Israel has resumed construction of a section of its controversial separation wall in the Cremisan valley near Bethlehem, despite a court appearing to rule against further work on the barrier in April.
The wall will separate the West Bank city of Beit Jala from the settlement of Har Gilo and the village of Walaja. Critics claim its real purpose is not to increase security but to allow settlement expansion.
Earth movers have started uprooting olive trees to break the ground for the wall. The planned route runs through the Cremisan valley on land owned by 58 Christian Palestinian families, close to a monastery and its sister convent and school.
The wall has been opposed by local Christian leaders and the Vatican. In April it appeared that its construction had been blocked when Israel’s high court ordered the defence ministry to reconsider the route. But a subsequent ruling in July gave it the green light.
Palestinian landowners argue it will separate them from their land. Initial plans would have separated the Salesian monastery from its sister convent and school. It now appears that the proposed wall will be built, except for a section around the buildings.
The renewed construction is only on the latest section of the wall, which Israel began building in 2002. It claims its purpose is to stop terrorists. Palestinian critics and others allege that the route allows for the effective annexation of Palestinian land.
It was clear for some time that the Israeli defence ministry had intended to push ahead with the plans. After the ruling in April, it sent a letter to a lawyer representing landowners stating that it intended to go ahead with construction, while leaving a gap near the monasteries.
Giat Nasser, a lawyer who represents the Beit Jala municipality and the landowners, told Haaretz: “They apparently haven’t reconciled themselves to the ruling. What they’re doing is ‘feeding’ the court, stage by stage. After they build the fence they’ll say it’s already up, then they’ll ask to build the loops around the monasteries, because there won’t be any choice.”
