Israel's most unsecured border? Jordan
Gabi Green, a lifelong farmer, crosses his giant melon
field that separates the houses of Kibbutz Lotan and the Jordanian border. Just
50 km (31 miles) north of Eilat, the peace and serenity in kibbutz Lotan is
evident. Children playing and splashing in the kibbutz pool can be heard from
afar on a hot summer day.
As Green drives across his field, he stops and points at
a low barbed-wire fence that could easily be penetrated. Green then points at a
small sign posted on the fence and reads: "This is the kingdom of
Jordan."
Next to the official sign, another broken and dusty sign
hangs on the fence, declaring that this is the border set during the Israel–Jordan
Treaty of Peace in 1994. Over the fence, one can see a Jordanian military
outpost in the distance.
This is the "border" that separates Israel from
one of the only countries that has yet to endure the consequences of the Arab
Spring: Some 260 km (161 miles) of open land with a dilapidated barbed-wire
fence. Any one can cross the border, go in, go out, by car or by foot, at
daytime or nighttime.
The State of Israel invests billions of shekels in
restoring and building the fence in the more volatile borders. It can even find
a way around the budgetary constraints when it comes to building the fence in
those areas.
While on the western side of the southern Negev, the
efforts to complete building the fence are well underway, Ynet learned this
week that on the other side, the situation is not looking so good.
According to the Defense establishment, the border with
Jordan – the safest of Israel's borders – is generally divided into two: the
Arava sector and the Jordan Valley sector.
The Jordan Valley sector is the more sensitive of the two
not only because of its hilly terrain but rather because of the
"corridor" which surrounds the Jordan Valley Road that separates
Jordan from the West Bank, Palestinian territories and settlements.
In this sector, which stretches upon 100 km (62 miles), a
security fence exists. However, only several parts of it have been significantly
upgraded over the past few months. The IDF is preparing to reorganize the radar
and observation layout, in effort to increase its control on the area.
In the Arava sector, the fence appears to be even more
dilapidated than the fence Israel had on the border with Egypt, prior to
building a new one.
During Ynet's investigation in the area, we found that
certain sections of the fence that are near to Kibbutzim, are easily
penetrable.
Near Kibbutz Lotan for instance, we could in broad
daylight stand on Jordanian territory uninterrupted for quite a while. Army
patrols in the area are limited due to faulty roads, tall shrubs and generally
tough terrain which leave the area more exposed to terror attacks.
This area is part of a new terror smuggling route which
may serve terrorists in the near future – from Gaza to south Sinai, from Sinai
to Jordan via the sea and from Jordan to Israel. IDF officials fear that as the
Egyptian border becomes more secure, Sinai smugglers will start to relocate their
efforts and use the Jordan route.
Infiltrators, illegal migrants and terrorists can expect
to run into a more prepared and qualified force than the several scattered
Egyptian policemen who patrol the western border. The Jordanian soldiers are
well prepared and well equipped with weapons from the US.
However, the vast open space and the run down fence can
easily be harnessed by potential infiltrators.
"Last weekend, five Turkish infiltrators entered
Israel through the Arava sector, and four Pakistanis also attempted to enter
the country but were arrested. We haven't seen many African infiltrators but
there are signs indicating that it is not too far ahead," the IDF's Jordan
Valley Division Commander Nochi Mendel said.
"It is obvious that if Jordan is weakened that we
will eventually find Iranians on the fence," he added.
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