CfP activist Osama Iliwat, lives in Jericho, in the center of the Jordan Valley which Israel threatens to annex. He shares here what annexation will mean for him and all Palestinians living in the region.
If annexation takes place, I will be in the middle of it. Annexation for me will mean to live in a prison surrounded by Israeli checkpoints. My town Jericho will turn into a small island in the middle of annexed lands. For us, Palestinians, annexation will annihilate our dreams of peace, of having our own state with at least one open border on the East with Jordan. To have an open border with a neighbouring state means to have a country. None of that will be possible anymore with the annexation.
Back at the time of the Oslo Accords, we were forced by the international community to accept a deal. We lost a lot, but we were at least looking at having our own state. Since then, every two years or so, we are asked to give away a new part of our land and dignity. And if we say no, the world blames us for being against the peace process!
With the annexation plan, the Israeli government aims to confiscate purely and simply a third of the West Bank territory. And we are supposed to accept that, when the rest of our land is almost already entirely controlled by Israel? Take the Jordan Valley. 84% of it is nowadays a de facto property of 7000 settlers and the Israeli army. 80% of the underground water is captured by them. Meanwhile Bedouins communities are forced to fill up their tanks in the cities at a very high price. When Palestinians build houses on their private lands in Area C they are destroyed, whereas outposts built by settlers considered illegal by the Israeli law itself are tolerated! The annexation will render all of these means of occupation “legal”. The only ones who will be considered illegal will be the Palestinians in their home land. Or we will receive a status of resident like the Palestinians of East Jerusalem do, and this will induce pure apartheid with different rights depending on your “race”.
This must stop. We are going to resist through all peaceful ways possible, but we need the international community to believe in us and support us as well. We need the support of everyone! We need every one of you living abroad to convince your Parliament members to speak up against occupation and annexation.
I have nothing against Israel or Jews. I am fighting for equal rights and human rights. We, Palestinians, want to raise our children in a place where they can be educated and play freely, without developing fear and hate toward the Israelis. I still want to believe that another way is possible. But we need to be respected and given our freedom. I am thankful that within Combatants for Peace we find Israelis and Palestinians who commit to resist together against the Israeli government’s policy of hate. That is what keeps me moving.
