the West Bank based colonies.
Those canteens are outside the official colonies and a majority of customers of those canteens are Arab Palestinians. Nonetheless, these people prefer to buy alcohol from Arab neighbourhoods due to safety considerations.
The law and order problem has increased and several complaints from local residents have been lodged, but the authorities failed to tackle them.
Last weekend, a fight broke out in Ramallah Al Tahta when a group of alcohol buyers clashed with the residents of the area after being accused of committing indecent acts.
Weapons were used freely in the clash and Palestinian police had to intervene to restore calm.
With West Bank being Fatah’s stronghold, its members got involved in the issue and have issued instructions to stop sale of liquor by 10pm. Earlier, the liquor shops used to be open till early hours every day.
The Fatah official said that with restrictions in force, the law and order problems and reckless driving complaints will be less now.
Owners of alcohol shops, however, are not happy with the decision.
Abu Hussain, a shop owner, told Gulf News that the decision should be reversed and the police should shoulder the responsibility of the law and order situation. He said the issue cannot be resolved at the expense of the traders.
