Doubts over W Bank barrier route

The barrier cuts into Palestinian territory

Israel's justice minister says he will seek to redraw the route of the controversial West Bank barrier.

Yosef Lapid's call came as the UN General Assembly approved a resolution asking the International Court of Justice to consider its legality.

Israel is building the barrier on occupied Palestinian land, but says it is needed to stop suicide bombers.

But Mr Lapid said the current barrier route was "too long, too expensive... and puts the whole world against us".

The minister is the leader of the centrist Shinui party, the second largest in Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's coalition.

The cabinet will consider the issue at its regular session next Sunday.

War of words

Too long, too expensive... and puts the whole world against us Yosef 'Tommy' Lapid

The United Nations General Assembly has already adopted a resolution demanding that Israel halt construction of the barrier.

On Monday night, it decided to ask the international court to rule on the issue, by a vote of 90 to eight, with 74 abstentions, with the US and Israel among those voting "No".

The BBC's correspondent at the United Nations, Greg Barrow, says the abstentions were a clear sign of the ambivalence felt about taking this contentious issue to the court.

Israel reaffirmed its determination to defend itself at the court in The Hague.

"We aren't running away", said Raanan Gissin, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

"We will fight our battle at The Hague... We'll present our case that we have the full right to exercise our right to self-defence," he told Reuters news agency.

Israeli ambassador Dan Gillerman said the Palestinian leadership's failure to crack down on militant groups made the barrier a necessity.

He blamed Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for the decision to build the barrier.

"This is the fence that Arafat built. His terrorism initiated it, and made its construction inevitable. If there was no Arafat, there would be no fence," he said.

Guide to the route and structure of the West Bank barrier

At-a-glance

The Palestinians argue that the barrier, which cuts into their territory, is designed to redraw borders ahead of any future peace settlement.

"The wall is a false excuse used as a justification for colonising our land and establishing settlements," said Nasser al-Kidwa, the Palestinian UN observer who proposed the resolution.

The United States, which has called the barrier "a problem", voted against the resolution.

US deputy ambassador James Cunningham called the resolution "one-sided and completely unbalanced", and "doesn't even mention the word terrorism".

The International Court of Justice has the power to issue legal opinions, but does not have any power to impose rulings or sanctions.