Israel Agrees to Tear Down Part of Wall

Israel will take down a section of the West Bank barrier that had isolated a Palestinian town, an official said Friday, days before world court hearings on the legality of the partition.

The removal of the six-mile section appears intended to help defuse criticism over the route of the barrier, which at times veers several miles into the West Bank and disrupts the lives of thousands of Palestinians.

Workers will begin Sunday to remove the section that cuts off the town of Baqa al Sharqiya from the rest of the West Bank, a security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Another barrier, west of the town, will remain, and Israel will open a gate to allow passage to a “sister” town, Baqa al Gharbiya, the official said.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague will begin hearings Monday. Israel has come under pressure -- including domestic legal challenges -- to reroute the barrier and reduce hardship for Palestinians.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath leveled rare public criticism at his Arab allies, saying some Arab countries are not doing enough to back the Palestinian campaign against the barrier before the world court.

Seventeen countries are scheduled to present verbal arguments to the court next week, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Algeria, as well as the Arab League. The United States, the European Union and Israel will not appear before the judges. Earlier, 44 countries presented written arguments.

“I feel so sorry that many of the Arab countries have not even sent a written statement to the court against the wall,” Shaath said, though he did not single out any by name.

Israel began building its West Bank barrier more than a year ago, arguing that it was needed to stop suicide bombers and other attackers from reaching Israeli towns and villages. The barrier is to run as long as 452 miles; about one-third of it has been built.

Planned sections would cut deep into the West Bank in some places to wrap around Jewish settlements, and would separate thousands more Palestinians from farmland, schools and jobs. Palestinians say that Israel is grabbing land and that the barrier would make a Palestinian state impossible.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said he will speed up construction of the barrier as part of his so-called disengagement plan, which could include the removal of some Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Friday that Israel would dismantle West Bank settlements “wherever possible” but leave major communities.