Bethlehem, West Bank. During a very recent visit to the city of Bethlehem, I encountered the kind of irony you can only find in Bethlehem. This city that has been attributed as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, who preached about forgiveness, compassion, and love, has become a prison.
The Israeli government began building what they called the “Security Wall” in 2002 and continued ignoring The International Court of Justice’s finding that the wall was illegal and its request that the barrier must come down. In 2005, Bethlehem was separated from the rest of the West Bank by the “Security Wall,” which measures about 19.6’ while other parts reach 26.2’. By comparison, the height of the Berlin Wall was about 11.8’.
From the Palestinian point of view, the wall has greatly impacted their way of life, it made it arduous for them to reach the birthplace of Jesus Christ and to go to the Holy City of Jerusalem. In addition, the wall makes it more difficult for residents to access businesses and hospitals. Aida, a local shop owner who resides close to the wall, related that people sometimes have to drive a sick relative 13 miles away to a hospital in the city of Ramallah because the wall prevents them from reaching a closer hospital just 4 miles away in Jerusalem. More tragically, the wall has separated families and friends because they are unable to visit their loved ones on the other side of the wall. As a consequence, the wall has also had a great emotional and social impact on the lives of Palestinians.
As I walked along this very intimidating wall also known as "Apartheid Wall," I noticed the stories of Palestinian women and youth attached to it. A project called “Wall Museum” by the Arab Educational Institute. A beautiful project that helps depict how the lives of the people have been impacted by the wall, highlighting that isolation, abandonment, and oppression are the bricks that sustain Israel’s "Security Wall."
The stories shown here are currently posted on the Bethlehem wall:
Getting out of here
“Getting out of here, that is what I dream said a boy after the tawjihi [matriculation exam]. Why? Because I want to study in a foreign country. A specific subject? No, I just want to get out of here. There is no future here and when I study in a foreign country maybe I can stay there. Maybe build a future there. I don’t want to be locked up here with a degree but no job and no money. I want to go and have a better life. Lots of young people want to get out of here, we see no future with the wall. Our parents are against our dream and want us to stay, but with the occupation we want to live in another country and be free.” By George, from Bethlehem; info@aeicenter.org
Locked up in the Patriarch’s Way
"It happens only at Christmas that the gates in the Wall around Rachel’s tomb open up, unlocking the Way of the Patriarchs. According to an old tradition the patriarch travels the day before Christmas from Jerusalem to Bethlehem along that road. There we live. Since early childhood I used to welcome the Patriarch at Rachel’s Tomb. Even after the construction of the Wall, I continued doing so. Until the day a soldier refused to let me pass the gate in the Wall when I simply wanted to go back home. I was locked up in Rachel’s Tomb, in my own city, my own street! He kept me for more than an hour. The lack of freedom now overshadows my pleasant memories of greeting the Patriarch." By Lilianne, from Bethlehem; www.aeicenter.org
Dreaming
“I asked a lot of people in Bethlehem: do you have dreams? For now or maybe for in the future? And they all laughed at me and said, no we don’t dream. I asked them why, isn’t it normal to dream and have a dream? No, they say, dreams are for kids and for the stupid. We are realistic. For me it was strange to hear that. I always thought everybody has dreams and hopes and visions about the future. But then they say, yeah we dream but we don't believe it. We have dreams when we sleep but we don't remember them. We live in the now and live day by day.” By Raneem, from Bethlehem; info@aeicenter.org
It is undeniable that the Israeli separation barrier has negatively changed the lives of so many Palestinians, and caused irreversible damage. But for the generations to come, it remains hope that someday children in the West Bank will be able to play unconfined by barbed wire and walls.
*name has been changed to protect the privacy of the individual