Anti-terrorist Fence

Dear Friend,

More than 900 Israelis were murdered in attacks carried out by Palestinian terrorists since late September 2000. Thousands of Israelis have been injured, many of the victims maimed for life. The terrorists infiltrated Israeli cities and towns and carried out attacks - often in the form of suicide bombings - on buses, in restaurants, shopping malls, and even private homes. No other nation in the world has before this time faced such an intense wave of terror, especially in the form of suicide bombings. In almost all of the cases, the terrorists infiltrated from Palestinian areas in the West Bank. The Palestinian leadership has done nothing to stop them and has even encouraged them. Israel's decision to erect a physical barrier against terrorism was taken only after other options were tried, but failed to stop the deadly terrorist attacks. Public opinion in Israel pushed for building a fence that would block the terrorists from entering Israeli population centers. The absence of a barrier makes infiltration into Israel communities a relatively easy task for terrorists. No terrorists have infiltrated from the Gaza Strip into Israel in recent years, because an electronic anti- terrorist fence already exists there. The Government of Israel has an obligation to defend its citizens against terrorism. This right of self-defense is anchored in international law. The anti-terrorist fence is an act of self-defense that saves lives.

The anti-terrorist fence will not annex Palestinian lands nor change the legal status of the Palestinians. The anti-terrorist fence is a temporary, defensive measure - not a border: the border is to be determined by direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians The fence is being built in such a way that, if necessary, the relevant parts can be moved to different locations. In this context, it will be remembered that when Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon, in fulfillment of UN Security Council Resolution 425, the UN delineated the border between Israel and Lebanon. Israel moved its anti-terrorist fence, sometimes only a meter or less, to comply with the new border. Similarly, Israel's experience with Egypt and Jordan has shown that fences have never blocked political agreements and peace treaties; where necessary, the fences were moved.

Israel has made the use of public lands a priority in building the anti-terrorist fence, in order to avoid, as much as possible, the use of private lands. If this is not possible, then private land is requisitioned, not confiscated, and it remains the property of the owner. Legal procedures allow every owner to file an objection to the use of their land. When private lands are used, owners are offered full compensation, in accordance with the law; this compensation is given both as a lump sum and also on a monthly basis. Most Palestinians will be on the eastern side of the fence. They will have access to their commercial and urban centers. No Palestinians will have to relocate. Israel will make every effort to avoid causing hardship and interference with their daily lives. In fact, once completed, the fence will enable Israel to remove a large number of the roadblocks currently in place to prevent terrorists from getting through. Dozens of crossing points have been set up to enable the movement of people and goods. The anti-terrorist fence was located, to the greatest possible degree, on unused land to avoid harming agriculture. Palestinian farmers will have access to their fields and will reach them through special gates that are being built into the fence. Trees affected by the construction will be replanted. There would have been no need for an anti-terrorist fence had there not been an orchestrated campaign of terrorism that targets Israeli men, women and children for death. Death is permanent. It is irreversible. The inconvenience caused to Palestinians by the anti- terrorist fence is temporary and reversible, once terrorism stops and peace is achieved. Freedom of movement is important. But it is not more important than the right to live. Having said this, Israel will do all it can to reduce hardship and inconvenience for the Palestinians who are affected by the fence.

Thank you for your time. For more information please visit the Anti-Terror Fence page on the Consulate's website. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Yariv Ovadia
Consul for Communications and Public Affairs