Issues

Palestine

The Wall: An Obstacle on the Road to Peace

Posted on Friday August 22, 2003

Map from Israeli newspaper Yedioth Aharonoth
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“I think the wall is a problem…it is very difficult to develop confidence between the Palestinians and Israel. with a wall snaking through the West Bank.” – President Bush, July 25, 2003

In April 2002, the Israeli government began building a complex series of walls, barriers, and trenches within the western border of the West Bank. Since then, the wall has continued to be constructed. The originally planned route of the wall would have effectively annexed large portions of Palestinian territory, but a recent Supreme Court decision in Israel and international pressure appears to have caused the Sharon government to modify its path.

Though it is unclear what the wall’s exact final route will be, it is clear that it has already imposed real hardships on Palestinians in the Occupied Territories by confiscating their land and separating them from their livelihoods.

The original April 2002 plan would have had the wall stretching 600-650 km (372-404 miles), and would have annexed 98% of the Jewish settlement population and between 45-55% of the West Bank, deviating significantly from the Green Line (the 1949 armistice line and Israel’s internationally recognized border).

Additionally, this original plan would have meant that the remaining Palestinian territory would have been enclosed on all sides, with some Palestinian towns completely encircled into isolated enclaves.

The Wall Undermines the Road Map

The Road Map specifically calls upon the Israeli government to take “no actions undermining trust” and specifically prohibits “confiscation and/or demolition of Palestinian homes and property, as a punitive measure or to facilitate Israeli construction.”

Not only does construction of the wall entail confiscation and destruction of Palestinian property, the wall undermines trust by its very nature. A large border-like structure enclosing Israeli settlements built on confiscated Palestinian land has a significant impact on two final status issues: settlements and borders. The construction of the wall gives the appearance of an effort to create “facts on the ground” and could prove disastrous for President Bush’s efforts to restart the delicate peace process.

The Wall’s Objective: Israeli Security or Annexation of Palestinian Territory?

The Israeli government has a right to erect border structures on its territory that it deems appropriate for national security. However, at least in its original form, the wall would not have been constructed on Israeli territory, nor would it have been constructed along the route of the Green Line. This suggests that in its original form, the wall was not so much a defensive structure as it is a way to permanently annex a very large portion of the West Bank.

Furthermore, despite claims by wall proponents, the construction of the wall itself actually weakens Israel’s security by undermining trust between the parties. In addition to violating Israeli obligations under the road map as noted above, the wall also threatens the position of reformers within the Palestinian leadership who are working to combat terror.

The Wall’s Devastating Humanitarian Impact

Palestinians are already in a dire socio-economic situation—with 60% of the population living under the poverty line of $2/day—and the wall’s construction only deepens this crisis. More than 30,000 landholders have permanently lost their land and their means of sustenance because of the wall.

To date, over 80,000 olive trees—the source of income for many Palestinians—have been uprooted. Despite claims that these trees have been replanted in Palestinian areas, many of the trees were sold on Israel’s black market.

Had the original construction been completed, 40% of the West Bank’s agricultural land and 66% of its wells would have been annexed as a result of the wall. Even now, with a possibility that the wall will more closely conform to the Green Line, or if it were removed as part of a final agreement, the devastation and dislocation wrought by the wall’s construction will have an impact on the lives of Palestinians for years to come.

The Wall and US Administration Conditionality on the $9 Billion Loan Guarantees

As part of the supplemental appropriation for fiscal year 2003, Israel received $9 billion in loan guarantees. These guarantees were to be provided in three installments with deductions for Israeli spending on “activities which the President determines are inconsistent with the objectives and understandings reached between the United States and the Government of Israel regarding the implementation of the loan guarantee program.”

At one time, there were reports that the Bush Administration was considering whether to reduce the loan guarantees by the amount spent on the wall east of the Green Line.

Not only is spending on the wall “inconsistent” with the Road Map, it is also fiscally irresponsible. At a time when Israel is receiving an additional $10 billion in US aid ($9 billion in loan guarantees and $1 billion in grants) for security and economic assistance, it can hardly afford to be diverting funds from needed expenditures to measures that endanger the US-backed peace process.