Barak, Steinitz refuse to pay for fence

A month after the approval of the plan to set up a fence on the Egyptian border, the start of the construction works is being delayed due to a budgetary disagreement: Defense Minister Ehud Barak's objection is preventing progress in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's prestigious project – setting up a fence on the Israel- Egypt border.

Ahead of a cabinet discussion Sunday morning, it was revealed that the Defense Ministry strongly refuses to bring the matter to the ministers' approval due to the need "to hold a thorough discussion on the budget and timetables for the fence's establishment."

In a scathing letter to Netanyahu, which was obtained by Ynet on Sunday, Barak said he opposed the "process in which decisions involving an expense of over a billion shekels are forced upon the Defense Ministry. This is unprecedented and impedes the (Defense Ministry's) ability to work towards securing the country with very limited resources."

Barak wrote that while he understands the need for a barrier along Israel's western border, there are "other needs that are more important and urgent, such as the 'Iron Dome' (rocket intercepting) system and the 'Magic Wand' (for intermediate range missiles).

In the letter, Barak asked the PM to delay the issue of the barrier's construction to the cabinet discussions on the 2011 State Budget.

The fence is aimed at closing the breach on the Egypt border, which allows the infiltration of thousands of people into Israel every year, some for work purposes from Africa and others for terror purposes – as was revealed recently when Hamas tried to smuggle two terrorists, whose trial is about to open at the Beersheba District Court. 

The defense establishment, like all of Israel's ministers, believes the obstacle must be set up. However, when the matter reached a decision and the defense minister was required to fund some of the fence's costs, Barak strongly refused.

Egypt border. Thousands infiltrate every year (Photo: Reuters)

One of the main issues on the cabinet's agenda Sunday was approving the fence at the cost of NIS 1.35 billion, but Barak did not show up for the meeting.

Officials at the defense minister's office explained that he was on vacation following his birthday, which took place on Friday. They also said that his office's director-general, Ehud Shani, is abroad. Therefore, the two cannot attend the cabinet meeting and such a discussion cannot be held without them. But Ynet has learned that Barak objects to his office financing the fence.

The defense minister's office said in response, "Ehud Barak has already set that tall fences create good neighbors and he is in favor of setting up the fence, but he believes a thorough discussion about the budget and timetable for the fence's construction must be held."

An official at the Prime Minister's Office said, "Barak said it was his birthday, and therefore it would be inappropriate to make a budgetary decision in his absence. However, the decision is expected to be approved within two weeks."

'Plan will add security'

Netanyahu has been trying to lead the initiative ever since his visit to the Egyptian border several weeks ago, but it appears there are no budgetary sources for the initiative at this time. The proposal submitted by the Prime Minister's Office, which was scheduled to be discuss Sunday, states that the Finance Ministry objects to the government proposal as well.

At the start of the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu spoke about the fence, but did not mention the defense minister's objection to its funding.

"Today we will discuss the beginning of the construction of a fence which will prevent people from walking from Africa to Israel. The decision is not aimed at preventing war refugees' right to enter Israel, but at preventing security and other infiltrations. The plan we will approve in a separate meeting will take a few years to implement and will add security to Israel's citizens," the prime minister said. 

A senior Defense Ministry official told Ynet that the defense establishment had a different list of priorities. "With Egypt we have a border of peace. Israel still has borders in which there is a security battle and they require a different budgetary list of priorities, for example the need to integrate the Iron Dome system in defending the south.

"We are not against setting up the fence, on the contrary. We are in favor of a fence with Egypt, but we believe a thorough discussion must be held, particularly on the budget sources and other issues. The matter must be discussed and a decision must be made only afterwards, rather than a one-sided decision by the Prime Minister's Office," the official said.

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz's office said in response that the Brodet Report, which was adopted by the government, recommends budget clauses related to the Defense Ministry must be included in the perennial budget. In other words, the budget for the Egypt border fence must come entirely from the defense budget.