Martin: West Bank barrier is ‘choking’ people

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Micheál Martin said a “separating barrier” or wall between Israel and the West Bank is “choking” the Palestinian people, who cannot travel to Israel for work, medical care or education.

Martin expressed his concerns during a meeting yesterday with Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni.

He visited a refugee community and school close to the barrier, and said it is having a “choking impact on the economy and social life”. Martin said the wall is severely damaging the economy, which could fuel violence in the long term.

“From our own experience of conflict on the island of Ireland, we’ve long come to the view that building and developing sustainable economic communities is the best way to guarantee the security of all concerned and that confidence-building measures have to be worked at on an incremental basis.

“Measures which ultimately have as their consequence the undermining of economic sustainability, the undermining of quality of life, ultimately undermines the prospect of good security” he said.

Livni said: “After years that Israel suffered from terror attacks on Israeli citizens, we needed to stop it by the security fence so this fence saved lives of people.” This is why the Israeli government built the fence, she said.