Barghouthi: “Israel’s ruling to shift Bil'in Wall route is result of non-violent resistance

Palestinian Legislator, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, stated on Tuesday that the ruling of the Israeli High Court ruling to halt the construction of the Annexation Wall on the orchards of the village of Bil’in, near Ramallah, and to shift the route of the Wall, is a victory of the three-year long nonviolent resistance campaign carried out by the villagers and their international supporters.

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi

The court ruled to re-route the wall section built on Bil’in village land which was planned to annex around 2300 Dunams (600 acres) out of 3400 Dunams (850 acres) of the village’s land. The new route will return some the annexed land to the village.

 According to local sources in the village only 1100 Dunams (275 acres) of land will be retrieved while the rest will remain on the Israeli side of the wall.

Dr. Barghouthi stated that the nonviolent struggle of the villagers and the support of the international and Israeli peace activists since more than two years led to this victory, and forced the Israeli High Court of Justice to order the removal of the Wall from the village’s orchards.

“This struggle must continue in order to completely remove the illegal Wall”, Dr, Barghouthi added.

He saluted the residents and the international supporters for their role and unique methods of nonviolent struggle against the illegal wall and settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Dr. Barghouthi also said that other Palestinian villages, such as Ertas and Um Salmouna, near Bethlehem, and other Palestinian areas are also using the same non-violent strategies in resisting the Annexation Wall.

He added that this ruling proves the effectiveness of mixing between nonviolent resistance and international solidarity, and that all factions are now required to support the steadfastness of the people in the areas that are adjacent to the Wall and settlements.

Moreover, Dr. Barghouthi voiced an appeal to the Palestinian people to continue their struggle against the Wall and the settlements until Israel implements the International Court’s advisory ruling against the Wall, and stops its Annexation of Jerusalem.

Nonviolent protest in Bilin

Nonviolent protest in Bilin