Mr. Netanyahu, Tear Down This Wall

On the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Western leaders are full of self-congratulation. But their paeans to universal freedom ring hollow when they bear large responsibility for another wall constricting human freedom: the apartheid wall dividing the Palestinian West Bank.

Israeli authorities refer to it as a "separation barrier," but that's misleading. The wall doesn't separate pre-1967 Israel from the West Bank. If that's all it did, it would be an entirely different political object. Instead, the wall cuts deep into the Palestinian West Bank, separating Palestinians from each other and from their land, and signaling to the Palestinians that Israel intends to annex territory that Palestinians want for an independent Palestinian state. The fact that Western countries that support the Israeli government -- above all the United States -- say nothing about the West Bank wall signals to Palestinians that Western support for Palestinian statehood is merely rhetorical.

Today, AFP reports, Palestinians tore down a chunk of the wall near Ramallah.

AFP notes that 85 percent of the planned wall is inside the West Bank, and it would leave 9.5 percent of the West Bank and 35,000 West Bank Palestinians between the barrier and the Green Line that marks the 1967 border with Israel.

The World Court issued a resolution in 2004 calling for those parts of the barrier that are inside the West Bank to be torn down and for further construction in the territory to cease. Israel and Western countries have ignored the World Court resolution.

Two years ago Israel's own High Court ruled against the route of the wall near the Palestinian village of Bilin, but the Israeli government ignored the ruling of its own highest court.

Today, the Israeli-Palestinian "peace process" and the Palestinian Authority are at the brink of collapse, the New York Times reports.

We've reached this point in large measure because of the unwillingness of the Obama Administration to put real pressure on the Israeli government to implement past agreements -- in particular, to implement a freeze on the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. When the first President Bush demanded a settlement freeze, he backed up his demand with real pressure -- holding up loan guarantees to Israel. The Obama administration never indicated that there was any "or else" associated with its demand for a settlement freeze, leading the Netanyahu government to conclude that it could just wait the Obama administration out -- a conclusion that appears to have been borne out by events.

This would be an especially opportune time for U.S. officials to indicate that they intend to meaningfully oppose the ongoing construction of "facts on the ground" that are constricting the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank and undermining their hopes for national independence -- facts on the ground like the apartheid wall.

Video of the Palestinian action today:

 

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Comments

[Tiger-99]

Hamas legislators marked the 2008 Christmas season by passing a Shari'a criminal code for the Palestinian Authority. Among other things, it legalizes crucifixion of Christians and other non-islamic believers.­..

Sure thing "Tear Down The Wall" so Hamas can have easy access to Christians and other non-islamic believers in Israel...

If anyone believes that there is anything that Israel can actually do to secure "Middle East Peace" other than packing up and moving the whole Country to an Island then they are naive and history deniers...

[Princeton123]

Please state source of your information regarding Hamas legislation.

FYI, nearly all of the christians living on the both sides of the Green Line are Arabs/ Palestinians. And, majority of them live in the West Bank. They are represented in the Palestinian legislation. So, the wall is not really protecting them.

[ThirdSection]

This event took place in the West Bank where Fatah (the moderate faction) is in power. Hamas is in power in the Gaza Strip, which is on the other side of Israel from the West Bank. The laws/decrees that Hamas issues have no force in the West Bank.

Please try to get your facts straight before jumping to conclusions.

[erewon]

Despite vociferous and rather disingenuous claims by the author of impartiality, you will not find a single instance of his condemning Palestinian terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians.

[Princeton123]

Because there are far more terrorist attacks on Palestinian civilians by Israel.

[StCuthbert]

Two wrongs have suddenly made a right? I thought the Palestinians were supposed to be better than Israel. Isn't that why everyone on this board supports them?

[misaacm]

There didn't used to be a wall, it went up after the Palestinians decided to send teenagers wrapped in bombs to kill Israeli children. No bombs, no wall. As for the route, it was decided by the military authorities and when it takes Palestinian land for no military reason, Israeli courts require a change in route. As they have done numerous times.

I know that many believe that Palestinians are always victims, but it seems to me that they have brought much of this on themselves. They were offered a state in 1922, 1948, 2000 and recently in 2008 but chose war instead. If you start a war and lose a war you sometimes have to deal with the consequences. The Palestinians will have to learn about compromise.

[lessthansign3]

...Yes, because I'm sure *every* Palestinian wanted to send their sons to blow themselves and others up.

I can assure you, the vast majority of Palestinians and Israelis would love to see that wall come down and the conflict to end. The vast majority would love to compromise and make peace. Unfortunately, extremists on both sides have antagonized each other for decades, making the whole thing worse.

Also, Israel is breaking international law and they should stop. End of story. It doesn't matter what the Palestinians do. As my father always told me, two wrongs do *not* make a right. Just because a few frustrated young Palestinian men go and do stupid stuff doesn't mean that an entire people should continue to suffer under Israeli occupation.

[misaacm]

I wish you were right, but the vast majority of Palestinians do not want the conflict to end with anything but the destruction of Israel. I wish that weren't the case, but I don't see any evidence of compromise in the Palestinian electorate. Where is the "A Street", the Arab lobby dedicated to compromise with Israel? Where is the Arab Peace Now group? It doesn't exist. Raised on a diet of victimization and hate, peace has no place to grow on the West Bank.

I disagree with you, it does matter what the Palestinians do.

[Princeton123]

As the auther writes- it would be a totaly different matter if the wall was at the border/ Green line.

[Freenation]

the wall will only come down once the a.ipac loosen it's rope across the congress..­.or the congress members grown spine of their own and stop selling themselves out to whatever lobby which show up at their door...

[abdo]

the Berlin wall was erected also for security reason, and under certain balance of power. think about it.

[eileenflemingWAWA]

More Palestinian Power is being flexed by Prime Minister Fayyad, who is winning international support seeking a Security Council resolution to replace Resolutions 242 and 338.

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council in the aftermath of the Six Day War and demanded a just and lasting peace in the Middle East and required the withdrawal of Israel armed forces from the territories occupied in the then 'recent' conflict.

338 called for a ceasefire in the Yom Kippur War in accordance with a joint proposal by the United States and the Soviet Union for a bilateral cease fire to take effect within 12 hours.

It also called upon the parties concerned to immediately implement Security Council Resolution 242 and insisted that negotiations between the parties concerned would be aimed at establishing a just and durable peace in the Middle East.

Prime Minister Fayyad's 2009 Plan is supported by the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Sweden.

Harretz reported that, "Fayyad added that he presented the proposal to the U.S. administration and did not receive any signal of opposition in response."

http://www.wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1483&Itemid=226

[petera63]

Resolution 242 required the Israeli withdrawal from (quote): "territories" (unquote), not "the territories". Which means from some territories.

http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/240/94/IMG/NR024094.pdf?OpenElement

Also, the Berlin wall was built to keep the people IN; the separation wall was built to keep the terrorists OUT.

[jwcmass]

As has been repeatedly said, had it been built along the green line, it wouldn't even be an issue.

[hama66]

did i miss the meeting/summit/etc. where there was a palestinian state recognized by the international community? must not be since that's what the terrorists are fighting for. so the land all belongs to israel which means they get to build a fence where ever they damn well please.

so quick to point out all the resolution that israel has ignored, but not one of those instances has directly caused the loss of life. what about all the cease fires and truces that the palestinians terrorists agreed to then ignored by firing rockets at civilian israeli targets? what about when israel ceased settlement and forcibly removed its citizens from "palestinian territory" at the behest of bush and the terrorists responded by continuing rocket attacks on innocent civilians? what about the huge arms shipment recently intercepted by the israeli navy coming from iran?

you have an opinion, but it seems to ignore half the story.

[KIVPossum]

You are correct, the resolutions have not 'directly cuased the loss of life'. The resolutions are often a direct result of the loss of life.

I think it is irresponsible and disingenous for the US to condemn some nations for human rights abuses, and give Israel a free ride. Better than a free ride, we pay them to take the ride.

[jwcmass]

hama,

If Israel wants to build the wall in the territories, rather than the Green Line, -- or as you put it "wherever they damn well please" then leet them build with their "own damn money"

If Israel is going to go down the path of annexing (de facto) the West Bank-- or large tracts of it, then I don't want ANY American money supporting this.

That means military aid, loan guarantees, the works.

As long as we are paying the way, we ought to have some say.

So, Israel is perfectly free to build their wall-- just kindly return all money sent by the US since 1967, when Israel first began building illegal settlements.

As for interest rates, I'm sure we can find a bank who is reasonable enough to charge the same interest Americans have to pay on our credit cards.

And then Israel caan keep "all it's land"-- but don't forget, there are many Palestinians living there, and Israel has to keep them as well. And have you been paying attention to the population growth of the Palestinians? Israelis will soon find themselves outnumbered in their own land.

Then what?

[erewon]

Berlin wall-separated people of the same nationality and culture. A bad thing.
Israelii wall-- separates two peoples which cannot be more different if they tried. This iseparation is good thing.
Results of the wall --- defeat of suicide bomber campaign, security for Israeli citizens; tourists and guest workers;, improved security for Palestinains, reduction in numbers of security checkpoints, improvement of economic condition in many Palestinian towns etc.
The wall will should remain until Palestinians chose peaceful co-existence with their neighbors.

[DC]

Very sad post.

[lessthansign3]

Hm, I am reminded of a time in our country when we thought people of different races/religions had to be separated and that they were incapable of coexisting­...

Believe me, Israelis and Palestinians have far more in common than some might have you believe. They're all human, they all have families, they all want their children to get a good education, and, most importantly, they want to live in peace. Most Palestinians want the bombings to stop, but many feel they have no choice because Israel continues to oppress them and deny them what is rightfully theirs. On the other side, Israel fears for its safety, and so it cracks down and tries to intimidate the Palestinians.

If you ask me, though, the only ones who can make the first true step towards peace are the Israelis. They are the ones in power, they are the ones who can begin to treat the Palestinian people as *people*. They can look into their eyes and see a similar story of oppression, of second-class status, and of being forced from a land they call home.

[lightningbolt]

It is not an apartheid wall. It is a self defense wall.

[eileenflemingWAWA]

IF it were built on Israeli property you would have a claim.

Israeli Anarchist Against the Wall, Jonathan Pollak informed me in 2005:

"Although Israel marketed the Wall as a security barrier, logic suggests such a barrier would be as short and straight as possible. Instead, it snakes deep inside the West Bank, resulting in a route that is twice as long as the Green Line, the internationally recognized border. Israel chose the Wall's path in order to dispossess Palestinians of the maximum land and water, to preserve as many Israeli settlements as possible, and to unilaterally determine a border.

"The Palestinian aspiration for an independent state is also threatened by the Wall, as it isolates villages from their mother cities and divides the West Bank into disconnected cantons [Bantustan­s/ghettos]­. The Israeli human rights organization B`Tselem conservatively estimates that 500,000 Palestinians are negatively impacted by the Wall.

"It is time for both sides to refuse killing. We believe that, as with Apartheid South Africa, Americans have a vital role to play in ending Israeli occupation. We are confident that Israeli occupation will one day be defeated, as were other US government supported repressive regimes - Apartheid South Africa, Pinochet`s Chile and racial segregation in the United States."-e­xcerpted from my Memoirs in Occupied Territory

Eileen Fleming,
Founder of WeAreWideAwake.org
Author of "Keep Hope Alive" and "Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory"
Producer "30 Minutes with Vanunu" and "13 Minutes with Vanunu"

[lightningbolt]

The Palestinians were targeting Jews who are living in the West Bank as well. The wall was needed to protect them too. Since the Palestinians refuse to let Jews live in their society as equals, Israel needs to protect them. If the Palestinians treated Jews equally, the wall would not need to cut into the West Bank. You complain about the "apartheid" wall, but you forget to mention that the most Arab nations treat non-Muslims very poorly.

[pgmark]

Mr Naimen
How many of your relatives were blown up in restauants, shopping malls or on buses?
It is pretty easy to make such statements when you have nothing to lose.

When peace is achieved land can be exchanged and walls can be moved - and maybe one day there will not be a need for a wall. We can all hope.
But that time is not today - peace is not yet at hand - and lives are at stake.
Instead of worrying about a wall put your efforts in worrying about a just peace for both sides.

[RobertNaiman - Huffpost Blogger]

I'm a U.S. citizen and I pay taxes here; that gives me the right to criticize the Israeli government, since my government pays for its policies. If you don't like the criticism, give us our money back and be on your way.

[erewon]

Israel and U.S. are allies. It is no0t a one way street. Israeli citzines make a tremendous contribution to American economy, culture, technology, science and art.
Should Israelis be paid back for that?
Yes, you are entitled to criticize whomever you want, and people who understand the situation are entitled to ignore it.

[pgmark]

I happen to be a US citizen, a proud american and have served my country.
I also have the right to express my opinion as a taxpayer.
I support Israel but know they make errors in judgements and will ultimatly need to compromise as will the Palistinians

My point is simple we need a just peace for both sides.

Money aside - we give plenty to all - security and a future is needed for both.
You are entitled to your view but it is a bit myopic.

[StCuthbert]

The US gives Israel money without precondition. It doesn't say, "we'll give you this money if you do what we want". I don't see you criticizing all the other countries we give money to. If you don't want us to give money to Israel, write your congressman as is your right. But don't demand something from Israel in return. That's not how it works.

[pgmark]

By the way your answer was bit snippy -
Aren't you used to having your views debated.
Your opinion is worth no more or less than all who reply

[eileenflemingWAWA]

The Wall was deemed ILLEGAL in 2004 by the International Court of Justice.

"Financed with U.S. aid at a cost of $1.5 million per mile, the Israeli wall prevents residents from receiving health care and emergency medical services. In other areas, the barrier separates farmers from their olive groves which have been their families' sole livelihood for generation­s." Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Page 43, Jan/Feb. 2007

A wall twice as high and five times as long as the one that fell in Berlin, is close to completion in the West Bank.

One of the chants I learned during one of my four visits to the agricultural village of Bilin, was "The wall will fall in Bilin; the wall will fall like in Berlin".

http://www.wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1481&Itemid=226

[Tiger-99]

In 2004 the world was wondering where all the billions stolen from the Palestinian people by their leaders (Arafat) was hidden...

Hamas legislators marked the 2008 Christmas season by passing a Shari'a criminal code for the Palestinian Authority. Among other things, it legalizes crucifixion of Christians and other non-islamic believers.­.. Things have changed since 2004 and why hasn't the UN or any muslim apologist condemed this action?

I say Build as many walls as you need Israel to protect your people from Hamas...

[stpmdn]

but why build the wall on their teritorry? It it was only for stopping suicide attacks then it should have been build around the 1967 borders. Its a land grab. That's all it is. It has nothing to do with bombs being blown up in restraurants

[jwcmass]

I've got new for you pgmark,

Americans bleed and die just as any other people do.

As I said above, if Israel wishes to go down this self-destructive path (yes that's right-- these policies are harmful to ISRAEL as well as the Palestinians), then kindly return all money sent since 1967 -- when the first illegal settlements went up.

We'll charge the same interest on that aid (military, loan guarantees, the works) as the average American is charged on our credit cards.

That sounds fair to me -- equal treatment and all.

[jollyelle]

Israel exists, look at all they've done for themselves­.....why do they expect the oppressed Palestinians to acknowledge that the Israel occupation is justified ? The US never demanded that the Native Americans accept what we did to them as just. Israel exists period, it has universities, large metropolitan cities, a booming economy, and it's the 4th largest military industrial complex in the world.....­..it exists, already. The one thing it doesn't have is borders, why can't they set them and stop making life miserable for so many of the Palestinia­ns........­maybe then the Palestinians won't be so ready to retaliate against their occupiers.

[sherifdxb]

I believe someone needs to visit the wall and meet those most affected by it before making such naive comments about cellphones and computers. I've been there and saw how much land Israel has robbed from the Palestinians, how many families have been separated from each others and the humiliation suffered by families trying to cross the checkpoints dotting this ugly wall. Israel has built this wall unilaterally on mostly occupied Palestinian lands and the entire world does not recognize its action.

[NYkid]

The US must stop sending weapons and money to support the wall in Palestine.

[Macready]

well said NY kid totally with you!

[Kirby]

It won't do you much good, because they, the Israelis, are in charge of the situation right at the source of the money tree which stands in the U. S. If you want to know how much money we're talking about, don't just rely on the Congressional Quarterly as to who gets AIPAC pac monies, and how much each year in billions the United States gives directly to Israel. Look at the indirect sources; find out how much IRS allows individuals and corporations to write off in aid/donations directly to Israel. So the wall will remain and it is symbolic of total acceptance of what Israel wants for itself, e.g., land, land, and more land. And Palestinian lives, lives, and more lives. This is in the name of its security.

[erewon]

The Muslim countries must stop sending money to arm and finance Palestinian terrorists

[Manchurian]

Terrorists should never be funded by anyone. But legitimate freedom fighters resisting an illegal occupation aren't necessarily terrorists. Most Palestinians only want justice - a return of the land and homes stolen from them. I'm sure you would want the same if someone had stolen your home and refused to return it.

[Aziat]

Comparing the Berlin Wall to the Security Wall in Israel is false equivalence which ignores the context for which both walls were built. It's easy to find surface similarities, but dig even a little into the reasons for the walls' existence, and you realize that they are completely different.

[skialethia]

Bravo on this article! Bravo to these guys who showed courage and ingenuity on this day!

[Tzippi]

Courage and ingenuity? Oh, you're talking about the terrorists who put a hole in the wall? The wall was erected because terrorists were coming across the border and killing Israelis. I wonder how long skialethia would put up with her children being the targets of bombings before she'd want a wall.
There is no peace because the Arabs do not want peace. They never wanted peace. Ask yourself, if the 700,000 Jewish refugees from Arab countries could be relocated why couldn't the 700,000 Arab refugees? Why do the Arab governments prefer to see these people in refugee camps for 60 years than to give them homes?

[Tony Andrews]

Tzippi,

If the wall is there purely in order to prevent terrorist incursions, why, other than to steal more land, did Israel not build the damn thing on its own land?

It is yet more land theft, and, yet again, the international community huffs and puffs and does nothing to prevent yet another illegal act by Israel.

[stpmdn]

The wall is a land grab. That's all it is. It was build under the context of terrorism but its land grab