“Israel’s Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, approved a plan yesterday for security measures to seal off Jerusalem from the West Bank,” The Independent reports. “The plan is expected to include look-out towers, electronic cameras, trenches and more military checkpoints.”

Proposals to fortify the entire metropolis — including its occupied Arab eastern half — came as the city spent another day on the highest alert. Mr Sharon — who campaigned for election last year on a promise of providing security — met senior officials from the Israeli police, army, intelligence services and City Hall to discuss the plan, called ‘Enveloping Jerusalem.’

Events were watched closely by his critics, who pointed out that Israel has been steadily strengthening its political control of the city, and the long military blockade of the occupied territories has, so far, failed to stop Palestinian attacks.

Mr Sharon appears to have rejected police proposals that the plan should include building a wall to separate parts of east and west Jerusalem. He refused on the grounds that it would be tantamount to the re-division of the city — flying in the face of Israeli opinion that it should be their unified capital.

I’m not altogether clear on how lookout towers or all the electronic cameras in the world will help curtail the activities of nutjob terrorists unconcerned with escape routes, but hey, if it makes the Israeli’s feel safe…

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