If the Walls Could Talk

Picture - Darryl,Christian,Gerardo, Gabriel

Wed, May28th, 2008




IF THE WALLS COULD TALK
By Christian Ramirez

At first it was powerful blow of history to my consciousness. An overwhelming sensation in which all the conflicts, all the myths, all the hopes that have been and those to be had were suddenly concentrated in one place, in this time; we had just entered into the Old City through Herod's Gate.
Then the sensation of euphoria to be walking in one the longest inhabited cities in the world quickly turned into a harsh reality.
In East Jerusalem, in the Muslim Quarter, facing Palestinian shopkeepers there was a watchtower. In it a man stood guard with an assault rifle. Over the watchtower flew an Israeli flag. This was my first exposure to the illegal settlements that are at the root of this conflict.
The Third World Delegation continued its walking tour of the Old City. Shopkeeper after shopkeeper in the Muslim Quarter complained that thrash had not been picked up by the Jerusalem Municipality, which is under Israeli control. Palestinians here pay equal taxes as the Israelis, but they don't have equal services.
The delegation than walked along the Via Dolorosa, in the path that Jesus faced his passion. Along religious artifacts for Christians, Jews and Muslims, there were Israeli soldiers, Christian pilgrims and T-shirt stand were inscriptions that tainted the holiness of this magnificent city. Next to a Che Guevara t-shirt, there were those that read Israel: Uzi Does it.
We proceed towards the Jewish Quarter, it was a different city, the roads and pathways were clean, well illuminated, a stark comparison to the Muslim Quarter. We had just entered West Jerusalem and we were just a few meters away from the Western Wall, the most important shrine for Jewish people.
An impressive plaza surrounds the Western Wall. In 1948 Jews lost access to this important place of faith, nineteen years later Israeli paratroopers stormed this part of the Old City, soon thereafter the only Moroccan community that had lived within the walls of the Old City was bulldozed by the Israeli government, displacing thousands of people.
We left the Old City, a place of faith and history, but one that stands as a witness to intolerance and oppression. An ancient walled city that has seen many conflicts and today continues to contain within its walls, perhaps the biggest tragedy of our lifetime: the occupation of Palestinians.
We then traveled to a hill overlooking a beautiful valley, in front of us the golden dome of the Haram ash-Sharif, towards the east another wall, a much more modern wall, snaked up and down hills. It was the wall of separation erected by the Israeli government to protect the settlements of Israelis.
We approached the wall, a horrendous concrete structure that has separated Palestinian communities. On the top of the hill adjacent to wall of separation, a building that once operated as a hotel is now a military garrison and checkpoint. A Palestinian family welcomed us to their home which now faces the 12 foot separation wall and the former hotel turned military checkpoint. The head of the household, a middle aged Palestinian man took us to the terrace of his home.
He told us that his family is now separated, that he cannot visits his cousins only meters away but separated by the monstrosity of the cement wall.
I asked the Palestinian man, what message he wanted to send to the United States, his response put into perspective the plight of the Palestinian people. He said, "We have sent millions of messages and no one has listened."
Let us hear his message, we must hear his message. So long as one receptive ear hears the Palestinian people their struggle will continue.