Participating in the visit were IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky, IDF Central Command Head Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh and the mayors of Gush Etzion, Efrat and Betar Illit. The mayors warned Mofaz and the other security brass against turning the security barrier into a political border, and urged them to treat communities on both sides of the wall equally.
According to the fence's tentative route, Gush Etzion will be sliced into pieces, with the communities of Tekoa, Nokdim, Meitzad, Pnei Kedem, Maaleh Rehavam and Carmei Tzur left outside the fence. Efrat, Beitar Illit, N'vei Daniel, Elazar, Alon Shvut, Bat Ayin, Kfar Etzion and Ein Tzurim will be on the "Israeli" side. The possibility of all Jewish communities outside the Partition route being destroyed in the future is already discussed openly in government circles. Private initiatives have even been launched to induce residents of such communities to leave in return for financial incentives.
The mayors and municipalities represent the more conciliatory approach toward the wall, seeking to negotiate the fence's route with the authorities, in the hope of mitigating the negative effects of the wall. According to the website of the Gush Etzion municipality, that approach, spearheaded by Gush Etzion Mayor Sha'ul Goldstein, stipulates non-opposition to the wall as long as it “does not interfere with the normal every day activities of those residents of Gush Etzion living within the fence."
The opposing camp, galvanized by Kibbutz Kfar Etzion’s decision to request that Gush Etzion be left outside the wall altogether, seeks to prevent the construction of the wall around Gush Etzion altogether. They argue that not only will the wall be a de facto border, abandoning Jewish towns, but that the close proximity of the wall to their communities will suffocate any future growth of the towns. They also oppose the wall's dissection of the Gush Etzion bloc.
Another issue raised by the security chiefs of the various communities is that the wall, called a security barrier by the government, in fact harms local Jewish security. The partition route leaves much high ground for Arab snipers to shoot at Jewish homes and the main Gush Etzion highway, while acting as an obstacle to security forces pursuing terrorists.
They also point to IDF and GSS security assessments that it is only a matter of time until rockets and mortar shells begin to be used in Judea and Samaria, as they were in Gaza.
The partition is a large concrete wall in many areas, particularly around Jerusalem and Gush Etzion, but is a chain-link fence or even natural barriers in most others.
According to Mayor Goldstein, a verbal agreement was reached with Mofaz weeks ago, whereby construction of the wall would not begin until the route had been agreed upon by the two sides. The agreement, however, appears to have been violated, and construction on the wall has already begun.
In addition to negotiating the fence’s route, the mayors have raised the concept of a “non-sequential security obstacle.” They argue that such a barrier - one of the widely-reported manifestations of which would be made of sabra-cacti - would prevent Arabs from objecting to the fence route in court and prevent the creation of a clear political border.
During the Defense Minister’s visit Wednesday, the mayors told the officials that residents continue to see the fence as a hindrance to the region’s development and a breaking apart of the Gush Etzion bloc. They also bemoan the detrimental effect the fence will have on the region’s security and on relations with and employment of Palestinian neighbors.
Shimon Karniel of Kibbutz Kfar Etzion explained the current situation to Arutz-7, saying that the bottom line is that the wall neither contributes to residents’ security nor provides any benefit to the region.
Of Wednesday’s meeting, Karniel said, “I felt that our requests were weak. All of the requests for changes in the route, when the changes are accepted or rejected – most probably rejected – what are we left with?”
“The fence is not the big struggle,” Karniel said. “The struggle is not only against the strangulation of our communities, but for Jewish sovereignty in Gush Etzion. If the ‘settlement blocs’ that Sharon speaks about are really to exist, and if there really is a consensus regarding Gush Etzion - Israel must assert sovereignty and annex the region into the State of Israel right now.”
Karniel fears that creating a wall that tightly hugs the current communities is merely the creation of an enclave without a future, to face the same fate as Gush Katif years down the road.
Those fighting the Partition Wall - a term they feel accurately describes the purpose of the barrier – to divide the Land of Israel and between Jewish communities - have set up an illustrative web site and email address (gadergush@gmail.com) for those wishing to get involved.
A recent group email from the activists reads: “As of now we are standing behind our decision to begin a public campaign. This project is extremely important and depends greatly on your volunteer participation. There are no paid employees that will work on this. This all depends on us.”
(Photos: Gershon Elinson and Kfar-Etzion.co.il)
According to the fence's tentative route, Gush Etzion will be sliced into pieces, with the communities of Tekoa, Nokdim, Meitzad, Pnei Kedem, Maaleh Rehavam and Carmei Tzur left outside the fence. Efrat, Beitar Illit, N'vei Daniel, Elazar, Alon Shvut, Bat Ayin, Kfar Etzion and Ein Tzurim will be on the "Israeli" side. The possibility of all Jewish communities outside the Partition route being destroyed in the future is already discussed openly in government circles. Private initiatives have even been launched to induce residents of such communities to leave in return for financial incentives.
The mayors and municipalities represent the more conciliatory approach toward the wall, seeking to negotiate the fence's route with the authorities, in the hope of mitigating the negative effects of the wall. According to the website of the Gush Etzion municipality, that approach, spearheaded by Gush Etzion Mayor Sha'ul Goldstein, stipulates non-opposition to the wall as long as it “does not interfere with the normal every day activities of those residents of Gush Etzion living within the fence."
The wall adjacent to the Tunnels Road leading to Gush Etzion.
The opposing camp, galvanized by Kibbutz Kfar Etzion’s decision to request that Gush Etzion be left outside the wall altogether, seeks to prevent the construction of the wall around Gush Etzion altogether. They argue that not only will the wall be a de facto border, abandoning Jewish towns, but that the close proximity of the wall to their communities will suffocate any future growth of the towns. They also oppose the wall's dissection of the Gush Etzion bloc.
Another issue raised by the security chiefs of the various communities is that the wall, called a security barrier by the government, in fact harms local Jewish security. The partition route leaves much high ground for Arab snipers to shoot at Jewish homes and the main Gush Etzion highway, while acting as an obstacle to security forces pursuing terrorists.
They also point to IDF and GSS security assessments that it is only a matter of time until rockets and mortar shells begin to be used in Judea and Samaria, as they were in Gaza.
The partition is a large concrete wall in many areas, particularly around Jerusalem and Gush Etzion, but is a chain-link fence or even natural barriers in most others.
According to Mayor Goldstein, a verbal agreement was reached with Mofaz weeks ago, whereby construction of the wall would not begin until the route had been agreed upon by the two sides. The agreement, however, appears to have been violated, and construction on the wall has already begun.
In addition to negotiating the fence’s route, the mayors have raised the concept of a “non-sequential security obstacle.” They argue that such a barrier - one of the widely-reported manifestations of which would be made of sabra-cacti - would prevent Arabs from objecting to the fence route in court and prevent the creation of a clear political border.
Map of the wall's tentative route in Gush Etzion.
During the Defense Minister’s visit Wednesday, the mayors told the officials that residents continue to see the fence as a hindrance to the region’s development and a breaking apart of the Gush Etzion bloc. They also bemoan the detrimental effect the fence will have on the region’s security and on relations with and employment of Palestinian neighbors.
Shimon Karniel of Kibbutz Kfar Etzion explained the current situation to Arutz-7, saying that the bottom line is that the wall neither contributes to residents’ security nor provides any benefit to the region.
Of Wednesday’s meeting, Karniel said, “I felt that our requests were weak. All of the requests for changes in the route, when the changes are accepted or rejected – most probably rejected – what are we left with?”
“The fence is not the big struggle,” Karniel said. “The struggle is not only against the strangulation of our communities, but for Jewish sovereignty in Gush Etzion. If the ‘settlement blocs’ that Sharon speaks about are really to exist, and if there really is a consensus regarding Gush Etzion - Israel must assert sovereignty and annex the region into the State of Israel right now.”
Karniel fears that creating a wall that tightly hugs the current communities is merely the creation of an enclave without a future, to face the same fate as Gush Katif years down the road.
Those fighting the Partition Wall - a term they feel accurately describes the purpose of the barrier – to divide the Land of Israel and between Jewish communities - have set up an illustrative web site and email address (gadergush@gmail.com) for those wishing to get involved.
A recent group email from the activists reads: “As of now we are standing behind our decision to begin a public campaign. This project is extremely important and depends greatly on your volunteer participation. There are no paid employees that will work on this. This all depends on us.”
(Photos: Gershon Elinson and Kfar-Etzion.co.il)