Maybe they did not yet have the technology to build the missile defense shield?
Remember. They tried to open up to Palestinians and work with the majority of Palsetinians to start an era of good will. We forget that it is most likely that the majority of both Palestinians and Israelis would most like peace but that a small minority of extremists keeps the area violent.
The short peace was shattered with the Second Intifada. (I remember that well, waking up to news reports of bombs in Israel along with all the other chaos in the world.)
The excuse for the Second Intifada on the Palestinian side is that Sharon marched around the Temple Mount. I guess it is my Protestant/Unitarian upbringing, but I don't understand how people can give so much religious or spiritual meaning to a specific place, but . . . . And besides, isn't one of the criticisms of Israel that it is a "Jewish" state, supposedly therefore intolerant of other religions. The Temple Mount is holy to four religions, not just to the Muslim religion. Anyway that is beyond my understanding.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Intifada
So Israel built a wall. There two views on that. It has saved lives and decreased the violence in Israel which means in the whole area. But it has been determined to be illegal for a couple of reasons by an international court.
Wikipedia explains:
Israel argues that the barrier is necessary to protect Israeli civilians from Palestinian terrorism, including the suicide bombing attacks that increased significantly during the Second Intifada.[6] There has been a reduced number of incidents of suicide bombings since the construction of the barrier. According to statistics published by the Israeli government, between 2000 and July 2003, when the "first continuous segment" of the barrier was built, 73 Palestinian suicide bombings were carried out from the West Bank, killing 293 Israelis and injuring over 1,900. However, from August 2003 to the end of 2006, only 12 attacks were carried out, killing 64 Israelis and wounding 445.[7] Supporters argue that this is indicative of the barrier being effective in preventing such attacks.[8]
Opponents of the barrier object that the route substantially deviates from the Green Line into the occupied territories captured by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967. They argue that the barrier is an illegal attempt to annex Palestinian land under the guise of security,[9] violates international law,[10] has the effect of undermining negotiations (by establishing new borders),[11] and severely restricts Palestinians who live nearby, particularly their ability to travel freely within the West Bank, including to and from the lands on which their subsistence depends,[12] and to access work in Israel.[13] In a 2004 advisory opinion resulting from a Palestinian-initiated U.N. resolution, the International Court of Justice considered that "Israel cannot rely on a right of self-defence or on a state of necessity in order to preclude the wrongfulness of the construction of the wall". The Court asserted that "the construction of the wall, and its associated régime, are contrary to international law".[14]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_West_Bank_barrier
The rocket attacks on Israel began in 2001.
January 30
Palestinians fired a mortar shell at a house in Netzarim in the Gaza Strip. This was the first time Palestinians had used a ballistic weapon against a Jewish settlement. The shell penetrated the house's roof but was stopped by a concrete ceiling. The family members living in the house were on the ground floor at the time, and there were no injuries.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2001
Here is a list of the lists of rocket attacks since that date:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel
According to that list there were 52 rockets and 18 mortars shot into Israel in 2013 resulting in one Israeli death (and, I imagine lots of frightened Israelis). The Iron Dome or missile shield started to work in 2011.
The wall, even if illegal (and seems fair to me that both Palestinians and Israelis lose land to provide safety for both sides even if it is inconvenient for all) is a safety precaution and prevents violence. So is the missile shield in my view.
Here are pictures of the tunnels the Gazans built:
https://www.google.com/search?q=gaza+tunnels&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ngjhU536Ku3liwKc7YGABw&sqi=2&ved=0CCQQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=517
Some look primitive. Some look pretty sophisticated. I would not like to discover that my neighbor had built a tunnel under my yard to that they could come into my yard. I don't think my neighbors would like it if I did that.
Negotiating a peace settlement here will be very hard. We should not demonize one side of the other. They both represent people with hopes and aspirations. The Israelis are very sophisticated socially (i.e., they have a government with democratic institutions), technologically (the wall, the iron dome, the electronic surveillance capacity, the missiles, etc.) and militarily, but the Palestinians have great aspirations and lots of potential.
The situation as it now stands is on both sides a waste of human life, intellect and opportunity. Both sides need to negotiate a settlement. And the sooner the better.
Israel is a Jewish state but is fairly tolerant of the minorities within it. I think there are Muslims and Christians living in Israel.
I don't think any Jewish people live in the Gaza strip or the West Bank. Am I wrong on that? Because that would mean that the Palestinians really don't have day-to-day contact with Israelis. Am I wrong about that?
I understand that attempts to bring Palestinians and Israelis together for cultural exchanges have not gone well. But it seems to me that is where things have to begin.
If we could end segregation in the South and in communities where it existed in the North, why can't Palestinians and Israelis change the culture in their area? Because of extremists, that is why. The solution is to negotiate peace, encourage and subsidize more cultural exchange gradually including larger groups o people and punish extremists and their supporters on both sides very severely. I would propose a peace process that would begin step by step and be monitored by an outside group including friends of proponents of both sides of the issue to insure compliance.
Fear is the biggest enemy of peace in the Middle East. Religious bigotry and intolerance is based on fear.
I'm rambling, but yes the missile shield is a defense measure. It has not offensive value. The terror and rocket (missile in the broad sense of the term) attacks on Israel justify the shield.
I hope both sides will negotiate peace.
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