One of the most pervasive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the issue of the security fence. Israelis want to continue construction of the fence, they say, to secure their homeland from the threat of Palestinian terrorists. Palestinians claim that the fence will cut them off from vital access to social and economic resources. Let’s look at the facts.

On Sept. 28, 2000, Palestinians took up arms against Israeli innocents in an attempt to destabilize the government and murder as many people as possible. This organized act, called the al-Aqsa Intifada, or Second Intifada (yes, the Palestinians had already committed the despicable act once before), has killed 675 innocent Israeli civilians to date, by shooting, lynching and, most prevalently, suicide bombing the citizenry. The Israeli government has been charged with the task of defending the nation from a number of terrorist groups.

The Democratic Front of the Liberation of Palestine, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Fatah’s Tanzim, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Hamas, Hizballah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian Liberation Front, The Popular Struggle Front and Force 17 are a handful of terrorist organizations that have claimed responsibility for attacks on innocent Israeli civilians. Eight of those groups operate extensively or exclusively within Israel.

The number of non-combatants these terrorist groups have killed is almost four times the number of combatants. This shows that the Palestinian terrorists attack innocent civilians more frequently than they attack military targets. The majority of Israelis who have been killed died simply for eating in a restaurant, dancing at a disco, walking along a busy street or riding a bus to work or school. Most of the Israelis murdered by the Palestinian terrorists were completely unengaged in the conflict, and yet they still were targeted.

Far more Israelis have been what the press calls “injured,” or what should be called “seriously brutalized.” I have seen Israelis without legs, severely burned or paralyzed from the neck down because of terror. These Israelis, although “injured,” and not killed, will have to live the rest of their lives inconceivably impaired by what was a moment of unfortunate fate – being in the wrong place at the instant of terror.

And the situation, despite whatever means Israel has tried, has not become any better. In fact, all signs point to the situation incessantly worsening. Even during the Hudna (the cease-fire that ephemerally existed last August), several attempts were made to incite violence and hatred. The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recorded four of the televised cases and has placed them on its website.

Even with international groups working toward peace, terrorist groups continue their attempt to motivate violence and killing.

The ministry showcased a music video featuring a Palestinian woman, dressed in army fatigues, singing, “Oh Zionists, you won’t survive the volcano of stones. You are the target in front of my eyes. Join me in my martyrdom.” The video allegedly aired on Palestinian television.

The ministry also showed a Friday sermon on Arafat’s television station, which urged Palestinians, “Wherever you are, kill those Jews and those Americans.”

“He who puts an explosive belt on himself or on his son and goes to explode among the Jews will be blessed,” the speaker shouted.

The situation of incitement in the youngest of Palestinians is no better. One Palestinian television program urged children to “put down their toys and pick up rocks,” the MFA said.

According to the ministry, a Palestinian psychologist who conducted a study on Palestinian children determined that more than 50 percent of Palestinians ages 6 to 11 “dream of becoming suicide bombers who wear explosive belts.”

Suicide bombers have continued to murder Israelis throughout the years. Even now, more fuel for the fire of terrorism is synthesized day by day, as young children are inspired by a message of hate.

Israel has been left with no options. It must create the security fence to assist in preventing terror from reaching Israel. If the Palestinians are unwilling or unable to stop breeding violent behavior, Israel must prevent that behavior from taking brutal form within its lands.

Information from www.mfa.gov.il and www.ict.org.il was used in this article.

Morris Singer is a Collegian columnist.