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Photos 60 A-D
Construction work in a Palestinian olive grove in
the West Bank town of Qaffin close to the separation barrier, which
Israel is erecting between Israel and the West Bank. The work is
guarded by Israeli soldiers. The soldiers in the pictures are instructing
a group of internationals to leave as the location has been declared
a closed military area.
The reason for
the controversy is that the barrier does not follow the 1949 armistice
line, the so-called Green Line, which constitutes the unofficial
border between Israel and the West Bank. In stead, in most places
the fence runs, or will run, on the Eastern, i.e. Palestinian side
of the Line. This fact has at least four important implications:
1: Thousands
of hectares of Palestinian farmland are now, or will end up, on
the Israeli side of the fence.
2: Vast stretches
of heavily cultivated Palestinian farmland have been or will be
engulfed by the 50-100 meter security zone surrounding the barrier.
3: Many thousand
Palestinian workers depending on jobs inside Israel proper will
face severe difficulties or be altogether prevented from reaching
their workplace.
4. At least
eight Palestinian villages are or will be on the Israeli side of
the fence. Even if most of their land will also remain on the Western
side, the farmers' ability to sell their crop in the West Bank will
be severely constrained.
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