By the beginning of 2007, 486 kilometers of the Annexation Wall will be completed, reported Israeli defense Ministry officials this week. This constitutes 93 percent of the 523-kilometer fence route (not including some 300 kilometers that are awaiting legal rulings).
Israeli officials: Wall will be 93% complete by beginning of 2007
This was the second meeting Ramon convened on the fence since taking office as justice minister. As soon as he was appointed, Ramon instructed his staff to give the Wall highest priority, and announced he would hold follow-up meetings on the subject every two weeks.
In addition to the defense officials, the meeting was attended by Israeli State Prosecutor Eran Shendar, the deputy attorney general, Mike Blass, the official in charge of the Wall plan, Danny Tirza, and Victor Bargil of the Defense Ministry. The defense officials presented detailed maps of the Wall and reported that no unbuilt segment of the Wall is being held up because of legal appeals filed by a number of Palestinian villages.
Two weeks ago it was reported that construction has been completed on 350 kilometers of the overall fence route.
Israeli officials claim that the Wall is being constructed to keep potential Palestinian attackers out of Israel, but Palestinians call it a ‘land-grab’ by Israel, as the Wall is being built deep within the remaining Palestinian territory.
