The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH) demands the international community to take immediate steps to halt the construction of the 350-kilometer Israeli monitored electrical fence.

On June 16, 2002, Israel began making this project a reality, at an estimated cost of 200 million dollars, with the hope of completing the first 110 kilometers within a year. The fence will run from the Salem checkpoint in the north to Kfar Kassem in the south separating the towns of Jenin, Tulkaram and Qalqilya from Israeli cities. Moreover, it will separate the West Bank from east Jerusalem.

According to the Israeli Defense Ministry Director, Amos Yaron who will oversee the project, the purpose of the wall is to "divide between the main part of the Palestinian population and the Jewish Israeli population." This statement clearly illustrates the Israeli government's declared approval to crush the Palestinian economy.

The international community must halt Israel's attempt to create its long desired manifestation of a "unilateral separation." Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat accused Israel of dividing Palestinian land into small cantons to "start a new apartheid system which is worse than what happened in South Africa". This discriminatory measure, cloaked under the penumbra of Israeli 'security', will further segregate the Palestinian people from their homeland.

MIFTAH urges the international community to act now and halt Israel from creating another Berlin Wall. It must halt Israel's continual breach of Article 49, paragraph 6 of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons, which provides that "the occupying power (Israel) shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into territories it occupies (Palestine)."

MIFTAH urges the international community to no longer view Ariel Sharon's government as a partner for peace when it continues to intentionally and knowingly crumble the fundamental principles of international law.