Geography Essay

Apartheid Wall

Israeli West Bank barrier serves as a separation wall between Israel and Palestine. The key argument for building that 700 km long barrier was Israel's intention to protect population from Palestinian terrorist attacks.
While building the wall, Israel did not observe Armistice Line or Green Line thus shifted its border to the west. Now it includes almost 10% or 600 km2 of the western side with Palestinian population on this territory. Though there are proves of the decrease in number of attacks committed on the territory of Israel, barrier opponents claim that the chief aim of this wall is to allow Israel to establish borders as it considers to be more beneficial.
Palestinian population unanimously oppose the existence of such a wall. They believe that “the Wall is an integral part of the Zionist project to remove Palestinians from Palestine” (“Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign”). In their opinion, such action as building a barrier only added to the security problem in this region but did not solve it. Some activists and opponents to the wall gathered on the protests but after a few times when protesters were killed by the IDF such meetings stopped. Palestinian people consider that they are victims and must defend themselves against the foreign invader who had taken into possession their homeland.
The separation of 10% of the West bank territory led to separation in families that now live with a wall between them. The movement between the territories of Israel and Palestine is very complicated due to limits put by Israel. For example, what 15 years ago was 5-minute walk now takes hours because of the necessity to find gates and to receive permission to enter. A large number of Palestinians are forced to live surrounded by the wall and controlled by the Israeli military forces. The exit of and entrance into such territory is allowed only during 12 hours per day and may be conducted only through Israeli block-post. As Salman Abu Sitta writes “almost one third of a million Palestinians are to be confined in a ghetto called Jalila province, an area of 400 square kilometers, with a density of 825 persons per square kilometer.”
The construction of the barrier led to confiscation of private ownerships and real estate of many Palestinians, other Palestinian landlords were absolutely cut off their lands. Agriculture was one of the prominent industry that gave lots of Palestinians means for living. Now the situation is even worse because those who stayed on the Israeli territory can not sell their production due to limitations in transportation. This all had major influence on the living standards of people and economic situation as a whole because Palestinians are mostly on the edge now without any possibility to develop until the wall stands.
The possibility to get education or use such public services as medical institutions or police offices are now banned for Palestinians because of the problems with transportation and necessity to get permission that proves innocence of a person regarding terrorist acts.
It is also very weird that such organizations as the UN whose aim is building peace and security does not take part in solving this conflict. It did not raise a question of violation of rights and territorial integrity of Palestine by Israel though its fact is acknowledged. It did not raise this question in the International Court of Justice because Israel as a party to a dispute did not admit that the problem exist. It seems that global peace and security organizations are not interested in peace and security in this region.
In my opinion, this apartheid wall causes nothing but new problem. People suffered because of continuous religious and territorial disputes but now they suffer because of family and property separation. If there would be a way to put an end to terrorism, this wall did not allow to come to peace. This separation will never be forgotten and only leads two belligerent nations into more serious conflict.

Works Cited

Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign. May First/People Link, 2011. ‹http://www.stopthewall.org/about-us›.
Sitta, Salman Abu. “Could cantonizing Palestine bring peace?” The Electronic Intifada. Web. 28 Jan. 2015 ‹http://electronicintifada.net/content/could-cantonizing-palestine-bring-peace/14204›.