Israel Building a Syrian Border Fence

Israel will upgrade its border protections on the Syrian frontier. Is this move intended to defend against terrorism - or to protect against refugee flows?

Last week, in a pre-election move intended to highlight one of his government’s achievements, the prime minister toured the new security fence that runs almost the entire length of Israel’s border with Egypt. Accompanied by a group of Israeli journalists, Mr. Netanyahu noted that the barrier had sharply stemmed the flow of African migrants into Israel and had provided more protection against militant groups operating in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.

Mr. Netanyahu has pledged to erect a similar barrier along the Syrian frontier, with changes to suit the topography.