“Neighbors – YES! Apartheid – NO!” said one of the posters that were carried by the demonstrators at Wadi Muhammad, near Beit-Jala.

Some 200 activists of Gush Shalom and other peace movements answered the call of the villagers and protested on Tuesday (7.7.09) against the fence that separates the villagers from their olive groves.

The problem of this small village illustrated the methods of the occupation perfectly. The fence is located exactly under one of the highest bridges in the country, part of the infamous “road of the tunnels” that connects Jerusalem with the Gush Etzion settlements, and on which only Israelis are allowed to travel.

The protest was initiated by the “Sons of Abraham” association located in Hebron and devoted to the promotion of friendship between Christians, Muslims and Jews. The Protestant church in Beit-Jala took an active part and invited some 200 German peace activists.

The Israeli activists were to reach the fence from one side, and the Palestinians and their guests from the other. But many of the Israelis found their way into Bet Jala and joined the Palestinians who came from that side.

The demonstration reached its climax when the band of drummers, which accompanied it, filled the wadi with the thunder of their drums, and the protesters from both sides put their hands on the fence in a symbolic act of protest and brotherhood.

The demonstrators took off the fence a sign declaring: “Mortal Danger- Military Zone – any person who passes or damages the fence endangers his life”. They covered the sign with a big X.

Among the posters: “Erase the shame! Dismantle the fence!”. “People are stronger than Fences”’, “Build bridges, not fences”, “Bad fences create bad neighbors”.

A detachment of border policemen was present but did not interfere.