Bring down the walls, Jordan Times

Opinion, July 2003, www.aljazeerah.info

Bring down the walls

Jordan Times, Wednesday, July 30, 2003

THE FIRST visit to the White House of Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas appears to have been a big success. Not only have Abbas' talks with US President George Bush and other senior administration officials including US Secretary of State Colin Powell helped to warm up relations between the two sides, but they also succeeded in increasing economic assistance from Washington to the Palestinian Authority. President Bush also appeared to concur with some of the Palestinians' concerns about Israeli oppressive measures, notably construction of the "security" wall that Israel is undertaking across the West Bank. By describing the wall as a problem, President Bush may not have gone as far as the Palestinians would have liked him to go, but that he noted it as such indicates that the issue does not sit well with him.

The wall, being constructed at considerable cost to Israel, is actually more than a "problem." The very concept of erecting such a permanent barricade is a throwback to ancient periods in history when cities, even countries, defended themselves by walls. There is no greater example than the 2,400km Great Wall of China built in the 3rd century BC. And the example closest in proximity is the Old City Wall of Jerusalem built by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent between 1537 and 1541.

Today it is absurd to purport that the security of countries and cities can be defended by walls — no matter how high. Israel is therefore and in effect receding in seeking its defence through the construction of its "security" wall.

The US must convince Israel to stop the construction of this controversial barrier.

It must also work on bringing down another barrier to the peace process — Israel's continued imprisonment of Palestinians. The Bush administration will have to convince Israel to be more accommodating of Abbas'insistence that more Palestinians be freed from Israeli jails. Freeing only a few score of them is a positive development, but such a limited move does not come close to what is urgently needed. The new Palestinian prime minister needs concrete moves from Israel to strengthen his position within the Palestinian ranks. If he cannot deliver much on the wall problem or the prisoners issue, he will continue to be undermined in his efforts to bolster the peace process on the basis of the roadmap.

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).