The+West+Bank+Barrier;+Separating+Peace

The West Bank Barrier Separating Peace Between Two Peoples An Editorial Created by Lauren Kelly May 24, 2012 Construction began in the West Bank Barrier in June 2002 in order to provide security for the Israeli people who had been victims of terrorist attacks that resulted from Palestinians crossing the "Green Line." The Barrier, which, when completed, will stretch the entire length of the West Bank's border with Israel. Though the Barrier's goal is primarily security of the Israel people and preventing innocent deaths, the Barrier has been a cause of controversy due to the disregard the wall has to the Palestinians that live in the area. Currently, there is almost no representation of the Palestinian people in regards to the building of the wall. The wall also is a blatant land grab by Isreal, whose building of the wall not only puts 12% of Palestinian land on the Israeli side, but also forces the Palestinians to accept a border without any negotiating with the Palestinian people. The Barrier also severely restricts and affects the lives of the Palestinians whose land falls on or around the barrier's location. With such little representation and regard to the Palestinian people, the West Bank Barrier may prevent some terrorist attacks but will prevent something that will save far many more lives: peace between these two peoples. Relations between the Israelis and Palestinians are extremely strained and due to this, communication between the groups is hardly effective, if not impossible. Because of this, negotiating things between the two people can be extremely difficult. However, basic human rights state that each group should have fair representation in such a large decision as the West Bank Barrier. However, Israel has created the wall without any regards to the Palestinian people who live along its sides. This lack of representation makes such a barrier unlawful, considering that the West Bank is Palestinian territory that is currently occupied by Israel. The United Nations court in a ruling passed in 2004, stated that imposing a wall on the Palestinian people was illegal and ordered that the wall be taken down and the Palestinians be compensated. The United Nations Court also cited various violations that the Barrier creates. With such little representation and suppression by the Israeli people, how can Palestinians and Israelis find peace when the people are not equal? The West Bank Barrier is also a clear land grab by the state of Israel. The wall is being built "near" the Green line, which was created in 1949 as an armistice agreement and is not an internationally recognized border. As mentioned, the wall allows Israel to annex 12% of the West Bank without having to negotiate with Palestinians. Much of the land obtained is also seized from Palestinians and overall almost 68,000 Palestinian individuals will be affected by the formation of this barrier. The Palestinian displacement is considered unlawful by the United Nations, however Israel has continued the construction of the wall. The barrier will also be over twice the length of the original armistice agreement and will isolate over 9% of the West Bank. The wall is truly nothing more that a land grab and the barrier and treatment of the Palestinians is clearly glorified imperialism of the Palestinian people. The Palestinian people are the most affected by the wall and far more Palestinians will suffer when the wall is completed than the amount of Israelis killed by terrorist acts. As Palestinian resident Akram Badir states "The land is everything to us, without our land we are nothing. It's been this way for centuries and our lives will disappear if the wall is built here." Palestinian's land will be seized by the Israeli government with little compensation, or their land will be moved to the Israeli side, which, without a permit, cannot be cultivated by the Palestinians. The wall will virtually kill the economics in the areas around the wall, along with creating a severe water crisis in the area. Water routes have been cut off by the barrier, and many Palestinians now must trek for days or are only allowed access to water far less frequently. The West Bank Barrier is also a health concern to the Palestinians in the area, whose children and pregnant woman will now be denied care in Israel. Overall the negative affects on the Palestinians will severely affect any peaceful negotiations in the future. The West Bank Barrier, though built with legitimate concerns over the security of Israeli citizens, will push back any peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The poor treatment and representations not only is unlawful and unjust, but will also create more tension between these two groups. If anything, the wall will create a desperate situation in Palestine that will result in more violence due to oppression by the Israelis. This is not a move towards a peaceful co-existence between these people. This barrier is an injustice to the Palestinians and construction should be halted so that peace between these people can occur.