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CNN Live Today

Residents Find Peace of Mind on the West Bank

Aired April 09, 2002 - 14:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: For many Israelis, the fear of violence is something that must be confronted daily. In one tiny town on the border of the West Bank, residents found a way to regain at least a little piece of mind. Our Bill Hemmer explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Twelve feet high, almost 2 miles in length, solid concrete. Some argue this is the solution for peace in the Middle East. On the Israeli side of the border here, the tiny community of Bat Hefer, population 5,000. Over there, the West Bank town of Tulkarem, just across open field and within easy eyesight of this neighborhood.

The Israeli government built this wall 5 years ago. They also put up two fences. The army is here 24 hours a day. There's a guard to check your ID at the front gate. In Bat Hefer, residents have barricaded themselves by choice.

"On a day-to-day basis," this woman says, "I don't see the fence or look at the wall. We live our lives." This is life inside a fortress, an armed neighborhood. Construction, prompted after random shootings from the other side.

(on camera): Since the intifada began 18 months ago, people living here say they feel less safe and less secure. So two months ago they added on to this wall, putting three more feet up top. That way they can cut down on direct fire from bullets on the other side.

(voice-over): No one has been killed here by sniper fire, but families tell us they feel safer -- safer, in a neighborhood where guards stand sentry outside a day care center. So then, why choose to live here? Residents say it's impossible to escape the threat of random violence, but it's cheaper here and less crowded than city life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not -- it wasn't my dream, of course. But this is the reality we live in Israel.

HEMMER: Dorian Stern moved here about 4 years ago with his family of five. For him, the wall is about survival.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not just about the wall. The wall is just a thing, just a fence. This is not just about the wall. It's about living here in Israel, and living with our neighbors, the Palestinians.

HEMMER: Some argue, without peace, separation is the answer, where street lights run parallel to spotlights. Will it be here forever? That depends on whom you ask. But for now, in the fortress known as Bat Hefer, security is defined by a concrete slab. Bill Hemmer, CNN, Bat Hefer, Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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