Opinion
Israel needs northern wall
Yosef Argaman
Published: 06.06.11, 21:44
Comment Comment
Print comment Print comment
Back to article
68 Talkbacks for this article
1. HIGH FENCES MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS
JEWBIE ,   Atlanta USA   (06.06.11)
ISRAEL, protect yourself. Defend yourselves. bless you!
2. Bad idea
Adam Helberg ,   US   (06.06.11)
The wall in Judea/Samaria is to stop snipers, in other areas it's a fence. A wall interferes with our troops being able to see what the enemy is doing, and makes it more difficult to respond. And they can always blow a hole in it with some explosives or scale it with ladders. A transparant security fence with razor wire and a mine field is more effective and much cheaper. An electric fence is another low cost idea.
3. Mines and barbed wire are a lot cheaper
Raymond in DC ,   Washington, USA   (06.06.11)
We don't need to provide another "Wall" canvas for publicity whores like Roger Waters. Besides, as has been demonstrated at the Rafah border, walls can be blown up or knocked down. Then what will you do? It's much cheaper to upgrade the existing mine fields (many devices are old and no longer reliable) and barbed wire. If the enemy is stupid enough to try to cross, well, they deserve what happens to them.
4. what about old fashioned minefields?
david ,   new york   (06.06.11)
it should be much cheaper that a concrete wall. now assad pays $1000 per "protester" and $10,000 to the family of a "martyr", considering that they make $200 a year in parts of syria, that is a king's ransom. Still,
5. Walls, walls, walls. The arabs are nickle
Joe ,   Ohio, USA   (06.06.11)
and dimeing you to death with these. It's simple, if your an infiltrator you are shot if you do not stop and go back, or are arrested and put in jail where you must work 14 hours a day doing menial labor that benefits the state and compensates them for the cost of housing and hunting you down AND sending you back home.....PENNY LESS!
6. You need walls on all 4 sides
IRAN#1   (06.06.11)
Just make a big jail for yourselves, you deserve the isolation :)
7. that would limit flexibility we need
Golan ,   Modiin   (06.06.11)
this is a temporary thing and one of Arab fantasy of just "returning" to a home their ancestors invaded as a part of a religious crusade to spread the ranting of a madman with an apparent brian tumor.
8. No wall..only determination.
Nora Tel Aviv   (06.06.11)
The motto? Trespassers will suffer.
9. Cool!
Pinhas Bayit ,   Bet HaKerem   (06.06.11)
Let's help to build a new Metzada/Massada together.
10. wall
yoni ,   jerusalem   (06.06.11)
building a cheap cemented wall is one of the highlights of Israeli history?
11. "Yosef Argaman is a military historian", really?
Joe ,   Israel   (06.06.11)
Is this a joke? Military historian by what standards? Even the dumbest soldier would tell you that this idea is insane. Suppose we do build a wall, now a thousand people come with ladders and try to climb over it, you are still faced with the same problem, whether to stop them (i.e.-shoot) or not. A wall does nothing to change the status quo in this case. The reason the West Bank wall worked is because it prevented individual infiltration (fence) and stopped shooting from local houses unto roads (solid concrete blocks). We already have a fence in the north for the former point and the latter point is not a problem. So tell me again, where did you get your degree?
12. copy the Jordan
Uzi ,   UK   (06.06.11)
along the Jordan border there is a highly electrified fence, and that seems to be effective - why not do the same in the north? no gunfire, just sizzled teatowels :)
13. and needs a roof :)
(06.06.11)
14. WALL DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE
Ian ,   Newcastle upon Tyne   (06.06.11)
I'm led to believe there are many residents in the North living on State hand-outs.Then why not have a job creation scheme to build the wall? Certainly not compulsory labour,but make unemployment benefit receipt,for fit Arabs and Jews in the area,be contingent on participation.Unskilled people will learn valuable construction skills and the job will get done at a reasonable price some of which will be benefits that would have been paid,anyway. Incidentally,we also have a defensive wall near me in the North of England;Hadrian's wall,built by the Romans to keep the Scots out.If things go on like they are,now that Tony Blair has Balkanised Britain,we may have to renovate it to keep out present day politically correct,anti-Israel Scottish politicians. THREE CHEERS FOR ISRAEL!!!
15. Not A Good Idea
Scott Neuman ,   Okemos, MI   (06.06.11)
Apparently the writer fails to distinguish between terrrorist attacks and mass movements of people. While a properly maintained wall can stop a group of terrrorist attempting to infiltrate Israel, a mass movement of people would simply blow a hole in the wall and continue their plan. The terrorist must get through the wall to accomplish his evil. The IDF then has sufficent time to react following a breach in the wall. However, Israel must react as it has now done in the event of a mass movement of people crossing the border. Thus, nothing is accomplished. Moreover, Israel controls the movement of explosiveds on the West Bank. Israel doesn't control the movement of explosives in Syria, Lebanon, and now the Gaza Strip. Pressure on the governments to ensure the border's integrity is the best method. If this doesn't work because of Israel's blood thirsty neighbors, then, alas, fences, minefields, and snipers are the only way to ensure the integrity of Israel's soverignty.
16. Islamo-lemmings
Steve ,   USA   (06.06.11)
There are many high tech solutions to the commotion at the frontier. Perhaps the best one is to simply allow these miscreants to continue to run straight into the line of fire (as would be the case with a mass infiltration attempt at any border in the world) until their collective intellects combine to form a reasonable comprehension of cause and effect. Perhaps one day these pathetic people will understand how entirely useless and self destructive their insane behavior is.
17. Wow, this guy is loose with my tax money!
Brian Cohen ,   Judean Peoples Front   (06.06.11)
Humbug! Put line voltage (550 volts) in the fence. Make it a double fence, with a 10 meter gap. In that 10 meters put lots of land mines. If they want to hang signs on the fence, they'll get a good zap. If they try to break through, they will die. I don't need hundreds of millions more of my money spent on a monster concrete wall when cheaper measure will do a better job.
18. Well, yes but no.
Amihai ,   Yesha   (06.06.11)
Walls are highly-effective. But they don't resolve any problem. Just symptoms. In fact, only part of them. And we can't simply build a wall each time we have a problem. Or we'll end in a big gettho. And another thing the gaza situation taught us : a wall doesn't stop tunnels or rockets.
19. No
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (06.06.11)
We should create a very large minefield with a good military force to support it. Far cheaper and more reliable.
20. aragaman and olmert
alexi   (06.06.11)
jesus, another imbecile talking just like the coward olmert. The west bank wall was to reduce suicide bombing which it has along withother measures like idf presence injudea which should be converted to annexation of vital areas spelled out by bibi and lieberman. the golan and northern fence are not great but bombings right now are not an issue. penetration is and mines, wires and new alarm techologies will be necesary to increase deterrence along with shooting if necessary 50,000 arabs in the legs to make the point-do not cross. A cement wall reduces idf flexibility and as the bar lev line demoed, it creates a false sense. a cement wall is not the way to go. argaman, olmert, haber, barnea, livni, ramon,dekel, uvnery, burg, grossman,s ternhhall, amir oren, these jews are a terrible indictment of a people-they are pathetic and go straight into the oven. They also say- we are tired of fighting when many of them never did fight..
21. Better idea: use high tech to detect breaches of border
Marcella   (06.06.11)
A wall is not much help with people skilled at making tunnels. And it has to be something more sophisticated than mere surveillance cameras, since they can be easily found and disabled by the enemy. There are high tech devices to detect movement and noise along the border. I just found an interesting 2009 article on Popular Mechanics: "High Tech Border Patrol, 5 new Tricks to Find Smuggler Tunnels" I have no doubt that Israeli security agencies know of the very latest technology. They may be even developing their own. The problem is a lack of will to push for their implementation.
22. there is a cheaper and more practical alternative
zionist forever   (06.06.11)
There is a cheaper and much more practical solution than a wall. Lay minefield, surround it in razor wire and clearly sign it so nobody can say they stumbled into it by accident. We should also do this in along the borders on Sinai and Judea & Samaria. Physical walls can take years to build, cost billions of dollars and the determined terrorist or an illegal wanting to get into Israel will always find a weak spot in a wall. A minefield surrounded by razor wire can be laid in a day and it cost thousands rather than billions. Razor wire makes sure nobody stumbles it by accident and if somebody decides they want to try their luck and they end up getting themselves blow up well thats to bad. It is the only practical solution and its the cheapest one.
23. You do not need a better wall, you need to become resolute.
leo ,   usa   (06.06.11)
24. Easy solution-Give Middle East to Israel
John ,   Boise, Idaho USA   (06.06.11)
Sounds crazy, but in essence, a good idea. Many of the social, human and economic issues of the nations surrounding Israel could be absolved by this simple move. The innovative ideas and economic savvy of the Jews would be put into practice and all surrounding nations would benefit...and the Palestinians could find a new homeland in Saudi Arabia with plenty of room for growth. .
25. More walls
Bertram ,   London, UK   (06.07.11)
I think there should be more walls. There are many countries with border problems and threatened sovereignty. Walls will make everyone feel safe. No more fears about bad neighbours. In fact if the walls are built high enough and are impenetrable we won't even be aware that we have any neighbours. We can then all sleep soundly in splendid isolation.
26. #8 Trespassers will suffer
YaĆ«lle Schlichting ,   Raubling, Germany   (06.07.11)
I agree with this, but you need to let them suffer in a subtle way. +++ These people are refugees who obviously flee Syria, West Bank, Lebanon... +++ You need to establish a process to gather all these refugees and ask them, whether they claim this refugee status. +++ build secured refugee camps all over the land. +++ And then you start to administer a refugee process that must be painfully slow. +++ Ask the UN to provide aid to properly feed these people. Unless this aid is provided you feed them the cheapest crap you can find. +++ If anybody want's to leave back home, you first must make clear, that the refugee will be secure at home. Take Syria! Is anybody secure there? No! So you can't let him back. It's better you keep him detained in the rocket approach zone ahead of Ashkelon or close to Sderod.
27. double fence with landmines
Ginzo ,   USA   (06.07.11)
wouldn't they be able to throw stuff in between to make the mines explode? that way they won't even need to cut the fence as it'll be blown up for them... point of mines is that no one knows where they might be
28. Jail
The Truth ,   NJ, USA   (06.07.11)
Good job Israel. Building your own jail for you.
29. Yes, we also need a wall in the sea to blocl the flotilas
Elders of Zion   (06.07.11)
and extend it to the sky cause they planning to fly in too...
30. Outstanding notion: Let's make Israel into a ghetto! Geez..
Michael Steiner ,   Bahrain   (06.07.11)
Next talkbacks
Back to article