West Bank Barrier

Twenty years after the historic Oslo accords, seen then as the cornerstone of an imminent peace settlement, the goals of ending the decades-old conflict and paving the way for Palestinian statehood appear as distant as ever. One key source of dischord is the West Bank Barrier. Israel approved its construction in the summer of 2002 following a campaign of suicide bombings carried out by Palestinian militants. Israel describes the structure as a security barrier with no political significance. But some Palestinians view it as a way of protecting settlements and securing areas for expansion.vIDEOGRAPHIC