Exile is an experiential state often associated with expatriation,
deportation or separation whereby a person or a group of persons
find themselves refugees or expatriates in a place other than their
original place of birth and permanent residence. This state of
exile leaves one with a sense of estrangement, desperation and
depression, leading to a situation of stress that can be exhibited
in a variety of psychological and mental disorders. In the occupied
Palestinian territories and in East Jerusalem, the separation wall
has made of thousands of Palestinians exiles in their own
homes.
The construction of the wall began in the Jerusalem area in 2002.
In addition to its negative impact on the livelihood and well-being
of all Palestinians in the West Bank, it makes out of East
Jerusalem a disconnected enclave with disastrous consequences upon
such basics as family relationships, access to medical and
educational institutions, and freedom of access to places of
worship and, more notably, it almost completely hampers the
Jerusalemites living on the eastern side of the wall from reaching
their workplaces on the western side of the wall. According to
Bryan Atinsky:
Jerusalem is the only region in which the wall cuts through dense
urban districts, separating many, not only from their workplace,
but also from services and needs such as local medical centers or
schools… Even with the wall not yet complete, 95% of
Palestinians from the areas "outside" of it and 77% [from] the
areas "inside" the wall (relative to Jerusalem) report that they
have difficulties getting to their workplace…The separation
wall further disconnects the main travel routes between Bethlehem
and Ramallah, creating an artificial separation between the north
and the south of the West Bank. The wall thus cuts vital
connections between the economy of these cities and the Jerusalem
economy.1
This opinion is shared by both Kobi Michael and Amnon Ramon in
their A Fence around Jerusalem. An important conclusion of this
study indicates that, in northwest Jerusalem, two enclaves are
created by the separation wall, with 55,000 residents - most with
Jerusalem (blue) IDs - denied unimpeded access to their families,
land and center of life. As an example, the writers point to the
neighborhoods of Kafr Aqab, Semiramis and the western part of
Qalandiya refugee camp [northeast of Jerusalem] where most
residents are already cut off from the rest of Jerusalem, and where
the many go to work and obtain educational, health, welfare and
other services. The same applies to each of the 21 localities in
East Jerusalem where the construction of the separation wall has
impinged on the lives of well over a quarter of a million
Palestinians.
The Jerusalemites who reside outside the city are heavily dependent
on Jerusalem in their everyday life and for the services they need.
Thus, many children living outside the city attend schools in East
Jerusalem; the residents turn to hospitals in East Jerusalem for
medical services, and many hold jobs in the Israeli labor market
(including the Jerusalem Municipality.) Conversely many students
who reside in East Jerusalem attend Al-Quds University, most of
which is located in Abu Dis (outside the municipal area), and the
cheaper shopping centers in Ezariyya and A-Ram rely on Jerusalem
shoppers.2
The separation wall has had a negative effect on Palestinian family
life and social fabric, as exemplified by the splitting of villages
and neighborhoods, such as in Abu Dis and A-Ram, where it has
separated members of the same family or hamula (clan). In the case
of Hizma, Anata, Shu'fat refugee camp and the Peace Neighborhood
(New Anata) [east and northeast], all these neighborhoods have
become Palestinian enclaves as Israel decided to exclude them from
the Jerusalem municipal boundary in order to reduce by 25,000 the
Palestinian population in Jerusalem.3 According to Leila Farsakh,
the Palestinian population in East Jerusalem would almost equal the
Jewish population in the city by 2050. It is no wonder, then, that
the separation wall has purposely excluded over 55,000 residents,
most with Jerusalem ID cards, on the eastern side of the wall. In
planning the route of the wall, it is clear that Israel did not
simply have "security" considerations on its mind; a primary
consideration was getting rid of as many Palestinians as possible
in order to defer the eventuality of demographic equality between
Arabs and Jews in the city. Ironically, the construction of the
separation wall has led to the return of thousands of Palestinians
with Jerusalem IDs to the city, as will be mentioned below.
Economic Consequences
In addition to restricting the movement of employees and workers to
their workplaces, by encircling East Jerusalem and splitting the
neighborhoods and villages in the north, northwest, east and
southeast from the city center, the wall has exacerbated an already
calamitous economic situation. According to Farsakh, the economic
activity in East Jerusalem has fallen by 10% since 2000.4 The
separation wall, with its restrictions on the movement of
population and goods in and out of East Jerusalem, is indubitably
at the root of the depressed economy in the city. According to one
estimate, the wall has already caused more than US$1 billion in
damages resulting from direct income loss for Palestinians, and the
trend is expected to continue with a US$ 94 million loss per
year.5
The Jerusalem area has also suffered severe land confiscation, as
92% (141,974 acres) of the land on which the wall has been built
have been confiscated from the East Jerusalem area.6 The separation
wall, also known as "The Jerusalem Envelope," has now made it
impossible to connect the north and south of the West Bank via
Jerusalem as was the practice throughout history. This
disconnection has impacted the economic activity in the city and
its surrounding areas. Jerusalem merchants often bemoan the
dwindling number of shoppers in the markets and souqs of the city.
They also speak of the high costs of transporting goods from
wholesale depots in the West Bank, thus hurting East Jerusalem's
economic competitiveness with neighboring West Bank markets. Many
Jerusalem merchants, who traditionally came from areas that have
become part of the West Bank, now need a permit to enter Jerusalem
to practice their trade. This further reduces the competitiveness
of the Jerusalem economy as many of these merchants eventually
leave the city taking with them their business enterprises.7
The tourism sector, which constitutes the biggest economic sector
of the city, is further debilitated by the fact that many of its
employees come from the West Bank and need permits to access
Jerusalem. But another negative factor affecting the tourism sector
is the separation of Jerusalem from its historical and religious
twin city of Bethlehem. The difficulties encountered by pilgrims,
tourists and Palestinians alike in moving freely between these two
cities have an adverse impact on the economies of both Jerusalem
and Bethlehem.
In short, the separation wall has aggravated the state of an
already depressed economy in Jerusalem, leading to the exodus of
businesses, organizations and young talent. The latter have gone to
work in Ramallah and other parts of the Palestinian territories.
This weakens the social, economic and service infrastructure of the
city and widens the disparities between East Jerusalem and West
Jerusalem. The conclusion, as will be seen below, is the increasing
pauperization of East Jerusalem's population as a result of the
separation wall - a warning that should be taken very
seriously.
Forced Displacement and Other Ills8
Between May and June 2006, the Palestinian Central Bureau of
Statistics and Badil (the Resource Center for Palestinian Residency
and Refugee Rights) carried out a survey whose main objective was
to quantify the impact of the wall on the forced displacement of
the Palestinians in Jerusalem and on their social and economic
conditions. The sample size was 1,008 households; interviews were
carried out with 981 households comprising 5,148 persons.
* Changing Place of Residence
The findings showed that close to 30% of respondents living in
localities inside the wall have changed their place of residence
since the beginning of its construction. The wall and its
associated regime was the main cause for changing their place of
residence for 17.3% of all persons who moved. Almost 20% of
households interviewed indicated that their land had been
confiscated, with families outside the wall - on its eastern
(Palestinian) side - reporting land confiscation six times higher
than those inside the wall, on its western (Israeli) side.
* Difficulty in Accessing Educational Institutions
The results of the survey showed that 80.0% of households with
students in higher education used alternative roads to reach
universities/colleges. About 75.2% of households with students
enrolled in basic/secondary education reported the use of
alternative roads to reach schools. In addition, 72.1% of
households with students in higher education reported sometimes
being forced to absent themselves from university, compared with
69.4% for households with students enrolled in basic/secondary
education.
* Separation from Relatives
About 21.4% of Palestinian households reported to have at least one
member who was separated from relatives (15.5% inside the wall and
32.6% outside the wall). In addition, 18.0% of the
Palestinian households in the Jerusalem District are separated from
the father (14.3% inside the wall and 26.2% outside the wall);
whereas 12.7% of the households are separated from the mother
(12.9% inside the wall and 12.3% outside the wall).
* Access to Health Services
The results of the survey showed that accessing health centers in
the city was difficult for 34.5% of the households in the Jerusalem
District (5.8% inside the wall and 88.3% outside the wall). The
inability of medical staff to reach health centers is a problem for
31.3% of the households (4.4% inside the wall and 81.8% outside the
wall).
* Population Mobility
The time spent crossing checkpoints was considered an obstacle by
94.7% of the households (94.5% inside the wall and 95.0% outside
the wall).
* Impact on Social Networking
The survey showed that the wall curtailed the ability of 84.6% of
households in Jerusalem to visit family and relatives (84.3% inside
the wall and 85.2% outside the wall). About 56.3% of households
were denied the facility to practice cultural and social activities
(48.5% inside the wall and 70.5% outside the wall). The wall has
also affected the ability of 40.0% of the households to visit
religious and holy sites. Moreover, the results showed that the
percentage of households that faced obstacles in marrying a partner
living on the other side of the wall had risen from 31.6% before
the construction of the wall to 69.4% after the construction of the
wall.
Sheikh Sa'ad in East Jerusalem: A Community at Risk
In August 2006, the Foundation for Middle East Peace published a
special report by Ir Amim that focused on the effects of the
separation wall on the neighborhood of Sheikh Sa'ad [southeast of
Jerusalem]. The report addressed the difficulty of life,
unemployment, the higher dependency on charity and the difficulty
of visiting one's family in East Jerusalem.
The route of the wall, like elsewhere, has damaged the residents'
capacity to reach their workplace, to earn a livelihood, and to
enjoy a reasonable standard of living. It has interfered in their
access to medical care, depriving the residents from their right to
decent health. The restrictions imposed by the authorities on the
movement of children to and from school have impaired their ability
to exercise their right to education. The situation
deteriorated further when food supplies were prevented from
entering the neighborhood. Since the entrance to the neighborhood
was closed, compounding the already difficult situation created by
the wall, about 500 residents abandoned their homes. Most of those
who left went to live in East Jerusalem - an option possible for
holders of Israeli ID cards, or those with permits to reside in
Jerusalem granted for family reunification purposes. An estimated
1,700 residents are left in Sheikh Sa'ad; most of them still hold
Israeli IDs, and only a few have Palestinian IDs.
Indeed, there is a growing phenomenon - noted by institutions and
research studies - which points to the fact that a good number of
Palestinian Jerusalemites living in peripheral areas of the city
have been returning to the city proper because of the construction
of the separation wall. Some estimates set the total number of
Palestinians with blue ID cards who will eventually settle
permanently on the Israeli-controlled side of the wall in the tens
of thousands. This mass return of Palestinian Jerusalemites to the
city will increase the population density in the Palestinian
neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, and will no doubt contribute to a
concomitant rise in poverty and unemployment, both already
high. Moving into the neighborhoods outside the city line are
non-Jerusalemite Palestinians who do not possess permits to enter
Israel. This is bound to exacerbate the existing economic ills in
East Jerusalem and the Palestinian Jerusalem metropolitan area,
raising poverty and crime rates and eroding stability.
The report concludes that the case of Sheikh Sa'ad is illustrative
of Israel's policy that aims to unilaterally draw the border
between Israel and a future Palestinian state under the guise of
security concerns. With the start of the construction of the
separation wall, the lives of Palestinians in and around Jerusalem
changed beyond all recognition.9
UNRWA's Worries on Educational and Health Prospects
UNRWA issued a report (January 2004) on the impact of the Jerusalem
separation wall on its own operations, even when construction was
in the early stages. The conclusion was that the wall has affected
the operation of UNRWA schools, and will hinder the access of
refugee students to both UNRWA and Palestinian Authority (PA)
schools. Out of the 14 UNRWA schools operating in the Jerusalem
area, 10 now lie outside the wall and 4 within. Accordingly, 74
UNRWA teachers will have to exit the barrier in order to reach
their workplace, and 12 will have to enter. Altogether, 86 teachers
and 260 students in UNRWA schools in the Jerusalem area will be
affected by the wall in their daily movements, this in addition to
at least 6,000 refugee students who attend various PA and private
schools in the Greater Jerusalem area. Furthermore, UNRWA believes
that access of refugees to secondary and tertiary medical care in
Jerusalem hospitals has been severely hampered. The majority of
those seeking the services of the UNRWA Jerusalem Health Center
located in the Old City spend on average three hours on the road.
And since an estimated 7,000 refugee patients are annually referred
to Jerusalem hospitals from as far away as Hebron in the south of
the West Bank and Nablus in the north, there is real concern that
these patients would not be able to make it to Jerusalem, due to
Israeli permit restrictions and checkpoint entry measures.
UNRWA is equally concerned about the impact on relief and social
services. The number of families receiving UNRWA's emergency
assistance and who are residing in localities affected by the
Jerusalem wall reaches 6,984 cases inside the wall and 11,472 cases
outside; 1,057 families in the area receive special hardship
assistance. Eighteen staff members of the Relief and Social
Services Department need to cross the wall every day in order to
reach their workplace. Of particular concern is the Shu'fat
Community and Rehabilitation Center, where 20% of the patients are
disabled and need to cross to the other side of the wall in order
to continue their rehabilitation procedures.10
Conclusion
Israel's separation wall poses social, economic, health, and
educational challenges to the population of East Jerusalem. While
it has made of East Jerusalem an enclave and forced structural and
demographic transformations on the geography of the city and its
population, the long-term effects on the entire city would spell
dire socioeconomic consequences. The disconnection between the
city, its neighborhoods and its natural hinterland; the woes to
separated families; the difficulties in accessing their center of
life to thousands of Palestinians; the problems caused to those
seeking medical care; the time needed for thousands of school
children and teachers to cross over to their schools in the cold
early mornings; the pressures on the housing sector - all these and
more are turning East Jerusalem into an increasingly marginalized
city for the sake of an Israeli political, economic and demographic
domination.
References
1. Bryan Atinsky, The Alternative Information Center, A Report,
March 21, 2007.
2. Kobi Michael and Amnon Ramon, A Fence around Jerusalem: General
Background and Implications for the City and Its Metropolitan Area
(Jerusalem: The Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, 2004),
p.75.
3. Ibid., p.79.
4. Leila Farsakh, The Economics of Jerusalem (Boston: University of
Massachusetts, CIS-MIT), 2006.
5. Atinsky, op. cit.
6. Ibid.
7. See: Azzam Abu Saud and Naila Jwealis of the Arab Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, Impact of the Racial Separation Wall on the
Different Economic Sectors in East Jerusalem (East Jerusalem: July
2006).
8. Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, and Badil (Resource
Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights), Impact of the
Wall and Its Associated Regime on the Forced Displacement of the
Palestinians in Jerusalem (Ramallah: June 2006).
9. Adva Rodogovsky, Public Outreach Coordinator, Ir Amim, August
2006.
10. UNRWA, Reports on the West Bank Barrier (January 2004).