Barrier Review - Part 2

This is the second of a 2 part review of the book "Barrier – the seam of the Israeli Palestinian conflict"

• Read Barrier Review Part 1

Kershner makes it clear that for the Israelis the barrier is "less an expression of choice than a measure of last resort." Suicide bombers had killed and maimed plenty of Israelis and "posed an existential threat to the Israeli way of life."

In one chapter Kershner tells the story of Kibbutz Metzer, explaining the despair and anguish which caused the once idealist Metzer kibbutzniks to support the building of the barrier.

Kibbutz Metzer is a communal farm in an area of central Israel where Israel's waist is less than 20km east to west. A small hill separates the kibbutz from the Palestinian village of Qafin. Metzer was started by pioneering leftwing Zionists committed to communal farming based on the principles of social justice, equality and peace. Metzer is located in what is known as the triangle, an area in Israel with an overwhelming majority Arab demographic. The kibbutz made political activism its hallmark and took it upon itself to show that Israeli Jews and Arabs can live together in harmony. Peace rallies and joint Israeli and Arab May Day rallies became part of the ethos of the kibbutz. Their efforts to form special relations with Arab villages culminated in the formation of a joint football team with the Israeli Arab town of Meisar

After the '67 war an invisible curtain between Metzer and the Palestinian village Qafin came down. Fresh from battle, the Metzer reservists hiked into the recently conquered West Bank to visit Qafin. Palestinian villagers in Qafin hung white flags from their rooftops, waiting to be conquered by the Zionist army. To their surprise, it was not conquering soldiers but amicable Metzer kibbutzniks who came wandering into their village.

The kibbutzniks, uncomfortable with their new role as occupiers, were keen to show a friendly face. They promised to supply the Palestinians with anything they needed and offered them work in the kibbutz. Over the years the two communities developed a relationship of good neighbourliness, mutual respect, harmony – and crucially - a sense of security that allowed the kibbutzniks to sleep peacefully for 35 years.

But things changed in 2002 when the intifada was reaching it goriest heights. On November 10 a 19 year old Palestinian named Sirhan Sirhan made his way over the hill separating Metzer from Qafin. He crept across the barrier-free green line and crawled into the kibbutz.

Powered by conviction and extreme pride he turned his gun towards a woman strolling in the fields with her boyfriend.  There he shot and killed his first victim, Tirza Damari aged 42.

Tirza's boyfriend fled in panic but was unable to get help in time to stop the massacre that was to follow. Sirhan Sirhan crept forward with new vigour. His next victim was the kibbutz secretary Yitzhak Dori. Sirhan then made his way to the nearest home.

He entered the small living structures where he found a terrified Revital Ohion aged 34, and her 2 sons, Noam who was 5 and Matan who was 4. Revital and her two sons were huddled together on the bed with Revital pleading for their lives. Sirhan shot them dead as Revital tried to throw her body over her two boys.

A threatening dark and painful cloud still hovers over the kibbutz.

Kershner introduces us to ne of the kibbutz directors named Ben Naftali. At 59 years old he has lived through all of Israel's wars and like many kibbutzniks he has made the left his ideological home. He has made impressive contributions to far left human rights organisations like Betselem, helping them to establish on the ground networks in the triangle. As a strong believer in a practical grass roots approach to peace making he has always encouraged dialogue with Palestinians that Israel refused to speak to.

Kershner remarks that the barrier should be the antithesis of everything that he stands for. But as she then explains, "his is a world of shattered illusions". The 2^nd intifada has forced him to radically re-evaluate his positions. He has always opposed the occupation and now feels that Israel's best option is to just get out and to erect an impenetrable barrier. Sirhan Sirhan and the numerous other terrorist attacks have replaced his feelings of hope with the despairing views that negotiations are hopeless. He feels that Israel should bring about a Palestinian state by unilateral separation. (I wonder if the reduction in successful terror attacks from the West Bank since the construction of the barrier has changed his views regarding negotiations.)

Despite the kibbutzniks opposition to the idea of barriers an unstoppable barrier of blood has changed their positions. Ironically, before the Sirhan attack they even participated in a joint demonstration against the fence with the villagers of Qafin. (They opposed the route whilst the Palestinians opposed the fence. The protest worked – Israel moved the fence which initially penetrated by 1km and now does so by 300m.)

Grown men are crying on both sides of the barrier. Kershner argues that Israel needs to ensure that the barrier becomes part of the solution; not part of the problem. This means making painful decisions regarding its route and implementation.

Perhaps the barrier is already part of the solution. Some supporters of Israel now find themselves in the peculiar position where they are defending a structure that has broken their dreams in the West Bank.

Many opinion makers mistakenly portray the symbolic effect of the barrier with a superficial comparison to the Berlin wall. These comparisons are both misguided and myopic. The symbolic effect of the barrier is its ability to condition Israelis for the territorial concessions that they may ultimately be forced to make. Israelis are getting used to the idea of 'what is west of the barrier is Israel and what is east is Palestinian.' If only it could have the same effect on the Palestinians.

Update at 2007-10-07

• Guide to the Perplexed has some photos of the barriers, including one from Gilo. This reminded me of an earlier post I did when I went on a tour of the security barrier in Israel. The section describing the barrier in and around the Gilo area can be found here: Bringing order to Gilo
• Also on the topic of barriers and therefore withdrawals, see an account at Guide to the Perplexed of a Jerusalem Film Festival film which tells the story of the evacuation of Gush Katif "through the eyes of an elderly couple struggling to come to terms with the fact that they have to leave."