Walled by Israel, Palestinian family declares ‘ republic’

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Ramallah, Palestinian Territories, Jan. 31: The logic of an Israeli wall north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank appears clear — on one side Palestinians, on the other the Israeli settlement of Beit El.

But look carefully and you will see a small gap in part of it leading into a courtyard where the Palestinian Jumaa family live.

The newly- built part of the wall which stretches along the road next to the settlement has left the 25 members of the extended family on the opposite side to the rest of the Palestinian town of ElBireh.

They are, they say, partially cut off from the outside world, sometimes having

The newly- built part of the wall which stretches along the road next to the settlement has left the 25 members of the extended family on the opposite side to Palestinian town of El- Bireh

to cross through an Israeli checkpoint just to buy milk and bread.

“The wall separated us from the people and from Palestinians. I feel I am inside the settlement, even though I am Palestinian,” said Hossam Jumaa, 54 and a father of eight. “Now we live alone.” At the house, the children of the three families play in the shadow of the six- metre ( 20- foot) wall, while their vegetable plots run towards the barrier.

The family said they were informed three years ago by Israeli authorities that they would extend the wall along the road, leaving them on the other side.

But they say construction increased after US President Donald Trump’s December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, which led to widespread protests and the Palestinian government freezing ties with the US administration.

The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, which they say is being rapidly eroded by Israeli settlement growth throughout the West Bank.