The Wall of Sharon

Seeking to end the risk of Palestinian attacks, Israel is building a barrier to separate Palestinians and Israelis. For the wall to work, it must be more like an iron curtain than the U.S.-Mexican border. It must be relatively impermeable: If there are significant crossing points, militants will exploit them. Therefore, the only meaningful strategy is to isolate Israelis and Palestinians. That would lead to a Palestinian dependency on Jordan that might, paradoxically, topple the Hashemite regime in Amman. If that happens, Israel will have solved a painful nuisance by creating the potential for a strategic nightmare.