Int. Day Against The Israeli Apartheid Wall

Internatonal Day Against The Israeli Apartheid Wall Zububa, Jenin

On Sunday, starting at 11:30am in Zububa, Palestinians from the Western villages of Jenin, will lead a non-violent direct action against the apartheid wall. The villagers demands include respect for human rights, the upholding of the Geneva convention and the immediate dismantling of the wall.

The Palestinian villagers, who will be accompanied by members of the National Defense Committee Against the Wall, International Solidarity Movement (ISM) and Israeli peace activists are protesting the illegal construction of the wall. Their demands include dismantling wall inside the West Bank, so Palestinians can return to their land, and an end to the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem).

The first phase of the construction of the Israeli apartheid wall, completed in July 2003, spanning 90 kilometers, has separated 50 villages from their lands, 16 villages have also been annexed to Israel, 36 water wells have been confiscated and 14 additional wells are threatened for demolition. Once the wall is complete, it will be 650 kilometers in length and cost $2.8 million per km. The total land grab by the Israeli government will amount to 58% of the West Bank once the wall is complete. The 42% of Palestinian land that will remain as the West Bank will be ghettoized into 4 isolated sections (not including the Gaza Strip).

In specific, the western villages of the Jenin region have had a large percentage of land appropriated by the Israeli government with the construction of the first phase of the wall; the village of Anin has lost 12,000 dunums; the village of Zbouba has lost 295 dunums; the village of Rumani has lost 800 dunums; and the village of Altybi has lost 300 dunums. (4 dunums to an acre)

The human rights of Palestinians are being violated with the building and the existence of the Israeli apartheid wall. Just over one month ago, a 15 year old boy was shot and killed by the Israeli army at the wall. For the olive harvest, farmers have been denied access to their land, which they depend on to feed their families and sustain their livelihood. In Anin, farmers have been detained and beaten by Israeli soldiers while trying to access their land. Many homes have been demolished to make room for the construction of the wall and its "buffer zone". The presence of the wall is a great humiliation to the Palestinian people, who feel as if they are living in the world's largest prison. For example, the city of Qalquilia is completely surrounded by the wall, with only one road to access the area, guarded by an Israeli army checkpoint within the West Bank. Palestinians are being suffocated by the Israeli occupation of West Bank and the presence of the apartheid wall on their lands. Their human right to freedom of movement continues to be violated by the Israeli government on a daily basis, which denies Palestinians from seeing their families, reaching their jobs, accessing proper health care and education. This inhumane treatment of the Palestinian people must end. The Israeli government's slow and deliberate ethnic cleansing of Palestine must be stopped.

Qalqilia Marches Against Israeli Apartheid Wall Demonstration in conjunction with international day of action

Who: Palestinians alongside internationals of the International Solidarity Movement

What: Peaceful march against the Israeli Apartheid Wall

When: Sunday November 9, 2003 at 12:00 PM (local time)

Where: Qalqilia, West Bank, Palestine

Why: To oppose the Israeli Occupation and construction of the Apartheid Wall

Qalqilia lies in the northern half of the West Bank, just 20 km from Tel Aviv. It is completely surrounded by Israel's controversial wall, and has suffered skyrocketing unemployment, public debt, and other dire consequences in the wake of its completion. A majority of Qalqilia's agricultural lands and water resources have been confiscated by Israel, and the restriction of mobility has wrought significant destruction on employment, trade, and education. Perhaps more than any other place, Qalqilia represents the true objectives behind the construction of Israel's Wall.

The march will begin at the Qalqilia Municipality Building, and proceed to the southwest corner of the Wall, for a culminating action. The demonstration will feature a coalition of NGO's, local government organizations, and local citizens, as well as internationals from the US and Europe.

In Palestine and around the world, November 9th is being marked by a week of activities whereby thousands of people will collectively resist Israel's Apartheid policies through demonstrations, speaking events, grassroots meetings, and cultural activities. The week's activities, organized by the Palestinian Environmental NGO's Network (PENGON), will begin on November 9th with a general strike from 12 PM to 2 PM that will bring a halt to all economic activity. Throughout the West Bank districts including Qalqilia, Tulkarem, Jenin, Salfit, Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Bethlehem, there will be both central demonstrations in city centers and actions at the Wall. Communities living along the Wall's path of devastation will protest at the Wall's so-called gates and the Israeli attempts to expel them from their land.

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