I keep hearing — reading actually — pro-Palestinian types complain that Israel’s security wall is a new “Berlin Wall.” The analogy seems pretty shoddy to me. Ok, yes, it’s a wall. Yes, it’s a military wall. But beyond that, the purposes seem completely different. The Berlin Wall was not intended to keep people out — save, perhaps, for a few Western spies. It was built to keep people in. East German citizens were considered prisoners of the communist state. The Soviets and their German lackeys insisted on building it because too many East Germans were voting with their feet and escaping. Israel’s wall — whether it’s a good idea or not — is being built for exactly the opposite reason; the Israelis want to keep their citizens safe. Israelis are free to leave the country as they please. The wall is intended to make it more difficult for murderers to get into the country. Again, you can debate whether or not the wall is a good idea, but if you’re looking for a historical analogy, better to call it the Great Wall of Israel.