Calls have been heard from politicians and others across the board for the anti-terror partition fence to be rushed up so that it will include the southern regions as well. MK Yaakov Margi (Shas), a resident of Be'er Sheva, said that the attack is the fault of the Supreme Court "which has held up the pace of the construction of the fence." MK Yuval Shteinitz (Likud), Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, similarly said that the Supreme Court "allows itself to prefer Palestinian conveniences over Israeli security. The fence remains not built, and Israelis are killed."
Even the head of the southern Judea community of Beit Yatir agreed that a fence is required, but made sure to emphasize, "The fence must be a security partition, not a political one." He thus gave voice to the fears of many that the fence will become a de facto border between Israel and a PLO entity.
In Janurary 2003, IMRA reported that the IDF had reached the conclusion that the fence separating the Gaza Strip from the rest of Israel was no longer effective. The military explained that the terrorists had merely adapted their tactics in keeping with the reality of the fence, and developed considerable capability to fire missiles, rockets and mortars over the fence at Israeli targets.
Col. (res.) Moshe Leshem of Gamla Shall Not Fall Again told Arutz-7 today, "The best fence in the world was that which separated between eastern and western Berlin, with guards who had orders to fire on sight - and yet thousands of people crossed it. Here in Israel, the guards have no such orders, and infiltrators and terrorists can easily cut the fence [where it is not concrete - ed.] and, with the help of local Arabs, escape detection. As part of a comprehensive security framework, including an unyielding offensive war against terrorists, the fence would have some value - but a fence that is just for the sake of a political border is simply not a solution."
Even the head of the southern Judea community of Beit Yatir agreed that a fence is required, but made sure to emphasize, "The fence must be a security partition, not a political one." He thus gave voice to the fears of many that the fence will become a de facto border between Israel and a PLO entity.
In Janurary 2003, IMRA reported that the IDF had reached the conclusion that the fence separating the Gaza Strip from the rest of Israel was no longer effective. The military explained that the terrorists had merely adapted their tactics in keeping with the reality of the fence, and developed considerable capability to fire missiles, rockets and mortars over the fence at Israeli targets.
Col. (res.) Moshe Leshem of Gamla Shall Not Fall Again told Arutz-7 today, "The best fence in the world was that which separated between eastern and western Berlin, with guards who had orders to fire on sight - and yet thousands of people crossed it. Here in Israel, the guards have no such orders, and infiltrators and terrorists can easily cut the fence [where it is not concrete - ed.] and, with the help of local Arabs, escape detection. As part of a comprehensive security framework, including an unyielding offensive war against terrorists, the fence would have some value - but a fence that is just for the sake of a political border is simply not a solution."