This striking image is capturing the attention of people around the world. Last weekend, in peaceful protest, young activists from the
Palestinian Popular Struggle Coordination Committee against the
'occupation,' broke a hole through the separation wall near Jerusalem. The protest marked and celebrated the anniversary of the fall of the
Berlin Wall, 25 years ago. A
press release by the committee stated:
“No matter how high walls are built, they will fall. Just as the Berlin Wall fell, the wall in Palestine will fall, along with the occupation.”
To see a 44-second video of this event, visit IBTimes.co.uk
here.
In 1996, after a suicide bombing in Jerusalem, then Prime Minister Shimon Peres announced the intention to build an $80 million "separation' barrier" between Israel and the West Bank. After the 2000 Camp David Summit failed to bring about a "final status settlement" and Israeli leaders continued settlement activity in the West Bank, Palestinians began the far more violent Second Intifada. It included guerrilla warfare against Israeli military and civilian targets inside Israel using tactics like ambushes, sniper attacks, and suicide bombings. In 2001 former prime minister Ehud Barak called for immediate "unilateral separation" from the Palestinians. The idea of such separation, including through the use of "separation barriers", quickly became popular among traditional Left and Right politicians.
Many countries and international organizations have expressed adamant disagreement with the wall's existence, claiming it is the cause of inhumanity. In a
2004 report, human rights advocate
Amnesty International wrote:
"The fence/wall is not being built between Israel and the Occupied Territories, but mostly (close to 90%) inside the West Bank, turning Palestinian towns and villages into isolated enclaves, cutting off communities and families from each other, separating farmers from their land and Palestinians from their places of work, education,and health care facilities and other essential services."
Israel argues the barriers were designed to keep terrorists out, and there has been a 90% reduction in terrorist attacks. Many critics and activists disagree and do not believe the wall was built only for national security purposes. Some call the barrier an 'apartheid wall.'
Israel is not the only nation with such barriers. There are
eight more countries that have existing separation walls, including in the United States. Here are three:
Saudi Arabia
In 2004 Saudi Arabia began construction of a Saudi-Yemen barrier between its territory and Yemen to prevent the unauthorized movement of people and goods into and out of the Kingdom. Some have labeled it a "separation barrier." In February 2004 The Guardian reported that Yemeni opposition newspapers likened the barrier to the Israeli West Bank barrier, while The Independent wrote "Saudi Arabia, one of the most vocal critics in the Arab world of Israel's 'security fence' in the West Bank, is quietly emulating the Israeli example by erecting a barrier along its porous border with Yemen". Saudi officials rejected the comparison saying it was built to prevent infiltration and smuggling.
United Kingdom Over 21 miles of high walling or fencing separate Catholic and Protestant communities in Northern Ireland, with most concentrated in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry. The wall [clarification needed] was built in 1969 in order to separate the Catholic and Protestant areas in Belfast.An Army Major, overseeing the construction of the wall at the time, said: ‘This is a temporary measure … we do not want to see another Berlin wall situation in Western Europe … it will be gone by Christmas’. In 2013, that wall still remains and almost 100 additional walls and barriers now complement the original. Technically known as 'peace walls', there are moves to remove all of them by 2023 by mutual consent.
United States
The United States has constructed a barrier along 130 kilometres (81 mi) of its border with Mexico of 3,169 kilometres (1,969 mi) to prevent unauthorized immigration into the United States and to deter smuggling of contraband. The Georgetown Journal of Law has referred to it as a "separation barrier" and suggests that while it is "revolting to many as an ugly face of separation" it could be used as an opportunity if part of a larger program of "foreign aid, infrastructure investment and regional development."
The Berlin Wall existed from 1961 through 1989. 'No matter how high, walls will come down." May peace somehow come for Palestine and Israel. It is the hope of many around the world.
Sources: IBTimes.co.uk, Electronicintifada.netCulturesOfResistance.org on Facebook, and Wikipedia.