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The settlements of Ariel, Emmanuel, Karnet Shomron and Kedumim will reportedly be left "outside" the route of the security fence.
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| By Ellis Shuman September 14, 2003 |
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Along with its decisions to "remove" Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat and intensify Israel's war against the terrorist organizations, the cabinet decided on Thursday to accelerate construction of the security fence. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has reportedly "caved in" to American pressure and the settlements of Ariel, Emmanuel and Kedumim will be left outside the fence's planned route.
According to media reports, the fence's route will closely follow the Green Line pre-1967 border, and there would be no bulge eastward towards Nablus to encompass Ariel, Karnei Shomron and the other nearby settlements. Instead, "local solutions" would be found to secure these communities, including barriers, short fences and increased army presence. Alei Zahav, Peduel and Beit Aryeh, settlements in close proximity to the Green Line, would be included inside the fence, according to media reports.
Officials in the Prime Minister's Office said that no decision has yet been reached regarding the fence's route in the Ariel region. The government is due to discuss the new route next week, including the fence's extension southwards from Elkana to the Hebron Hills, ynet reported.
Original plans had called for the inclusion of Ariel, Emmanuel and Kedumim inside the fence's route, which would place some 35,000 Israelis and 7,000 Palestinians to its west. But due to increased pressured from the Bush administration, Sharon decided to change the route and implement "creative solutions" to protect the West Bank communities instead.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, who has pushed for Ariel's inclusion in the security fence, met with U.S. Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer on Friday to explain Israel's position. Kurtzer reiterated the administration's reservations about the fence, which he said would endanger the future of the peace process. Mofaz responded by asking Kurtzer, "What peace process are you talking about?" Yediot Aharonot reported.
Security sources said that Israel and the United States are not in total agreement regarding the fence's route, but "could live with" each other's reservations, Haaretz reported.
Ariel Mayor Ron Nachman said that the route of the fence should not be decided by U.S. President George Bush who, according to Nachman, "doesn't (even) know the municipal borders of Dallas, Texas." Nachman told Army Radio that he would object to having the city of Ariel enclosed by its own security fence.
Knesset blocks fence funding
Following last week's suicide bombing attacks in Jerusalem and at the Tzrifin army base, Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu promised to speed up the allocation of funds for completion of the security fence. According to media reports, the construction of the entire length of the fence, some 600 kilometers constructed in stages, would cost 4 billion shekels ($890 million).
In July 2003, members of the Knesset Finance Committee refused to schedule a vote on a 750 million shekel allocation for construction of parts of the fence. Channel Two television reported that MK Uri Ariel (National Union) was single-handedly blocking the fence funding in order to ensure that its route would include the city of Ariel.
Last week, MK Shaul Yahalom (National Religious Party), filling in for MK Ariel on the Finance Committee, also blocked fence funding because its route was not yet final. Yahalom also wants to ensure that Maaleh Adumim, a suburb to the east of Jerusalem, is included inside the fence's route.
"I will not approve [funding] as long as Ariel remains outside the fence," vowed committee member MK Yehiel Hazan (Likud).
In response the declarations of the right-wing Knesset members, MK Avshalom Vilan (Meretz) said they were trying to blackmail public funds in favor of the settlers. "This is being done at a high price paid in blood, and as they hold all of Israel's citizens hostage," he said.
This morning, the Ministry of Defense ordered a halt to construction of a 42-kilometer segment of the security fence in the Gilboa region because, awaiting Knesset approval, it did not have the necessary funds to pay contractors.
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