Separation Barrier, Apartheid Wall, 'Security' Fence, The Wall......... regardless of what name it is called by, its presence is undeniable in Israel. The first day I arrived in Jerusalem I remember saying "So that's it?! That is THE wall?" I can see it clearly on my daily walk to school - the massive concrete blocks adorned with razor and barbed wire. It is a stark reminder of the ever-present 'us vs them' perception ingrained into this society.
The wall has served as an open canvas and thus a large protest banner on the Palestinian side. The artist's graffiti can speak for itself....
People always remark 'if only the walls could speak'..... when the real question is, if walls could speak - would we be able to listen? For this wall does speak and the lives within which it surrounds are expressed through the images and the words that strive to be heard. The paint and the passion slowly seeping through the concrete cracks until the other side can see that it is just an open hand and a lost gaze that holds the paint and meets their gaze...
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