Image courtesy of Ted Swedenburg under CC BY-NC 2.0.
By now you must have seen the size of this gader hafradeh (“separation fence”). According to Nigel Parry on The Electronic Intifada: “Israel’s Separation Barrier, dubbed the “Apartheid Wall” or “Berlin Wall” by Palestinians, has increasingly attracted international media attention, largely due to the hard-to-ignore scale of the project. The most obvious historical parallel to the barrier is the Berlin Wall, which was 96 miles long (155 kilometers). Israel’s barrier, still under construction, is expected to reach at least 403 miles in length (650 kilometers). The average height of the Berlin Wall was 11.8 feet (3.6 metres), compared with the maximum* current height of Israel’s Wall — 25 feet (8 metres).”
As most sane people already know – fences make good neighbors. If you wonder if this parameter applies to the West Bank, think again. Since the objective has never been to co-exist in peace and friendship, both the Israelis and the Palestine’s have established an eternal battle zone that fosters continuous combative contact. So the apparent offensive Sharon policy to outdo the Stasi East German secret police, might just jump the gun. Who can deny that communities have a right to disengage themselves from elements that seek them harm? As a principle a fence makes a sound statement, while providing a logical function – SEPARATION.
However; when you examine the geographic locations and the magnitude of the project, the inevitable conclusion drawn, beholds a very ominous undertone. When Ran HaCohen offers his assessment, we should take heed from this regionally educated inhabitant who teaches at Tel-Aviv University: “Leaving the lion’s share of the West Bank outside the Wall in Israeli hands, even what looks like two contiguous Bantustans are in fact crisscrossed by chains of Israeli settlements and roads-for-Jews-only.”
Hey, why not admit the obvious? Apartheid is the official policy of the Zionist State!
Just because the borders for the West Bank move inexorably East – let nothing stop the exodus . . . The pretense of a democratic society is removed with the erection of virile security. Admitting that assimilation is a virus – heals the persistent purist. What is orthodox for one cousin is heresy for the other. At last the notion of a “Road Map to Peace” can be transformed into an annexation of the region. Finally, the rhetoric can be translated into a chart that shows the plan.
Well, you might be surprised that the criticism is reserved only for territory expansion. The idea of a separate society is entirely valid. Israelis living in one place that they call their own is preferable to many of their tribe. The ghetto of the past no longer is a prospect to fear. Prosperity is evident so encircling the chosen land from hostile intruders protects the communal kibbutz. Reducing the kibitz from the Palestine’s, would be enhanced from the other side of the wall . . .
So what’s the problem. The fight over who stole the land from whom will never be settled. Possession is ninety percent of the law, and we all know that the rule of land is supreme! If others live in a gulag, such camps must be their fault.
No matter what side you favor, if you are neutral or simply don’t care; erecting a fence can do more than increase the difficulty in the task of terrorist. Security for individuals is always a cogent concern. When governments equate national interest with the defense of the State, usually they mean special protections for selected officials, under the guise of safekeeping institutions. Despite, this reservation, any country has a rightful duty to take preventive precautions to guard citizens against threats to their consensual accepted society.
So if it is good enough for the Israelis, why not construct our own fence along our own borders? If the danger from hated foes and homicide bombers can be reduced by a wall of exclusion, why can’t we have one for America? The Berlin Wall was built to keep people in, while an Apartheid Wall wants to keep people out. Don’t you want to prevent the hooligans from entering our communities? Well, such measures may seem far too harsh for the Egalitarians; however, we are told we are at war with terrorists. At least the Zionist State doesn’t suffer from a self identity delusion of equality. They openly avow separate is best. Too bad they still practice segregation as a means to their final solution. Total separation is the ultimate answer.
Such common ground need not accept another’s’ self induced assertions of superiority. But we should emulate the wisdom of detachment in order to preserve the security of distinctiveness. America is not meant to be a refugee for all of humanity. The test of applying is the infinite discernment in the principles of individual Liberty, which is not understood by most of mankind. Those who grasp the uniqueness of the American political vision are welcome to pass through the gate of selection. Any who reject or refuse to digest the established traditional standards should be expelled before entering the door.
Speaking Yiddish is helpful to live in Israel. A commitment to fluency and use of English is essential for understanding the culture of the Founding Fathers, let alone accepting and adapting to the heritage and values that created and sustains our land.
Walls are only an instrument that allows the playing of the music entitled harmony. Once the chords are learned, the melody can be heard, as the lyrics are written. Intentions are usually the determining factor. If people are honest they will respect the songs that others wish to sing. When the tunes are heard as repulsive noise, it’s better to attend different concerts. The rap with mixers is that often the party is crashed by outsiders. Hope you will learn this lesson, before you become permanently tone deaf.
“Published originally at EtherZone.com : republication allowed with this notice and hyperlink intact.”