After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Tuesday President Bush said hopefully that the fence currently being built by Israel in the West Bank would become “irrelevant.” Having recently secured from Mr. Sharon promises to release Palestinian prisoners, the president may have reason to remain optimistic, but the construction of the barrier topped with razor wire is likely to remain a major block to the U.S.-backed road map to peace.

There have been many positive steps along the road. A cease-fire remains in place ending months of deadly suicide attacks. Jewish checkpoints have been removed and Palestinians are becoming accustomed to traveling more freely in the occupied territories. Some unauthorized Jewish settlements are being dismantled, although it is reported that new ones are being thrown up just as quickly.

However, these actions – and the goodwill they have created – could be undermined if Israel continues to build the fence, which is wire in some places and concrete in others. The first 80-mile section is nearly complete and the Israeli parliament Tuesday approved $170 million to build another portion. Also this week, Israeli forces injured several protesters as they tried impede construction of the barrier.

Mr. Sharon says the fence is needed to protect Israelis from terrorist attacks. As determined terrorists have shown, a barrier will only slow their attacks, not stop them. Palestinians are right to worry that the true intent of what they call “the wall” is to pen them in. This means that despite the removal of some border crossings and Israeli settlements, life for the Palestinians will not change much; they will still have to cross a de facto border to get to work. The wall also juts deep into the West Bank in places causing worry that Israel is using it to claim Palestinian territory.

While it is positive that President Bush and Prime Minister Sharon have now met eight times and now call one another by their first names, it is time for the United States to demand more Israeli restraint. It is naturally troubling that Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is having trouble reining in Hamas and other militant terrorist groups, but given their history of not listening to anyone, the current absence of attacks is laudable and show that Mr. Abbas deserves additional support, not criticism, for trying to achieve through diplomacy what prior Palestinian leaders failed to do through attacks.

Constructing a fence, even with more gates as Mr. Sharon helpfully suggested the Israelis might add to ease the burden on the Palestinians, will engender anger, not end it.