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1 J. Int'l L & Int'l Rel. 293 (2004-2005)
The West Bank Barrier Debate: Concept, Construction and Consequence

handle is hein.journals/jilwirl1 and id is 295 raw text is: SECURITY The West Bank Barrier Debate: Concept, Construction and Consequence MICHAEL BELL* Debate over the construction of the West Bank separation barrier has been ongoing and acrimonious since its inception in June 2002, when the Israeli government announced its intention to erect a fence to control strictly Palestinian entry into Israel and thereby impede terrorist activity directed against the citizens of the Jewish state. Strikes by Palestinian terrorists groups, most notably the fundamentalist Hamas and Islamic Jihad, had reached unparalleled levels against the civilian population following the commencement of the Palestinian uprising against Israel, the Al Aqsa Intifada, in the fall of 2000. The international response to this decision was, for the most part, unsympathetic to Israel, despite the mounting death toll. Legitimate Israeli security concerns were eclipsed by focus on the effect of the barrier on the human rights of Palestinians, whose movement, access to services, and ability to support themselves would be restricted, in some cases severely. Concern also grew that the location of the barrier, for much of its length running inside the West Bank, was designed to prejudge the outcome of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians by creating a territorial fait accompli, integrating West Bank areas on the Israeli side of the barrier into the Jewish state. In less circumspect terms, many saw it as a land grab. Hence the barrier's reference to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which on 9 July 2004 found this military curtain a violation of international law, Israel's security considerations being judged insufficient to justify this construction within occupied territory. Others are better able to discuss the complexities of the Court's decision. My exposure comes from practical experience as Canada's Ambassador to Israel from 1999 to 2003, years that saw the collapse at Camp David, the launching of the second Palestinian Intifada, the terrorist onslaught, the Israeli reaction, the initial construction of the barrier, and its early consequences on the ground. I will go beyond the ICJ decision to examine the multifaceted influence of the barrier on the security and political landscape of today. I THE TERROR MOVEMENT AND ISRAELI SECURITY Barrier construction has been ongoing since 2002 and is largely complete in the north and around Jerusalem. For the most part, it is Former Canadian Ambassador to Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Egypt. Currently Paul Martin Senior Scholar on International Diplomacy at the University of Windsor and Chair of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq.

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