A concept for Israeli security that has had some controversy surrounding it has been the security fence being constructed in the West-Bank; consisting of a network of fences with vehicle-barrier trenches surrounded by an on average 60 meters wide exclusion area and up to 8 meters high concrete walls. It is located mainly within the West Bank, partly along the 1949 Armistice line, or what is commonly considered the "Green Line." However, often times the security fence has succeeded past the “green line” under the pretense of including large settlements, this allows the Israeli government to thus annex land. The idea of creating a physical barrier between the Israeli and Palestinian populations was first proposed by Yitzhak Rabin in 1992, following the murder of an Israeli teenage girl in Jerusalem. Rabin said that Israel must “take Gaza out of Tel Aviv,” in order to minimize friction between the peoples; and supported a separation priniciple between Israel and the Palestinian territories
The barrier is a highly controversial project. Supporters argue that the barrier is a necessary tool protecting Israeli civilians from Palestinian terrorism. Opponents argue that the barrier is an illegal attempt to annex Palestinian land under the guise of security, violates international law, has the intent or effect to pre-empt final status negotiations, and severely restricts Palestinians who live nearby, particularly their ability to travel freely within the West Bank and to access work in Israel. Settler opponents, by contrast, condemn the wall for appearing to renounce the Jewish claim to the whole of Eretz Israel.
Overall, I can understand the stances of both sides of the argument. At first, I felt that the wall was a complete violation of Palestinian rights because it limits their movements, and illegally annexes their land. However, I can understand that perhaps a physical separation of the two, can lead to the creation of a two state solution if the Palestinians government can learn to work together and become self-sufficient without Israel.
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Yes but at the same time I think one can pose the argument that the barrier is not an independent entity in itself but rather a piece of the larger state apparatus of controlling space in the Occupied Territories. The settlements tend to be clustered near or around the barrier and extend in finger like patterns throughout the territories. At the same time, one could surmise that the settlements are mostly to the west of the wall and a two-state solution is more feasible with such a distinct border crossing. What about a one state solution? Seems like a hindrance to me...
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