'In the last five months, we've had zero attacks'

[Gimel]

This is the first in a series of stories about the security fence's impact on Israelis and Palestinians.


<snip>

The crusade the Gilboa Regional Council head helped launch three years ago, demanding a security fence between the West Bank and Israel as the only way to stop terror, has yielded unforeseen dividends.

He fired off his favorite new statistics as he drove along the security fence in the northern West Bank: "Instead of 600 terrorist incidents per year around here, in the last five months we've had zero. Tens of thousands of illegal Palestinian workers would cross through here every year; in the past five months, you've got it, zero. And guess what? Theft is way down too."

<snip>

Until recently the atmosphere there was grim.
"The city's economy is stagnant, but at least stable," he said. "People are still hurting, but at least now they don't have to worry about being blown up."

Afula suffered a half dozen terrorist attacks in the first 30 months of the violence. Ten people were killed and hundreds wounded. For a time, the central bus station downtown was reduced to a "dead zone," devoid of pedestrian traffic. The last bomber struck on May 19, 2003, at the Ammakim Mall. Weeks later the fence to the north of Jenin was completed, and Afula has not suffered an attack since.

<snip>

First in a 5-part series

[newyorican]

1. Yet the killing of Palestinians...

has continued apace...this is the enema...

[drdon326]

2. LOL..... Enema??

perhaps Fleets "ENEMA" ??

or TAP WATER ENEMA??

or Barium enema??

well, at least you got the right area.

[newyorican]

10. the play on words...

obviously was over your head...perhaps if I said bulldozer, tankshell or hellfire enema...perhaps...

[Classical_Liberal]

3. and more land was stolen.

officially so.. Anyway, it isn't going to stop the boycotts. Build the wall on the green line. Abandon the settlements these things won't happen.

[Gimel]

4. hardly likely

that if Israel was 500% complying with Palestinian demands that they wouldn't bring out another 500% to comply with.

[Classical_Liberal]

5. I think you are projecting.

.

[Violet_Crumble]

6. That's complete nonsense...

The Palestinian PM offered to pay for the barrier if it was built along the Green Line. Besides, the excuse that they wouldn't be happy is no excuse for Israel not complying with international law and building a barrier deep inside occupied territory...

Violet...

[Comadreja]

7. Hmmm...no attacks?

What about Rafah? The IOF don't need the excuse of attacks inside Israel to kill as many Palestinians as they can. Once Sharon's mafiosi and the settler paras go to the other side of the wall, the "attacks" will truly stop.

"The only solution is Eretz Israel, or at least Western Eretz Israel (=all the land west of Jordan River), without Arabs. There is no room compromise on this point ... We must not leave a single village, not a single tribe." Joseph Weitz, Director of the Jewish National Fund, the Zionist agency charged with acquiring Palestinian land, Circa 194. Machover Israca, January 5, 1973 p.2.

[bemildred]

8. Interesting piece, thanks.

Please post the rest, if you can.

[Darranar]

9. Unfortunately...

the criticism of the "security fence" generally has little to do with its effectiveness, rather it has to do with its location.