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CNN Live Saturday
Israel Fences Off West Bank
Aired July 05, 2003 - 18:36 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.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: And on the West Bank, Israel is investing in the theory that good fences make good neighbors. But as CNN's Jerrold Kessel reports, the idea is not going down well on the Palestinian side of the fence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It sure looks like a border, but there is no politics to this fence, Israel says, only security. The high-rises of Tel Aviv on the skyline all but 20 miles away. The single reason for the fence, Israel says, to stop bombers reaching the metropolis and other cities. By the end of the year, 120 miles will be completed, covering roughly a third of Israel's winding border with the West Bank.
Somor (ph), in charge of building at 10-mile stretch, lives in an Israeli town not far from the West Bank. That's often been the target of Palestinian attacks.
"The fence is good to separate us," he says. "We are here, they are over there. That will help security." And he adds, "had we done that years ago, many lives would have been saved."
Palestinians see things entirely differently. "Arab land, this is Arab land!" They chanted at this small demonstration.
Taysir Harashe is the mayor of a small village whose lands are already cut off by the fence.
TAYSIR HARASHE, VILLAGE MAYOR: Crossing the line here and crossing the line here.
They are afraid, and they are worried about their security. We can understand putting these things on there, on the border, just to defending. But putting the fence three kilometer inside, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of that is not security, it's taking the lands.
KESSEL: Palestinians say 30,000 villages in the first instance will find themselves on the wrong side of the fence. The lands of many more will be lost. And that when the fence is extended further south, tens of thousands more people will be subject to de facto annexation.
The Israelis argue that where they are building the fence is solely determined by topography and security. But the route is also being drawn to include some Jewish settlements that are inside the West Bank, but are close to the Israeli border.
(on camera): The route of the fence triggered a row between Condoleezza Rice and the Israeli government. The U.S. national security adviser asking the Israeli leadership to reconsider the route. Some of the would-be peace makers believe that just as more suicide bombers could really knock the peace initiative off course. So this fence, the aim of which is to stop the bombers, could itself prove to be a pitfall on the new peace road.
(voice-over): A tractor arrived. The demonstrators block it. A short standoff. The tractor backs off. But it's a short lived victory, and a regular military checkpoint is soon back in place, leaving Palestinians looking to the U.S. to bring pressure to bear, and leaving Israel deciding whether the fence or Washington's full support provides greater security.
Jerrold Kessel, CNN, Baka Al-Sharkiyeh (ph) on the West Bank.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 5, 2003 - 18:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: And on the West Bank, Israel is investing in the theory that good fences make good neighbors. But as CNN's Jerrold Kessel reports, the idea is not going down well on the Palestinian side of the fence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It sure looks like a border, but there is no politics to this fence, Israel says, only security. The high-rises of Tel Aviv on the skyline all but 20 miles away. The single reason for the fence, Israel says, to stop bombers reaching the metropolis and other cities. By the end of the year, 120 miles will be completed, covering roughly a third of Israel's winding border with the West Bank.
Somor (ph), in charge of building at 10-mile stretch, lives in an Israeli town not far from the West Bank. That's often been the target of Palestinian attacks.
"The fence is good to separate us," he says. "We are here, they are over there. That will help security." And he adds, "had we done that years ago, many lives would have been saved."
Palestinians see things entirely differently. "Arab land, this is Arab land!" They chanted at this small demonstration.
Taysir Harashe is the mayor of a small village whose lands are already cut off by the fence.
TAYSIR HARASHE, VILLAGE MAYOR: Crossing the line here and crossing the line here.
They are afraid, and they are worried about their security. We can understand putting these things on there, on the border, just to defending. But putting the fence three kilometer inside, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of that is not security, it's taking the lands.
KESSEL: Palestinians say 30,000 villages in the first instance will find themselves on the wrong side of the fence. The lands of many more will be lost. And that when the fence is extended further south, tens of thousands more people will be subject to de facto annexation.
The Israelis argue that where they are building the fence is solely determined by topography and security. But the route is also being drawn to include some Jewish settlements that are inside the West Bank, but are close to the Israeli border.
(on camera): The route of the fence triggered a row between Condoleezza Rice and the Israeli government. The U.S. national security adviser asking the Israeli leadership to reconsider the route. Some of the would-be peace makers believe that just as more suicide bombers could really knock the peace initiative off course. So this fence, the aim of which is to stop the bombers, could itself prove to be a pitfall on the new peace road.
(voice-over): A tractor arrived. The demonstrators block it. A short standoff. The tractor backs off. But it's a short lived victory, and a regular military checkpoint is soon back in place, leaving Palestinians looking to the U.S. to bring pressure to bear, and leaving Israel deciding whether the fence or Washington's full support provides greater security.
Jerrold Kessel, CNN, Baka Al-Sharkiyeh (ph) on the West Bank.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
