The 9th November 2009 marked 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. This single event two decades ago led to the freedom of the Berlin people, caused the end of the Cold War and reunited a continent.
The Wall was built in 1961 and overnight inhabitants of East Berlin and the German Democratic Republic (GDR) were no longer allowed to enter the West of the city (including the 60,000 who had been commuters). GDR claimed that the barricade had been raised as an ‘anti-fascist protection wall’, and that they had moved to prevent a third world war. During the 28 years the Wall was standing, it is estimated that at least 239 people were killed and 260 injured trying to escape the clutches of wall.
The 20th year anniversary was marked with massive celebrations across the world. Several world leaders were in Berlin as the crowds watched the spectacular fireworks display. There was even a music concert held by the band U2 to mark the occasion.
The sheer scale of the celebration was spectacular. It was as if they were celebrating world peace. Unfortunately, this is not reality and there are other walls in the world still standing which serve the same purpose as the Berlin Wall; to divide and alienate sections of the population.
The Other Wall…
Remarkably there is another wall currently standing which is four times longer and two times taller then the Berlin Wall….the West Bank Wall in Palestine. In 2004 the International Court of Justice ruled this Wall illegal. The International Court of Justice said about the Wall:
The West Bank Wall severely “impedes the Palestinian right of self-determination which breaches the Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law. It makes it almost impossible for 160,000 Palestinians to have access to hospitals, schools, and primary sources of water.”
According to a report released by the U.N. in 2003, “the planned path of Israel’s security barrier will carve off 14% of the West Bank, trap 274,000 Palestinians in tiny enclaves (surrounded by smaller walls) and cut off another 400,000 from their fields, jobs, schools and hospitals.” The 14% percent being carved off is some of the best farmland in Palestine.
The purpose of the Berlin wall and the West Bank Wall are in fact very different. The Berlin wall was built to divide capitalism and communism whilst the West Bank Wall was built so the Zionists could steal Palestinian land and to have an iron grip over Palestinian resources.
During the Berlin wall, money was not a problem for the residents of East Berlin. The state subsidized 80% of the cost of basic items. But in Palestine the wall has had a devastating effect. In the Tulkarem District, the inability to travel due to the wall and Israeli military ‘closures’ brought the unemployment rate up from 18% to an estimated 78%.
In addition, the Wall has affected the farmers. The UN estimates that in the north of the West Bank approximately 80% of Palestinians who own land on the other side of the Wall have not received permits from the Israeli authorities, and hence cannot cultivate their fields.
A Palestinian farmer Youssef Salim said “before the construction of the Wall, my cooperative harvested over 3,000 tonnes of olives. Now we only have between 500 and 1,000 tonnes depending on the year. I have 1.8 hectares of olive trees isolated behind the Wall. For years now I haven’t been able to tend to them because it is forbidden to enter this zone.”
Israel has claimed that the wall is a ‘temporary measure’ against Palestinian ‘terrorism’. At a cost of 2.8 million US$ per km, the Wall is clearly there to stay. The Palestinians have been fighting for freedom since 1947 but their fight is labeled as ‘terrorism’ by Israel.
The German Chancellor Angelor Merkal said at the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall; “Freedom must be fought for. Freedom must be defended after time and again.” So aren’t the Palestinians merely following the words of the German Chancellor?
Several world leaders made speeches on the 20th anniversary since thousands of Berliners gained freedom. Mr. Barrack Hussain Obama said about the fall of the Berlin wall:
“There could be no clearer rebuke of tyranny. There could be no stronger affirmation of freedom,”
The British Prime Minister Gordan Brown told Berliners: “You dared to dream in the darkness. You knew that while force has the temporary power to dominate, it can never ultimately dictate.”
When these two leaders speak of “tyranny” and “temporary power to dominate,” are they also speaking about the Zionist regime which they both support?
In May 2005, USA allocated $50 million for Israel to build 34 terminals along the West Bank Wall. Also they “loan” them billions each year of which some is used to keep building the Wall. Under the ruling by the International Court of Justice and the resolution of the General Assembly, this funding for the Wall is illegal.
Mr Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize because of the promises he made to create peace in the world. Dismantling the West Bank Wall is his chance to justify receiving the Peace Prize. Forgive my pessimism, but I believe he will never do this. He might be good at giving speeches but he isn’t good at keeping his promises.
The French President Nicolas Sarkozy said: “The fall of the Berlin Wall serves for us all today as a call to fight oppression and to tear down all the walls that still separate the world, that divide cities, regions and nations. This is the message that a unified Europe proudly embodies and delivers to the world.”
In conclusion, the West Bank Wall is not just a wall but an Apartheid Wall. The plan is not to allow a Palestinian state to exist as called for by the United Nations but rather to create a dependent territory or entity like a South African “Bantustan” that has “certain attributes of sovereignty and does not have others.” Another purpose of the wall is to reduce the size of the West Bank and drive more Palestinians out.
If the fall of the Berlin Wall caused such a positive contribution to the world, then I am sure that the fall of the West Bank Wall will have similar effects if not more. Israel has killed 20 Palestinians (including a 10 year old boy) so far who were protesting against the Wall. How many more will die before we take action? We can all help in dismantling this illegal Apartheid Wall. Please sign the petition and circulate this message to family and friends
Petition to stop the wall:
http://www.petitiononline.com/stw/petition.html
To learn more please go on http://www.stopthewall.org
Let’s free Palestine from oppression.
By Zeeshan Arif
Mr Zee's Blog 
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