Nature org says separation fence marring Jerusalem area nature
West Bank barrier could damage the natural landscape of the Judaean Hills, Maariv reports
Construction of the latest segment in the West Bank separation barrier will inflict irreparable damage on local natural resources, an Israeli nature group said recently.
According to Maariv, the planned route of the wall in the mountainous region southwest of Jerusalem passes from al-Walajah through Batir and to Wadi Fukin. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel says the development might damage local streams and strip the pristine scenery of its biblical character.
“The government has put great effort into the preservation and cultivation of heritage sites,” the SPNI report, released last month, read. “In view of this, it is all the more baffling that it should undermine the the scenic and cultural value of a heritage site as unique as the Judean Hills.”
SPNI appealed to defense officials to review the plan for the wall, which will be considered by an official expropriation committee.
The Defense Ministry issued a response saying it “sees the preservation of the environment as a top priority, allocating money to environmental projects. However, the ministry’s foremost commitment is to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens.”
The ministry added that the wall around Batir is essential as to prevent hostile elements from infiltrating Jerusalem and to safeguard the Jerusalem railway.
“The defense establishment is working in collaboration with specially hired landscape architects to minimize the damage to the landscape. We should stress that we have significantly deviated from the originally intended rout, undertaking a number of calculated security risks, in order to diminish the damage to the landscape,” the Defense Ministry said.
