That Israeli Wall...

"A UN report into the humanitarian impact of Israel's West Bank barrier says it has caused widespread losses to Palestinian farmers.

About 5,000 Palestinians currently live in the areas between the barrier and Israel's pre-1967 boundary and they need permits to get in and out."

The Wall built by the Israelis, to separate it from the Palestinians, which has been causing such controversy, is back in the news - as reported by BBC News here.

It is difficult to justify, let alone support as valid, this statement in the BBC News report, attributed to an Israel official:

"An Israeli spokesman said any problems the barrier might cause Palestinians were not comparable to the benefits it brought in terms of Israeli lives it is saving".

Meanwhile, read this report from the Washington Post on how the inability of farmers in Gaza to move their stock out of Gaza is hampering the economy - as are the other restrictions the Israelis have clamped on Gaza.

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Mahler's Prodigal Son

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