Bordering on fear

Israel is building a high-tech terminal at a checkpoint on Jerusalem8217;s outskirts that Palestinians fear could one day be a permanent border.

The terminal is one of roughly three dozen new crossing points8212; many of them close to operational8212;that Israel is building along a West Bank barrier it says will block suicide bombers from reaching Israeli cities.

8216;8216;It is not the border, and it is not final,8217;8217; Israeli Defence Ministry adviser Baruch Spiegel said.

8216;8216;But for the time being, until we reach some other understandings, these will be the places where the Palestinians will have to cross from one side to the other.8217;8217; Israel is building up to 38 terminal checkpoints8212;from simple crossings to massive passenger and cargo terminals8212; alongside its barrier, and hopes to have them all operational by early 2006, Spiegel said.