Barrier of Israeli separation

The barrier of Israeli separation is a wall built by Israel in the West Bank under the name of " fence of safety " ( security fence ), with an official aim to physically prevent any intrusion of Palestinian terrorists in Israel. Actually, this barrier is especially used to deprive Palestinian of some their arable lands and to allow an annexation of Jerusalem East, in spite of the international laws in force. This construction, whose layout of almost 700 km is discussed and was not fundamentally modified in spite of the international pressures, consists in its length of a succession of Mur S, trenches and gantries electronic.

The Israeli Ministry for Foreign Affairs affirms that the construction of the barrier of separation made it possible to reduce the number of attack-suicides on behalf of Terroristes Palestinians in Israeli territory. But of other causes can explain this fall, in particular the agreements made by the Palestinian Authority.

The project caused a great controversy between Israel which sees there officially an additional protection brought by this construction since the release of the the Second Intifada and the detractors of the building, said " wall of shame " , which denounces the infringement of the human rights and sees there an attempt at annexation of territories, its layout placing in fact part of the occupied Palestinian Territoires of the West Bank on the Israeli side. The Israeli government of Ariel Sharon, which deployed the means to carry out this project (which had been proposed in its time by the worker government of Ehud Barak), declared that this " barrière" of anything the layout would not prejudge which remains to be been negotiated border between Israel and a future entity Palestinian independent.

Denominations

This construction is also called " wall of the honte" or " wall of annexation" by the detractors of the project, including in the Israeli rows. Some of them also refer to it as a " wall of the Apartheid ". The Palestinians (whose media) frequently refer to this barrier by description in Arab language of " partition wall raciale" ( jidar Al-fasl Al 'unsuri ).

Its partisans take again the official name of " barrière" or " enclose safety israélienne" or baptize it " anti-terroriste" barrier; or " wall of protection".

UNO and the international community more frequently use the term of " mur" , but other combinations are also given: fence/wall/barrier of separation/safety .

Structure of the barrier and its construction

Length of 730 km, the wall-barrier includes the major part of the Israeli colonies and the near total of the wells. It deviates at certain places of more than 23 kilometers of the Green line. Its layout was modified on several occasions in 2004 and 2005, at the request of the Palestinians, the Israelis, Europeans, and the high Israeli court of justice. It is equipped over its bigger length with electronic barriers, like the barrier separating the Mexico from the the United States. Its partisans propose the number of saved lives (which they estimate at several hundreds) and the clear fall of the attacks anti-Israelis since his construction, and its detractors (mainly of the Palestinians or the members of the Israeli left) problems and lack of freedom of displacement which it implies, the loss of access to the grounds cultivated for the peasants, the bulk-heading of certain villages, the feeling to be locked up, and their fear of seeing it representing in fact a future border of which they refuse the layout.

Geographical layout

In the north of Tulkarem

To the north of Tulkarem, the wall-barrier extends until the the Jordan, under the border with the Jordan. On the oriental party, it follows the green line roughly. On the level of the colony of Réhan, the wall-barrier penetrates of approximately 5 km inside the the West Bank.

The barrier of separation of Tulkarem

The town of Tulkarem is isolated from its environment by two walls. On a side the presence of a partition wall (8 meters in height), and other a barrier known as “barrier of insulation”, which constitutes an extension of the wall, creating a quasi total insulation of the city.

The barrier of separation of Qalqilya

This city in the North of the West Bank is completely encircled by the barrier with the wall in the West. Its 50.000 inhabitants are isolated there from the West Bank and Israel confiscated grounds for the construction of the barrier. The city cannot run out its goods any more and is partially private of its water. The situation is completely intolerable there and the city is probably condemned to decay and its inhabitants, 80% of refugees, to leave.

The barrier of separation of Jerusalem

On the level of the agglomeration of Jerusalem, the " barrière" consists of a 8 meters high wall. This wall curves between the Arab districts of Jerusalem, and on the level of the limit between the agglomerations of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. On these portions, the wall is located up to 5 km beyond the green line inside the the West Bank. It crosses in particular the districts of Abu Dis, of Azarieh in the south, to the road which gives access to Bethlehem. To north, the wall partly skirts the limits of the municipality of Jerusalem, on its part annexed by Israel in the West Bank.

In the south of Jerusalem

In the south of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the barrier, initially on the level of the block of colony of Goush Etzion, penetrates until nearly 10 km in the West Bank. It extends then roughly along the green line, but is not prolonged to the Dead Sea, stopping to approximately 20 km of this one.

Objectives

According to the Israelis

The message of the Israeli authorities is clear: the single objective of the barrier is the safety of the Israelis. All the books, leaflets and films of presentations repeat this same creed. The number of suicide bombings increased considerably since the beginning of Intifada Al-aqsa (at the end of September 2000) and the government of Israel counts more than 1000 people killed in these attacks. For Israel, it is “more than 1000 reasons to build this fence”.

Thus, when its detractors oppose the fact that the barrier does not follow the Green line and that is to annex its colonies (like Ariel or Emmanuel), the Hebrew State still answers which it follows only of the sedentary requirements: The Green line is a political demarcation and does not solve the problem of safety, on the other hand the barrier is only sedentary and to in no case political. Moreover, if the barrier is further away from the Israeli big cities (thus further in the West Bank), that leaves more time to react if a terrorist would cross the fence with an aim of making an attack. The authorities contradict also any resemblance to the Berlin Wall or the company of apartheid in South Africa, qualifying these declarations of Palestinian propaganda. Lastly, so at certain places, it is about a wall, it is only to prevent rocket fire Palestinian with places or the barrier strongly approaches Palestinian localities.

“The barrier is a temporary measurement that Israel saw itself forced to take until the Palestinian Authority decides to put an end to terrorism”. This sentence drawn from a film of presentation of the barrier summarizes well the message which wants to make pass Israel. Israel also affirms that the barrier can be moved (that was already made, in particular in the South Lebanon) and that it does not have reason to exist that if there is terrorism. Thus, as soon as terrorism stops, Israel will be able to destroy the barrier and to take again healthy negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.

According to the Palestinians

It is the opinion of the Palestinians, neither of most of the international community, nor even of certain Israeli associations. For these people, the barrier continues indeed, and in a way more than obvious, a political objective. The barrier would not be a provisional sedentary measurement, but a strategy to annex part of the West Bank, that containing the near total of the colonists. That would still make move back the borders of a hypothetical Palestinian State.

The layout of the barrier includes not only one most of the Israeli colonies in the part in the East of the barrier, but it takes also many Palestinian villages. Why annex Palestinian villages since the objective of the barrier is to prevent Palestinians from reaching in Israel to perpetrate attacks there? For much, it is the sign which the barrier does not have only one objective sedentary. By preventing the Palestinians living close to the barrier to carry out a normal life, Israel hopes to force them to leave their ground to take refuge more inside the West Bank. In this way, these grounds would become unoccupied and free to colonize. It would not be the first time in the history which the Hebrew State would oblige the Palestinians to exile to adapt grounds; for example, the Delat plan in 1948.

For some, the Israeli ambitions go still further. Gadi Algazi, professor at the university of Tel-Aviv (in Israel) evokes in the diplomatic World a project aiming at dividing the West Bank into “Bantustans”. They would be cantons, strictly limited and impossible of access without passing by dams Tsahal or the barrier. By parcelling out the West Bank literally, Israel would like to entirely be able to control it and prevent any organization or communication on several cantons. Meron Rapoport, Israeli journalist, speak about three cantons: The first of Jenin to Ramallah (left northern the West Bank), the second of Bethlehem to Hebron (left southern the West Bank) and the third around Jericho (in the east of the West Bank). Today, the layout was re-examined and this optics of the things seems less plausible. However with the construction of the barrier around Jerusalem, it seems possible that the barrier brings to divide the West Bank into a Northern part and a Southern part, but this problem will be more largely developed in the chapter concerning the E1 project.

For the Palestinians, the barrier is thus located in a great project of expansion of its territory. The sedentary objectives of the building are only one pretext in order to attract the favors of the Israeli opinion. It is of nothing a long-term temporary measure, but rather building aiming at immediately imposing the borders of a future Palestinian State.

Consequences

On the safety of the Israelis

A statistical study provided by the Israeli Ministry for Foreign Affairs affirms that the construction of the " barrier of séparation" allowed to reduce the number of infiltrations of Palestinian activists and Attack-suicides in Israeli territory.

Since the north of the West Bank, the statistics show that:

Between April and December 2002, before the construction of the barrier, 17 attacks suicides were made by infiltrated activists.
In 2003, whereas the barrier was built, 5 attacks suicides were made by infiltrated activists.

On the other hand coming from the south of the West Bank where the end of safety had not been built:

Between April and December 2002, 10 attacks suicides were made by infiltrated Palestinian activists.
In 2003,11 attacks suicides was made by infiltrated activists.

According to this report/ratio, the construction of the " barrier of sécurité" allows to strongly reduce the number of infiltrations and to reduce by consequence the number of terrorist attacks.

The Palestinian persons in charge explain these figures by the change of strategy of the Palestinian movements in negotiation with the Palestinian Autorité to put a term at the attacks.

On the life of the Palestinians

Many ONG Palestinian, Israelis and international described the humane impact of the wall-barrier on the life of the Palestinians. It prevents a free access to health, in particular for the children, it is the cause of the destruction of part of the Palestinian economy and he divides families. Lastly, he contravenes the free access to the holy places, as well for the Moslems as for the Christians, many in the West Bank. One cannot moreover separate it from the policy of harassing which the State of Israel leads to Jerusalem East (discrimination related to the possession or not of the resident's card, destruction of the houses, etc).

UNO indicates in a dated report/ratio:

… it is difficult to overstate the humanitarian impact off the Barrier. The road inside the West Bank severs communities, people' S access to services, livelihoods and religious and farming amenities. In addition, plans for the Barrier' S exact road and crossing points through it are often not fully revealed until days before construction start. Considerable This has led to anxiety amongst Palestinians butt how to their future lives will Be impacted… The Land between the Barrier and the Green Line constitutes fertile nap off the most in the West Bank. It is currently the home for 49,400 West Bank Palestinians living room in 38 villages and towns

The " barrière" the green line follows, but penetrates deeply inside the West Bank to integrate Jewish colonies. Because of the way complexes followed, most of the " barrière" is located in the West Bank, while 20% of this one are precisely on the green line. Sections of the " barrière" are built on grounds confiscated with the Palestinians. In a recent report, UNO specified that the most recent layout of the " barrière" envisages more segments built on the Green line itself in comparison with the preceding outlines of layout.

A frequently given example of the effects of the wall-barrier is the Palestinian city of Qalqilya, an agglomeration of approximately 45.000 inhabitants, where a side of cement wall, 8 height meters is built on the Green line between the city and the close highway trans-Israeli. The wall at this place is described by Israel like the " sniper wall" , with the advanced reason to prevent the Palestinian armed attacks against the Israeli motorists as well as the Israeli city of Kfar Sheba.

The " barrière" penetrate in particular on the level of Qalqilya on the sections in north and the south, in the form of barbed wires and trenches. The city is accessible by a road to the east, as well as a tunnel builds in September 2004 which connects it to the village of Habla, itself insulated by another wall.

According to Palestinian Negotiations Affairs Department (NAD) and other sources, 45% of the Palestinian cultivated grounds (including/understanding part of most fertile) [http://www.nad-plo.org/facts/wall/WallMagazine%207-2005.pdf], and a third of the water wells of the city, find themselves from now on outside the wall-barrier, and the farmers must from now on ask for licenses the Israeli authorities to reach their grounds located on other side of the " barrière". (The Israeli Supreme court takes note of the declarations of the government which rejects the charges of annexations de facto of these wells, affirming: “ the construction off the fence does not affect the implementation off the toilets agreements determined in the (interim) agreement ” (Section 67d). There exist three points of passage to this portion of the " barrière" intended to allow the peasants to reach their grounds, open passages 3 times in the day for a 50 minutes total although, according to the NAD, they are frequently closed for long periods, bringing the loss of harvests for the peasants. One of these passages is closed since August 2004 in reprisal with a suicide bombing which was held near the point of passage.

Recently, the Israeli Supreme court ordered with the government to modify the layout of the " barrière" in this zone in order to facilitate displacements of the Palestinians between surrounding Qalqilya and 5 villages. Into the same judgment, the Court rejected the argument affirming that the " mur" was to follow the green line precisely, with the pretext of the typology of the ground, sections 43 and 52 it Convention of La Hague of 1907 as well as article 53 of the 4th Geneva Convention.

At the beginning of October 2003, the central command of the army declares the zone between the " barrier of séparation" and the Green line on the septentrional section “military zone closed” for one indefinite period. The new directives indicate that any old Palestinian of more than 12 years living in this closed zone can obtain a “statute of permanent resident” of the civil administration which will enable him to continue to live in its house. The other residents of the West Bank will have to obtain a special license to enter this zone.

In May 2004, the construction of the walls and barbed wires of the " barrière" brought already the uprooting of 102.320 olive-trees and agrumiers, demolished 75 acres of greenhouses and 37 km of conduits of irrigation. Until today, the wall-barrier is established on 15.000 dounoums (15 km ²) of confiscated grounds, with only a few meters of small villages or hamlets. At the beginning of 2003, with an aim of moving a section of the wall towards the Green line, a market of 63 shops was demolished by the Israeli army in the village of Nazlat Issa, after the owners had accepted an opinion 30 minutes before (,). In August of this year, 115 additional shops which constituted an important source of income for several communities, and 5 of the 7 houses were also demolished on this place [http://www.palestinemonitor.org/factsheet/wall_fact_sheet.htm]. In June 2004, the Washington Times reported that the reduced need for Israeli military incursions in Jenin cuts prompted efforts to rebuild damaged streets and buildings and has gradual return to has semblance off normalcy, and in has letter dated October 25, 2004, from the Israeli mission to Kofi Annan, Israel' S government pointed out that has number off restrictions east off the barrier cuts been lifted ace has result off the barrier, including has reduction in checkpoints from 71 to 47 and roadblocks from 197 to 111. The Jerusalem Post carryforwards that, for nap Palestinians who are Israeli citizens living room in the Israeli Arab town off Umm El-Fahm (pop 42,000) near Jenin, the barrier has " significantly improved their lives" because, one one hand, it prevents would Be thieves gold terrorists from coming to their town and, one the other hand, has increased the flow off customers from other shares off Israel who would normally cuts gone to the West Bank, resulting in year economic boon. The carryforward states that the downsides are that the barrier has divided families in half and " damaged Israeli Arabs' solidarity with the Palestinians living room one the other side off the Green Line" .

WITH a carryforward released in August 2005 observed that the existence off the barrier " replaced the need for closures: movement within the northern West Bank, for example, is less restrictive where the Barrier has been constructed. Physical obstacles cuts also been removed in Ramallah and Jerusalem governorates where the Barrier is under construction." The carryforward notes that more freedom off movement in rural areas may ease Palestinian access to hospitals and schools, goal also notes that restrictions one movement between urban population centers cuts not significantly changed. -->

International public opinions

Legal point of view

International laws and Human rights

In October 2003, on the Arab countries decided to submit the subject of the wall to the General meeting of the United Nations. This assembly adopted the October 21st 2003, resolution ES-10/13 condemning construction of a " mur" encroaching on the “occupied Palestinian territory”. This decision is not constraining and was rejected by the State of Israel. The Israeli Minister for the trade and industry declared: “The end of safety will continue to be built”.

The December 8th 2003, the General meeting of the United Nations adopted resolution ES-10/14 requiring of the International Court of Justice to deliver an advisory opinion on the following question: “is Which in right the consequences of the construction of the wall that Israel, occupying power, are building in the occupied territory Palestinian, including inside and on the circumference of Jerusalem-Is, according to what is exposed in the report/ratio of the General secretary, taking into account the rules and of the principles of the international law, in particular the fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and the resolutions devoted to the question by the Safety advice and the General meeting? ”

The July 9th 2004, the International Court of Justice delivered its opinion on the question which the General meeting of the United Nations asked him. She affirmed in her answer that: “ the construction of the wall that Israel, occupying power, are building in the occupied Palestinian territory, including inside and on the circumference of Jerusalem-Is, and the mode which is associated to him, are contrary with the international law ”.

The July 20th 2004, the General meeting of the United Nations adopted resolution ES-10/15, after having taken act of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. The resolution “ requires that Israel, occupying power, discharge its legal obligations such as they are stated in the advisory opinion ”.

The General meeting of the United Nations voted on Friday, December 15, 2006 by 162 votes against seven and seven abstentions creation from an office charged to collect the complaints of the Palestinians emanating of construction by Israel of the wall-barrier of separation in the West Bank. The office is installed with Vienna and will include/understand a council of three members, an executive director and a reduced personnel. The resolution of the General meeting explains why this new office was creates to conform to an opinion given in 2004 by the International Court of Justice (CIJ) declaring the wall illegal

Decisions of the Israeli court

June 30th, 2004, the Supreme court of Israel did not call into question the existence of the " barrier of séparation" but ordered that its layout is modified [http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=21370].

September 15th, 2005, the Supreme court of Israel judged unanimously that part of the " barrier of séparation" was illegal. She asked the government Ariel Sharon to re-study the layout close to the colony of Alfei Menashe.

September 4th, 2007, the Supreme court of Israel asks the government to modify the layout of the barrier of separation near the village of Bil' in because of the damage carried to the villagers from the isolated ground surface and the number of torn off olive-trees.

The " mur" and committed art

S.Bitton made a documentary film (http://www.filmsduparadoxe.com/mur.html) of it.

A French realizer, Franck Salome, have just carried out " A wall with Jérusalem" on the specific consequences of the wall on the city and its surroundings.

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