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An aerial view of the security fence separating the Israeli Arab town of Baka a-Garbiya and the Palestinian village of Nazlat Issa. (AFP)
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| By Ellis Shuman February 22, 2004 |
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One day before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) begins its hearing in The Hague on the legality of Israel's security barrier, the Israel Defense Forces today began dismantling an eight-kilometer (five-mile) section of the fence that ran east of the Palestinian village of Baka al-Sharkiya. Defense officials said there was no connection between the decision to dismantle the fence section and the deliberations at the Hague court.
"(The decision) has nothing to do with The Hague -- it was planned in advance," Defense Ministry Director-General Amos Yaron told Army Radio. "We work according to security concerns and we take into account what goes on the world and consider the needs of the Palestinians."
Defense Ministry spokeswoman Rachel Niedak-Ashkenazi said the removal of the fence section east of Baka al-Sharkiya had been planned for half a year and the fact that dismantling work was only beginning today was "purely coincidental."
Army Radio, however, quoted Israeli sources on Saturday as saying that the move "is definitely connected to the opening of discussions [Monday] about the fence at the International Court of Justice in The Hague."
Defense officials said the section of the fence east of the Palestinian village was now redundant after the completion of construction of the barrier between Baka al-Sharkiya and the Israeli town of Baka a-Garbiya. The officials said the original construction of the fence east of the village had been a security necessity at the time.
Channel 10 television said on Friday that the demolition will cost Israel $8 million, or about $1 million per kilometer. Other media reports said the demolition would cost the Israeli taxpayer 30 million shekels ($6.7 million). Ynet reported that the demolition would be done by private contractors and that sections of the dismantled barrier could be reused in future sections of the security fence.
Maariv reported today that Israel was working towards an understanding with the United States, which would give its support for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan and in exchange, Israel would make changes to the security fence's route so that it would more closely follow the 1967 Green Line border.
According to the Maariv report, Israel will not build sections of the fence that jut eastward and which were originally planned to circle around Ariel, Kedumim, Karnei Shomron and Emmanuel. In addition, double sections of the fence, including in the area east of the Ben Gurion International Airport, will not be constructed. The planned eastern section of the security fence, overlooking the Jordan Valley, will not be built, the paper said.
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told Army Radio on Sunday that Israel will continue building the fence regardless of the ICJ deliberations. He described the construction of the fence as a "security move, intended to prevent the terror attacks we have been experiencing for the past three years."
"On second thoughts, it is possible that we should have done it at a different time," Shalom added.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei (Abu Ala) said yesterday that Israel's decision to dismantle part of the fence did not go far enough. "We will not agree to even one millimeter of the barrier," he told reporters.
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