Two recently published letters complained about the defensive fence Israel has constructed to protect itself from suicide bombers sneaking into the country to kill and maim civilians. Innocent men, women and children have been the victims. The fence has done its intended job by almost completely stopping these terrorists.

One of the writers claims part of the fence is on Palestinian land, but UN resolution 242 was misquoted. The land in question is neither described as “Palestinian,” nor “Occupied,” but rather as “Disputed.” Similar fences have been built in some European countries to protect their borders, and we are in the process of constructing a tremendous fence along our border with Mexico. And none of these were for protection from killers!

As soon as Israel departed from Gaza giving the Palestinians a perfect opportunity for self-government in a legitimate state, what happened? The Palestinians immediately destroyed greenhouses and other structures the Israelis left behind so that a thriving industry could continue. Then they started lobbing missiles into Israel, elected a terrorist government and began the infighting that continues today.

The bottom line is that the Palestinian charter calls for the destruction of Israel and they refuse to revoke that policy. No amount of “Land for Peace” has brought peace (except with Egypt) and it appears as long as the Palestinians refuse to recognize Israel, discontinue teaching their children to hate Israelis, and develop a stable peace-seeking government, the fence will undoubtably remain in place.

Joel Goodman, Auburn