JERUSALEM, July 7 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minster Ariel Sharon reportedly has ordered speedier completion of the West Bank separation barrier, which the Palestinians claim is a land grab.
Sharon wants the work completed faster especially in the Jerusalem area, the Voice of America reported. Work on the 434-mile-long barrier began two years ago, but so far only a third of it has been completed because of legal hurdles.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the barrier is a security fence meant to keep terrorists out, not a political border.
However, Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said, "The only thing that's growing on the ground now is more Israeli settlements, more walls, and more dictations and more harming of the Palestinian people."
