PM aide: Blast proves need for fence; PA condemns bombing

[Gimel]

A spokesman for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday that the suicide bombing on a Jerusalem bus illustrated why Israel is building the separation fence in the West Bank.


"The rest of the world should sit back and let us do what we need to do to defend ourselves," Gissin said. Israel maintains that it is building the fence to keep out suicide bombers.

Palestinian Authority officials condemned the bombing.

<clip>

A statement from the office of Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia condemned the attack, as well as an Israel Defense Forces operation in Gaza City on Wednesday, in which eight Palestinians were killed.

<clip>

Israel blamed the attack on inaction by the Palestinian leadership to fight terrorism.

<clip>

Ha'aretz

The wall is to fill the gap in PA accountability. An urgently needed measure.

[IndianaGreen]

1. Blast proves the failure of Sharon's Wall

and the failure of Sharon's policies.

Just as the US should withdraw from Iraq, Israel should withdraw to her pre-1967 borders.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[GabysPoppy]

3. Blast proves that the security wall

needs to be completed faster.

[Resistance]

6. not on other people's land it doesn't.

[Gimel]

9. Disputes

Negotiations will only settle the final border demarcations. So far, no negotiation has succeeded. Until that time, a fence is a security precaution, and a very successful measure in stopping terror attacks. Jerusalem does not have that security yet, as the fence is incomplete.

There have been 29 suicide bomb attacks in Jerusalem. Before today's attack, 154 citizens have been murdered in Jerusalem in the suicide attacks. Another 10 are added to that list today.

[Resistance]

12. Israel has no right to build on Palestinian land.

[Gimel]

14. A precedent

When there is an occupation, there can be security structures build. It was done in Ireland and now in Iraq as well.

In the 1960's and 1970's, the British government constructed “peace lines” between some Protestant and Catholic communities in Northern Ireland, and most remain in place. In Iraq, the U.S.-led coalition has fenced in certain villages and established two square miles of Baghdad, including dozens of houses and a hospital, as a heavily fortified Green Zone.
http://www.iht.com/articles/125489.html


The "right" the obligation and the necessity to keep peace is Israel's.

[Resistance]

15. This doesn't fly.

Bulldozing homes, creating mass homelessness, and ruining the economic lives of approximately 200,000 people is wrong.

[Gimel]

16. Are we discussing

Gaza, and the operations to uncover the weapon smuggling tunnels, or are we discussing the anti-terrorism fence in the West Bank and along the Green Line?

[Gimel]

18. Publishing arrest warrants

will not prevent deaths either. The terrorist infrastructure remains. Arafat is protecting the terrorists and the people are victims of his pandering to them. Israelis are the victims as well.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Gimel]

5. Attacks v. prevented attacks

The tide has turned from 2 years ago, but the wall needs to be completed to provide the maximum protection.

http://www.idf.il/daily_statistics/english/5.doc

[Resistance]

13. not on other people's land it doesn't

If Israel feels a wall is necessary, then build on it's own land - not through Palestinians backyards (or what is left of the yards due to Israeli bulldozers and demolition crews)

[Gimel]

17. See post 14

The issue has been sent to the Hague, which is not really appropriate, but your opinion isn't the last word either.

A wise judgment will have to balance the benefits and the losses. The wire fence is not permanent, and adjustments have already been made. Where problems arise, solutions will be found. It is putting the best interests of everyone, on both sides of the fence, into account.

http://securityfence.mfa.gov.il/mfm/web/main/missionhome.asp?MissionID=45187&

[Resistance]

7. Of course Sharon's far-right people would say this

spin spin spin. Ignore the innocent people whose lives are ruined due to the path of the wall, and make political gain out of a terrible crime like the recent suicide bombing.

That is what right-wingnuts are so good at.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tinnypriv]

11. Actually

Gissin is more of a media advisor to Sharon.

FWIW, Resistance's idea in this thread is well founded - at the moment center-RW commentators are referring to a "propaganda" offensive Israel is waging, noting that the MFA is going to place graphic images of the terror bombing on its website.¹

"The timing is not accidential", according to Eleil Shahar.

And in case anybody didn't get the message, he provides a picture of the Hague judges, in full gowns and all with his article as well.²

Well, at least this should put paid to the racist diatribes about Al-Jazeera and the fact that Arabs are either "used" to seeing graphic images, or being manipulated by them ("incitement").

-----

1. http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?swiU04um0 (the site appears to be unavailable at the time of writing)
2. Shahar, Ma'ariv, 29 Jan 2004 (4:55pm update)