Historical and Geopolitical Antecedents of the Building of the Israel–West Bank Border Fence

Abstract

Israel is among the global record holders in the length of borders and isolation walls compared to its territory, despite the fact that the country is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea from the west. The fence system surrounding the country closes the borders with Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. Regarding the Palestinian territories, construction of the wall between Israel and the West Bank began in 2002 and the Gaza Strip is isolated not only above ground but also at a depth of eight meters in order to prevent tunneling. The delicate political nature of the subject is also reflected in the naming controversy between opposing parties: while Zionist and pro-Israeli opinion leaders call it ‘separation fence’, ‘security fence’, or ‘counter-terrorism security wall’, pro-Palestinian sources often refer to it as ‘apartheid wall’. The geographical area is also described differently: proponents of the creation of Palestinian statehood call it Palestine, while Zionist-minded and Jewish radicals who aim to create the Greater Israel are using ancient territorial names as Judea and Samaria. In the present article the author uses the neutral West Bank term to describe the geographical location of the area. The aim of the study is to provide a historical and geopolitical overview of the construction of Israel’s physical border walls and to make a reference to today’s new types of ‘digital fences’. The research is based on personal visits, interviews and literature review.