Monday November 9, 2009, 9:30 pm
On the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Western leaders are full of self-congratulation. But their paeans to universal freedom ring hollow, when they bear large responsibility for another wall constricting human freedom: the apartheid wall dividing the Palestinian West Bank.

Israeli authorities refer to it as a "separation barrier," but that's misleading. The wall doesn't separate pre-1967 Israel from the West Bank. If that's all it did, it would be an entirely different political object. Instead, the wall cuts deep into the Palestinian West Bank, separating Palestinians from each other and from their land, and signaling to the Palestinians that Israel intends to annex territory that Palestinians want for an independent Palestinian state. The fact that Western countries that support the Israeli government - above all the United States - say nothing about the West Bank wall signals to Palestinians that Western support for Palestinian statehood is merely rhetorical.

Today, AFP reports, Palestinians tore down a chunk of the wall near Ramallah.

AFP notes that 85 percent of the planned wall is inside the West Bank, and it would leave 9.5 percent of the West Bank and 35,000 West Bank Palestinians between the barrier and the Green Line that marks the 1967 border with Israel.

The World Court issued a resolution in 2004 calling for those parts of the barrier that are inside the West Bank to be torn down and for further construction in the territory to cease. Israel and Western countries have ignored the World Court resolution.

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Read more?...Visit site...What right does Netanyahu have to continue building this apartheid wall, despite world opposition. How sick can sick be?

Monday November 9, 2009, 10:23 pm
How sick can sick be? As sick as Netanyahu.

Monday November 9, 2009, 10:24 pm
Israel, USA,
how many kids did you kill today?

Monday November 9, 2009, 10:27 pm
Free Palestine from the brutal Israeli occupation!!!

Monday November 9, 2009, 10:28 pm
End U.S. support for Israel!!!

End the U.S.$3-4 billion military aid that the U.S. government gives to Israel each year!!!

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 2:37 am
Thank you David. I 've been so upset about ALL the FUSS about the Berlin Wall, seeing that for the largest part, people seem to completely forget about the OTHER separation walls and do nothing about those... Do they not care at all? It's more hypocrisy than I can bear...

Of course there's the West Bank "Separation" wall with all the problems and discrimination it inflicts upon the Palestinians...

And there's also the Separation Wall still dividing Cyprus, *courtesy of Turkey* every since they invaded half of Cyprus, torturing and killing many Cypriots. Turkey has never been held accountable for that.

Is that wall invisible or what???

Shame on the international community for ignoring it and what it still does to the Greek Cypriots who live there and have to deal with it, whether they like it or not, and who still grieve for the loss of their loves ones and homes.

Thankfully some of the media had short reports on the West Bank Wall and what it means to the Palestinian population. We also need to remember that this wall is still costing lives among those who protest against it - the world should have been reminded of it, instead of spending so much money on past events that are already part of History anyway and should be seen as the best way to put pressure against other Separation walls, present and future.

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 7:55 am
Dersho-joke calls it a "fence." Yeah, a two-story concrete "fence."

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 3:25 pm
Hamas can hardly be called best neighbours. A good fence is a must!

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 5:59 pm
"Separation barrier", my rosy-red Irish butt!
This is apartheid going on in Israel, and
Netanyahu and his government know it!
The Israelis do not want peace, and their actions
demonstrate that perfectly well.
Perhaps Hamas is not the best neighbors, but then
neither are the Israelis, and the Israelis are holding
all the cards right now. If things were different, or
reversed, the U.S. would be calling Hamas "freedom fighters",
which is exactly what they are.
Thanks for a great post, David.
noted.

Monday November 16, 2009, 1:00 am
Recall the comment made by Ariel Sharon of the Likud party, the political child of the Irgun and Lehi Gangs (of which Hamas is a pale image), known for their kidnappings, beatings, murders and hangings, on the matter:

"EVERY TIME WE DO SOMETHING, YOU TELL ME AMERICANS WILL DO THIS AND WILL DO THAT. I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING VERY CLEAR: DON'T WORRY ABOUT AMERICAN PRESSURE ON ISRAEL;

WE, THE JEWISH PEOPLE, CONTROL AMERICA. AND THE AMERICANS KNOW IT."

-- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, October 3, 2001 (IAP News)