Defense officials: Lack of funds could halt completion of separation fence
Ramon seeks funding after learning 2008 defense budget earmarked without enough to finish separation barrier.
By Barak Ravid Tags: Haim Ramon West BankVice Premier Haim Ramon is planning to ask Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for further funding to extend the West Bank separation barrier, Ramon's office said Tuesday. According to defense officials, construction of the barrier will be halted in the following weeks unless the Defense Ministry allocates further funds for the project.
Ramon, who is responsible for monitoring the barrier's progress, called the meeting after learning of financial problems that could prevent its completion. Some stretches of the barrier are fence, and at other points it is a wall. The barrier is already more than half completed.
Olmert appointed Ramon to oversee the project last year, when Ramon was justice minister. Ramon later had to resign after his indictment for forcibly kissing a female soldier, but Olmert reappointed him to handle the issue after he returned to the cabinet in January.
During Tuesday's meeting, defense officials told Ramon that the Defense Ministry had already earmarked its entire budget for 2008, and that none was left for the barrier's completion.
According to the officials, there is currently a stretch of 100 kilometers along which contractors are allowed by law to build, but are unable because the ministry cannot pay for the work.
Ramon said that he would approach the prime minister over the matter during the coming days, in order to procure other sources of funding. The vice premier said he will convene further discussions about the barrier and its related issues in the coming weeks.
Ramon plans for the next discussion to focus on solutions for the problems the barrier is causing for Palestinians living near it on both sides of the Green Line.
In 2004, the International Court of Justice at The Hague ruled that the barrier was illegal. The court's non-binding "advisory opinion" called for the barrier to be removed and the Arab residents to be compensated for any damage done. Israel rejected the ruling.
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Vice Premier Haim Ramon. (Tess Scheflan) |
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Lack of Funds? Let's dig into your own pocket, perhaps a little help from there will be a big help.
Does anyone have an idea of the Perks the Israeli Knesset Members receive?....when they retire?.... their Pensions....? even when some may have been guilty of damaging the country's honour and prestige......??? The Jewish State is more than generous to its politicians, many of whom are often not even worthy of the positions they hold, nor capable of leading a Country such as Israel is today.... a country sorely in need of men of calibre, strength, and ability to govern a land which is beseiged by enemies surrounding her wanting her destruction and who would given a moment's notice swallow her up whole! Cut down on those Perks in order to pay for the Security and Survival of the State!
Yes, you're right...please don't ask America for any more money...our taxdollars in action shouldn't include the Wall that steals more Palestinian land...
The barrier is to keep people safe, not to demarcate a ceasefire line.
The wall is there because of the suicide bombers. In a sense it protects the Palestinians from having their politics controlled by their own worst, militant elements. But the wall needn't be a forever thing- hopefully our grandchildren and the grandchildren of the Palestinians won't need it or want it.
The wall is there because of the suicide bombers. In a sense it protects the Palestinians from having their politics controlled by their own worst, militant elements. But the wall needn't be a forever thing- hopefully our grandchildren and the grandchildren of the Palestinians won't need it or want it.
"Now, you Congressmen, either you give me more money to steal Palestinian land and water or you won't get reelected, besides being labelled anti-semites!"
Anton, perhaps if you don a snow-white sheitel, you could take yourself seriously and propound judgements in the name of enlightened thought, judgements that don't take into account the concern for security of Israel; why?!, because your mind is so "open" that your brains are falling out!
I solely responded to Akivas statement that The Hague can *shove their opinion*. Neither the court nor I ever said it was wrong to build a wall. The disputed subjecz is the walls location on WB territory and its routing that violate international law.
M: "Where there`s no violence, no wall is necessary. Stop the violence and the wall comes down. Simple logic for simple minds." If Israel had not spent 40 years attempting to colonize a land that was under her belligerent occupation then there wouldn't *be* any Israeli civilians in mortal danger inside that occupied territory. Israel could then protect her own citizens by building a wall on her own territory. Simple logic for simple minds. Nobody objects to Israel building a wall on its own territory, Margie. The problem comes from building a wall through someone else's territory so that your colonizers can hunker down behind it because the locals are pissed off that YOUR colonizers are continuing to steal THEIR land. Withdraw the settlers, and *then* build that wall, and Israel would be both: a) secure b) compliant with Int'l Law. Better than attempting to keep ill-gotten gains, and then blaming the people you have robbed for resisting that robbery.
Sir, put aside the jews and the arabs, look at the loving neighbours (fatah and hamas)??? no walls, still continue killing each other, see today's "Amnesty blasts fatah, hamas over CIVILIAN DEATHS in gaza clashes". ??? when arabs tired of bombing jews, walls too high, they channel their hatred on their nearest enemies - themselves. when one is obsess with hatred, it must find new target after each killings. Animals are better, they kill to live, these living beings live to kill.
No wonder, the US citizens' taxes money have been dried out for funding the war in Iraq. Just try to fund it by your own money Israel (if you really have).
Before you blow your horn, get your facts together. The ones who cannot live in peace in the Middle East, are the Islamists. As soon a sthey stop their terror, peace can come to that part of the world. What about peace in the Basque Country?
Where there's no violence, no wall is necessary. Stop the violence and the wall comes down. Simple logic for simple minds.
Zionist supremacists like you treat international institutions like convenience shops: they buy what suits them and reject what doesnt. Depending on the case UN and international courts are considered either useful or useless idiots. Others laws are never respected, only your self-made rules apply. There is a word for such a category of people: outlaws.
Uncle Sam.israel had no problems in accepting the international community's Partition decision & the admission to the UN.Since then it has been a shameless rogue state!
not affected but demolished, if you want peace, which I doubt
....not affected but erased, if Israel wants to achieve peace; otherwise, the world will see how a "defensive fence" becomes border and how Israel gets greater by "defensive" means, as usual
The Palestinians created the barrier. One suicide bombing at a time. Actions have consequences. Should the Palestinians put violence aside it would be possible for Israel to dismantle the barrier.
Unbelievable!!! The peacepartner talks about the 3rd Intifada, and we are stopping the building of our protection wall??? I cannot believe we dont want to defend ourselves, we have our own State to protect the Citizens,not to sacrifies them as was the case in 1940 45 Who is responsible fot this fassla ??
The dividing wall is not a bad idea as long as it is planned in an intelligent manner and is not just a second stage land grab. If it eases the oppression on the Palestinians in the west bank then fine, but if not, what's the point of the wall?
or risk indictment by the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
The rout might be affected by Annapolis, though.
Tendentious and arrogant, The Hague can shove their opinion.
Notice the advertisement that is in the middle of this article: Jerusalem should be strengthened not divided. Ironically Ramon has expressed his plan to divide Jerusalem. It turns out to be an unpopular plan in Israel so now he is claiming to be in favor of the Defensive Wall? He's a Flip Flopper in spite of the fact that I think it is in Israels best interest to have the Defensive Wall completed.