Mobilization is underway today in the Ar Ram area, where Palestinians continue to resist the Apartheid Wall. Demonstrations are scheduled following Friday prayers and will continue through the week, as Occupation Forces are working at a fast pace, quickly demolishing the area.
The map below shows the devastating path of the Apartheid Wall through the Ar Ram area, which is currently the Palestinian gateway between Jerusalem and Ramallah. Though construction first began in the area last February, the recent days have marked a heightened urgency in resistance to the Wallâs construction in this area, as Occupation Forces have been quickly pulling up roads, blocking access and tightening their grip on Ar Ram. The Wallâs construction in Ar Ram, as in other areas will result in the division and separation of Palestinian communities, including schools, places of work, land, medical facilities and family. Palestinians have been mobilizing against the Wallâs construction, fully rejecting it as a tool for expansion, colonization and apartheid.
When analyzing this map, it might be helpful to consider the following:
- Palestinians will be denied access to âIsraeli Thoroughfares,â marked by two blue lines, unless they have Jerusalem IDs or special permission. These roads, which currently serve as major routes for commerce, transport and travel between Jerusalem and Ramallah, as well as most areas in the North, will function as Israeli Bypass Roads, blocked to Palestinians by Occupation checkpoints. The Bypass Roads also serve to âcompleteâ ghettos imposed by the Wall. For example, in Ar Ram, where the community is not cut off by the Wall, it is cut off by the Bypass Road, fully isolating the community, trapping some 60,000 Palestinians into the ghetto.
- Access to communities which are of vital importance to Palestinian infrastructure, commerce and livelihood is being cut off, thereby dramatically shifting the entire culture and existence of Palestinians in this area and throughout Palestine. For example, the main road on which the Wall is being built in Ram is of historical importance, as a main point of linkage to other parts of Palestine as well as surrounding Arab countries. Today, this road is being destroyed, its concrete being torn up to make way for the concrete slabs of the Apartheid Wall. The implications of this can be seen in one simple example: if the Wall is in place, people coming from Jerusalem trying to reach banks, schools, etc⦠in Ar Ram, will be forced to travel up to Qalandiya, pass through the checkpoint, and then travel around to the east and down to Ar Ram, likely facing another checkpoint (or traveling via tunnels which run underneath Israeli Bypass roads). Then, they must do the same to return.
- Occupation checkpoints will not be removed as a result of the Wallâs construction, possibly moved, or in some cases, new checkpoints will likely be set up. For example, in the Hizma and Tur/Azarya areas, where the projected alternative Palestinian roadlink will meet with the Bypass Road, there will likely be Occupation checkpoints of some sort to divert Palestinian traffic away from the all roads which will have access to Jerusalem. This will reinforce the Zionist apartheid system, prohibit Palestinian access to their lands, resources and rights to Jerusalem and other areas in Palestine.
- The Wallâs path will both annex lands on which colonial settlements are currently built as well as facilitate increased expansion of settlements, thus perpetuating the illegal confiscation of Palestinian land and resources. In particular, the map clearly shows massive settlement expansion projected in the Ram, Hizma, Anata, Zaâim, Azarya areas. This land confiscation magnifies the racist and illegal Zionist project of judaizing Palestine and expelling Palestinians from their villages and lands.
The Apartheid Wallâs path will strangle Palestinian movement, commerce, education and basic social infrastructure in the entire area, and severely impact access to the entire Northern West Bank.
For more information on the Apartheid Wall in Ar Ram, click here.
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