Despite false Arab claims of its being a land-grab, Israel has long acknowledged that the fence is a security barrier rather than a political barrier, which, unlike the lives taken by Arab violence, is reversible. While making every reasonable effort to re-route the fence in order to accommodate Palestinian needs, Israel cannot be expected, in the absence of peace, to dismantle a barrier that has saved the lives of so many of its citizens.
The "impenetrable obstacle" to resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict is not the fence, but the intractable Arab hatred of Israel that made its erection necessary. That hatred remains the real barrier to lasting peace and reconciliation between Israeli and Arab.
Merv Morris, East St Kilda
THE US has built an enormous wall to separate itself from Mexico. There are no security issues here, none of its citizens are in danger of being blown up by Mexican bombers, no one in Mexico is firing a daily dose of rockets across the border hoping to kill schoolchildren. It is purely an economic thing, to protect jobs.
No one is claiming that the US stole New Mexico, California, Arizona, Colorado, Florida or Texas from Mexico after winning a war that it waged against Mexico. But when Israel builds a wall to protect its citizens from actually being killed, the media and much of the world are enraged. I wonder why.
Peter Cohen, Bentleigh
These letters won't reverse some of the nonsense that is published from time to time in this newspaper about Israel's security barrier that has helped save hundreds if not thousands of lives - most of them Jewish (which perhaps explains why there is very little done to explain the other side in certain parts of the media).
4 comments:
I'm sure Al'Age staff writers Waleed Aly [up until recently head honcho of Islamic Council of Victoria] now in and Maher Muhgabi {Palestinian activist extroidinaire ] would have choked on their kebab's this morning reading letters that are not toeing the Fairfax/Arab,Muslim anti- Zionist party line.
Like clockwork al' age allow Palestinian activists &the usual suspects this time regular Israel basher Patricia Philipou the last say.. it's obvious Arabist ,Israel hater Editor Jaspan must have also choked on his Kebab and cornflakes and sent word to the letters editor to send in the troops.
In the name of balance the Age published these lies and nonsense from the Palestinian cheer squad. What a pity Al Age didn't balance the original claptrap that started it all with an article containing the truth:
SURELY Peter Cohen (Letters, 14/7) must be aware that Israel's wall is illegal under international law. He must also be aware of the reason: it separates families, children from their schools, patients from hospitals and farmers from their crops. It makes any viable Palestinian state impossible because it leaves these millions of human beings in small cantons unable to have free access to each other.
Patricia Philippou, Waverley, NSW
South of the border
IN ANSWER to letters on Israel's wall (14/7), the world does not protest against the US fence along its Mexican border because it is not built on the Mexican side of the border and does not encompass towns such as Tijuana.
Philip Shehan, Brunswick
Mr. Shehan was actually ignoring the letters on Israel's alleged "wall" - not answering them and Ms. Pinocchio Philippou would have trouble looking at her mirror.
The biggest problem Palestinians have with Israel's security wall is that it makes it harder for Palestinian men ,woman and children to enter Israel and blow them selves up.
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