I apologize for my weekend-long absence. A perfect storm of two papers being due and two weddings kept me from my blog. Rest assured, with today’s posts I am back again.
A fairly significant ruling today from the Israeli Supreme Court stipulated that Israel must re-route a portion of the Wall/Fence/Barrier in the village of Bil’in. You may have heard of Bil’in because for the past few years it has been the scene of a number of lively protests by Palestinians and some Westerners against the Wall itself.
From Ha’aretz, Court orders fence re-routed:
The existing fence route is built around a part of the Matitiyahu East neighborhood of Modi’in Illit settlement. The government had argued that the route was necessary to protect residents of Modi’in Illit, and completed the section of fence that cut through Bil’in despite the protests.
The three-judge panel, headed by Chief Justice Dorit Beinish, unanimously accepted an appeal petition by the head of the Bil’in local council against the route of the fence and its presence on land belonging to the village. They ordered defense planners to change the barrier’s route so it causes less harm to the village’s residents
. . .
Rejecting the government’s argument, Beinish wrote in her decision that “We were not convinced that it is necessary for security-military reasons to retain the current route that passes on Bil’in’s lands.”
Although I welcome this decision wholeheartedly, I have mixed feelings about the Wall. As a Jerusalem resident, I am keenly aware of the threat of being blown up while on the bus. The construction of the wall has decreased the number of actual bombings in comparison to the number of attempted bombings by nearly 100 percent. I cannot recall the actual number, but upwards of 90 would-be suicide bombers were caught attempting to cross into Israel last year. This, no doubt had to do with the fact that potential bombers were funneled to official crossings since the fence prevented their infiltration in remote areas. Living with the decreased specter of a bombing is a luxury I enjoy a great deal.
Security considerations aside, I am appalled at the route of the fence. Under the guise of security considerations, the Wall has been routed to encompass Israeli settlements at varying depths within the West Bank. Were the Wall placed on the Green Line, I would have absolutely no moral qualms about it. Although a small victory, hopefully this ruling will serve as a precedent to move the Wall closer to the Green Line.
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