The wall

WJ #141

“La mutilazione geografica, demografica ed estetica dello spazio palestinese avviene alla luce del sole” 

Amira Hass

 

La costruzione del muro è iniziata nel 2002, con l’obiettivo dichiarato delle autorità israeliane di edificare una barriera di 713 chilometri per prevenire attacchi violenti da parte dei palestinesi in Cisgiordania. La maggior parte del muro, fa notare l’Ocha in occasione dei 20 anni, è costruita all’interno dei territori della Cisgiordania e non sulla Linea verde, che era stata stabilita dagli accordi del 1949. Nel 2004 infatti il tratto costruito nel territorio palestinese, circa l’85 per cento, è stato ritenuto illegale dalla Corte internazionale di giustizia. 

Il muro, completato per il 65 per cento, costituisce uno degli elementi utilizzati dalle autorità israeliane per limitare la libertà di movimento e di autodeterminazione della popolazione palestinese: “La frammentazione geografica e amministrativa in Cisgiordania isola le famiglie e le comunità”, scrive l’Onu, “le une dalle altre e dai servizi necessari, influenzando direttamente il benessere, sia fisico che psicosociale, dei palestinesi”. Se verrà concluso, isolerà il 9 per cento dei territori della Cisgiordania, compresa Gerusalemme est.

Al muro, un ostacolo fisico, si aggiungono procedure burocratiche, requisiti per ottenere permessi e aree riservate o chiuse, zone militari. La barriera ha trasformato non solo la geografia e il paesaggio, ma anche l’economia e la vita sociale dei palestinesi. Sono 71 gli insediamenti israeliani nella zona tra il muro e la linea verde, chiamata Seam zone, area in cui 150 comunità palestinesi – che vivono in Cisgiordania – hanno terreni agricoli e, per raggiungerli e accedere alle loro colture e greggi, sono costretti a chiedere permessi speciali.

Il reportage

01 – Separation Wall, Jerusalem, 05.06.2021
Walls around Jerusalem, June 05, 2021.
Photographer: Activestills
https://www.activestills.org/image/47445/

 

02Construction of the Separation Wall, Shu’fat refugee camp, East Jerusalem, 6.11.2013
Israeli workers build a new section of the Separation Wall around Shu’fat Refugee Camp in East Jerusalem, November 6, 2013. Although the camp is part of Jerusalem municipality boundaries, a four metre high wall separates it from the remaining neighbourhoods of Jerusalem.
Photographer: Oren Ziv
https://www.activestills.org/image/23456/

 

03 – Direct action against construction of the Wall, Ni’lin, West Bank, 9.7.2008
Activists run from tear gas during a direct action to block the construction of the Wall, Ni’lin, West Bank, July 9, 2008. The action took place after four days of curfew imposed on the village by the army in an attempt to break the popular struggle.
Photographer: Oren Ziv
https://www.activestills.org/image/37215/

 

04 – Protest against the Separation Wall, Bil’in, West Bank, 25.11.2005
Israeli activist presents Israeli soldiers with a map of historical Palestine, on the construction site of the Separation Wall on the lands of Bil’in, during the weekly anti-wall protest in the village, West Bank, November 25, 2005.
Photographer: Oren Ziv
https://www.activestills.org/image/39004/

 

05 – First anniversary of protests against the Wall, Bi’lin, West Bank, 10.2.2006
First anniversary of protests against the Wall, Bi’lin, West Bank
Photographer: Anne Paq
https://www.activestills.org/image/15401/

 

06 – Protest against the Separation Wall, Bil’in, West Bank, 3.6.2005
Protesters running through a cloud of tear gas during the weekly demonstration against the building of the Separation Wall in the West Bank village of Bil’in, in the district of Ramallah, June 3, 2005.
Photographer: Yotam Ronen
https://www.activestills.org/image/1384/

 

07 – Qalandiya military checkpoint, 28.7.2017
A Palestinian man at the Qalandiya military checkpoint, 28 July, 2017.
Photographer: Haidi Motola
https://www.activestills.org/image/18694/

 

08Bethlehem checkpoint, West Bank, 2.6.2007
Palestinians lined up early in the morning trying to cross the checkpoint and go to work, Bethlehem, West Bank, June 2, 2007.
Photographer: Anne Paq
https://www.activestills.org/image/15752/

 

09 –  Direct action against the Israeli Separation Wall, Al Walaja, West Bank, 6.5.2010
Israeli soldiers pull away Palestinian villagers and supporting activists who block the path of a bulldozer during a direct action against the building of the Separation Wall in Al-Walaja, West Bank near Bethlehem, May 6th, 2010. Most activists were arrested during the action.
Photographer: Oren Ziv
https://www.activestills.org/image/32417/

 

010 Checkpoint during Ramadan, Bethlehem, West Bank, 1.7.2007
Checkpoint during Ramadan, Bethlehem, West Bank, July 1, 2007.
Photographer: Anne Paq
https://www.activestills.org/image/15741/

 

011 – Third Friday of Ramadan, Beit Hanina, West Bank, 3.7.2015
Palestinians climb over the Israeli Wall to attend the Friday prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the town of Al-Ram, near the Qalandiya checkpoint between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem, on the second Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, July 3, 2015.
Photographer: Oren Ziv
https://www.activestills.org/image/40227/

 

012 – Clashes, Abu Dis neighbourhood, East Jerusalem 11.10.2015
Palestinian protesters trying to brake a section in the Separation Wall, during clashes with Israeli forces in the neighbourhood of Abu Dis, east Jerusalem, October 11, 2015. Tensions rise in recent weeks with violent attacks by both Israelis and Palestinians and clashes around the West Bank, Jerusalem and Palestinian towns inside Israel. 17 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 1 to 10, while four Israelis, including two settlers, have been killed in the same time period.
Photographer: Yotam Ronen
https://www.activestills.org/image/14074/

 

013 – Shuafat refugee camp, Jerusalem, 12.10.2022
Palestinian youth make gestures during their confrontations with the Israeli forces in Shuafat refugee camp, October 12, 2022. The confrontations erupted after the Israeli forces attacked a protest against the partial lockdown of the camp at the Shuafat refugee camp checkpoint. For the last 5 days, the Israeli army has imposed restrictions on freedom of movements, and conducted several raids inside the camp following the killing of an Israeli soldier at Shuafat checkpoint on October 8 by a Palestinian fighter.
Photographer: Anne Paq
https://www.activestills.org/image/49401/

 

014 – Qalandiya checkpoint and Separation Wall, East of Abu Dis, West
Palestinians walk to the Qalandiya Israeli military checkpoint, south of Ramallah, West Bank, April 3, 2019. This permanent checkpoint controls Palestinian travel between the northern West Bank to Jerusalem.
Photographer: Anne Paq
https://www.activestills.org/image/43323/

 

015 – Shuafat refugee camp, Jerusalem, 12.10.2022
Palestinians pray near the checkpoint of Shuafat refugee camp and in front of the Israel Wall to protest against the partial lockdown of the camp by Israeli forces, October 12, 2022. For the last 5 days, the Israeli army has imposed restrictions on freedom of movements, and conducted several raids inside the camp following the killing of an Israeli soldier at Shuafat checkpoint on October 8 by a Palestinian fighter.
Photographer: Anne Paq
https://www.activestills.org/image/49377/

 

016 – Second Friday of Ramadan, Al-Ram, West Bank, 26.6.2015
Palestinians climb over the Israeli Wall to attend the Friday prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the town of Al-Ram, near the Qalandiya checkpoint between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem, on the second Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, June 26, 2015.
Photographer: Oren Ziv
https://www.activestills.org/image/39899/

Scheda autore

ActiveStills

Activestills è un collettivo di fotografi documentaristi palestinesi, israeliani e internazionali che operano in Palestina, Israele e all’estero. È nato nel 2005 ed è una struttura indipendente auto organizzata, basata sulla convinzione che il lavoro collettivo sia al servizio dell’espressione personale di ogni fotografo e che i progetti congiunti creino potenti dichiarazioni condivise. Activestills è pienamente impegnato nella lotta del popolo palestinese, per i loro diritti e libertà, e mira a sensibilizzare su questioni generalmente assenti dal discorso pubblico o presentate in modo fuorviante dai media.


Activestills is a collective of Palestinian, Israeli and international documentary photographers working in Palestine, Israel and abroad. It was born in 2005 and is an independent, self-organised independent structure based on the belief that mutual work serves each photographer’s personal expression, and that joint projects create powerful shared statements. Activestills is fully committed to the struggle of the Palestinian people, and their rights and freedom, and aims to raise awareness on issues that are generally absent from public discourse, or presented in a misleading way by the media.