ROME, December 16, 2009 (WAFA)- “ On November 9th 2009, the world celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. While we rejoiced one wall ruin a shameful silence prevailed regarding a wall that stands today, dividing Palestine,” Luisa Morgantini former Vice President of the European Parliament wrote.
“On November 9th 2009, the world celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall Deplored by millions, the wall became a symbol of violence and separation that over time found its cement bricks decorated in images of freedom and resistance,” she added, “ whilst we rejoiced one wall ruin a shameful silence prevailed regarding a wall that stands today, dividing Palestine. 9 metres high this apartheid Wall violates international law and yet Israel continues its construction undeterred by appeals, resolutions and the advisory opinions of the UN Assembly.”
She noted “on the same day that we celebrated the anniversary of Berlin, Palestinian, Israeli and International activists risked their lives to breach the Wall in Qalandyia and Nialin - an act of heroic resistance that received almost no media coverage.”
She said “the construction of what successive Israeli governments have dubbed a defensive barrier has a long story. For decades Israeli colonialism has sought to solve the question of how to reduce the native presence so that their populace can never threaten the jewishness of the State of Israel.” adding “in 1948 this resulted in the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who remain refugees to this day and the destruction of 400 Palestinian villages. In 1967 a preventive territorial conquest war found the same operation did not succeed. An additional 300,000 Palestinians became refuges but many people refused to flee choosing to remain with their land.”
Morgantini said, “the defensive barrier first began life in 1994 when Yitzahak Rabin approved the construction of a wall in Gaza that soon surrounded the entire Strip. The following year he assigned the Ministry of Public Security, Moshe Shahal, with assessing the possibilities for a similar construction to separate Israel from the West Bank. The project was abandoned until 2000 when following Sharon provocation on Temple Mountain the second Intifada broke out, from 2001 onwards the defensive barrier has continued unabated, annexing vast amounts of Palestinian land.”
She explained “ consequentially Israel now controls the movement of Palestinians throughout the territories, preventing those living in the West Bank and Gaza from entering Jerusalem; initiating policies of restrictions among Areas A, B and C in accordance with the Oslo Agreements and building roads on occupied territories with the purpose of connecting Israeli settlements, which have progressively expanded. All these policies have expropriated land from Palestinians with no compensation.”
She expressed, “initially Israel justified the separation barrier as a security measure to protect its civilian population from would be suicide bombers. It is a sacred right for any country to defend its people and the project was supported by an international media campaign led by three popular Israeli writers from the peace camp, David Grossman, Amos Oz and Abraham Yehoshua. Many politicians from the enlightened camp were also in favour believing the wall could help facilitate the creation of a Palestinian State by clearly defining its borders. The question is which borders?”
“Certainly not those of the 1967 occupied territory, including East Jerusalem, recognized under international law. The Wall path has continually cut inside West Bank territory destroying and annexing mass of cultivated land, olive trees and orchards,” she added, “Only 20% of the wall adheres to 67 borders.”
She remarked “since Annapolis a settlement freeze has been considered a fundamental precondition for any negotiations between Israel and Palestine, but despite all the declarations, settlements continue to expand. According to Peace Now illegal settlements in West Bank now number 120. It reports that 15,000 Israelis have moved into West Bank colonies since 2008 bringing the total settler population there to 250,000. Over 200,000 live in East Jerusalem, which Israel considers to be part of its indivisible capital despite international law protestations to the contrary. The Israeli government is now leading a policy of ethnical cleansing through house demolitions and the evictions of Palestinian families from east Jerusalem.”
She concluded, “Enough is enough. Five years following the ICJ Advisory Opinion and 20 years since the Berlin Wall fall, it is time for the International Community to adopt concrete measures such as a weapons embargo and divestments from all companies who profit from Israeli military occupation to call Israel to account. It is time for the European Union to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement and not to proceed with the upgrade of EU Israel relations,” added,” Israeli authorities cannot be considered above international law in the name of security.
