Jayyus

On July 11, 2008 MPT went with IWPS to the village of Jayyus near Qalqilya to join local Palestinian villagers and government officials, other international activists and Israelis in a peaceful demonstration against the Apartheid Wall. Two days earlier, July 9, had been the fourth anniversary of a ruling by the International Court of Justice that the Apartheid Wall is illegal under international law and must be torn down.

Jayyus was one of the first villages to be affected by the construction of the Apartheid Wall. Over 78% of its land (9,800 dunams) as well as 2,000 olive trees were confiscated by Israel in 2002 for construction of the wall. Now in order to access their land behind the wall farmers must apply for permits, which are difficult to obtain, and pass through gates controlled by the Israeli army.

Following a 2006 ruling by the Israeli high court, Israeli army officials have drawn up new routes for the wall. The new plans would still mean a loss of 6,000 dunams of land and do not include access gates to the land that would remain behind the wall.

The Jayyus community has until July 28, 2008 to respond to the this new proposal, but the message the people sent to Israel as they stood before one of the gates on July 11 was loud and clear. “Remove all sections of the Apartheid Wall.”

MPT noted that in addition to men and youth, Palestinian women participated prominently in this demonstration. It was an honor to stand in solidarity with the women as well as the men.

Jayyus is calling for international support in removing the wall from its land and from all of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In total disregard to the four-year-old ruling by the International Court of Justice, Israel has yet to remove any part of the Apartheid Wall.