Palestinian residents of the Israeli occupied territory known as the West Bank face tribulations considering movement in their everyday lives. Israeli forces have constructed numerous checkpoints and roadblocks to contain Palestinians. Every checkpoint is manned by Israeli soldiers who search every vehicle and inspect every man’s permit or identification papers. For Palestinians this is like going through airport security every time they need to go to work, to school, or to visit family. Sometimes soldiers arrest those waiting at checkpoints for no reason and send them to prison where they are tortured with no option for trial. Roadblocks are concrete masses or dirt piles that inhibit vehicular passage on Palestinian roads. They are not manned by soldiers and passage by foot is not prohibited, their sole purpose is to complicate or prevent Palestinian movement. These barriers can make typically quick trips hour long ordeals even for ambulances and fire trucks in cases of emergency (Baltzer).
Such was the case for a couple living in Dier Ballut, a Palestinian city located in the West Bank. In a few hours they lost everything they owned to a fire in their furniture factory. A fire truck was called when the fire was still small and could have easily been put out. However, fire trucks from neighboring towns could not get passed the checkpoints and the only water supply (controlled by Israel) in Dier Ballut was a mile away. Surrounding Palestinians did all they could to help by bringing buckets of water, but their effort was useless. What started out as a small fire turned into a raging blaze that destroyed their factory and their home, located on the second floor. Now they are homeless (Baltzer).
Ismael, a Palestinian farmer, has another story to tell. The majority of Palestinians are olive grove farmers who cultivate land that has been in their family for generations. Many of the olive trees harvested in the West Bank were planted hundreds of years ago. However many farmers are unable to reach their land due to checkpoints and Israeli Jewish settlements. Ismael has 500 trees that are now located within the Israeli settlement of Ariel. Even though he has a permit, soldiers often do not let him pass and Ismael must rely on the help of International Solidarity Movement volunteers to persuade the soldiers to let him through. Ismael struggles to support his family and is frustrated with the inability to walk freely on his own land (Baltzer).
To further complicate movement and to keep Palestinians out, Israel is constructing a wall that many believe is located along the border. However, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “the Wall is expected to annex approximately 14.5% of West Bank land to Israel, a percentage estimated to at least double after completion of the projected extensions and closures” (Baltzer). Munira, his wife Hani, and their six children live on the outskirts of Mas’ha, an area that is mapped out to be annexed by Israel. Munira refused to relocate his family and leave his home. In response, the Israeli army built the 25 foot concrete Wall in front of Munira’s house, separating them from their land, village, and community. The wall has left them on the Israeli side of the fence even though they are living on land far from the border. The region located between the Israel-Palestine border and the Wall is known as the Seam and Munira now finds himself caught is this area of question, trapped in his home. To keep Munira’s family from entering “Israel” there is a fence on the remaining three sides. They rely on the mercy of a soldier who guards the gate entering their small cage and most days Munira is unable to get to work. His children cannot go to school and have little contact with the outside world (Baltzer).
The holiday traveler at Christmas journeys on average 275 miles (Bureau of Transportation). Most passengers do this with complaint and impatience, uttering the whining question, “Are we there yet?” However, considering the struggle Palestinians endure everyday just to travel ten miles down the road, the American plight seems insignificant. Most Israelis consider Palestinians to be terrorists and therefore utilize the Wall, checkpoints, and roadblocks as measures of security. However, their real goal is to make the lives of Palestinians as difficult as possible, hoping that they will give up and leave the West Bank. The 18 year old soldiers patrolling Palestinian towns are often spoken to by residents as if they are their masters (Baltzer). They do this out of fear, but how long must Palestinians continue to endure daily humiliation and injustice without retaliating? Living in a fish bowl can turn someone either submissive or violent, neither being psychologically healthy. Violence seems to be a more likely option given the situation. Palestinians living in the West Bank are losing their jobs, their land, their families, and subsequently their identities. Frustration with the occupation can turn a calm, sane person with nothing left to live for into a violent retaliator. Therefore, is Israel squelching terrorists or breeding them?
Works Cited
Bureau of Transportation. "U.S. Holiday Travel." Bureau of Transportation Statistics. 2009
Baltzer, Anna. Witness in Palestine: A Jewish American woman in the occupied territories. Boulder, CO: Paradigm Publishers, 2007.
