Jerusalem: from Spiritual City to a Chaotic Place

As once stated by the renowned Benjamin Disraeli ‘The view of Jerusalem is the history of the world; it is more, it is the history of earth and of heaven’. Jerusalem is a sacred and ancient city that holds great significance in the history of humanity as well as three largest monotheistic religions: Judaism, Island and Christianity. It is a sanctified city that is special in every sense of word, a land of religious and historic importance, holy to one third of the world’s population. Hence the question arises, how did a spiritual city as such evolved into the chaotic and perilous place that it is today?

During the city’s long history Jerusalem has been constantly attacked and destroyed, resulting in its inhabitants living in perpetual state of fear even in this day and age. In August 9, 2011, a young Palestinian carrying a guitar case casually walked into the heart of West Jerusalem and disappeared into the crowd. No one could have imagined a deadly suicide bomb packed with nails, screws and bolts was hidden inside the guitar case. Its explosion took the life of 15 innocent people, leaving many families and communities in devastation. Streets were blocked off and checkpoints placed around every corner of the city. Emergency vehicles and ambulances occupied the surrounding streets whilst flesh of the victims was carefully collected for a decent burial. This attack was not only a national crisis for Israel but also a wake up call for the government. Jerusalem was slowly becoming a land of fear and danger. Public spaces were heavily scrutinised and the mobility of the residents were also limited after the attack. This severely affected the functionality of the country as property prices, tourism and inward investment have drastically declined. It was at this moment that the Israeli political state elite revaluated the idea of the West Bank Wall that was previously rejected due to high costs. The proposal of constructing a wall to separate Israel and Palestine was ultimately approved this time. Following the outlines of the Oslo Accord the West Bank border was divided into three areas namely A, B, and C.

In 2013, the construction of the West Bank Barrier began and it was one of the largest infrastructures in the history of both countries. This unprecedented wall consisted of large extent fencing, ditches, razor wires, combed sandy paths, an electronic monitoring system, patrol roads and a buffer zone. The gigantic 28-foot-high concrete slabs sitting on the land of Jerusalem and three other cities prevent snipers shooting at Israeli vehicles and houses. Whilst this barrier had successfully reduced the chances of attacks and terrorism, its construction was indirectly changing the lives of many. The route of the barrier was revised numerous times due to ongoing international and legal pressure. Amendments were also made to minimise people’s lives near the wall, in particular the Palestinian farmers and residents. Although these alterations aimed to reduce the disruption that this wall had caused to the nearby residents, it still left some destructive and irreversible impacts.

In 1967, Palestinian residents living in East Jerusalem have been granted with the status of ‘permanent residency’ after the Israeli occupation. This means that they were permitted to move and work in all districts of Israel. Additionally these residents are also entitled to various benefits such as retirement, disability, unemployment, poverty and child allowances. However, the residency rights of East Jerusalem Palestinians were severely threatened after the establishment of West Bank Barrier. Inhabitants living in the municipal borders of Jerusalem side of the barrier have been deprived access to families, schools, hospitals, religious sites and commercial networks. Such restrictions inadvertently jeopardized the Palestinian economy in the communities adjacent to the barrier. In the Palestinian suburb of Shaykh Sa’ad, almost half of the houses became empty and more than forty shops have shut down after the construction of the barrier. Local merchants in the Eastern areas of the wall were living in despair due to the shrinking population that destroyed the momentum of the nearby communities. People were forced to relocate themselves on the western side of the wall in order to keep Jerusalem residency status and seeking a better life.

The village of Bir Nabala has also experienced a population decline that degenerated a thriving village into a ghost town. News article named ‘How the West Bank barrier has starved business and community’ explores the unrevealed and ruinous consequences the 8 metre high concrete wall had triggered. Musa Sabah, a hardworking wedding hall business owner whom was living a very decent life before the wall struck his family in 2006. ‘Suddenly there was no access to the hall’, said Sabah in the article. In the blink of an eye the area was fully encircled by the wall, leaving one road open. What used to be vibrant place is now a bleak wasteland. The whole village seemed to have lost its life in one night. Israeli government claims that the route of the barrier was tactically designed by security needs and was constructed to reduce attacks by Palestinian terrorist inside Israel. However, Sabah believes differently as he perceives the barrier as the conquering of land.

In the news report, ‘The Long Term Impact of The Separation Barrier’, a mass exodus has occurred in the village of Bir Nabala after the wall reached Bir Nabala in 2006. Consequently, residential neighbourhoods are abandoned and local economy stagnated. Human rights of Palestinians have been tampered by the construction of the wall, including property rights, the rights to free movement, the right to a reasonable standard of living and collective right to self- determination. These direct damages have cruelly scarred the inhabitants of not only Bir Nabala but also other villages near the barrier.

The ‘Seam Zone’ is another area particularly affected by the establishment of the barrier. Palestinians residing the area between the barrier and the internationally recognised Green line need to apply to the Israeli government for permits to live in this legal grey zone. Residents of the ‘Seam Zone’ are obliged to pass through mandatory checkpoints to have access to services and employment as well as to maintain their family connections. An individual who owns land in the seam zone but lives to the east of the barrier would have to apply for permits in order to reach their home or farmland. This ambiguity in identity has harshly impeded these innocent people from accessing to their everyday needs.

The community located within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem but find themselves on the West Bank side of the barrier also experience a similar struggle and despair. Residents of these communities are required to through border checkpoints in spite of their Jerusalem residency permits. These areas are brutally neglected by Israeli state and receive little of sometimes no services with waste disposal and sewage treatment. Despite the lack of waste management, these politically sensitive suburbs also suffer from lawlessness In Kufr Aqab, for example, there are no police stations or uniformed police. Due to its politically sensitive location, Palestinian police are restricted from operating in Kufr Aqab. They can informally assist in cases of theft and robbery, however Palestinian police have to power to charge or arrest anyone with Jerusalem IDs.