Jerusalem Mayor Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky hosted Defense Minister
Shaul Mofaz last week for a working lunch followed by an
inspection of the fence around Jerusalem, currently under
construction.
Rabbi Lupoliansky called on the Defense Minister to continue
his efforts and to accelerate the building process. Leaving
the fence incomplete would be irresponsible, he said, since
"in the present situation anyone who wants to cause harm can
enter Jerusalem unhindered. The fence is not political; it is
a security fence we have an obligation to give to the city's
700,000 residents."
Mofaz said a decision to speed up the project was reached
following the recent Route 2 bus bombing.
The fence, designed to close off Jerusalem's municipal area,
will be 78 km (48 miles) long. So far 17 km have been
completed. "Within eight months another 17 km will be
completed," promised the Defense Minister.
Mayor Lupoliansky also asked Mofaz to find a way to safeguard
the factories in the Atarot Industrial Zone, calling for a
security apparatus similar to the setup provided for Green
Line settlements which would allow the Mayor to accelerate
plans to develop the area. In addition Lupoliansky asked the
Defense Minister to implement the government's decision to
transport the College for National Security to Jerusalem.
Mofaz said he supports this position, although funds are
currently lacking.
