West Bank security fence
Photo: Ronny Schitzer
B'Tselem: Fence meant to expand settlements
Human rights groups demand to halt West Bank fence construction, dismantling of sections not built along Green Line. ‘Report shows that not only were security reasons secondary in many areas, but in places where security and settlements traverse each other, the planners chose a route which includes an area designated for expansion of settlements,’ B’Tselem member says
A report that was published on Tuesday by B'Tselem and Bimkom claims that the main logic behind the West Bank separation barrier's route is the intention to expand settlements in the West Bank.
The organizations say that the security barrier intensified human rights violations of the Palestinian villagers who live around the settlements.
Permission Granted
Tal Rosner
Israel's Supreme Court on Monday rejected Palestinian and Israeli challenges to a 2 kilometer (1.2 miles) section of the West Bank security fence, telling the Defense Ministry it could go ahead with construction
Both organizations call for an immediate halt to all construction work of the proposed additional sections of the barrier, and the dismantling sections that were not built on Green Line route.
In the press conference held under the title "Obstacle course intended to expand settlements", Bimkom's planning coordinator, architect Alon Cohen-Lifshitz, said: "In contradiction to the State's claims that the obstacle course was decided upon security reasons only, the report shows that the real reason for it isn't security, but a combination of capital, government, and settlers' interests. "
‘Cancel plans for expansion of settlements’
B'Tselem's research director, Yehezkel Lein, says that security goals were not the priority of the decision makers. "The report shows that not only were security reasons secondary in many areas, but in places where security and settlements traverse each other, the planners chose a route which includes an area designated for expansion of settlements, even at a price of forfeiting security".
The organizations also claim that exposing the planning elements of the barrier route is indicative of just much of the territory of the West Bank changed ownership.
Both organizations stated that if there is a need for a physical barrier, it must be built on the Green Line or inside Israel's realm. They demand the restoration of what they refer to as land confiscated from Palestinians, and to cancel the injunction that declares the "seam territory" as a sealed military zone.
Additionally, they call for cancellation of plans for expansion of settlements in the West Bank, even in cases where construction has started already.
