PM adviser: no plans for `eastern fence' in West bank

Israel does not plan to build a separation fence
in the eastern part of the West Bank because of
the likely negative political fallout in the
international arena, the man who heads the
team plotting the route of the fence told
Haaretz on Tuesday.

...

Tirza also revealed that there will be a
2.3-kilometer hole in the eastern section of the
separation fence being built around Jerusalem.
The section where no fence or wall will be
built is in the area of the Jerusalem-Ma'aleh
Adumim road. It is still not clear what type of
obstacle will be placed in the area. The Israel
Defense Forces has prepared three alternatives
that will soon be presented to Sharon and
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, and will then
be brought to the government for approval.

The inclination is not to completely seal off
Jerusalem so as not to leave Ma'aleh Adumim,
which has some 32,000 residents, outside of the
separation fence. Tirza said that Kfar Adumim,
which is home to 350 families and is east of
Ma'aleh Adumim, will not be inside the fence.

...

Tirza also said a number of Israeli lawyers,
who represent Palestinians who own land along
the route of the separation fence, are trying to
"stir things up" and prevent their clients from
reaching understandings or deals with the
Israeli government over financial
compensation for the seizing of their land.

Haaretz

The Eastern Wall has always been an unapproved plan. That is, it never got off the drawing boards, despite all the hullabaloos from the Palestinians. The Jerusalem fence has had several plans and adjustments made to it. The latest will leave a gap that will be monitored in some other way. Reasoning can have an affect on policy.

The reduction in violence because of the fence is already obvious. No infiltrations into northern Israel or the Natanya areas. The fence has shown it's worth.

Or, in the words of the Hebrew Israeli press: "American pressure" is the reason for the effect on policy.

As you should know, since I've pointed this out to you dozens of times.

"Legally and publicly, the building of the
separation fence in the eastern sector is likely
to cause serious damage to the state," he said.
"So we shouldn't invest money in it."

One rarely gets a public admission of the fact that pressure has been
effective. I don't doubt US pressure is part of it, but the EU
matters a good deal too, as one can see from the amount of, umm,
commentary aimed in that direction.