Shin Bet chief wants fence completed

JERUSALEM, April 7 (UPI) -- Israel's internal security agency chief said easing restrictions against Palestinians while security fences remained unfinished posed a grave danger to Israel.

Yuval Diskin, the head of the Israeli security agency Shin Bet, said a security fence separating Israel from the Palestinian territories needs to be completed before any talks on easing Palestinian restrictions proceed, Ynetnews said Monday.

His remarks come on the heels of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice when Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak presented a sweeping list of appeasements to the Palestinians.

Several Israeli lawmakers said the appeasements posed a real danger to Israel and suggested Barak's priorities were misplaced.

Palestinians, on the other hand, said the Israeli measures fell short of their demands, asking Israel for further support of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Palestinians long opposed the building of the security fence. Israeli officials say the completion of the 491-mile fence is slated for 2010.