Walking non-stop, it takes about 10 minutes to walk the trendy section of Las Olas Boulevard. Why is this important? It takes 10 minutes for a Palestinian terrorist to walk from Kalkilya in the West Bank to Kfar Saba in Israel. Nothing can stop one from walking Ocean Drive; so too, nothing can stop a Palestinian terrorist from walking from the West Bank to Israel.

Unfortunately, it's as easy as it sounds.

On Dec. 8, the U.N. voted 90-8 to refer the issue of the separation fence to the Hague Court; 74 countries abstained. The United Nations has failed to refer issues of Palestinian terrorism to the court. In other words, the terrorists are not condemned. We Israelis, who have offered peace countless times without counter-offers, are then reprimanded and vilified for defending ourselves.

The Israeli public has been targeted more than 18,000 times in terrorist acts since the beginning of this Intifada in September 2000. Just last month, 25 attacks were thwarted.

If we compare the populations of the U.S. (nearing 300 million) and Israel (just over 6 million), these Israeli casualties would be the equivalent of around 45,000 Americans. On Sept. 11, 2001, the total casualties approximated 3,000. In other words, we Israelis have suffered the equivalent of 9-11 15 times over.

A large majority of the attacks -- in particular suicide bombings -- have originated in the West Bank. The fence is currently near completion in the north of the West Bank, and already we have seen a drop in the amount of attacks from this region.

Israel is building the temporary security fence in order to stop the terrorist attacks that have taken so many lives and derailed the path to peace. The fence is a defensive measure, designed to prevent the infiltration of terrorists and their weapons. Just as the American government pledges to secure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for Americans, so must Israel's government guarantee that its citizens will be secure and free.

None of the agreements between Israel and the Palestinians (nor the recent road map initiative) restrict the use of defensive measures. Rather, it is the use of terrorism that violates both international law and the agreements. Until the Palestinian leadership lives up to its commitments to stop terrorism, Israel has a right to take those steps necessary to protect its citizens.

The temporary security fence does not delineate a border of any kind, nor does it create any permanent facts on the ground. The establishment of borders is a matter reserved for negotiations between the sides. The route of the fence can be changed, if so agreed upon, in the framework of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

The path of the fence was chosen, first and foremost, with security and topographical considerations in mind. It is designed to place a barrier between terrorists and their targets. It is hoped that by reducing terrorism, the fence will contribute to efforts to achieve peace. Every effort has been made to cause minimal disruption to the lives of the local population. The route of the fence shall give most Palestinians easy access to their commercial and other centers of daily life.

Some say that the fence is a barrier to peace. In fact, it is just the opposite. The lack of a fence between Israel and the West Bank has made it possible for Hamas and Islamic Jihad to hold the peace process hostage. Each time political progress was achieved, it was derailed by deadly attacks carried out by these terrorists.

The fence is causing a sharp decline in the number of such attacks and is giving leaders more latitude to continue peace negotiations. It hinders the ability of terrorists to derail the peace process, thus making the peace process more resilient.

The Palestinians have tried to portray the fence as a giant concrete wall. This despite the fact that concrete barriers are used in less than 3 percent of the route, and then only in areas along the pre-1967 line where strict security needs dictate their use (such as where a Palestinian center of terrorism is located directly next to an Israeli town or highway). In reality, almost the entire security fence consists of a chain-link fence, supported by high-tech and other intruder prevention systems.

There would have been no need for the costly security fence had the Palestinian Authority lived up to its commitments and stopped the terrorism. Since terrorism has been the greatest obstacle to peace, it is hoped that by preventing attacks, the security fence will contribute to efforts to achieve the long hoped-for peace between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors.

Fences can be built and fences can be removed; human lives are irreplaceable. We Israelis value life -- all our lives.

Miki Arbel is the consul general of Israel to Florida, based in Miami.

(The article was published in the Miami Herald, December 17,  2003.