http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0705/p ... 71505.php3

We could use a security wall like Israel's

By James P. Pinkerton

Tuesday's suicide bombing in Israel should not obscure a fundamental fact: Walls work.

Walls are not perfect, but if they are robust enough, they mostly succeed in keeping dangerous people out of the homeland. The U.S. should get the hint and start building its own walls, before it's too late.

The bombing in Netanya that killed four Israelis was only the third lethal suicide bombing this year. By contrast, in 2002 there were more than 50 such atrocities. Israeli officials credit much of this reduction to the ongoing construction of a high security wall, which may someday run along the entire Israeli-Palestinian border.

Facing 2 million hostile Palestinians in the West Bank, Israel's government had little choice. Eventually, the wall is expected to completely separate Israel from the West Bank.

Of course, this solution is far from perfect. The wall could leave a million or more Palestinian Arabs on the "inside," as well as many thousands of Israeli settlers on the "outside."

But from an Israeli security point of view, it is surely the best available solution. And although the Palestinians hate the wall, one could argue that it will save some of their lives too, because every time there's a suicide bombing the Israelis inevitably retaliate, using troops, tanks and airpower.

So in this case, good fences make good neighbors â€â€