Forest hampers fence construction

Gush Etzion residents petition High Court, say fence route would destroy forest
Tal Rosner

The construction of the security fence has been hampered yet again by legal procedures, as work on the barrier scheduled for Thursday morning was delayed by the

High Court of Justice.

The cause of the latest delay is the result of a petition submitted by Gush Etzion residents over the route of the security fence. The petition was accompanied by a demonstration of 150 protesters.

Gush Etzion residents protest fence route (Photo: Maayan Lesem)

The petition is based on the argument that the current route of the fence causes the barrier to swerve towards Gush Etzion Junction, meaning that an entire forest in the area would be uprooted.

"This is about safeguarding a thicket of pines, and a Mediterranean forest," said Yaron Rosental, director of the Kfar Etzion Field School.

"The route is illogical, the fence makes a kind of loop into Gush Etzion Junction, at the expense of a nature reserve, for no reason. We want to protect the environment and we have offered alternative fence routes that are good for everyone – Jews and Arabs – and which the save the State funds," he added.

Rosental also said the forest that may be uprooted has been preserved from the time of the Ottomans, and was declared by the British as a "mandatory reserve."

Zeev Dasberg, the lawyer representing the petitioners, said Thursday morning that other than destroying the fence, many businesses would also suffer from the fence's route.

"The setting up of a border passage in the area would turn it into a sensitive security point, and this would endanger the safety of local residents and businesses," said Dasberg, who also emphasized that alternative fence routes have been proposed.

'Court to blame for delays'

On Tuesday, Deputy Defense Minister Zeev Boim accused the High Court of "delaying decisions and thereby endangering lives." He added: "Experience teaches us that the most severe terrorist attacks have gotten through the gaps in the security fence, gaps where work has yet to be completed."

Up to now, just 275 kilometers (170 miles) of the planned 760 kilometer (472 miles) route has been completed.

Due to the numerous legal delays in the High Court, it seems the State will be unable to meet its deadline of completing the fence by the end of 2006. According to Boim, the public will be paying the price, due to exposure to terrorists and infiltrators.

"In the areas where the fence has yet to be built, the delays are the work of the judicial system," Boim said.

"It starts with the State Prosecutor's Office, which tries to be more saintly than the High Court in determining the route, and it continues with the judges themselves," he added.