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American Morning

Israeli Town Uses Wall, Fences to Make 'Peace'

Aired April 10, 2002 - 07:41   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to turn our attention back to the Middle East and a look at what Israelis in one community say may be a model for making peace. It is based on the old adage, good fences make good neighbors. But can a protective fence really keep Israeli settlers safe? CNN's Bill Hemmer went to the Israeli border town of Bat Hefer to find out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Twelve feet high, almost two 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 an open field and within easy eyesight of this neighborhood.

The Israeli government built this wall five years ago. They also put up two fences. The army is here 24 hours a day. There is a guard to check your I.D. 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 on 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 wasn't my dream, of course, but this is the reality we live in Israel.

HEMMER: Doron Stern moved here about four years ago with his family of five. For him, the wall was about survival.

DORON STERN, BAT HEFER RESIDENT: 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)

ZAHN: Interesting.

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