The Heeb and the wall

You see, this is why I send you over to see The Head Heeb when I comment on something newsworthy of his. It's because he says things so much more clearly than I do. And with a lot less profanity too. My post from yesterday:

From The Head Heeb:

The Israeli government is planning further adjustments to the route of the wall in the wake of a Supreme Court decision upholding the right to build it but ordering changes to "30 kilometers of the route so as to minimize hardship to Palestinians." The section that will be changed is northwest of Jerusalem, in one of the most densely populated areas through which the fence will pass:

It looks like the Israeli Supreme Court is trying to do the right thing. Read the whole post here.

My deal is that the fucking wall shouldn't be built in the first place. Walls don't work (China, Berlin, The Maginot Line, etc.), especially when they cut neighborhoods and towns in half, separating friends and family, and restrict access by the Palestinians to the water supply.

So, today he writes in my comments section:

You say "walls don't work." That's true against conventional armies, which can overwhelm the wall, outflank it or mass their forces and punch through it. Against unconventional forces whose success depends on proximity and ability to infiltrate, however, fixed defenses combined with patrols are much more effective. From a purely military standpoint, the "berm" in Morocco effectively ended the war against Polisario, and the WB wall has already reduced infiltration into Israel to nearly nothing.

I've compared the I-P conflict to Algeria in the past, and I think the state of affairs now strongly resembles the final stages of the Algerian war of independence. The difference is that, in the Algerian case, France could safely retreat across the Med, while in the I-P case there is no such natural barrier. In the absence of a sea or other natural boundary, an artificial one has to be created in order to enable a safe disengagement. That's why I step off the leftist reservation in supporting the wall, although I think it should be built on the Green Line.

And he is absolutely correct, though I failed to make the point as well. This is what I replied:

Ah, but Jon, the wall in Berlin did not fall to a conventional army either. I agree with you about the I-P wall in theory, but if it were built within the borders of Israel (within the Green Line as you offer), I would have less problem with it as you do.

My deal is the hopelessness on the part of the Palestinians. I'd much rather see an economic solution to the problem. A working man is not a bomb-throwing man. After all, don't we all want a better life for our children than we had?

And thanks for taking the time to stop by my blog. I'm honored.

The lesson is that when I quote him, go read him. In fact, make him a daily stop as you surf the blogosphere. I wish I had the depth of knowledge of the region that he does.