February 5th: Under the Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement, February 5th marks the deadline for the opening of a northern Safe Passage route, linking the Gaza Strip with the West Bank.
"The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell…And the chains fell off his wrists." Acts 12:6-8.
Since the implementation of Israeli military closure following the Oslo Accords in March 1993, Palestinians in Gaza have been bound and chained to 141 square miles of land. They are restricted from visiting family members, worshipping or pursuing education in the places of their choice, or finding employment outside their respective territories. According to a report by B'Tselem - The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights, "First degree relatives may be separated for years, unable to attend weddings and funerals of parents or children." Palestinian pursuits for education met with similar results. The Birzeit University Human Rights Action Project reported that, "Between March 1996 and January 1998, over 1,500 students from Gaza registered at West Bank universities were prohibited from traveling to their place of study." This denial of free movement was in direct violation of international law, specifically under Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which reads, "Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State."
The Safe Passage was supposed to be the "answer" to the problem Oslo created. Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) agreed to establish Safe Passage routes, during the Interim Agreements of 1995, which would allow Palestinians to freely travel between the West Bank and Gaza Strip. After over 4 years of delay and deliberation the southern Safe Passage opened on October 25th, 1999 between the Gaza Strip and Tarkumya in Hebron, West Bank. The International Media applauded Prime Minister Barak and President Arafat, as 132,000 Gazans were granted access to the West Bank to work, worship, visit, or shop. However, these rose-colored reports failed to mention that out of this number 130,000 residents already possessed travel permits allowing them to travel into the West Bank and Jerusalem (Usher, Alternative Information Center).
In discussing the Safe Passage, Israel and the PA recognized, in the Interim Agreements, the "territorial integrity" of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the corresponding necessity to travel freely between these areas. However, in this case Palestinian "territorial integrity" is dependent on Israeli understanding and permission; Palestinian freedom stops where Israeli "security" concerns begin. Palestinian applicants wishing to use the Safe Passage must first apply to the Palestinian Authority's (PA) Civil Affairs Ministry, but inevitably permission is granted or denied by the State of Israel. Consequently, in the first week of November some 40% of the Safe Passage requests were rejected, according to Al Majdal by Badil Resource Center. Therefore Palestinian "territorial integrity" is being defined by Israeli policy, as Palestinian residents within autonomous areas must obtain Israeli permission to travel.
Similarly, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) remains omnipresent as travelers move between the West Bank and Gaza Strip, maintaining the authority to detain and arrest Palestinians. On its inaugural day alone the Safe Passage witnessed the arrest of five Palestinians at the Erez checkpoint, although they held proper documentation. Numerous other regulations governing travel allocations restrict the freedom of movement that the Safe Passage was supposed to provide. Al Majdal reports that Palestinian movement is restricted by Israeli security operations (such as the Erez checkpoint), as well as contracted operational time of the passage, which is open only 10 hours per day. To add insult to injury, the Safe Passage is scheduled to be closed on Israeli holidays such as Israeli Remembrance Day, Independence Day and Yom Kippur. "Freedom of Movement" is proving to be a time consuming liberty, as the Safe Passage process has exponentially increased the time and suffering involved in traveling. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights reports that prior to military closure in 1993, trips between Gaza and Ramallah required approximately 75-90 minutes. Using the Safe Passage a traveler can expect spending 5 hours en route (including 2-3 hours of inspection at Erez checkpoint). Palestinian "freedom of movement" is being defined by Israeli "security", as individual mobility and security is in the hands of the IDF.
Sabeel Center expresses its alarm at the manner in which the southern Safe Passage is currently operating. This route falls dramatically short in affording autonomy to Palestinians as they travel between the West Bank and Gaza Strip. If this route, given current Israeli control, is any indication, the northern Safe Passage scheduled to open on February 5th under the Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement, offers little hope for Palestinian security or freedom.
The development of a Safe Passage, which insures free and secure travel, is an essential component in building the foundation of a viable Palestinian State. The facts on the ground do not suggest that Israel will adhere to Sharm el-Sheikh. It is February 4th and construction on the Safe Passage route (i.e. roadwork, control stations) has not begun; another deadline will be missed, another opportunity forsaken. For the time being the soldiers are still on guard, the chains are bound "securely", and the Palestinians languish in the darkness of geographic imprisonment.
In our mandate to work for justice, Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center believes that the State of Israel must provide full Palestinian autonomy in the operation of the southern Safe Passage, and must implement the northern route according to this principle. Sabeel Center hopes that the opening of two truly Safe Passages will be one ray of a larger light, liberating our sisters and brothers from their cells of occupation.
© Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center
www.sabeel.org