Security fence now
Government, not High Court, stalling West Bank security fence construction
This past week the security cabinet discussed the construction of the West Bank security fence for the umpteenth time, and the claim that the High Court is delaying the fence’s construction was heard once again.
The High Court may be guilty of many terrible things, but it is the government that is solely to blame for the construction delays.
The fence is aimed at fulfilling a limited purpose: to prevent the infiltration of terrorists into Israeli territory by foot or by car. It cannot deter terrorists that plan to enter Israel by air or via underground tunnels.
The fence has a relevant history. It is hard to remember who came up with the idea, but it was former Police Minister Moshe Shachal (Labor) who presented the idea before the government. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin set up an economic and security task force to deal with the issue, but he was ambivalent toward the idea. Then, it was Foreign Minister Shimon Peres who thwarted the idea by claiming the fence would determine Israel’s border.
The current government, like Rabin’s, is still not ready to determine this border. This is the reason the fence’s route runs mainly beyond the Green Line.
Avoiding legal battles
The fence runs through Palestinian agricultural fields, sometimes even through Palestinian homes; this is why they turned to the High Court, whose job it is to determine whether Israel’s security interests outweigh the damage being done to the Palestinians.
As the fence’s purpose is limited, it is not that simple to prove that it must run through a particular olive grove.
The government could easily avoid legal battles with the Palestinians who are suffering from the fence’s construction – it can build it along the Green Line. The great thing about this line is that no Palestinian grove or home is situated on it. Moreover, a fence built along this line would be just as efficient in the prevention of terror, and would even cost less, as its route would be shorter.
So why is the government is rejecting the construction of the fence along a cheaper route that would serve the country’s security agenda and would be devoid of legal struggles for a more costly route that is riddled with delays and demonstrations? Because a decade ago Vice Premier Shimon Peres came up with the notion that the Green Line should be dismissed so Israel would be able to steal, or seize another Palestinian acre of land.
There are those who claim this is a worthy cause. Lets make one thing clear: The delay in the construction of the West Bank security fence is not emanating from the High Court, but from the Israeli government, which is stalling the construction.
Notably, petitions to the High Court did not delay the construction of the Gaza security fence, because the government decided to relinquish a few more acres for security's sake.
Those who are interested in the expeditious construction of the security fence should support its construction along the Green Line.
- Gideon Eshet is a columnist for Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper
