Articles
Life on the edge of the Apartheid Wall
by Drew Penland
ISM-Vancouver Coordinator
January 2, 2003
From:
Palestine Monitor
Press Release
TULKAREM, PALESTINE - Until recently, modest prosperity described Bassem Wakit's house at the edge of Jayyous village. Bassem's wife and three growing young children could have been found outside. His brother had started to build a house next door on his family's land.
On the slopes around the house the community tended and grew olive trees, orange orchards and a variety of fruits and vegetables in fields and greenhouses.
Now this reality and Bassem's land, his "grandfather's grandfathers", and his whole community are facing a new grave threat.
Outside Bassem's this threat is visible. It is a huge scar in the land that runs for miles to the north and south of his community and the people who work on it. It is the Israeli governments new "security fence". According to the Israeli government the fence is being built to provide security for Jewish Israeli's in Israeli proper. The reality is starkly different.
The security fence, known as th Apartheid Wall by Palestinians and much of the international community, will be tantamount to de facto annexation of over 10% of the West Bank. This will include theft of important water sources and much of the most important agricultural areas of the West Bank.
Palestinian communities on the other side of this imposing structure will be annexed into Israel proper and many communities falling on the Palestinian side of the wall will be separated from their agricultural land.
Desperate Palestinians have been assured the Palestinian people whose land falls on the other side of the wall that they will have access both during and after the wall's construction. The record to date on allowing people to cross the wall, however, has been abysmal.
Armed private security forces, the infamous border police and regular soldiers are denying Palestinians access to their lands daily. They have destroyed and blockaded roads into agricultural areas (and whole communities), ruined irrigation systems and detained and beaten Palestinians in the area of the wall.
In Jayyous the construction of the wall has already cut off access to almost all the community's agricultural land. Even though the wall is just a scar on the terrain and the foundation is not yet in place, the people of this community have to walk several kilometers to the nearest place the Israeli occupation forces will allow them to pass to the other side of the wall. They then have to walk back to their land from the crossing point, some of which sits just paces from the community itself. Returning home at the end of the day would mean a similar arduous trek. Now imagine moving tonnes of produce on your journey.
Vehicles are not being permitted to cross at any local points. Bassem's land has suffered a worse fate yet. Although sitting just meters from his house, his land is almost completely inaccessible. In the process of clearing the land for the Apartheid Wall, the Occupation forces destroyed around 200 of Basem's family's olive trees, many of them over a century old. "They are cutting everything, killing everything" says Bassem.
No written offers of compensation have come from the Israeli regime. No consultation on the fate of local communities has taken place, just indiscriminate and cruel destruction of land and local peoples' lives.
The Bassem family house is at the edge of Jayyous located closest to the wall. The occupation forces have frequently threatened to destroy his house and threatened his wellbeing. Recalling the words of one member of the security apparatus working at the site of the wall for Bassem "your identification says you are from Jayyous. Because you are from Jayyous I have no problem hitting you as I want".
His brother has been forced to abandon his half completed neighboring dwelling. They have repeatedly tear gassed indiscriminately. They yell at him if he goes onto his own roof. They routinely occupy his house. A sadness comes across his eyes as he says "they entered my house when I was not here", when only his wife and children were at home. "My children are very afraid".
Local people in affected communities however have been steadfast in their courageous resistance to the Apartheid Wall. On Sunday, December 29th a non-violent demonstration of 200 Palestinians and a number of International Solidarity Movement activists attempted to cross the area where the wall is being built to get to their fields. Israeli forces met the non-violent protest with tear gas, clubs, rubber bullets and live rounds. Frustrated local youth soon replied by throwing rocks and were met by more gunfire. Serious injuries were fortunately avoided.
The following day the Israeli Border Police took reprisal measures. Three youth, one the younger brother of Bassem, were reportedly walking to Bassem's house when they were apprehended and detained by Border Police.
They were allegedly roughed up and one youth was released shortly thereafter. They were being held near the home of Bassem on a road near the Apartheid Wall. The International Solidarity Movement happened to have a strong presence in the village when the youth were detained. A number of people approached the Border Police to inquire about the status of the detained youth.
The reply of the Border Police was swift. They directed "all kinds of verbal insults" in the words of ISM negotiator Marcey, a Hebrew speaker and 60 year old human rights activist from New York. The verbal abuse was followed with an attack. Marcey narrowly avoided being injured when she was hit on the head with a concussion grenade that exploded at her feet.
It was one of two thrown at ISM activists. Two tear gas canisters were also thrown in our direction. Border Police and private security pointed automatic weapons and threatened to shoot the non-violent team for wanting to discuss the situation.
Eventually the ISM negotiation team did succeed in speaking directly with the Police and they were all joined by the frightened and sad mothers of the two youths. Bassem and his brother succeeded in approaching the Border Police as well and joining the negotiations.
Bassem remained remarkably composed and thoughtful throughout despite the desperate nature of his situation. The sides reached a tentative agreement that if the ISM activists withdrew and ended the standoff, the two youths would be released. Bassem counseled the ISM team to accept the proposal, and the youths were eventually released. When released, the youths quickly disappeared into the village, but the anxiety that the Wall's construction has brought still exists.
Bassem, his family, his home and the village managed to escape day of Israeli violence largely unscathed. But there are no guarantees in the days to come.
Around Bassem's house lies a visual testament to the Palestinian struggle for justice in their own land. In a desperate effort to survive Bassem has moved some ancient olive trees that were severely cut back to the area around his house. He is nourishing them with water and hopes they survive. Their fate, like the Palestinian struggle for justice, remains very uncertain.
