Consequences

The separation wall in Israel just got finished around Jerusalem. There were some interesting paragraphs in the news article.

Israelis have brushed off criticism even from their main ally the United States over the looping route of a barrier through the West Bank that they say has already helped to keep more than two dozen suicide bombers from Israeli cities.

I wish there was more proof of that. The standard argument of course is that the fence around the Gaza Strip has essentially stopped all attacks from that area, so it is reasonable to expect that a fence around the West Bank would be similarly effective. However, I wish they would give more details on how the fence stopped attacks... I think it would increase the support for the fence.

The second paragraph of interest, from the mouth of Arafat of course

"This is the biggest Nakba (Catastrophe) of all Nakbas," Arafat told reporters, using a word which evokes the exodus of Palestinians who fled their homes during the 1948 Arab-Israeli at Israel's creation.

A wall protecting Israelis is the biggest Nakba of all Nakbas... yet more evidence in the towering pile demonstrating how peace is such an unlikely scenario in the near future.