Walling Off The Peace

By Matt Rees/Jerusalem

The idea seemed reasonable enough. Faced with an onslaught of Palestinian suicide bombers, Israel decided to build a barrier between itself and the West Bank. A similar wall around the Gaza Strip has ensured that no bomber has crossed from Gaza into Israel in the past three years. But the exact placement of the new fence is causing concern. Instead of following the Green Line--the demarcation that existed before Israel conquered the West Bank in 1967 and the line Palestinian leaders imagine as a border for their future state--Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pushed the fence inside the West Bank to include many Israeli settlements. According to the U.N., the fence, about a quarter of which is built, already puts 16% of the West Bank and 13,000 Palestinians on the Israeli side. President Bush last month warned Israel not to "prejudice" peace talks by building "walls and fences." Israeli officials say they will move the cordon if a different border is eventually negotiated. Palestinians are deeply skeptical. --By Matt Rees/Jerusalem