Fence route is moved, scrapping 2 enclaves

[Gimel]

The government is to modify the route of the separation fence after discussions between senior IDF officers and politicians.




There will be two major changes in plans for the fence. One is in the area of Baka al-Garbiyeh on the Israeli side of the fence, and Baka al-Sharkiya on the West Bank. The original plan to build barriers to the east and west of Baka al-Sharkiya will be scrapped and residents of the village and its outlying area will not find themselves inside Israeli territory. The fence will instead run between the two villages, conforming mostly to the 1967 Green Line.

The second change is near Qalqilyah where disputes about the fence have attracted considerable international media attention, putting Israel on the defensive in a major public relations war. Qalqilyah is considered relatively quiet with respect to terror but was being surrounded by fences on its west and east sides, making it an enclave.


http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/377357.html
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Guess no one noticed this change, announced quietly, a couple of days ago.

[bemildred]

1. That's a good question. Why "announced quietly?"

Why not plastered all over the news?

[Gimel]

2. Not a publicity stunt

I suppose that is the only reasonable answer. The news didn't especially make it big time on the BBC.

Also, since demonstrations were planned for that day, they seemed more important. They didn't want to cancel demonstrations or back down on extreme viewpoints and say "Look, the GOI is being reasonable here."

[bemildred]

3. I was speculating it might be to avoid giving

comfort to the protestors, but perhaps that is too
conspiratorial.

[comradebillyboy]

4. why not put all of the palestineans in fenced camps

but soften the pr aspects by calling them prestigeous "gated communities".

[newyorican]

5. It would be interesting to see the changes...

here are the areas in question:

WARNING! 3.8Mb file The 2 villages al-Garbiyeh and al-Sharkiya are to the far left inside the yellow box.
http://www.reliefweb.int/hic-opt/report1/ocha_wall1_page5.pdf

WARNING! 3.7Mb file Qalqilyah Area http://www.reliefweb.int/hic-opt/report1/ocha_wall1_page7.pdf