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An aerial view of the separation fence, near Jerusalem. (AP) Last update - 23:58 17/11/2007 UN: West Bank fence severs Palestinans farmers from fields By The Associated Press Tags: West Bank, UN, Palestinians  Only 18 percent of some 30,000 West Bank farmers who used to work the lands cut off by Israel's separation fence now have Israeli permits to reach their fields, the United Nations said in a report on the lives of some 230,000 Palestinians in 67 communities close to the fence. The report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs looked at 15 communities with about 10,000 residents trapped between the fence and Israel, and at 52 communities with 220,000 residents on the Palestinian side of the divider. Those in the hemmed-in villages require permanent residency permits, while those on the east side of the fence need Israeli-issued visitors permits to reach lands or visit family in the enclosed communities. Advertisement Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said the report is one-sided and that Israel is working to reduce the fence's impact on the Palestinians. Israel started building the fence in 2002, saying it is a temporary security tool meant to keep out of Palestinian attackers who by then had killed hundreds of Israeli civilians in bombings and shootings. However, the fence is largely built on West Bank land and Palestinians say its meandering route amounts to a land grab. Once completed, it would slice off 8.6 percent of West Bank land and, according to UN data, incorporate 380,000 of 450,000 Israelis living in the West Bank, which the Palestinians demand for a future state. The UN report, citing local community leaders, said that of some 30,000 Palestinians who used to work their fields on the Israeli side of the fence, only 18 percent currently have permits to reach their fields. Some 3,000 people stopped applying because they'd been repeatedly rejected in the past. Sixty-seven gates are built into the 200 kilometer stretch of fence studied, the report said. Of those, 19 are open daily to those with permits, but are closed at night, while another 19 are open during special harvest seasons, or weekly, the report said. Of the 15 villages hemmed in by the fence, nine reported that pregnant women had to leave their homes weeks before birth to ensure they could access proper health care, and just over half the villages said they had no access to basic health care, meaning they had to pass through gates in Israel's fence for treatment. The UN report said all the hemmed-in villages reported single people had problems meeting spouses because of that isolation - a burden in conservative Palestinian society, which expects men and women to marry quite young, and looks disapprovingly upon those who delay marriage. The fence, alongside Israeli settlements and Israeli-only roads, has fragmented the West Bank. Some 60 percent has been completed, mostly in the northern West Bank and around Jerusalem. In an advisory ruling in 2004, the International Court of Justice said the parts of the fence that jut into the West Bank are illegal and called on Israel to dismantle them. Regev said the fence has boosted Israeli security. "We have seen since the fence has gone up, a 90 percent reduction of suicide bombings into Israel, surely these are facts that can't be ignored," Regev said. "Ultimately the route of the fence is for security reasons. We have a policy to find the greatest possible security to Israelis and minimize the negative impact to Palestinians," he said. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Painful lessons The IDF has already learnt lessons of the Second Lebanon War. Brothers in guilt 'We are all guilty; is an effective summary of the final Winograd report.   1.   BUT NO FENCE CAUSED DEATH&BEREAVEMENT TO ISRAELIS 13:43  |  Alan 17/11/07   2.   THE ARAB DOMINATED UN CAN GO SCREW ITSELF! 13:57  |  NEW YORKER 17/11/07   3.   "west bank fence brings hardship to thousands" and west bank with 13:59  |  Nahum Gonen 17/11/07   4.   "Ultimately the route of the fence is for security reasons" 14:01  |  Leona 17/11/07   5.   Build a thousand walls in ISRAEL; not the West Bank 14:18  |  Esther 17/11/07   6.   Apartheid Wall.... 14:25  |  POP 17/11/07   7.   Esther #5 Huh?? 14:38  |  S 17/11/07   8.   This barrier saved thousands human lives 14:47  |  Shlomo from Tel Aviv 17/11/07   9.   The security fence 14:54  |  Hilda 17/11/07   10.   FENSE STOPS TERROR AND STRAP BOMBS 14:57  |  Petra 17/11/07   11.   SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN A GOOD ONE!!! 14:59  |  Petra 17/11/07   12.   The populist "apartheid" liars 15:04  |  Joe Sittizen 17/11/07   13.   Occupation requires formation 15:06  |  Nephtaly 17/11/07   14.   I don`t care 15:09  |  Steven A. 17/11/07   15.   pop ........do you call that apartheid? 15:10  |  nmf 17/11/07   16.   MORE LAND FOR ISRAEL GOOD!!!!! 15:11  |  Petra 17/11/07   17.   esther........but the west bank 15:12  |  nmf 17/11/07   18.   The obvious answer to the UN report 15:14  |  Joe Sittizen 17/11/07   19.   Petra = Terrorist? 15:15  |  XxX 17/11/07   20.   THIS BARRIER, AMEN AMEN BROTHER TRUTH!!!!!! 15:17  |  Petra 17/11/07   21.   where are the palestinian supporters who love 15:18  |  nsm 17/11/07   22.   THE SECURITY FENCE, HILDA 15:21  |  Petra 17/11/07   23.   correction fence!!! TOO EARLY NOT ENUF COFFEE. 15:22  |  Petra 17/11/07   24.   And security to milions! 15:23  |  S 17/11/07   25.   UN A GIFT FROM THE ROCKEFELLAS 15:24  |  Petra 17/11/07   26.   fence 15:24  |  colin 17/11/07   27.   you stop suicide bombing 15:24  |  from far away land 17/11/07   28.   Nahum Gonen 15:25  |  MR 17/11/07   29.   UN HYPOCRACY LIES AND ANTI ISRAELI CLAPTRAP 15:29  |  Lou Knee 17/11/07   30.   Our security fence 15:36  |  Judah N. Wenkel 17/11/07   31.   #9 - Hilda - it`s not the wall but the route that is the problem 15:38  |  A Bethlehemite 17/11/07   32.   the security fence is a life saving mechanism, together with 15:38  |  Boaz Eshkol 17/11/07   33.   The Arabs need to learn how to behave 15:39  |  ottomatik 17/11/07   34.   8.6 percent = 40 Years of Terror - Seems correct to me? 15:54  |  B`Galil 17/11/07   35.   To #6 POP - Yes, 8 Pal`s by Hamas 15:56  |  B`Galil 17/11/07   36.   60 percent completed and terror 100 percent stopped 16:21  |  Omran 17/11/07   37.   Esther #5 is ofcourse a complete SHAM... 16:30  |  Esther 17/11/07   38.   The point is where this fence is built 16:35  |  joki 17/11/07   39.   Saw the barriers/fences/walls 16:38  |  Esther 17/11/07   40.   The Wall will fall (eventually) 16:44  |  Ben Alofs 17/11/07   41.   S #24 How many times I have to ask you to change your S? 16:44  |  S 17/11/07   42.   tripple x...calling petra a terrorist? 16:47  |  nmf 17/11/07   43.   TO THE USELESS UN:DISMANTLE HIZBOLLAH FIRST!! 16:53  |  NEW YORKER 17/11/07   44.   Regev: Mr. Slime 16:58  |  edgar 17/11/07   45.   PALESTINIAN CHOICE 16:59  |  ANUAR AL SADAT 17/11/07   46.   The Fence Should be Moved 17:00  |  Jane 17/11/07   47.   Monstrosity of the walls.....(21/10/07) 17:03  |  Esther 17/11/07   48.   So, by now we have a fake Esther and a fake S 17:06  |  S 17/11/07   49.   To PETRA #16 17:20  |  Simon Agha 17/11/07   50.   The location of the fence: Well, it is located on the best 17:23  |  Na`ama 17/11/07   51.   45 Jane of Palm Beach - A Voice in the Wilderness 18:11  |  Mark of Lewiston 17/11/07   52.   S #7 Huh 18:13  |  Esther 17/11/07   53.   UN: W. Bank fence severs Palestinans from fields 18:25  |  Yonatan 17/11/07   54.   #5 Leona the ignorant 18:28  |  Yonatan 17/11/07   55.   #6 POP - Thank God for our Apartheid Wall 18:30  |  Yonatan 17/11/07   56.   West Bank Fence Saves Israeli Lives 18:34  |  Daniel 17/11/07   57.   Wall and Farmers 18:45  |  Plastic Surgeon 17/11/07   58.   fence severs Palestinans from fields 18:49  |  Philippe 17/11/07   59.   joki # 38 The Green Line 19:26  |  Jeff Northridge 17/11/07   60.   security wall/fence. 19:48  |  Baruch Hashem 17/11/07   61.   Re Na`ama #50 20:02  |  Esther 17/11/07   62.   Israel Is Still Far Too Timid 20:06  |  Dave Levy 17/11/07   63.   ben alofs.......the palestinians cannot be trusted 20:06  |  nsm 17/11/07   64.   would be nice if americans 20:17  |  nmf 17/11/07   65.   Edgar the wicked, disgrace to humanity 20:33  |  Mordecai Ben Natan 17/11/07   66.   The UN report and ICJ position is disguised antisemitism 20:36  |  Joseph E . 17/11/07   67.   Re:Walls and Farmers.... 21:07  |  Dolores 17/11/07   68.   Ghetto walls do not keep Jews safe 21:18  |  Naftali Lavie 17/11/07   69.   Haaretz and the Fence 21:37  |  Philippe 17/11/07   70.   This is according to plan. 21:51  |  Maki 17/11/07   71.   Good Fences Make Good Neighbours 21:52  |  Brad 17/11/07   72.   Israelis Are Dehumanizing Themselves 21:54  |  Double Click 17/11/07   73.   53 Yonaton 22:07  |  Mark of Lewiston 17/11/07   74.   Re "Esther" #52: The regular Sham ... 22:29  |  Esther 17/11/07   75.   Fence location 22:42  |  joki 17/11/07   76.   Fence location 22:59  |  joki 17/11/07   77.   12 Joe Actually, the Palestinian residents of Hebron saved the 23:02  |  Apartheid 17/11/07   78.   to Petra 23:07  |  Hilda 17/11/07   79.   The wall would have saved just as many lives if it had been built 23:09  |  Apartheid 17/11/07   80.   to Bethlehmite 23:18  |  Hilda 17/11/07   81.   Joseph E 23:38  |  kiwi girl 17/11/07   82.   Utterly crazy numbers, somebody needs to fact-check!! 00:03  |  Dr. L. Brnd 18/11/07   83.   The Jewish State Has Everything to Be Proud Of 00:03  |  Joseph E . 18/11/07   84.   #8 - You live in Tel Aviv? 01:28  |  Diane Mason 18/11/07   85.   That darn fence 01:32  |  Sabra 18/11/07   86.   Jews acting like Nazis 01:48  |  POP 18/11/07   87.   #8 and it`s not just channel 2 that noticed 01:57  |  Diane Mason 18/11/07   88.   Excellent response Naftali 02:21  |  kiwi girl 18/11/07   89.   IS THIS NOT APARTHEID? 02:24  |  VIPER 18/11/07   90.   usual un arab rubbish. not arab/pal lands. 04:50  |  ralph 18/11/07   91.   usual un arab rubbish. not arab/pal lands. 04:50  |  ralph 18/11/07   92.   WEST BANK FENCE SEVERS BOMBERS FROM BUSES AND CAFES 04:54  |  THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 18/11/07   93.   NO FENCES NEEDED IF ARMY,POLICE TAKEOVER W.BANK, ERADICATE TERROR 05:14  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 18/11/07   94.   Whole palestinian argument is a land grab 05:47  |  Chick 18/11/07   95.   Read a book. No 77 09:44  |  Palestinian Brit 18/11/07   96.   British masters allocating land.....no 94 09:46  |  Palestinian Brit 18/11/07   97.   More sick propaganda & lies from the foreign spokesman 10:02  |  Dutch 18/11/07   98.   Regev is an Australian disgrace 14:18  |  Marilyn 18/11/07   99.   Marilyn, Don`t worry.... 14:54  |  Dutch 18/11/07   100.   More Righteous Islamics or More Terrorists?! 22:10  |  Sarah 18/11/07   101.   any problems that Arabs are having is a direct result of their wa 22:29  |  felix 18/11/07   102.   new yorker 2 23:40  |  realism 18/11/07   103.   #102, realism... 20:42  |  Silvienne 19/11/07   104.   #98, Marilyn.... 04:14  |  Silvienne 20/11/07   105.   Facts 17:25  |  Jacob 13/12/07   106.   fence 17:56  |  colin 13/12/07   107.   And Pali suicide bombs and attacks sever bodies 08:44  |  Mark 20/12/07   108.   # 13 Bethlemite It stops terror and that`s good 15:52  |  Petra 18/01/08   109.   # 78 Hilda we say the same of Bush 15:55  |  Petra 18/01/08   110.   # 78 Hilda 15:26  |  Petra 31/01/08   111.   # 71 Brad AMen!! Secure, tall fences to keep barbarians at bay 15:28  |  Petra 31/01/08   112.   # 80 Hilda EXCELLENT TRULY EXCELLENT, THANK YOU!!!!! 15:30  |  Petra 31/01/08   113.   # 100 SARAH wonderful reply thanks!!!! 15:32  |  Petra 31/01/08

Today Online PM: War report 'lifts moral stigma' from me Responses: 68 Jewish group to build 200 new homes in East Jerusalem Responses: 82 Winograd: Current use of cluster bombs not in line with int'l law Responses: 41 Rosner's Guest: Israelis don't know enough about Diaspora Jewry Responses: 7 Israel Harel: Public shares blame for mistakes in war Responses: 5 Yossi Sarid: Olmert has to go, with or without war report Responses: 5 Rosner's Domain The campaign for Darfur has achieved all its goals - but one Has the era of Orthodox women rabbis arrived? (WTR) Rosner's Guest: Too many Jewish organizations? Poll: Is there a "constant virulent campaign" against Obama? Back to divestment from Israel (WTR) More Headlines 14:43 Olmert allies: PM won't quit despite damning war report 15:35 Peretz: Lebanon War was missed opportunity, but was necessary 16:44 Palestinian approaching Israel border killed by IDF in southern Gaza 16:45 PM to appear before Knesset session devoted to Winograd 14:45 Egypt blocks Gaza cars from Sinai, pedestrians still entering 16:18 German authorities charge 22-year-old man with stabbing rabbi 13:44 Calls said growing within Labor for Barak to quit Olmert coalition 10:03 Jewish group to build 200 new housing units in East Jerusalem 13:55 Shekel hits 10-year high against dollar as U.S. interest rates cut 14:22 Winograd: Current use of cluster bombs not in line with int'l law 08:00 Israel says Libya unworthy of seat on UN Security Council 10:46 Beijing's only Kosher restuarant mulls second branch ahead of Olympics 15:16 Giuliani yields and backs McCain, who gets Schwarzenegger bid too Previous Editions Select Day 30 jan 29 jan 28 jan 27 jan 25 jan 24 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 18 jan 17 jan

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