CPTnet
May 13, 2004
HEBRON DISTRICT: Idna and the "Separation" wall
In April, JoAnne Lingle, Cathy McLean and Mary Lawrence visited the village
of Idna--one of the villages whose land is threatened by the Separation
Barrier (or "wall") that Israel is building around the West Bank.
The CPTers talked with women at an embroidery cooperative about the effect
the barrier will have on their lives. The women explained that in their area
the separation barrier will not be a wall but a security fence. They said
that when it is built the barrier will separate the villagers from most of
their agricultural land. Also, eight or nine of the village's wells will be
outside the barrier. The children will have a difficult time getting to and
from school, as children from outlying areas will only be able to get to the
school by coming into the village through one of two gates in the barrier.
The gate will be opened one or two times a day by Israeli soldiers. In other
villages, where the barrier is already built, the soldiers are often
late opening the gates.
"When the security barrier is built, more than 70% of the people here will
lose their lands, their livelihood," the mayor of Idna told the CPTers.
"They will have no way to earn a living." The CPTers mentioned that their
driver had said there would not be a wall through the village because there
are two settlements between the village and Hebron. "That is correct," said
the town engineer. He drew a map illustrating how the wall will go all the
way in from the Green Line, (the 1967 border) past Idna as far as the
settlements, around the settlement, and back out again towards the Green
Line.
The CPTers observed that Idna would then be on the Israeli side of the
separation barrier. "Yes" said the town engineer, "and then the Israelis
will put up a security fence around us. That is what will keep us out of our
fields. We will lose all the land."
The CPTers asked if the villagers would then be Israeli citizens. "No," he
replied, "we will be inside Israel but will not be allowed to be citizens.
That is why there will be a security fence around the village."
"I have a question," he said: "Why are the Israelis building their wall on
our land? If they need to build a wall, why do they not build it on the
border?"
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