# Are the Palestinians wising up? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 22, 2003, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-palestinians-wising-up/176717 "2003-05-22T02:20:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Summertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Summertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Summertime)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-palestinians-wising-up/176717/21 "2003-05-23T13:22:33Z")
Forgive me if this sounds dumb, but would walling up areas prevent suicide bombers? I mean, with a metal detector and all. I suppose it would, would the cost be too much? ---
**Author:** ![manwithaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@manwithaplan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manwithaplan)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-palestinians-wising-up/176717/22 "2003-05-23T14:04:32Z")
In the absence of justice, peace is just a pipe dream. In Ireland, peace protests and demonstrations took place throughout the Troubles. They made very little difference. Real change only came about when the causes of injustice were addressed. It’s naive to suggest that peace is a goal in itself; it can never be achieved unless it’s in the context of an overall settlement, to which all key parties are signed up. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-palestinians-wising-up/176717/23 "2003-05-23T16:21:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Summertime \* > \*\*Forgive me if this sounds dumb, but would walling up areas prevent suicide bombers? > I mean, with a metal detector and all. > I suppose it would, would the cost be too much? \*\* The reason suicide bombers can pass (relatively) freely into Israel is that Israel relies on Palestinian workers (largely for menial jobs). And, of course, many Palestinians rely on Israel to provide employment. I believe there are border controls, but the regular volume of human traffic is too high properly to check everyone. “Fortress Israel” would rely on a new economic model. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-palestinians-wising-up/176717/24 "2003-05-23T18:57:54Z")
> [@](#): > > Fortress Israel" would rely on a new economic model. There are a lot of checkpoints in and out of the territories. As for a Fortress- well, they ARE building walls and fences along the border. Let’s see here- > [@](#): > > The percentage of those who said the Intifada should stop rose to 21.4 percent from 17.2 percent last December and 13.6 percent in March 2002. Only 5.2 percent said it should remain as a popular resistance including demonstrations, boycotts and stone throwing compared with 3.1 last December. Not a majority, but that seems somewhat encouraging to me. > [@](#): > > Another 5.2 percent said reactivation of armed resistance, targeting vital Israeli targets and intensifying military operations is how the Intifada’s new form should be. Rather a small number. > [@](#): > > The majority of Palestinians support the continuation of al-Aqsa Intifada in its current form with both popular (i.e. demonstrations, economic boycotts) and military resistance to end Israeli military occupation and establish a Palestinian state based on UN Resolution 242. Note the lack of a “destroy Israel” thing, and that the Intifada is not limited to the bombings. Also: a majority (56.3%) of respondents said they felt pessimistic or very pessimistic about the future. I think if conditions in the territories improved (unemployment is very high, for example, there is not a lot of water, etc.), you would see fewer people willing to throw their lives away in this manner. I think the idea that their lives will amount to nothing anyway encourages the ‘take them down with me’ tactic of suicide bombing. It’s a strategy that acknowledges the superior power of the enemy (and I suppose it’s unnecessary to say that I think Israel’s actions and presence add a lot of fuel to the fire). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-palestinians-wising-up/176717.md?page=1)