Palestinians breach separation fence for 2nd time in a week
Activists tether part of West Bank barrier to truck and pull it over, creating gap in fence.
By Reuters Tags: Israel newsActivists breached a hole in the West Bank wall for the second time in less than a week on Monday in a demonstration to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Their faces masked, the activists tethered a 2-meter wide section of the cement barrier to a truck which then pulled it over. The crowd of around 50, which had gathered at a section of the barrier near an Israeli checkpoint at Qalandiya, cheered as the 6-meter high section fell.
Israeli soldiers fired tear gas at the crowd, some of whom threw stones over the wall. Several demonstrators passed through the gap they had created, hoisting a Palestinian flag and setting ablaze tires on the other side.
On Friday, during a demonstration in the West Bank city of Na'alin, where activists and Palestinians gather every Friday to protest the route of the fence, masked Palestinian youths breached a section of the wall that runs through the village, while Israeli border guards fired tear gas and a foul-smelling spray from behind the high concrete barrier.
Protesters levered open a space under one the pre-cast panels and used a hydraulic car-jack to topple it out of position.
"No matter how tall, all walls fall," read one banner pasted onto the structure by Palestinian youths assisted by Israeli activists, who say the wall on Palestinian land and through Palestinian communities is simply a land grab by Israel.
The panels of the walls in Israel's separation barrier are cast in the same inverted T-shape as the wall constructed through Berlin by communist East Germany.
Israel began building its barrier of fences and walls at the height of the Palestinian uprising that began in 2000 and it now runs along most of the West Bank border, at many points encroaching into West Bank territory.
It says it was built to prevent suicide bombers entering Israel and has largely succeeded in doing so. Palestinians see it as an attempt to seize land on which they aim to establish an independent state.
"Today we commemorate 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall," said Abdullah Abu Rahma, leader of the People's Campaign to Fight the Wall. "This is the first step in a series of activities we will be holding in the coming days to express our firm attachment to our land and our rejection of this wall."
In a non-binding decision in 2004, the International Court of Justice said the barrier was illegal and should be taken own because it crossed occupied territory.
Israeli leaders have said the barrier is a temporary obstacle that could be removed once a peace agreement with the Palestinians is signed.
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Palestinian and international activists crossing through the West Bank separation fence after they breached a section of the barrier Monday. |
| Photo by: (Reuters) |
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The Wall is another illegal Israeli project, and the Palestinians are standing up for their rights. Israel would like to turn the West Bank into many more Gazas. When will Israel start recognizing Palestinian human rights?
A bunch of israeli leftists and their palestinian friends can have a party and temporarily pull over a section of the security fence, but that has no relevance to the purpose of the fence and to its tremendous success in preventing the deaths of countless deluded and manipulated palestinians who would otherwise have scattered their body parts over various streets and shops in Tel Aviv and other israeli villages and cities. Bravo for the fence, and shame on those who are in favor of letting palestinian youths be manipulated into blowing themselves up in the cause of hatred and murder!
Let's not forget that since israel built this barrier the rampage of Palestinian suicide bombers have disappeared. Why?, because of a new peace push by Palestinians, no a physical barrier that keeps Palestinian men, woman and teenagers strapped with explosive belts out of Israel, out of Pizzarias, ice cream shops and discos packed with Israeli children and young adults. The Wall, fence(barrier) should remain.
This is getting ridiculous... no matter how many times you say, some ppl doesnt hear you. Yes, the settlements are part of the problem, but NO, the settlements arent the core of the problem, so even if there wasnt a single settlement in west bank, there would be no peace, so please....stop crying that the end of the settlements will end the comflict, becuse it wont. If it would, Im sure Israel would had settle this matter, as it did before with Egypt.
And let the Palestinian and Jewish brethren re-unite. HAHAHAHAHAH
Keep it going, Free Palestine!
The Na'alin wall breach was the subject of an editorial on the front page of the (French) Le Courrier newspaper in Geneva on Monday. This second gesture will not go unheeded.It is totally enheartening to people like me who can only sit at their computer and read Ha'aretz - many thanks !
Moroccan illegal immigrants, whose ancestors lived in Spain for 700 years, also try to break into Europe every chance they get because, who would want to live in Morocco when they can live in Europe?
I am in awe of these courageous Palestinian freedom fighters. IDF soldiers hide behind shields and helmets, use big weapons, tear gas, live ammunition against unarmed civilians. These brave Palestinians will be remembered in history like the freedom fighters in Tianamen Square and the Warsaw Ghetto.
And I would like the border between Israel and Palestinians to disappear. Although I find it strange that some people insist it should disappear right now, while borders between such countries as US and Canada, for example, still exist.
Chaim, what? This is for Leftist Terrorists to infiltrate Israel? What's the story exactly - Palestinians are islamic nuts bent on suicide killing us or are they "leftists" (who I guess care about humanity?) trying to infiltrate? Btw - I'd watch your mouth about how terrorist "leftists" are. There are plenty of Israeli leftists and it seems to me that it's only the rightwing/settlers who are committing theft, arson, assaults, and murder. The Leftists in this protest injure no one. Furthermore, they respond nonviolently when they are the targets of the IDF (shooting protestors in the head) and the right (Yaakov Teitel bombing leftist homes, right a bell?). So do you define pacifists as terrorist now, or is it only those who oppose your brand of violence who are terrorists?
East Germans who fought to take down the Berlin wall are today remembered as heroes... These activists, Palestinian and Israeli alike, are trying to call the World's attention to another wall that is not less shameful than that built in Berlin. Treat Palestinians as equal citizens and there will be no need for walls. In the meantime this wall stands as a grim reminder of the oppression and segregation they are being subjected to.
If the wall had been designed to keep terrorists out of Israel it would have been built on the green line. Where it is, it's an abomination. It must go. Shame Jews and Palestinians didn't go on to the Berliners' next stage today and celebrate freedom together. That day will come;
suicide bombings since the wall was up.
these israelis who came from russia and europe keep using the term "terrorism" as if they have some sort of monopoly of the use of it. military occupation = the worst form of terrorism until the occupation ends, other forms of "terrorism" (as you call it) unfortunately will not! peace begets peace and violence begets violence!
this entire apartheid wall should be dismantled piece by piece from north to south until the entire monster collapses for good ! millions of international activists should go to the occupied palestinian west bank and take part in this courageous demolition work! apartheid must end and so should this racist wall !!
Israel's wall is to keep murdering and squatting Pals out. The Berlin wall was to keep a population in. Very different circumsance. Israel may have to resort to more rubber bullets and barbed wire.
At least the German communists had built the Berlin Wall on their side of the demarcation line.
wall as an image they should not forget one important thing: the fall of the berlin wall was caused by NON-violent means not by violent ones as we see them again and again during palestinian protest-actions. if the palestinians turned to peace, no wall would be necessary, neither on israeli nor on palestinian land. think about this, palestinian guys!
"The wall doesn`t stop terrorism." Except, it does. Look at the pre-separation barrier number of terror attacks and the post-barrier numbers. The numbers are basic algebra. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.
"Stop Aparthied and land grab and there would be no resistance(" "Apartheid" was when Jordan captured the territories and rid them of Jews. There was no, "land grab" preceding that "resistance." In 1920, 1929, 1936 - there was no "land grab." However, the Arabs "resisted" Jews by massacring them. The Arabs have been "resisting" Jews over there since 1920. What's the pre-1967 excuse? Jews owned properties on the West Bank and East Jerusalem until they were kicked out in 1948. Reclaiming their properties is a "land grab" which is to be resisted? Since when?
"How much was spent building something a couple of kids with a jack can knock over?" However much time was spent was worth it, given the drastic reduction in suicide bombings. How much time do you think it will take that couple of kids with jacks to knock over the rest? The barrier serves a purpose -- to keep terrorists out. Do you think any terrorists got through the hole or was security immediately alerted and the section patrolled? THINK Lincoln. THINK.
the palestinians have a right to their peaceful protests, but the foreigners have no place here. they should be deported and blacklisted from ever returning. they enjoy the high life, partying with jewish israelis in jerusalem or tel aviv at night, and then in the safety of daylight, trekking over to the other side. why should our soldiers worry about their ignorance, when they put themselves in harm's way, in between defenders of civilians and actual terrorists? i don't care if the foreigners are merely naive, let them be naive in their country. they're not welcome or wanted here, nor do they have any rights here, but then they're in shock when we don't want to hang out with them at the pub.
The answer is build more walls with more American tax money and stell more land and houses and pretend you want peace and the American will beleive but the rest of the world does not but according to you they are anti Semitac ???????????
"Israeli leaders have said the barrier is a temporary obstacle that could be removed once a peace agreement with the Palestinians is signed." What complete and utter nonsense! There is nothing temporary about a wall that steals land and water resources. The struggle will never end until the occupation is ended and an agreement amenable to both sides is arrived at. More than likely, this will come about as a result of War!
The wall doesn't stop terrorists. It's not there to stop terrorists. In any case the terrorists are on both sides of the wall, and they aren't Palestinians.
Stop Aparthied and land grab and there would be no resistance(aka terrorism by Zionists) left.
"Abandon terrorism and there won`t be any need for a wall." As usual you ignore that the issue is not the existence of the wall, but its location.
Actually, only some of the terrorists are on the Israeli side of the wall. Many of them are living in colonies on the Palestinian side.
I just can't believe our defence forces. Why not just throw water from above and make the protestors look rediculous. That is how to put out a fire, not tear gas.
Since an end of terror sponsored by Iran is not in the menu, the wall is likely to stay longer. The ball is in the Palestinians' court.
Do you really want to risk a terrorist getting across the border? These so called protesters are a threat and should be dealt with severly. Fire real bullets. Touch the wall and you risk being killed. Its that simple.
This demonstration is a cover for letting terrorist infiltrate Israel. This is extremely dangerous and liable to lead to dead Israeli women and children.
Currently it's purpose - making us safer - is widely accepted. It's position - much of it in privately owned Pal territory, splitting farms, removing basic land-rights, etc. - is completely despicable, immoral, and indefensible.
How much was spent building something a couple of kids with a jack can knock over?
While it is facile to compare the two walls, they are completely different: the German wall was meant to keep people IN while the Israeli wall is meant to keep terrorists out.
Did the engineer responsible for that joke of a wall graduate from Texas A&M?
Palestinian activists carrying out Israeli Supreme Court orders, while the IDF sees the highest court of the land as mere recommendations? What has the world come to?
The purpose of the security fence is to keep the terrorists in check. Attempts to tear it down are attempts to aid terror and this is intolerable. Any enemy of Israel aiding terror is a terrorist and should be shot.