Can fence aid peace?

[Bread and Roses]

PROSPECTS FOR PEACE between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors remains elusive at the beginning of 2004, as it has for so many years before. There has been virtually no progress in following the so-called road map to peace, which has been endorsed by the United States, Europe and the United Nations.

The map calls for an end to terrorism and retaliation, then a negotiated peace leading to an independent Palestinian state bordering a secure Israel. Along the way, Palestinian authorities would have to successfully combat terrorism and rein in Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other organizations that use terrorism against Israel.

snip

Israel accepts the two-state solution in principle, although it has yet to decide on the exact borders. However, the Palestinians have yet to agree. The Palestinian Authority has done nothing to crack down on terrorists even though it has the capacity to do so.

snip

There is a good chance an extended fence would significantly reduce terrorism, as it has around Gaza and in northern Israel. If terrorism is reduced, there would be few retaliatory raids by Israeli soldiers, who would focus on securing the fence. As terrorism wanes and some Palestinian territory remains on the Israeli side of the fence, perhaps Palestinians will realize that they can benefit more from negotiations than violence and have the fence relocated more to their liking.

snip


http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/2004/01/07/news/opinion/7651174.htm

[bluesoul]

1. Nope

....

[Bread and Roses]

2. Yep

........

[bluesoul]

4. Nope

...

[Jim Sagle]

6. Yup.

[bluesoul]

8. ...

:boring:

[Jim Sagle]

9. Burp!

:beer:

[aquart]

3. Good fences make good neighbors.

And, let's be honest here, going without a fence hasn't worked, now, has it?

[number6]

5. not a good fence

good fence built on your property
bad fence built on stolen property

[Jim Sagle]

7. A GREAT fence.

The peace fence...making the world a better place, one brick at a time.

[number6]

12. zzzzz

:boring::boring::boring:

[Jack Rabbit]

14. But others would say . . .

The Piece Fence . . . making Israel a bigger place, piece by piece.

[Muddleoftheroad]

13. Not stolen anything

Governments often take land for public works projects like roads and parks. This is a public project of mighty import -- security. The comments made by people here and on the West Bank are the same as any Nimby group almost anywhere.

[Jack Rabbit]

15. This is not a road or a park, Muddle

Moreover, the property owners in question are excluded from any political process by which their objections can be voiced or their rights defended. It doesn't matter whether the issue is a fence, a settlement or a bypass road. The issue is the same.

To compare anything that is built in the occupied territory by Israelis for Israel's benefit to a public works project is ludicrous.

[Muddleoftheroad]

16. Still a government project

And a matter of national security. I have seen government takings of land many times and, in most, the people feel disenfranchised by the process.

In this case, the necessities of security mandate quick action and not endless wrangling.

I do however support them being paid market rate for the land lost in the process. But they have no right to appeal nor should they.

[Jack Rabbit]

17. It's still ludicrous to make that comparison

Yes, losers in such cases often feel disenfranchised. Nevertheless, they had recourse to the system.

In this case, as in all other cases in the the occupied territories, it is not a question of anyone feeling disenfranchised. It is a question of people being in fact disenfranchised. There is no feel to it.

There are two problems with your point. First, Israel could have built this security wall elsewhere where it would have not been necessary to confiscate property. Second, Israel habitually confiscates property for such public works projects from people who are then prohibited from benefiting by them. The settlements are for Jews only and so are the bypass roads leading to them. I will remind you yet again that while there is no formal Palestinian state, this is still happening in land that is beyond Israel's border on land that does not belong to them.

[Gimel]

10. Good point here

As terrorism wanes and some Palestinian territory remains on the Israeli side of the fence, perhaps Palestinians will realize that they can benefit more from negotiations than violence and have the fence relocated more to their liking.

Some people have brains in their heads.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.