01/12/2010
We've mentioned previous good work on border security in Israel, usually as a counter-example to the people who say fences don’t work. (They not only work in Israel, they work around the world.)This latest example is a little different.Israel to build 2 fences on porous Egyptian border APThe difference, here, is that the fence isn’t just to keep terrorist bombers out, it’s to keep illegal immigrants out, too.JERUSALEM — Israel’s prime minister has ordered the construction of two massive fences along the long and porous southern border with Egypt, saying he wants to stem a growing flood of African asylum seekers and to prevent Islamic militants from entering the country.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the structure would help preserve Israel’s Jewish majority, while providing a layer of protection along an open border with an area suspected of having an al-Qaida presence.
"I decided to close Israel’s southern border to infiltrators and terrorists after prolonged discussions," he said in a statement. "This is a strategic decision to ensure the Jewish and democratic character of the state of Israel. Israel will remain open to war refugees but we cannot allow thousands of illegal workers to infiltrate into Israel via the southern border and flood our country," he said.
The two fences will cover nearly half of the 150-mile (250-kilometer) border. One section will be near the Red Sea port of Eilat. The other will be in southwest Israel, near the Gaza Strip town of Rafah.
Government spokesman Mark Regev said government ministers approved the plan Sunday evening. He said a date hasn’t been set for construction and it is unclear how long it would take to complete the fences.
The project is expected to cost about $400 million, according to local media reports.[More]
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