Through this article, I’m going to tell you how the Israeli’s Separation Wall and checkpoints effect our daily lives.

The separation wall is build by the Israeli government. In my opinion it is not a "protecting" wall, for two reasons. The first reason is that the wall didn’t forbid the attacks on Israel. The second and main reason is that the wall is built on Palestinian lands; instead of being built on the border of the two states.

Concerning my daily life, the wall had made me suffer a lot. It had made me suffer, since know it is very hard for me to take the1 hour trip from Ramallah the city I live in to my family’s city Jenin. The last time I went to Jenin with my family, it took us 6 hours to reach the checkpoint near Jenin. After we reached the checkpoint the soldier refused to let us enter, without even looking at my father's ID. This simply occurred because the soldier was in bad mood. The time before that was even worse, since the wall was newly built, and the only way possible to reach Jenin was to go around it, which took us almost 10 hours. These trips seemed like trips to hell !!!

In conclusion, I think that the Israeli checkpoints are good reasons for suicide. They are good reasons, because it makes you very angry to see more then 10 checkpoints in the west bank itself. And it makes you more angry to find the same checkpoint more than 3 times, as you are moving between Palestinian cities. In other words the Israeli jeep that stops you 10 km away from Ramallah, may move to stop you again 20 km away from Ramallah, to ask you the same questions. They are also good reasons, because Israeli soldiers at these checkpoints treat Palestinians like animals. For instance, last year I went to Jerusalem to play in the orchestra. My -7years old- friend was in the bus with me. he did not have his ID to prove that he is underage. So the soldiers did not let him pass.

At the end, I think that all the Palestinians are living in a big jail. This jail includes checkpoints and a separation wall, which make it seem more miserable. And, after all that, the Israelis tell the world they want PEACE!!!

By: Yazeed
Edited by: Dina Zabaneh, 11th Grade, Ramallah Friends School - West Bank, Palestine