The government approved Sunday the construction of a fence along the Egyptian border at a cost of NIS 1.35 billion ($360 million) after a resolution of budget disputes. The project will be funded by the defense and finance ministries and is set to conclude in 2013.
The Finance Ministry will be reimbursed upon the completion of the works. The Defense Ministry has pledged to cut down the number of infiltrators into Israel by 90%.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defined the creation of the fence as a national objective aimed at closing the gap in the Egyptian border. Under the current state, thousands are able to infiltrate into Israeli territory every year, including refugees and work immigrants, as well as terrorists.
According to data presented to the government 4,349 people infiltrated into Israel in 2009, compared to 7,585 in 2008 and 5,231 in 2007.
The decision was reached after a compromise was struck in respect to the project's funding. Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz and Defense Minister Ehud Barak –both keen supporters of the fence – expressed reservations due to a budget disagreement.
The Finance Ministry claimed that the defense establishment should bear the costs, while the Defense Ministry placed responsibility with the Finance Ministry.
Thousands infiltrate into Israel from Egypt every year (Photo: Reuters)
According to the government decision, the project's funding will be divided between the two ministries.
In 2010, NIS 75 million (roughly $20 million) will be allocated for construction, NIS 50 million (approximately $13.5 million) of which will be taken from the Defense Ministry's budget, and the rest from the Finance Ministry's budget. In the following two years an annual budget of NIS 425 million ($114.4 million) will be allocated and shared equally by both ministries.
Upon the completion of the works, the Finance Ministry will be reimbursed with an annual sum of NIS 75 million taken out of the budget of those ministries whose activity will be cut back due to the fence's creation.
Increase in inflitration attempts
It was noted in the decision that there has been a substantial increase in infiltration attempts from Egypt into Israel over the last few years.
"Israel's western border has virtually no physical obstacles - which serves terror groups, smugglers and infiltrators crossing the geographic border separating Israel and Egypt almost uninterruptedly."
The fence's budget, which will be set up in segments, will include the installation of electronic means to serve for intelligence gathering and the tracking of infiltrators in the sections where there is no barrier.
A Defense Ministry official estimated that following the completion of the project 90% of infiltration attempts would be prevented.