The wall around the occupied West Bank was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice precisely five years ago. The court called for the barrier to be broken down, but Israel ignored the ruling and continued to build. “Security above all else,” was the Israeli justification for the wall.

By correspondent David Poort

Support for the wall by the Israeli people is greater than ever. In Jerusalem in particular, many Israelis think the wall has proven to be an effective barrier against attacks. Since it was built there have been no large suicide attacks by Palestinians from the West Bank.

Slipping in unnoticed
The question is in how much the barrier has contributed. The wall, which is 750 kilometres long in total, is only 60 percent complete. Especially in the south of the West Bank it’s quite easy to slip into Israel unnoticed.
 
Nevertheless, the wall has proved its worth, thinks Dr. Jonathan Fine, analyst at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Herzliya.
 
"The wall was one element out of several elements in order to try to stop the intrusion of the suicide-bombers. In the beginning the massive intrusion of the suicide-bombers came from the West Bank. The moment the wall was constructed on the north-western side of the West Bank, the statistics showed a drastic drop in the number of suicide-bombers who came in."
 
Dr. Fine recognises that the West Bank in the south is not hermetically closed, but he doesn’t think that matters. "Most of the suicide terrorists by far came from cities such as Nablus and Jenin, in the north of the West Bank. Checkpoints ensure that they cannot travel south."
 
The fact that by building the wall Israel has taken a lot of Palestinian land is their own fault, thinks Dr. Fine. "If they hadn’t sent suicide terrorists, the wall would not have been necessary."
 
Family separated
Only 14 percent of the total route of the wall actually stands on the internationally recognised border as it was before the 1967 war. In many places it cuts deep into the West Bank for a number of kilometres. A strict and bureaucratic licensing system makes sure most Palestinians do not have access to the areas behind the wall. This directly affects the lives of at least 700,000 Palestinians in a negative sense. Families are separated, farmers are cut off from their fields and children from their schools.
 
Around 125,000 Palestinians are surrounded on three sides and 35,000 are completely cut off in enclaves.
 
"Israel is creating ghettos", says a Palestinian petrol pump owner in East Jerusalem. His petrol station is right next to the wall which separates the Palestinian East Jerusalem from the West Bank. He has lost two thirds of his income because of the wall.
 
“All walls fall”
Many Palestinians shrug their shoulders at the International Court of Justice’s ruling. In their eyes it has had no effect. Nevertheless the ruling is very important, thinks spokesperson for aid agency Oxfam, Michael Bailey.

"The ruling pointed out to the international community that it had a responsibility not to recognise the wall."
 
Both Mr Bailey and Dr. Fine are convinced the wall will not last a long time.
 
"What is being built now can be broken down just as quickly," says Dr Fine. "People have built walls throughout history. All walls fall in the end. As soon as a peace agreement is signed, this wall will also lose its value."