by Land Research Center
Monitoring Israeli Colonial Violations
In Palestine
Case Study
Apartheid Wall – The latest manifestation of the battle for Jerusalem
Prepared by: Field work staff- Land Research Center-
Arab Studies Society/ Jerusalem
January - 2003
Apartheid Wall – The latest manifestation of the battle
for Jerusalem
Background
It is no doubt that the Israeli greed in east Jerusalem was put in action only two weeks after the occupation of 1967 when the Israeli government officially decided the annexation of the eastern section and announced it as part of its “ unified eternal capital”.
To do so, about 72 square kilometers of Jerusalem land in the West Bank were attached to Israel excluding whatever possible of densely populated Palestinian clusters. This is clearly apparent in the annexation of parts of less populated areas northward along Jerusalem – Ramallah main road, such as Shu’fat, Beit Hanina, Al- Ram junction, Qalandia and Kufr Aqab. While, the Highly populated areas such as Al- Ram, Bir Nabala, Al- Jeeb and Qalandia refugee camp were not part of annexation ( See attached aerial photograph).
Afterwards, The Israeli acts of confiscation, seizure and annexation of Palestinian land inside and out side the old city of Jerusalem continued unabated. This policy has been supported by a set of Israeli suppressive acts against Palestinians, including: demolition, closure and seizure of homes, denial of building, prevention of any planning or development schemes, denial of any services and proper infrastructure. All the aforementioned measures resulted in the creation of three colonialist rings around the city and more than 26 colonialist centers within the borders of the city in which about 186 thousands Jewish occupiers have been settled.
New apartheid wall
On August 15th, 2002, an Israeli military order was issued calling for the construction of what was called “ security barrier” north of Jerusalem. This decision was based on the emergency martial law of 1949 whereby the implementation was given to the Israeli ministry of “ defense”, and real estate department.
The fact that the implementation was given to the Israeli army is a severe violation of the Israeli law itself since annexed Jerusalem is ruled by civil law. The only logic behind this to prevent any possibility for objection on part of Palestinians under the pretext that the project is being implemented for higher security interest. The actual construction of this wall started on August 22nd, 2002 in the Palestinian village of Rafat north of the city.
This part of the Apartheid Wall spreads on the land of the northern villages of Al- Ram ( Khalet Al- Sheik), Qalandia, Kufr Aqab, Al- Bira ( Rafat Al- Masyon) and Rafat. It is about 8 km long with a width totaling from of 40- 100 meter. At least 800 dunums of agricultural land will be confiscated to make room for the construction of the wall.
Actual reasons behind Wall construction
The Israeli occupation forces claim that the aim of the construction of the Wall is to stop Palestinian attacks inside Israeli proper. Nevertheless, it has become clear through experience that any barrier separating between a house and its garden, son and father, farmer and land, worker and workplace will inevitably fail because it is against the course of life, and consequently, the security claim behind it is logically baseless.
Therefore, what are the actual reasons behind it?
- About 15 000 Palestinians holding Jerusalem ID will find themselves besieged between the Wall and the current borders of Jerusalem. Those people live in the village and refugee camp of Qalandia and Kufr Aqab. They will find themselves in a state of disorder at the service, security and legal levels. That is, the Jweish municipality of Jerusalem will continue to ask those communities to pay taxes and, in turn, will cease to provide them with any services. Such a situation will push them to flee their living places and live in the West Bank. As a result, the Israeli authorities will then withdraw their Jerusalem IDs and their properties will become under the auspices of the guardain of absentee property as happened to thousands of Jerusalmet Palestinians in the past.
- The Wall totally encompasses the area of Qalandia airport which, according to Oslo and Cairo accords, was supposed to be handed over to the Palestinian authority at the final status negotiations. The Israeli measures in this regard have created a new reality on the ground the aim of which is to block any chances for peace.
- The construction of the Wall north and east of the Israeli military checkpoint at Qalandia junction means that this checkpoint will become a substitute of Dahiat Al- Barid checkpoint. The same thing is under implementation south and east of the city. The checkpoint of Gilo in the south will be removed to Rachel’ tomb inside the borders of Bethlehem city and Ras Al- Amud checkpoint in the east will be removed to Abu –Diss junction. By so doing, the Israelis are achieving two goals: firstly, the expansion of the borders of the city of Jerusalem at the expense of Palestinian land expropriated from the West Bank and, secondly, the limitation of Palestinian built up areas.
- The construction of the Wall will lead to confiscating Palestinian agricultural land related to north Jerusalem villages. It will, also, take the only remaining Palestinian built up areas to the south and to west, especially after encircling the northern and eastern sides of the city with Israeli settlement rings.
- The wall will isolate Jerusalem from its West Bank surroundings and, consequently, paralyze commercial, industrial and tourist life for Arab Jerusalem. In the long run this situation will force Palestinian citiziens of the city to leave.
- The Wall will prevent Palestinian Muslims and Christians who live in the West Bank from reaching holly places in the city in full contradiction with the freedom of worship called for by all civilized nations in the world.
- The Wall spreads to the west out of the borders of Jerusalem to separate between the citizens of the Palestinian village of Rafat and their land in the south and west despite the fact that this village and its land are located in the West Bank proper.
- The Wall will annex the municipalities and lands of Qalandia village, Judaira, Bir Nabala and Al- Ram which are currently under the Palestinian rule. This situation will harm the life of the people who live there because they will find find themselves strangled between the Wall and West Bank Borders with neither authority on the ground.
Conclusion
It is clear from the Israeli measures mentioned above that the Israeli government doesn’t intend to protect the security of its residents, rather, it is practically works to increase tension in the area and create more realitites on the ground making any future negotiable solution some thing impossible. This is a continued Zionist policy which aims at emptying the Palestinian land of its citizens and replacing them with Israeli settlers under many pretexts at the top of which is the security one.
