The Israeli High Court rejected on Wednesday an appeal filed by
residents of Al Ram neighborhood, in Jerusalem, against the
construction of the Annexation Wall around the norther Jerusalem
neighborhood.
Most of the residents of Al Ram carry Jerusalem identity cards and will be blocked from the city, but the judges ruled that those residents “will have adequate access to Jerusalem through crossings in the Wall, especially through the Qalandia crossing.
The High court, headed by Justice Aharon Barak, also ruled that the route of the Annexation Wall in Bir Nibala town, is “legal”, thus rejecting five appeals filed regarding the same issue.
The original petition was filed against the construction of the Wall along Highway 60, west of Al Ram. The court initially issued an interim ruling that prevented the construction of the Wall in the area, but later on Israel provided assurances that it will not continue the construction in that area until after a hearing on the appeals, the Israeli Ynetnews reported. In August 2004, court issued a ruling that annulled the interim order.
The construction will force 55.000 Palestinians, residents of east Jerusalem and carrying Israeli Identity cards, to remain outside the Israeli side of the Wall.
Justice Barak said that in the ruling that “the rights of Al Ram residents are not absolute, and that their rights “can be obstructed if there is a justification for it”, the Ynetnews added.
Barak stated in his ruling that there should be a distinction between harming the rights of what he described as “protected residents” by the construction of the Wall and harm done to Israeli's, who are citizens and permanent residents.
He added that the Wall is “meant to protect the live of the residents of Israel in general against attacks coming out from the west Bank.
