|
|
By Bruce S. Ticker
September 8, 2004
Had Israel built its barrier along the unofficial border between mainland Israel and the West Bank, the Arabs would have had absolutely no case against the barrier. Or would they?
The Arabs don't bother to control terrorism in their ranks and nearly 1,000 Israelis have died in terror attacks since this conflict began four years ago. Israel proclaimed that the barrier is necessary to prevent further attacks, and that strategy has sure worked.
Arab officials said they opposed the barrier because it was extended deep into the West Bank, disrupting the lives of thousands of Palestinians.
These spokesmen conceded that Israel has a right to build the barrier within its boundaries. Since they already had a juicy issue over the barrier's route, they did not need to deal with the question of its very existence.
Now one Arab official has voiced opposition to the barrier itself. "This action totally destroys the road map," Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat told the Associated Press.
The supposed provocation was Sunday's start of construction of the southern branch of the barrier which, when it is finished, will likely reduce the chances of terrorists in Hebron and other West Bank towns from reaching Beer Sheva and other southern Israeli communities.
Beer Sheva is where 16 Israelis were murdered in two bus genocide bombings a week ago and Hebron is the town in which the two genocide bombers resided. Israeli officials said they had planned the southern section of the barrier already, but they acknowledged that last week's tragedy added urgency to the project.
Israeli leaders pointed out how the number of terrorists attacks in the north sharply decreased in areas where the barrier has been built, and now there is public pressure to build the southern section to prevent further terrorist incidents in Beer Sheva and elsewhere.
The Associated Press reported Monday night the barrier will be built along the Green Line.
But Erekat jumped on the issue when there is no certainty of where the route will go. It is strong evidence that the Palestinians oppose the barrier, period. The road map refers to a plan that would lead to an independent Palestinian state supported by the United States.
Erekat and all Palestinians have understandable reasons to fear completion of the barrier. For terrorists, their opportunity to launch attacks on Israel would be minimized. True, they can still fire rockets into Israel - as they do from northern Gaza into Sderot - but they are far less able to blow up buses in Beer Sheva, Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Far worse for all Palestinians: If Israel ever decides to combine the barrier with a policy decision to completely separate from the Arabs, then Gaza and the West Bank would be starved out. How can they build a society when one or both of its next-door neighbors (the other being Jordan) refuse to do business with them?
The Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz reports that some southern West Bank residents have complained that the barrier will bar them from access to Israel. Access to do what?
Many of them no doubt have legitimate reasons to cross into Israel, but what of those who don't? How can Israelis tell the difference?
Which is more important? Their access to Israel or the survival of Israeli citizens? Most of all, should this surprise them? What did they expect?
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
