Construction of separation fence,
Falamiya Village, West Bank
See 7 November 2002 report by Ecumenical Accompanier Sune from Denmark entitled "Chainsaw logic"
In June 2002 Israel began erecting a so-called separation barrier between Israel and the West Bank. In most places, it consists or will consist of an electrified fence, whereas in some places, for instance around the city of Qalqiliya, it takes the form of an eight-meter-high concrete wall. According to Israel, the barrier is meant to prevent suicide bombers from entering Israel from the West Bank.
The barrier does not follow the 1949 armistice line, the so-called Green Line, which constitutes the unofficial border between Israel and the West Bank. Instead, in most places the barrier runs or will run deep inside the West Bank - in some cases up to six kilometers east of the Green Line. This fact has at least four important implications:
1. Thousands of hectares of heavily cultivated Palestinian farmland are now placed or will end up on the Israeli side of the barrier.
2. Vast stretches of Palestinian farmland have been or will be destroyed as a result of the 50-100 meter security zone that will surround the barrier.
3. When the barrier is in place, many thousands of Palestinian workers depending on jobs inside Israel will face severe difficulties or be altogether prevented from reaching their workplace.
4. At least fourteen Palestinian villages will end up in a no-man's land between the barrier and the Green Line.
The fence thus infringes human rights, the most important of which are
The Israeli guards
The contractors who carry out the actual job of clearing the way for the separation barrier and its accompanying security zone engage private security staff to fend of potential resistance from the affected farmers. The guards are usually armed with handguns as well as sub-machineguns (see pics 2, 3A, 8, 11 A and 11 B).
Israel's claim
It should be noted that Israel claims that the mentioned infringements are lawful since the barrier is intended to provide security to Israel's citizens. For a thorough discussion on this issue, please refer to www.btselem.org/Download/Separation_Barrier_Eng.rtf
and
www.lawsociety.org/wall/wall.html
For a report on the situation in Falamiya, click here.
November 2002 | 
