OPINION & EDITORIAL
Middle East fence necessary
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by Letters to the Editor
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Dear Editor,
I think that Danny Tenenbaum's article "New Hope for Israel as Hamas falters" has some serious problems. He comments in the beginning of the article that there has not been a suicide bombing in Israel's borders in the past nine months. This statement is totally false as there was a devastating bombing in a Tel Aviv bus station in April over the Jewish holiday of Passover. This blatant insensitivity to the victims of suicide bombings in Israel and their families is upsetting to me and I think that Tenenbaum should not be gloating over the lack of terrorist acts in Israel when he doesn't even know if they are happening or not.
The article goes on to say that the security fence, (which is incorrectly titled a "massive wall," less than 5% of the fence is made up of concrete) should be dismantled and that checkpoints and roadblocks should be closed. I think it is obvious to most that the reason there has been a diminishing number of terrorist bombings and actions in Israel is because of the security fence and the checkpoints. As the article states in the end, the Middle East is not in a peaceful situation right now and I feel that Israel has every right to protect herself and her citizens. If this protection involves stopping every car that goes into Israel from the West Bank to check it for bombs then so be it. If anyone was visiting Israel I think they would be thankful that militant groups are not being allowed into the country freely without being physically searched for bombs. This may seem over-the-top but what else can a country that is so targeted by her neighbors do?
I understand that the security fence is sometimes located in areas where it cuts through Palestinian towns. This should be changed and I think that eventually Israel will make these changes so that Palestinians are not split from their friends and family. But that does not mean that the fence should come down and that the checkpoints should close so that every suicide bomber who is currently stopped at the checkpoints can get in and have a free reign of annihilation on Israeli civilians.
Emily Singer
Sophomore
Anonymous (November 16, 2006 @ 7:49am):
Amen!
Anonymous (November 16, 2006 @ 9:33am):
"This may seem over-the-top but what else can a country that is so targeted by her neighbors do?"
Perhaps you should go back and read the article to which you are responding.
Anonymous (November 16, 2006 @ 10:50am):
"This may seem over-the-top but what else can a country that is so targeted by her neighbors do?"
Submit or die!
Anonymous (November 16, 2006 @ 11:16am):
hizbollah(Lebanon) took responsibility for the april attack, not hamas
Anonymous (November 16, 2006 @ 11:41am):
The anti-British Israelis used terrorism in the 1940s. Maybe terrorism isn't always bad?
Anonymous (November 16, 2006 @ 12:18pm):
A fence or a wall is never a solution; it is only a tool for leaders to delay addressing the real problem.
Is a fence going to stop suicide bombers? People are willing to blow themselves up (KABOOM) and you think a fence will stop them from carrying out their fatal mission.
People are starving and living in 3rd world conditions in Mexico, and you think that a fence is going to make them think twice about going to the United States.
There is 90 miles of ocean between Florida and Cuba, 90 MILES! Refugees configure their cars into pontoon boats to come to the United States.
Fences solve nothing. Address the problems when they're small instead of when a fence seems to be the only solution. Once we get to "fence stage," we've run out of creative and intelligent leadership.
Anonymous (November 16, 2006 @ 1:30pm):
"Fences solve nothing."
What's needed on the US borders are minefields and automated machine-guns.
Anonymous (November 16, 2006 @ 3:49pm):
"The anti-British Israelis used terrorism in the 1940s. Maybe terrorism isn't always bad?"
The British had no business stopping Jewish refugees from moving there from Europe in the first place.
"Submit or die!"
Ah yes, and that would surely make all you anti-Israel morons feel so much better, wouldn't it?
Anonymous (November 16, 2006 @ 10:09pm):
"The anti-British Israelis used terrorism in the 1940s. Maybe terrorism isn't always bad?"
There's a difference between attacks on government/military infrastructure and on civilians. The prior is actually considered a necessary and legitimate part of war. The latter is sometimes, unfortunately, something that happens in the world today as military groups often put bases among civilians, but should be tried to be avoided as much as possible.
Anonymous (November 23, 2006 @ 11:50am):
Your "fence" as you call it, is larger and longer than the Berlin Wall. Do better research. Israel puts up borders and checkpoints and keeps an entire occupation of land and people at the end of a US made M16 rifle. Why, you ask? Israel knows that their country was never theirs to claim. So, they murder the native people(Palestinians), took their land, and now call their right to claim it back "terrorism". You would fight for your family and land as well. After all, that's what you claim Israel is doing, fighting for it's land. Go do some research on how Israel got it's Independence before you post these comments and articles. Peace.
