Israel speeds up West Bank barrier construction following court injunction
Planned route for the West Bank separation fence surrounds village of Walajeh on three sides, separating it from large tracts of its land.
By Nir HassonThe Defense Ministry picked up the pace of work on the separation fence near the Palestinian village of Walajeh, south of Jerusalem this week, village residents and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel say.
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Construction work on the security fence in the West Bank. |
| Photo by: Daniel Bar-On |
The residents had petitioned the High Court of Justice, asking it to order the state to find an alternative route for the fence. The current route would surround the village on three sides and separate it from large tracts of its land.
The SPNI, which joined the petition as a "friend of the court," opposes the route, which it says would critically damage the area's unique terrace landscape.
During a court hearing Sunday, it came out that the order to expropriate village lands for the fence, which enabled the work to begin, had expired a year ago. The state's representative had no satisfactory explanation for this, so the court issued an injunction requiring the state to explain within 45 days why the work should not be stopped. However, the justices did not order the work stopped.
The Palestinians and the SPNI say that since the injunction was issued, the Defense Ministry and the contractors have been working much faster than before. Yesterday, for example, there were five bulldozers and other heavy equipment working on a half-kilometer stretch of the fence, and other heavy equipment working elsewhere around the village.
"Yesterday and today they've been working like crazy," said Ahmed Barghut, a resident of Walajeh whose house is near the work site.
The Defense Ministry says the construction is continuing at the same pace as before, and that the court rejected the petition to stop the work.
"An appeals committee found the route met the demand to limit damage to the fabric of Palestinian life and took nature and landscape into consideration," it said.
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it's pathetic if hamas believes1000 of their brothers are equal to one israeli soldier and the whole world says nothing,history repeats itself.
US interstate 10 runs from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and took less time to build than this security barrier. I 10 was built to make money. The barrier is built to save lives. Finish it.
having been put behind walls so recently, jews appear to feel some catharsis from now being the builders of walls and ghettos
But Israel again just ignores international law. The law will not be followed by Israel until the world finally decides to enforce the law. This includes the laws against settlements and the UNSC resolutions making the occupation illegal. Only then will there be peace.
Sadly the illegal settlmenst will be harder to remove than the weak villagers are. I recall Bush once being trained by israel to call them "established residential centres". No they are illegal sites and should be demolished according to all internation law yet on the front page of Haaretz you see how that will never happen cos netenyahoo even says to continue the freeze of building would bring the govt down. So in israel doing the legal thing will end the govt? How upside down and topsy turvey a world the israelis live in. Some days i feel a little sorry for them with all their hatred and anger and constant desire to stir up troubles that dont exists anymore and their ridiculous historical notions of the land being theirs. How about before religions came along, who lived on the land then? How about when we didnt even speak a language and were just becoming homosapiens? Do those people lay historic claim to israel. get over yourselves and your ridiculous "god promised us the land" routine, its as old as shouting antisemtism all the time is.
There have been no suicide attacks in Israel for years now - thank God , so it is not really necessary to continue building new barriers . Apparently it is a further attempt to make lives of ALL Palestinians as miserable and inhuman as possible ,especially when you deliberately separate villages from their fields and wells. Instead of building walls , you should try to forgive and forget the past and give the moderates on both sides a chance. Shalom / Salam
The original village is on the opposite mountain - the residents "encouraged" to leave in 1948 and the village destroyed later. The people developed a new Walajah on the opposide of the mountain and they have been under pressure to move out for several years. Fortunately they stayed put and are now to be surrounded like prisoners. You forgot to mention the water springs which are tobe outside the wall on the Israeli side of course! Peace? Never!
spain has its fence, the usa has its fence, saudiarabia is vorbidden to nonmuslims, the fence is ok.
Straignt division is fine. Surrounding villages and cutting them off from their livlihoods is not!
3 wrongs doesn’t make a right, those who are on the "privilege" side of the fence always have a ball of a time at the expense of those who are on the wrong side of the fence.
WE are brutal and criminal exploiters of our power as the conquerors of the territories. Then we will ask, surprised and hurt: why are we hated? It must be because we are Jews! Poor things: we are persecuted in spite of being so pure and noble! Do not ask then why the moral standards of this country are going down the drain. We scorn them together with human rights and the courts and we do it in such a brilliant way, a good reason indeed for national pride.
Do you live in Israel. Has anyone you known been killed by a terrorist?
HAS ANYONE U KNOW BEEN KILLED BY SETTLERS OR ISRAELI FORCES?
why isn't it built on Israel's recognized international border? How convenient that it grabs loads of land and water resources as well as deliberately making life hell for the Palestinians villagers? I guess Israel is hoping it will force them out and they will have less of a demographic problem to deal with in the future.
... because it is just an instrument for maximum land theft!
Proving that SPNI is yet another typical NIF funded anti-Jewish group.
usually on higher grounds in Palestinian lands, you would also see who is poluting with all the settlement sewage flowing on Palestinian villages below
My village has new sewage systems provided by the PA . Our area lies within Israeli control and they have rprevented the PA from installing the systems. Security I suppose?
Let them prove their worth as citizens. They should build their own sewage systems to clean up the Israeli environment.
Why not build Israel's fence on Israel's own land?
2 millions arabs live in Israel, but a jew living in the West Bank is a crime. The fence is built where people live. Remember, it is terrorism that build the fence. Three governments have offered 100 percent territory to the PA (with land swap) and even today Abbas refused to negotiate. Because this is not about settlements, it is about the destruction of Israel.
Depending on your standpoint, the fence is (a) another landgrab or (b) to prevent suicide and other terrorist attacks.. As you obviously feel the only raison d'etre for the fence is to prevent terrorist attacks in Israel.. can you explain why there have been no suicide bombers in years even though the fence is only half-finished???
It is Abbas that proposed a 100% territory (with land swap and even Israel control of part of E. Jeruselam) and it is Israel that has not responded. Abbas has said that any Jews that live in Palestine would be welcome to stay there living under Pal sovereignty and law. The Pals do not have any issue with Israel building a seperation wall, as long as it is built on Israeli land. Regarding terrorism, almost all of the terrorism these past 5-10 years have been by the settlers and the IDF.
This is the area of a double fence. There is already one planned to the south around the Gush. No reason to divide and destroy this ancient landscape.
In Israel there is no constitution apparently the supreme court is simply and advisory board
Britain doesn't have one either. Are there no courts there? Are there no laws on the book?
I certainly want nothing to do with those folks over there we need the fence to separate cousins who do not get along and have very little in common Thank Goodness the separation is still on!!!!
..."imploding" comes to mind.
If you've forgotten, I'll remind you: constant suicide bombings that went on for years during the early 2000's; 15 dead here, 20 dead there. The fence has saved countless Israeli lives, much to the shagrin of Israel's enemies. They call it the Apartheid Wall and other noxious labels. The fence was Ariel Sharon's gift to the Jewish people.
would you still have the fence if the international community (i.e. The USA) made you put it on Israeli land? Or is it just a ploy to take even more than the 78% of Palestine already occupied? Finally, to add some perspective, just under 100 people a year die from riding horses in Britain.
So you're comparing heinous suicide bombings to unintentional riding accidents in a country with 10 times more population than Israel (yes, let's put that in perspective). In other words, you're saying, "oh come on, only about 100 or so Israelis die a year from suicide bombings, it's not that bad". Are you sure your real name isn't Natalie Durson? And for the record, I've always strongly supported the security fence, but on Israel's own territory, even though the 67 "borders" are not true international borders, but rather the 1949 armistice lines. The final borders must be negotiated between the two parties. Once those borders are finalized the fence should be moved to those borders.
The interests of the nation are worthless if there is no justice for all inhabitants. If a nation does not provide justice to all under its jurisdiction who needs it.
Justice is the imposition of law between an aggreived party and an accused party. It is inevitable that one or the other will not be satisfied but will be expected to obey the decision anyway. Equality before the law occurs when both parties are given equal opportunity to present their opinions to an unpredjudiced judge whose only concern is that the law is followed/obeyed by both parties. The case to build the wall/fence was presented and decided long ago. Now it is time for justice to be felt by those for whom it has been provided--some will like it and some will not. Those who throw stones, make and set off bombs, destroy property, etc. must be segregated from those who don't. This action provides justice for both parties. Peace, tranquility and safety from the ones accused of these acts. And, peace, safety and tranquility from retaliation for the ones who felt provoked into committing those acts. Perfect Justice equally applied.
You try to blow me up, and I put up a barrier... That's justice.
Actually, it's more like--you try to blow me up and I shoot you in the head while you are in the very act. That's Perfect Justice.
It is justice if you build it on your own land....
If you launch murderers from your land you loose your land.
lose its land for murdering civilians in Gaza Lebanon and other place. Please don't go in that direction because you will lose. Don't create laws that don't exist!
I would speed up the work even faster!!!
How sad
It is sad... is it necessary? Is the price worth the "gain" of security (or feeling thereof)?? We have been pushed into a cage by real dangers and physical attacks, now we are taking the key and locking ourselves in! It is time to go beyond the boundaries of our fears and perceptions..not create new barriers.
Godfrey's Christian kingdom lasted there ninety years. Will a Jewish state last that long? A democracy of equal rights under law might be stable, but a mere fortress surrounded by enemies cannot long endure.
One thats stocked with nukes could last a long time
Is that why Israel and the US are against Irans want or need of them? P.S. As for last a long time how long can never ending war go on for before the Samson option?
Is that why Israel and the US are against Irans want or need of them? P.S. As for last a long time how long can never ending war go on for before the Samson option?