O Israel wall is a project whose execution began in 2002 and intends to stand as a barrier between the Arab territory of the West Bank region and Jewish territory, represented by the State of Israel, responsible for its construction (see map bellow). The target of much criticism, this wall sustains a great controversy both in the Middle East and abroad. of it, being just one of the countless episodes that mark the conflict and opposition between Israel and Palestine.
Location map of the Israel Wall Construction Project in the West Bank **
To understand the context of the construction of Israel's wall, which is also known as West Bank Wall, it is necessary to have a notion about the territorial disputes between Jews and Arabs in the Palestine region. This dispute, which has been going on for hundreds of years, intensified from the year 1949, when the UN (United Nations) began to divide the region.
In this division, just over half of the territory was under Israeli possession and the rest was destined for the Palestinians. However, over time and the occurrence of events with the conflicts of 1948 and 1949, the
Six Day War (1967) and the Yom Kippur War (1973), the agreements made were disrespected and the area was always the target of constant disputes and terrorist acts (click here to understand the entire chronology of events that marked this dispute). To this day, Palestine is not considered an independent state by the international community.Conceived by the then (deceased) Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the justification for the construction of the Wall of Israel was to establish a "security zone" for the Jews, especially after the events that caused the II Intifada, an offensive undertaken by the Palestinians, resulting in a series of terrorist acts and countless dead.
On the other hand, critics of the West Bank Wall (both inside and outside Israel) argue that the construction of the wall is one more action to occupy a little more of the West Bank territory. These positions gain strength with reports that point to the confiscation of Palestinian areas by the Israelis, some of them rich in natural resources (especially water). It is currently estimated that the “deviations” in the construction of this wall have already occupied around 9% of the territory of Palestine. In addition, there are reports of numerous Palestinian villages that were isolated from the rest of their territory, transforming their populations into cheap labor for Israeli companies.
There are threats that the construction of the wall should be stopped, as many people no longer see its usefulness, seeing it more as a hindrance than an advantage. Some entities even question the environmental damage caused by the works in the region. The fact is that the work was interrupted several times, including in 2011, when it was considered illegal. By 2013, it is known that they exceeded 65% completion.
Those who still defend the existence of the Wall of Israel claim that, since its construction, there has been a sensitive reduction in the waves of violence and the occurrence of terrorist attacks by organizations in defense of the Palestine. Although this reduction is true, it is not directly related to the existence of the wall, but rather to the recent agreements promoted by both sides of the conflict.
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* Image Source: Zvonimir Athletic and Shutterstock
** Credits: Costello and Wikimedia Commons [with changes]
By Rodolfo Alves Pena
Graduated in Geography
