Israel-Palestine, Tel Aviv, assessment of the initiative of the Anarchists Against The Wall - documentary video and panel 13/08/04

The joint Palestinian-Israeli struggle against the wall ignited a wide mass nonviolent struggle of the Palestinian villagers most effected, combined with Israeli radicals around the core of the Anarchists Against The Wall and international activists. The struggle contributed - both directly and indirectly through international involvement, to a supreme "justice" courthouse stay on the route of the Wall which harm the Palestinian villagers. While there is a lull in the construction of most of the route, the struggle continue.
While lot of activists are involved with the long march along the rote of the Wall, about 100 activists gathered in the municipal cinematic of Tel Aviv to view the documented video of the struggle - starting from the first joint struggle at Mas'ha march 2003 till these days.

The first joint demonstration of the people of Mas'ha with the Israeli anarchists and international ended with the establishment of a camp on the route. On request of the local villagers the symbolic joint act continued for months and was a catalyst in the igniting of mass activity of the Palestinian nonviolent direct action struggle against the construction of the Wall.

There were many small victories which though only delaying the construction contributed to the building of high moral and involvement of more and more people. After half a year of struggle, the first damage inflicted by the initiative to the less robust part of the fence at Zabuba, ignited red alarm at the Israeli authorities who responded in the next symbolic physical damage to a gate of the Wall with shooting to hit with live ammunition on the Israeli activists.

This act which resulted with serious harm to a leg of one of the Israeli activists caused a havoc in the media and public opinion - which pushed the authorities to clumsy lies that all the Israelis have seen exposed in the main TV channels.

In the panel after the long documentaries people summed the contribution of the initiative of The Anarchists Against The Wall to the delegitimizing of the Wall as tool for annexation of Palestinian territory and quiet transfer of the villages. The contribution of the initiative to the upsurge of mass non violent direct action of the Palestinians and internationalism was mentioned too.
Ilan