Apartheid Wall

The narrative of the Palestinian starts right across the apartheid wall that was built by the Israelis in 2002. This wall was established slicing through Palestinian communities, agricultural fields, and farmland at the height of the second Intifade to create a barrier between both nations as it completely surrounds the West Bank. This wall was deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), yet it still resides.

The concept of place in this situation is used as a method to promote ethnic cleansing and inequality between people, this wall was meant to suffocate this space and limit the movement of Palestinians. In addition, the presence of this wall has created check-points that are operated by Israeli soldiers, in order for Palestinians to travel outside they must pass through them. In that interaction soldiers look down upon Palestinians and treat them very poorly. This relates to our understading of how place is not limited to a physical location only, but rather can refer to a sense of position in a social hierarchy. In this case, the soldiers see themselves superior to the Palestinians, allowing them to treat them horribly with no consequences. We can see how colonialism/occupation here made a certain group of people based on their race/religion decide that they hold the power to take ownership over other people’s “place” and claim it as their own.