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In Defense of a Fence

(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Maj. Gen. (Res.) Uzi Dayan - * The past three years of violence have resulted in 900 dead and 6,000 injured Israelis. Such figures demand that Israel take decisive steps. Building a security fence is not an obstacle to peace, but rather the first step of disengagement and a precondition to any political process. * Israel has constructed a fence along its borders with Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. The fence in Gaza has been 100% effective in preventing terrorist infiltration. * Similarly, Stage A of the West Bank fence has already been successful, forcing terrorist groups to move their headquarters to areas where there is no fence and greatly decreasing the number of criminal incidents along its route. Eventually, this fence will also eliminate the problem of illegal Palestinian immigration, which has already resulted in 150,000 illegal residents in Israel. * Approximately 85% of the West Bank is likely to be east of the fence, where an overwhelming majority of Palestinians live. Some have questioned whether Israel will erect an eastern fence in the West Bank. Because such a fence would not provide any significant security advantages, it is unlikely to be built. * Israeli and U.S. policymakers must keep in mind that failure to agree on a route is not an excuse to abandon construction. This sort of disagreement is a poor excuse to delay protecting Israelis from terrorism and giving the political process a chance. * Moreover, a completed fence would not be perpetual; it would exist solely in order to create a reality of disengagement, much like the extensive fence that Israel built and dismantled along the Suez Canal. The writer served as deputy chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and national security advisor under Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon.
2004-01-02 00:00:00
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