Walls are barriers not connectors

http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3718503,00.html

The link above is an article that talks about how Fayyad was sworn in on May 20th to be the Prime Minister of Palestine. This has been controversial due to the split between Hammas and Fatah (West Bank and Gaza). The reason I am referring to this article is because in class I had asked why Israel was building the wall without the inclusion of Palestinians. Katrinka stated that there wasn't a unified government for Palestinians, nobody would come to the table. Now there is a government, that still isn't fully unified or developed, but here is a start.

Now to connect this new development with my thoughts to this wall. In my experience doing work in Conflict Transformation, I have visited Northern Ireland to gain understanding of the reality on the ground and worked in Rwanda to work on post-genocide sustainable development, which can basically be translated into "peacebuilding". Now in Belfast, Ireland there is a wall that encircles the Irish Catholics and the Protestants live on the outside. The gates close at 10:00 p.m. and if the Catholics want to leave the "compound", they have to leave by foot, through one exit door. This is post Good Friday agreement. The IRA and the British government are at a cease-fire and are entering into the actual disarmament of the IRA. But, recently IRA killed some British soldiers. So, now security is up again and things are shaky. Here we have the colonizer in the land of the Irish, and the Irish are inside of a wall. This wall is ridiculously tall because both sides were throwing bombs over the original wall. The wall is tall enough that no one could ever throw a bomb over, but what sort of environment has this created? My answer is an environment that reinforces the idea that there is an "us" and "them" mentality that seeks to perpetuate the cycle of revenge and violence. So whats to say that this wall being built by the Israelis will create an environment different than that of the Protestant/Catholic conflict?

When has a "solution" ever worked when one side of the conflict doesn't help create that solution, nor accept the solution? This is a unilateral movement that will NEVER create peace or decrease suicide bombing. It will only increase an environment that reinforces divisions, mistrust and lack of meaningful communication.

My work in Rwanda was is an example of true transformative peacebuilding. In 1994, over 1 million people were killed in 100 days. The genocide was executed by machetes, garden tools, and guns. It was up close and personal. Many people were killed by their own doctors, priests, neighbors and sometimes their own family. The aftermath was deep mistrust, devastation and poverty. Everything was ruined. The people had no choice but to work together to rebuild. Thats what they did, together. It took a lot for each side to trust each other (and it still is a big issue till this day), but there is something to be learned from this. Although the conflict of Rwanda does not have such a long history as Israel/Palestine, it needs to be recognized that even out of the most gruesome genocide in the world, there is a space where each side can work together to create a world in which each side can live. They have had to let down their personal, emotional walls to allow themselves to live in peace and to create a new future for themselves. It is time for the new Palestinian leadership to sit down with the Israeli leadership before this wall is fully built and work out a one state agreement.

The other thing I want to point out is in an interview on Al Jazeera, Dov Weisglass, who was an adviser to former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, spends his time not answering the questions about the wall and the peace process, but spends his time trying to rename this wall and call it a "fence". This is an obvious strategy to downplay what the wall really is. If the Isrealis and Palestinians can't even agree on what to call the wall, then the wall is obviously a catalyst for further cycles of revenge. Get a clue Israel. The following link is the video, and its in the first 2 minutes that this comment is made about the wall/fence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1iIFoM