In sign of calm, Israel dismantles wall around Jewish town in Jerusalem next to West Bank
By APSunday, August 15, 2010
In sign of calm, Israel removes gunfire barrier
JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says it is removing a concrete barrier erected nine years ago to protect a Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem from Palestinian gunfire.
The neighborhood of Gilo is located in southern Jerusalem on land captured by Israel in 1967 along with the rest of east Jerusalem and the adjacent West Bank. The removal is a sign of the relative calm that has taken hold in the West Bank.
The wall was erected in 2001, at the height of Israeli-Palestinian violence. It was meant to protect Gilo residents from Palestinian militants firing from a nearby West Bank village.
An Israeli military statement Sunday said the wall was removed because of “a reduced security threat” and increased cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian security forces.
