Response to Annie's 5/27 Post: So, This Wall, eh?

It’s funny, as a child I lived the opposite experience. There were very few fences in my neighborhood, and the temptation to see what was behind the fenced areas was very great, at least for me. Many days spent sprinting through the entire street block of backyards, hurdling over fences, just to get a quick glimpse of whatever we weren’t supposed to see. This got me thinking of how I always saw fences as dividers, but of the type that presented challenges. They were always a feat to be scaled, and they promised the thrill of the unknown (and the fear of getting caught). So when I think of the Green Line being constructed around Palestinian territories, I can’t help but wonder what it may come to represent for younger generations growing up with a curiosity of what lies on the other side. If the border checkpoints and security continue to make crossings near-impossible for the average Palestinian, the political divisions the wall is meant to uphold will continue to cement, as will divided sentiments.

But people are curious, as we saw in the characters of Bashir and Dalia in the “Lemon Tree”. We want to know the unknown, regardless of laws, risks and sensibilities. This is where tourism can play a role. In order to avoid the dangers of trying to bypass security in crossing the border (by crossing riverbeds or other sneak tactics), cooperative cross-border tourism is an alternative that should be encouraged. It is still in a tenuous and early phase, still laden with suspicions and weariness, but it may be able to promise one way that Palestinians and Israelis can interact with each other in the pursuit of enjoyment, not discord. Communities on both sides of the wall have connections to the land, and interests in what lies beyond their tangible borders. It might not be much at the start, but it is worth making the effort in the interests of preserving a modicum of peace in the future.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3599465,00.html