A new fence is added to a border town already split

Source: nytime.com, 11-10-2006
THE FENCE AT GHAJAR, Lebanon, Little more than a week after "Israeli" troops withdrew from Lebanon, the shiny new fence around the northern portion of this village is a reminder of the possible flash points that remain as Lebanon and "Israel" continue working to quell tensions across their border.
To the Lebanese, the fence, erected over the past several weeks to separate the northern side of the village from the rest of Lebanon, amounts to a new occupation of their territory, potentially worsening tensions over the (occupied) Shibaa Farms area nearby. To "Israel", which says the fence is only temporary, it is a means of ensuring that Hizbullah fighters do not enter the village, which straddles the border, and attack "Israelis".
[On Tuesday, the United Nations continued trying to broker an agreement ensuring that "Israel" would withdraw its troops from the northern section of the village and place it under United Nations control. But even if that happens, the fence itself might remain for some time, said a United Nations official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with reporters.]
With its pastel-colored homes and scenic views, Ghajar is an old problem sprung from the often complex calculus of the Middle East. In 1932 the residents of Ghajar, most of them from the Alawite sect, were given the option of choosing their nationality and overwhelmingly chose to be a part of Syria, which has a sizable Alawite minority.
When "Israel" conquered the Golan Heights in the Arab-"Israeli" war of 1967, the town fell under "Israeli" control. Many residents were given permits to work in "Israel" and were eventually granted "Israeli" citizenship. When "Israel" invaded Lebanon in 1978, the town began growing northward into Lebanese territory.
The town's future grew more complicated when "Israel" withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, leaving two-fifths of the town in "Israel" and the rest on Lebanese soil, across the so-called Blue Line demarcating the borders between the countries.
Each side sought to keep the village whole, said Amin Hotait, a retired Lebanese Army general and the leader of a committee that helped confirm "Israel's" pullout in 2000.
Neither side, however, could agree on who would maintain control over the village. So after weeks of wrangling, they agreed to divide the town into a northern Lebanese side and a southern "Israeli" side.
"We did not accept that the whole village be under the occupation, and they did not accept that it be liberated," General Hotait said. "The only result we could arrive at was to split the town in two."
As a result, a fence was built dividing the village, which has about 2,500 residents, with crossing points in between for residents to get back and forth. Although there were "Israeli" guards posted on the southern side of the fence at the gates, passing from one side to the other was relatively easy. The "Israelis" were there to guard against Hizbullah fighters.
Yet the village has also been center of confrontations between "Israel" and Hizbullah. Most recently, in 2005, Hizbullah fighters launched a rocket attack on the village and infiltrated it, but were repelled by the "Israelis" and withdrew.
The latest fence separating the village from Lebanon was put up this summer, after the cease-fire. The "Israelis" have now posted troops within the northern section of the village.
Lebanese officials say the continued presence of "Israeli" soldiers on Lebanese soil is a violation of United Nations Resolution 1701, which settled this summer's conflict.
"Whether they're occupying one meter or 2,000, it is still Lebanese land, and we want to free our land," said Fawzi Salloukh, Lebanon's foreign minister. "This is a time bomb that is ticking."
A reporter who traveled to the fence at the northern section of the village tried to speak to residents through the fence, but none would respond. However, United Nations officials in the area said the villagers have sought to be a part of "Israel". The dispute appears to be limited to one between countries.
Lebanese officials have said that if the villagers want to be "Israelis", they should move to the other side of the border. Residents of the Lebanese villages surrounding Ghajar, still struggling to rebuild their lives after the war, say they fear that the fence may become a recipe for further violence between "Israel" and Hizbullah.
"This is certainly going to be a big problem, and you shouldn't expect anything less," said Ahmed al-Muhammad, the mayor of the town of Al Wazzan, near Ghajar. "They must have bad intentions for this area, or they would have pulled out completely."
He said his town had had almost no contact with Ghajar's villagers for years. He said the people of Ghajar were mainly interested in their contacts with "Israel". The town's growing affluence compared with that of its neighbors is evident in the ongoing construction and modern finished architecture.
Hizbullah officials, who have held up "Israel's" occupation of Shibaa Farms as a reason to not disarm, have remained mute on the issue of Ghajar, opting to allow the government to negotiate a diplomatic solution. Still, one Hizbullah representative noted, patience is growing thin.
"Like (occupied) Shibaa Farms, this proves there is an ongoing `Israeli` occupation and it must leave," said the representative, Hussein Haj Hassan. "We will be patient with the negotiations, but will not wait very long."