Did you know that the wall Israel is building across the occupied West Bank annexes an area of Palestinian land the size of Chicago, the third most populous city in the US after New York and Los Angeles?
That 530 square kms of seized Palestinian land – almost 10% of the 1967 occupied territories – is home to 350,000 Palestinians who are trapped between the wall and the 1949 Rhodes Armistice line which some call the “Green Line” or the “1967 boundary.”
Marking ten years since Israel began construction of the wall, Al-Haq has launched a month-long campaign called 10 Years Too Long to urge enforcement of the 2004 International Court of Justice ruling that the wall is illegal and must be torn down.
This brief video launching the campaign reminds us that, “For 10 years, the Wall has cut through Palestinian villages, lands and communities, placing severe restrictions on freedom of movement, access to health and education, trade and livelihood.”
The video provides staggering images of the wall’s devastating impact on Palestinian communities as well as some of the facts I cited.
In addition to this video, the campaign will include four short films “telling the stories of Palestinians whose lives are affected by the Wall” as well as social and traditional media education and advocacy and other resources including Google Earth tours and interactive maps.
Al-Haq will be announcing news about its campaign via its Twitter account: @AlHaq_org.