Israeli high court reverses West Bank barrier injunction order News
Israeli high court reverses West Bank barrier injunction order

[JURIST] The Israeli Supreme Court [official website] has authorized the construction of the West Bank security fence [official IDF website; Wikipedia backgrounder] across Palestinian land. Last month, the Court ruled that Israel had a right to construct the barrier to protect itself from potential terrorist attacks, but urged the rerouting of sections of the barrier [JURIST report] in those areas which do not pose heightened security concerns, to not impose undue hardship or violate the human rights of the Palestinians. The latest ruling honors the government's request to cancel a temporary injunction issued in June which blocked the construction of the barrier through Dahiyat al-Barid, an upscale Palestinian neighborhood, saying that the barrier would destroy several houses and yards. The Court's decision said that the Dahiyat al-Barid section was needed to close a "crucial security need." However, this ruling only refers to the temporary injunction and is therefore not necessarily the last word on the subject. The construction of the 425-mile barrier, scheduled to be finished in 2006 though 10 percent of the remainder is currently subject to legal challenges, is in opposition to an advisory opinion [text; JURIST report] from the International Court of Justice, which deemed the barrier to be illegal. AP has more.