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PLEASE FORWARD THIS ALERT TO OTHERS WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED CALL CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES ABOUT THE ILLEGAL DIVISION OF JERUSALEM In our Congressional alert of January 26th, we wrote you about the Expansion of settlements in the Jayyous area and the resulting confiscation and destruction of Palestinian property. Today, in spite of what seem to be advancing peace negotiations and somewhat reduced violence between Israelis and Palestinians, destruction of Palestinian property and curtailment of Palestinian rights continue rapidly. One of the greatest causes of destruction -- and thus emblematic of the continuing occupation -- is the Separation Wall that the Israeli government is building throughout the occupied West Bank. [1] We would like to call your attention to a request posted by the Israeli Coalition Against House Demolitions, asking that informed citizens contact their Congressional representatives to oppose the division of Jerusalem caused by the ongoing construction of the Separation Wall. [2] Construction of the Separation Wall in the Jerusalem area began in August 2002 and during the past year has begun to surround the Jerusalem municipality. It already cuts off Abu Dis and several other villages from Jerusalem, the economic, cultural and political center of the West Bank. Unless they have Jerusalem IDs, Palestinians from the West Bank, Including the villages only a kilometer or two away, will be prohibited from accessing the city that they have named as their capital. Additionally, in July Palestinians from East Jerusalem will be prohibited from traveling to the West Bank without a permit. This constitutes the separation of East Jerusalem from the West Bank. Meanwhile, news reports this week inform us that 3,500 new housing units are to be constructed in the Maale Adumim settlement east of Jerusalem. The expansion of this settlement, in violation of international law and the Roadmap peace plan, will further cut the West Bank into geographically separate cantons, rendering a future Palestinian state unviable. [3] A stark example of the damage caused by the Wall in the Jerusalem area is found in the village of Sheikh Sa'ad, just southeast of the Jerusalem municipality. In late September of 2000, the Israeli army blocked the road out of Sheik Sa'ad with a pile of rubble, making traffic between this village and Jerusalem almost impossible. Because of the conditions caused by the separation, at least 30% of the residents have left the village. Difficult as it is now, when the Separation Wall passes through thisarea in a few months, it will completely sever the village from Jerusalem. It will mean the complete economic death of Sheikh Sa'ad. [4] Another instance of the drastic effect of the construction of the Wall in the area around East Jerusalem is found in Beit Hanina, the neighborhood bordering Ramallah to the north of Jerusalem. There, the Israeli army has blocked the road that connects two parts of the town. Those living in one part of the town lost their jobs in the other part after the road was closed. Travel restrictions have caused the closure of event halls, factories, butcher shops, a dental clinic and a private school. The rent market has collapsed as well, leaving hundreds of apartments empty. Among other hardships, the completed Separation Wall will prevent people in the western part of the town from reaching the hospital. [5] With these actions Israel is violating Article 12 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which confirms the right
to WHAT YOU CAN DO: Please contact your government representatives. Most of them
have not Time by which action should be taken: TALKING POINTS: The essential purpose of the Separation Wall, notwithstanding
Israeli Most extreme among these separations is the restriction of access to Jerusalem for residents of the West Bank. Jerusalem is the heart of Palestine's commercial and spiritual life, and its fate should be a matter for negotiations, not the result of a the forced construction of an illegal barrier. If the Wall continues simply to be forced through the West Bank countryside, it will leave a permanent cause for resentment and hostility among the Palestinians. Last year the International Court of Justice (World Court) found the Separation Wall to be a grave violation of international law covering military occupation. (URL reference here) The ICJ called upon the international community to sanction Israel for this destructive project.[6] As citizens of the United States -- the strongest supporter of
Israel – we must call upon our representatives to act in accord
with the World We urge our Senators and Representatives to pressure the Israeli government to halt the construction of the Separation Wall and the division of East Jerusalem. Current travel barriers should be removed, and no new ones should be put in their place. The fate of Jerusalem and its access to Palestinians must be the subject of negotiations, not the de facto result of unilateral actions by Israel. CONTACT INFORMATION: Phone numbers and e-mail addresses for your U.S. Senators: Phone numbers and e-mail addresses for your Congress members: E-mails to most Congress members must be sent via their web sites. To Access these sites, enter the URL supplied below into the address bar of your browser. Senator Murray's Foreign Affairs aide: Senator Cantwell's Foreign Affairs aide: It would be very helpful if you could write us at Thank you! Resources: [1] Documents about the Wall supplied by the PLO Negotiations
and Affairs [2] ICAHD (Israeli Coalition Against House Demolitions) [3] "And the Land Grab Continues," Article from Miftah.org on
recent [4] Information from Israeli human rights organization B'tselem on Sheik Sa'ad and other issues around Jerusalem: http://www.btselem.org/english/Separation_Barrier/Jerusalem.asp [5] Khaled Odetalah (2005), Beit Hanina - a ghetto under construction: [6] Ruling on Separation Wall by International Court of Justice: _________________________ |