I didn’t know much about the segregation in Palestine before I was actually there experiencing and feeling it for myself. There is no doubt in my mind that what I saw can correctly be described as apartheid, as famously said by Nelson Mandela. In fact the Palestinians are using the similar model of non-violent resistance in Palestine as was used in South Africa to achieve freedom in hoping to do so themselves. Nelson Mandela went to prison for 27 years, there are many, many political prisoners in Palestine being held for just as long or even longer. Apartheid was a political and social system enforced in South Africa while it was under racial minority rule. I remember when this ended, I’m amazed it was actually in my lifetime, but then I came to Palestine and saw something VERY similar happening to this date I was even more shocked. There are many similarities – Palestinians and Israelis are restricted from going into different areas, they answer to different laws (civil and military) and even have to drive with identifying number plates on vehicles.
In 1993 the Oslo Accords were formed in the hope to support the peace treaty and allow Palestinians areas of self governance by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), however a Palestinian state was never created. Instead the West Bank has been divided into Areas A, B and C which are controlled differently by Israeli and Palestinian authorities. Area A is under full Palestinian control, Area B us under shared Palestinian civil control and Israeli military control and Area C is under full Israeli control. These areas are controlled by military checkpoints with heavily armed soldiers and sometimes even tanks. The Palestinians do not have equal rights as the Israelis, a significant example of this is when it comes to being granted building permits, they are almost never granted to Palestinians yet you will see Israeli settlements illegal built all over Palestine.
I am not sure if the Oslo Accords were quite envisaged how they turned out to be but I was in a military zone, there were watch towers everywhere and it was very uncomfortable to know you are always being watched. it’s not like CCTV, here you can clearly see the huge watch towers, it feels more like an open air prison, and everyone is guilty of a crime they haven’t committed, including myself.
The first time I crossed the checkpoint was GILO 300 on foot at 1am as I had arrived in Israel, it was crossing from Israel to Palestine and it was intimidating even when no one else but soldiers were there, it was not a pleasant experience. Other times I only crossed in a vehicle, but I heard stories and could envisage during the daytime these checkpoints were absolute chaos, people rounded like cattle to pass through. I also saw depending on the soldiers mood they may or may not let you through. There are many instances where Palestinians have been denied passing through checkpoints, for smiling, how they look and humiliated by being forced to strip naked and left without food and water all because the soldiers felt like it. I myself had a very different treatment as I have an international passport, but I did clearly see many Palestinians being harassed.
The segregation is caused by many factors but one of the major ones is the creation of physical barriers – walls, electric fences, trenches, blockades and military checkpoints. Israeli soldiers are given clear instructions to ‘shoot to kill’ anyone trying to cross these barriers during the night.
The Israeli West Bank Barrier is the main wall which is huge and runs across ‘The Green Line’ which is the line drawn on the map to outline the border of the state of Israel and Palestine after the Israeli-Arab war in 1967, it was not supposed to outline a permanent border. The Israeli authorities state this wall has been built as ‘protection against terrorism’, whereas to the Palestinians this wall is the creation of racial segregation and apartheid. It is 440 miles long, and more than double the length of the Green Line, 85% of it cuts into the West Bank on Palestinian land, it is aiding the annexation of land in the name of ‘security’. The result is approximately 25,000 Palestinians isolated as they can’t cross it. They are prevented from accessing their own land, employment, visiting family, friends and even lovers. Relationships and marriages cannot take place because of the location of people across the wall. Sick people can not go to the hospital. I was told about an instance where a 6 year old girl in Palestine needed dialysis but the only hospital with the facilities to help was in Jerusalem, Israel granted her a permit to go but not to any of her family, they had to find someone else to take her. I heard similar stories about Palestinian cancer patients being denied access to hospital treatment because of their location.
I want to address a point which I didn’t understand until I spoke to Palestinians. Sometimes Israeli companies illegally build factories in the West Bank on Palestinian land, and this creates jobs for the Palestinians. this is how this idea is sold to us in the outside world as a positive move. In reality it is actually a form of modern day slavery – this is how someone explained it to me, they are not given the same wages as Israeli’s doing the same jobs, by working in these illegal factories it’s giving into accepting them taking their land and most of all it creates serious divides between Palestinian communities by those refusing to work there as a form of resistance and those struggling so hard to survive they have no choice. Jobs are scarce. It really is a form of forcibly compliance, living under occupation is an extremely hard life. Palestinians attempts to be self-sustainable with their own food and water sources for example is prevented, they have to rely on food to come from Israel, this was the saddest thing for me to hear. The BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanctions) global movement urges people in the rest of the world not to support this by boycotting the purchase of goods from Israel from the West Bank. For more information: https://bdsmovement.net/
In my group there was an American Mexican, and someone jokes, ‘how do you like the wall’ in light of Trump coming into power. Humor is used to address such serious situations, we all laughed but it’s very daunting to stand in the shadow of the wall, esp if you are on the ‘wrong’ side.
The walls reminded me of Berlin but more sinister and a lot bigger in size. I felt offended on behalf of the Palestinians how could such ugly eyesore barriers be placed up on THEIR land. I can’t believe I was standing here in 2017 feeling the way I do.
I’m constantly mocked for being an admirer of Stalin style architecture , but looking at this towering grey structure, I feel completely different, it completely cuts into the beautiful Palestinian scenery, cuts across the blue skies, it disrupts the peace and cuts tension into the air. It doesn’t look like protection to me it looks like apartheid. A very deliberate barrier to segregate people and land. I love graffiti but I feel as though this canvas is not worth of such beautiful art, because art should be kept and treasured but this wall should go.
Having said that, it is warming to see the wall covered in artwork and messages of hope and support from many people around the world who have been to Palestine to show their love and support for the people. I really wish I had some spray paint!!!
Lots of artwork and images of Che Guevara the Marxist revolutionary and leader.
Standing on the hilltop looking at the walls it doesn’t feel real.There are many, many walls, in one sense it almost feels comical and childish that walls have been built on the other hand it’s a very serious and tragic situation, though somewhat unbelievable one. I felt a real sense of sadness looking over the landscape and seeing these structures, I can’t imagine if I woke up tomorrow and there was a wall assembled preventing me from going to work and visiting my friends and family, having my freedom taken like that.
Banksy, the famous graffiti writer from the UK has been making a statement in the West Bank by creating 9 pieces on this wall, which has drawn international attention to this area of the world. More information here: http://banksyworld.blogspot.co.uk/
Banksy has now opened a hotel here, ‘with the worst view in the world’, any profits will go towards local projects. http://walledoffhotel.com/ I’m very proud to be British and seeing another pararel between an element of Hip Hop (graffiti) and the resistance.
Moving around Palestine I felt like I was in an open air prison controlled by a police state, suffocated by having my rights taken away and I was just a visitor with an international passport. On leaving I was apprehensive to go through all the security but once out I felt a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, I felt free. I really do hope and pray that one day the people of Palestine will also taste the freedom that so many of us around the world take for granted.
