When the 2nd Intifada began in September 2000, suicide bombings became an all too regular occurrence in Israel and the West Bank – let’s be clear these were not attacks against Israeli military, these were attacks targeting the most innocent of Israeli civilians. If you want to talk about human rights abuses, I’d argue the conscious targeting and goal of murdering civilians en masse, is probably the most egregious violation of human rights. I would argue that any sovereign can and must do whatever is necessary to protect its people from these types of attacks.
The construction of the security fence began in 2002, a year where there had been dozens of terror attacks that left 452 innocent Israelis dead. When the first section of the fence was completed in July 2003, the number of Palestinian attacks in the area immediately dropped by 90 per cent. As work on the fence has progressed, the number of suicide bombings has steadily dropped from 60 in 2000 to zero in 2014. Therefore, the argument can be made that the security fence, in combination with other counter-terrorism measures, has proved extremely effective in preventing suicide bombing attacks on Israeli civilians.
Sadly, Palestinian terrorists continue to murder innocent Israeli men, women and children by other means, including missile attacks, kidnappings, vehicular homicide, and, most recently, gunning down men at prayer in a synagogue.
It is every government’s obligation to protect its citizens from terror and from the threat of being harmed killed by its enemies. We, in Canada, would protest if our government did not do its utmost to make sure that our children were safe from harm. The Israeli government takes all necessary action to make sure that their citizens are afforded as much security as possible in a hostile part of the world, surrounded by those who call daily for the annihilation of Israel, Israelis and Jews.
Most Palestinians are not terrorists, of course, nor do I believe that Israel has not and does not continue to make mistakes. However, I don’t believe that it is fair for a couple of Canadians from a completely different world reality here in Alberta, to comment on what they feel is immoral about how Israel deters terrorists to protect their citizens. I also don’t believe that a one sided divisive article which mentions acts committed by one side, while ignoring the underlying causation of the current reality is helpful to the uninformed reader to truly understand the situation.
If the author is truly concerned about “human rights violations” committed in the Middle East, I encourage them to speak up about the atrocities being committed in Syria, Saudi Arabia as well as in the West Bank and Gaza. The acts committed elsewhere make the hassle of a separation fence, checkpoints and permit issues seem benign in comparison.
Adam Zepp, Jewish Federation of Edmonton
