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SEPARATION? WE ALREADY SAW THIS MOVIE!
8 March 2002
Lieutenant-Colonel (Reserves) Meir Indor
Terror Victims Association
Email: itva@bezeqint.net
The new announcement which recently came out of the Beit Midrash of
the
Hassidim of Oslo [school of the Oslophiles] does not take into
account
that
we already saw this movie, even before 1967.
Separation already existed back then. However, the shootings and
artillery
attacks from the "West Bank" on Israel's Mediterranean coastline
showed how
ineffective it was. Thus, we were forced to conquer Judea and Samaria.
All the elements that failed in the separation of old have nowadays
grown
more apparent.
At that time, the terror organizations were small. Today, we now have
tens
of thousands of armed terrorists with advanced communication networks.
In
those days, there was still some distance between the green line and
the
coastal cities. Today, the Israeli population, which has increased in
the
meantime, has now also reached the green line.
Now, we have to make a separation between the two.
In the framework of my position in the reserves, we were asked years
ago to
prepare a position paper for creating a "secure buffer zone". At that
time,
it was not called "separation" because the meaning was obvious. Then,
we
did
not have the question of how to invent a new, proper word for the
media
that
would calm the public; rather, the issue was to find a way to create a
buffer zone to prevent terrorist attacks on the coastal areas. The
answer
was obvious to the army officers in the Six-Day War: the only solution
was
to controlthose territories.
Enemy Fire
1. A fence whose cost would be prohibitive would not present a barrier
from
direct ground fire from the territories behind it. There is ground
firing
on
Neve Dekalim from territories beyond the security fence, which cannot
prevent it.
2. An even-more-expensive wall would not be a barrier for fire from
above
and direct ground fire beyond it. In Gilo, walls were already built
and the
shooting continues.
Invasion
1. In light of the short distance between the border-line and the
population
centers of Kfar Saba and the settlements of the Sharon - in some
places,
less than one kilometer - the danger of invasion is great.
Even if the security systems warn of an invasion, until the chase is
organized, the terrorist would already have gained ingress into the
Israeli
town or city on his way to an attack. What if there is no warning from
the
security system? The results of the situation in Gush Katif show that
even
the armed forces are not completely immune, let alone the civilian
population.
2. All along the northern border, Arab villages have taken over
buildings,
which are ideal hiding places. Not for nothing have many terrorists
chosen
to cross over at these places. If a fence is built there and the
terrorists
manage to cross it, either in plain sight or through tunnels, with
ladders
or hang-gliders, will the Islamic leaders there inform on them or just
the
opposite - would youngsters watch and tell the terrorists when the
Israeli
patrols arrive?!
3. Therefore, we will have to create, in addition to the fence, a
boundary
between 15-20 kilometers in width, similar to the distance between the
Jordan and the mountainsides ("Land of Pursuit") which will give us
enough
time to initiate pursuit following a warning. A boundary of this size
does
not contain enough territory from the West Bank to the border-line.
Therefore, it would have to be east of it, from the western plain of
Yehuda
and Shomron.
It would also require a longer fence and security system on the
eastern
side
of that same territory. As if Israel can allow itself such an
expensive
luxury!
If you think that this writer is joking, the army and police were
requested
to supply solutions, and they speak seriously about two security
fences.
If so, we also need to place armed forces along the fence, otherwise
they
would steal the fencing, as will be discussed further on.
4. However, there is a more serious problem: what to do with the Arab
towns
and villages, which would be within that same Land of Pursuit - should
we
move them?
Besides, this adds a further problem: a great part of the territories
are
Palestinian population centers and have become like islands and we
cannot
move freely in them according to the agreements. How would we be able
to
conduct chases there?
5. There are areas where it is impossible to build fences; for
instance,
Jerusalem. The terrorists are also aware of this. What is the solution
there? What would be the value of a fence in other places, if it can
be
penetrated within such a large area as Jerusalem? Is this not a waste
of
money?
6. Even in the Gaza Strip, where there is also a buffer zone beside
the
fence, it did not fulfill hopes. Ask Deputy Police Minister Gideon
Ezra how
many terrorists managed to infiltrate the "safe passages". When we
stop
Arab
workers from entering here, there is a great hue and cry from the left
and
the Europeans. Witness, for example, what happens when we close off
the
Gaza
Strip for a few days following a terror attack.
7. Besides, we still have not spoken of the "locals" in the strip, who
cut
the fence and steal it. According to Nahum Barnea's and Guy Leshem's
reports, the locals have started stealing parts of the fence which
divides
the Sharon towns to the east, even before it's cement posts have
managed to
>dry.
>
>8. A fence with no firing orders from it is not worth the posts on
which it
>was built. Firing orders along the length of the border-line will be
>non-existent (like along the Jordanian border, for instance). Those
orders
would always be restrained, and rightly so, most of those crossing it
are
looking for work, a situation which the terrorists expect.
9. We are promised that after a border is created, we will be able to
shoot
at any infiltrators. However, we have already seen this movie also.
This is
what they said at the beginning of the Oslo Agreements, when we warned
them
about giving the Arabs territory and weapons, which would be turned
against
us. We were promised that if they would even dare.we would re-conquer
them.
Ever since, we have had a great many killed and many reasons to
re-conquer
the territories. Their promises have not been fulfilled.
Here is some advice: let us take, for example, the fence near the
Tunnel
between Jerusalem and Gush Etzion and carry out firing orders against
the
thousands of Arab workers who illegally cross it today.
We will see what the left and the European Union say when the Israeli
snipers shoot down the Arab workers while on their way to their daily
work
every sunrise.
Thus, the reason for separation has disappeared - we are back to the
starting point and the return of security control into Israeli hands
of
Palestinian Authority-controlled territories.
There are also limitations to this plan but they are preferable over
the
limitations of the "Separation Plan".
The writer is a lieutenant-colonel in the reserves. He acts as Head of
the
Terror Victims Association.
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