Home Articles Current Events Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors?
     
 
Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors? Print E-mail
Written by Victoria Radin   

“If good fences make good neighbors, then the world is experiencing an unprecedented outbreak of neighborliness.” ––Gwynne Dyer (www.gwynnedyer.net)

While Israel is the only nation that has been ostracized for building a security fence (described as a wall by propagandists), fences and walls are going up around the world at a furious pace. Many countries have taken steps to alleviate ‘problems’ with neighboring countries by building border barriers or even building fences between warring neighborhoods within a single country. Most walls, fences, and barricades are being built to stop terrorist attacks or to stop illegal immigration and smuggling. These barriers also serve to define ethnic and culturally oriented communities.

  • The United States is has partially built and is planning a 700-mile low-tech fence on its Mexican border to halt illegal immigration, i.e. to keep illegal immigrants OUT of the U.S. Proponents point to the highly successful 10-foot high barrier constructed between San Diego and Mexico built in the 1990’s.
  • Thailand is currently building a 50-mile barrier along its frontier with Malaysia to stop smuggling and also to stop terrorists from crossing into Thailand’s southern provinces. This they hope will keep intruders OUT of their nation.
  • India is building their two-row, 10-foot high fence with concertina wire and mines between them along its 1800-mile border with Pakistan. India is also building a 1950-mile barrier to halt illegal trade and immigration from Bangladesh. These fences are also designed to keep intruders OUT of India.
  • There is already a fence between West Bengal and Bangladesh to keep illegal immigrants OUT.
  • Pakistan, too, is building a 1500-mile fence with Afghanistan hoping to keep the Taliban terrorists OUT.
  • Uzbekistan has built a fence along its boundary with Tadzjikistan and Kuwait is improving its 125-mile wall along its Iraqi border; while the United Arab Emirates is constructing a wall between the neighboring country of Oman–– all to keep intruders OUT of their respective countries.
  • Saudi Arabia is quietly building a very high-tech fencing project between its entire border with Yemen. It is also barricading its 550-mile border with Iraq to keep prospective refugees from getting into the Hashemite Kingdom.
  • Barriers between North Korea and South Korea were established to keep North Korean troops from infiltrating South Korea. China is now building a fence on its border with North Korea to keep North Korean refugees OUT of China.
  • There are also ‘walls’ that are built to define borders such as the one that Morocco built which separates Western Sahara (annexed by Morocco in 1975) and Algeria.
  • Then there are those fence barriers that separate neighborhoods such as the one between the Moroccans and the wealthy Spaniards of Ceuta and Melilla–– parallel fences 10-20 feet high running 7 miles–– or, the “peace wall” between Protestants and Catholics in Belfast, Ireland.

Yet, not one of these fences has made international news, nor has there been an international outcry against the various barricades as there has been against Israel’s successful security fence. G-d has promised, though, that Israel will be redeemed with justice and righteousness (Isaiah 1:27) and that all nations will be judged by how they treat the nation of Israel (Joel 3:2).

The fence that runs essentially along the 1967 border (except where large Israeli settlements would be isolated) was designed to keep the terrorists OUT of Israeli communities where they have blown up innocent civilians in coffee shops, in shopping markets, on public buses, and in hotel catering facilities in land areas recognized by the International Community as being legitimate Israeli territory.

It would seem that Israel is the ONLY nation that is forbidden to protect its citizens from intruders by using a fence. The barrier has been highly effective in its purpose to keep terrorist infiltrators OUT, NOT to keep Palestinians IN. Palestinians are free to come and go except when coming INTO Israel where they are required to subject themselves to searches for bombs and weapons.

The billions of dollars in aid being poured into the coffers of the Palestinian government from the International Community should be more than ample for them to have good housing, food, and transportation and especially to build an economy that is not dependent upon Israel. They are surrounded by “friendly” nations that should desire to see their lives improved under self-government. Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and other Muslim nations should make excellent ‘trading’ partners for them. Yet, their rulers keep them impoverished so that they will appear to be the victims of “Israeli occupation”.

As in the case of Yassar Arafat, the funds that were channeled to the Palestinian Authority were, instead, used to purchase weapons, to enrich the autocratic rulers and to develop propaganda, chief of which is the propaganda about the supposed devastation imposed upon Palestinians by Israel’s security “wall”. The extreme opposition to Israel’s fence has to do, instead, with extreme opposition to G-d’s promise to that nation.

“Do not fear, O My servant Jacob, says the L-RD, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, and no one shall make him afraid.” (Jeremiah 30:10)

 
 
 
 
©2024 HaDerek Ministries - All rights reserved.   Website Design by Further Design Group