Israel Defends Building of Fence - Washington Post

[Wonk]

Israel Defends Building of Fence
By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 24, 2003; Page A16

U.S. officials have pressed Israel to slow the pace of construction of a fence that would separate Palestinian areas on the West Bank from Israel and Jewish settlements, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said last night. But he defended the project, saying it would help prevent terrorist attacks.

"It is very important to keep building the fence," he said after meeting separately with Vice President Cheney and Secretary of State Colin L. Powell. Palestinians charge that the route of the fence will leave them with only 45 percent of the West Bank, hemming most Palestinians into three areas.

The fence, which in some areas is a concrete wall, has emerged as a new flashpoint in U.S.-Israeli relations as the Bush administration seeks to create new momentum in the stalled peace process. Another issue is Israeli reluctance to quickly release some of more than 6,000 Palestinian prisoners, a step that U.S. and Palestinian officials said would help bolster the political standing of the new Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas will meet with President Bush in Washington on Friday, to be followed four days later by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Shalom indicated Sharon would announce the release of about 500 more prisoners -- including some from anti-Israeli militant groups -- when he is in Washington, to show he is addressing U.S. concerns.

By contrast, Shalom said U.S. officials have not engaged Israel on the difficult issue of freezing settlement activity, including what is known as natural growth, even though that is mandated in the first phase of the peace plan. While Israel has dismantled some settlement outposts, others appear to have been rebuilt or moved, infuriating Palestinians who say settlement growth is destroying the possibility of a viable Palestinian state.

more...

Behind The Fence, a BBC documentary. 128 M quicktime video
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Behind+the+fence%22+Israel+BBC+documentary

[jos]

1. U.S. has not "engaged" Israel on its "settlement activity"

Why am I not surprised.:eyes:

[Herschel]

3. Important to remember

There are government sanctioned settltments and illegal outposts. The government sanctioned settlements are a fact of life and will not be going.

[Resistance]

2. more from Powell

here: http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2003/july/07_25_2.html

"We are having conversations with our Israeli colleagues about the fence, and the next phase of fence construction, and whether or not we have to take a more serious, in-depth look at those construction activities to see whether or not it helps the process as we move forward, or whether there are other adjustments that might be made," Powell said. "My colleague is aware of the concerns that we have about the fence."

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Way to take a stand against the racist, Apartheid Wall, Powell. Keep going and one day you might sound as brave on the issue as the Democrats.

[Darranar]

4. Don't ignore Kucinich...

He is most certainly a Democrat and he takes a very brave stance on the issue. No AIPAC money flushed down his campaign...

Despite my pro-Israel leanings, I support him anyway.