Two recent court decisions have challenged Israel's attempts to build a wall to prevent terrorists from infiltrating the country and attacking its citizens. Both concluded that parts of the wall were illegal. The Israeli government has responded to one decision -- by the Israeli Supreme Court -- by rerouting parts of the barrier considered most offensive in terms of the ruling. It has flatly rejected the other -- an opinion by the International Court of Justice in The Hague -- which concluded that the entire structure should be torn down.
The wall may contribute to Israel's security, but it will not guarantee it. A wall that is of dubious legality will only compound Palestinian grievances and add to Israel's security concerns. It is no substitute for real engagement with Palestinians committed to peace with Israel.
Successive Israeli governments have complained that terrorists use Palestinian territory to launch attacks against Israel. Two years ago, Israel commenced construction of a network of fences and walls that would make it more difficult for terrorists to reach targets on Israeli territory. About 160 kilometers -- roughly one-quarter of the proposed length -- have been completed thus far. In areas where the fence -- a combination of electronic sensors, barbed wire, trenches and a 6-meter-high concrete wall -- has been completed, infiltrations into Israel are said to have dropped from 600 to 0.