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Senior security officials said the new route of the fence makes it "useless" to prevent terror attacks in Jerusalem or its suburbs.
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| By Ellis Shuman July 28, 2004 |
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Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz last night approved most of the revised route of the security fence in the Jerusalem area. The new route, set in accordance with the High Court of Justice ruling calling to minimize hardship to the Palestinian population, will run on, or very near the 1967 Green Line border. Senior security officials warned that the new route of the fence makes it "useless" to prevent terror attacks in Jerusalem or its suburbs.
Mofaz stated that the new route "accords with principles of proportionality which were defined by the High Court of Justice, and it solves problems connected to living conditions of Palestinians."
Mofaz approved all the proposed changes except for 10 places, some of which he will visit himself to determine a new route to satisfy Israel's security needs while imposing as few hardships as possible on Palestinian residents, a statement issued by the Defense Ministry said.
Changes in the barrier's route around Jerusalem and to the southern segments of its planned West Bank route will be discussed separately, the statement said.
The new route rings around outlying houses of the Har Adar and Mevasseret Zion neighborhoods. According to media reports, the route will bring the fence to within 150-300 meters of the 1967 Green Line border.
The exact revised route of the fence has not been published so as to stave off possible petitions by Palestinians until the route's legal compliance with the High Court ruling is confirmed.
The new route of the barrier will be presented today to a steering committee headed by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's outgoing bureau chief, attorney Dov Weisglass. Participating in the meeting will be legal experts from the Ministry of Justice who will assess whether the new route matches standards set by the High Court.
Following his review of the revised route, Mofaz instructed the Israel Defense Forces and the Defense Ministry to expedite construction of the fence in areas south of Jerusalem, Haaretz reported.
Senior security officials said the new route of the fence makes it "useless" to prevent terror attacks in Jerusalem or its suburbs, the Jerusalem Post reported.
One security official, involved in the original planning of the fence's route, described the revised plan as "an avalanche about to smash into us," the paper said.
"This is an avalanche about to smash into us. The new security danger posed by the new route is a useless one and no one should scream and shout when a terrorist attack hits the city or its suburbs," the official told the Jerusalem Post.
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