Why the security fence is a separation wall

Seders are the ideal opportunity to think about how any particular experience is different from the typical experience.  Last night, I also spent much of the evening reflecting on overcoming oppression.
Over the last week, I've been thinking a lot about how my most recent trip to Israel and Palestine is different from all my other trips.  I've never traveled with students in Israel and Palestine.  Watching students wrestle with the events, people, and places was rewarding as a teacher.  The students showed an amazing ability to critically engage, reflect on, and talk about challenging topics in a mature and sophisticated manner.
Watching the Israeli and Palestinian representatives from Friends of the Earth Middle East talk about water issues and how they affect both Israelis and Palestinians (and Jordanians) was inspiring. At the same time, I was often dismayed by the increasing difficulty for some other Israelis and Palestinians to talk about the other.  Too often I heard sentences that began with "Israelis are…" or "Arabs are…" or "Those people..."  These generalizations too often obscure a far more complex reality.  As a world history teacher, I often struggle with avoiding these sorts of generalizations, so I tend to be more aware when others use them.  It's not about me judging people, I just notice the generalizations.

The separation wall in Aida Refugee Camp with Palestinian olive trees and the Gilo settlement in the background.

While staring out at the separation wall from the rooftop in the Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem, I was struck by how close many Israelis and Palestinians live, but how little contact they have because of the wall between them.  Walls are more than physical structures.  They prevent people from interacting with each other, learning from each other, and knowing each other. The separation wall truly does separate Israelis and Palestinians in a way that the reality of each people become completely unknown to the other.  There's nothing left but the ability to make generalizations.
We need more opportunities for people to interact.  We need more moments for Israelis to rub shoulders with Palestinians, to sit and hear their stories, to learn about their dreams, and to walk along their streets.  We need more moments for Palestinians to rub shoulders with Israelis, to sit and hear their stories, to learn about their dreams, and to walk along their streets.  I had that opportunity on my last trip, which is why it was different from every other trip.  I want everyone to have that opportunity.