Jerusalem

Ugly Wall

11 March 2009
The Separation Wall is ugly.

It is the big physical barrier between Jewish Israel and the Palestinian West Bank.

It goes against international law. Why is it there?

It has greatly reduced suicide bombings and has made it much safer in Israel, but it makes it so much more difficult for Palestinians to get through and it has destroyed a lot of the Palestinian territory. 

A Palestinian from Bethlehem in our branch named Sahar was telling us how she comes to church every Saturday. It was easier before the wall was built, but she’d still have to sneak over. And I believe once it was built, there was a skinny little hole she could get through. Then she’d be like a fugitive every time she’d be on this side of the wall and had to be very concerned about getting caught. Recently though, she just got a job at the UN and has a permit so that she can get to this side much much easier. It still takes about an hour and a half though and she has to get all checked and inspected. Sahar is an amazing woman.

Not only can Palestinians not get through the border, but Israeli’s can’t either. You have to have very special permits to do so, and if even if you do, sometimes you still can’t get through.
Danny Seideman, an Israeli Jew, was the one to teach us all of this today. His view was very unique as an Israeli, but it was an excellent one and I learned a lot from him. He, like so many other people, just wants peace in this land. There is so much conflict here.

As I was taking notes from what he was saying, a little ant crawled across my paper. I of course had to take a picture of it. This picture is so blog worthy.

I don’t think I like this wall. Nope. I don’t.

We need some peace.

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