The United Nations cultural agency has listed the Palestinian village of Battir as a World Heritage site in danger, raising hopes among residents that this will prevent Israel from building a security fence on their farmland. Battir, located just southwest of Jerusalem in Judea, is known for its ancient farming terraces and an irrigation system from Roman times. In listing Battir on Friday, UNESCO said the village faces "irreversible damage," citing "the start of construction of a separation wall that may isolate farmers from fields they have cultivated for centuries." Israel began building a security fence in Judea and Samaria more than a decade ago, saying it's meant to thwart Palestinian terrorists from crossing into Israel to carry out attacks. The Palestinians say the fence has turned out to be a land grab because it slices off almost 10 percent of Judea and Samaria. The route of the barrier in the Battir area is before Israel's Supreme Court. The lawyer representing village residents, Ghiath Nasser, said Saturday he hopes that the UNESCO recognition will help sway the judges to rule in favor of them. Friends of the Earth Middle East, an Israeli-Palestinian-Jordanian group that joined the legal appeal against the barrier, said Israel needs to find another solution in this part of Judea. The Israeli military "failed to strike the needed balance between the interest of security and cultural heritage preservation," said Gidon Bromberg, a member of the group. "We have been saying we can strike another balance. We can meet the need for security through electronic means, without building a physical barrier." Israel's Defense Ministry, which is responsible for the barrier route, was not immediately available for comment. Foreign Ministry spokesman Paul Hirschson said it's not clear if the barrier route will now be changed.
