A Palestinian helps a woman to transfer her baby over concrete blocks that cut the West Bank village of Abu Dis in two (AFP)

By Yasser El-Banna, IOL Correspondent

GAZA CITY, February 16 (IslamOnline.net) – The Palestinians are planning a wide-scale popular campaign against Israel’s separation wall, snaking through the West Bank, to concur with the first hearing of the International Court of Justice on the legality of the controversial barrier.

Maarouf Zahran, municipality chief of the West Bank town of Qalqilya, described the campaign, to be launched on Monday, February 23, as a message to the ICJ and the entire world community.

"The Palestinian people want peace but, at the same time, reject Israel's repressive measures – including the separation wall – which will ruin their lives, slice their lands and isolate them in ghettos" he told IslamOnline.net.

Zahran, one of the main organizers, said the campaign will be championed by the anti-wall committee, which comprises all Palestinian civil, social and national powers as well as national and Islamic parties.

He added that the first day of the campaign will see different events, such as demonstrations, statements, anti-wall banners and meetings with Palestinians afflicted by the Israeli wall, especially farmers, land owners and traders.

The Israeli government announced Thursday, February 12, it will officially boycott the ICJ sessions, arguing the case does not fall into the court jurisdiction.

The U.N. General Assembly has requested a legal opinion on the controversial barrier from the ICJ.

Israel claims that the 600 kilometers barrier, which will eventually snake some 900 kilometers along the West Bank and leave even larger swathes of Palestinian territory on the Israeli side, is necessary to head off Palestinian attacks.

However, Palestinians see the wall as an attempt to predetermine the borders of their future independent state.

A U.N. report had concluded that the wall marked illegal annexation  of Palestinian territory and must be condemned by the world community.

Media Campaign

Palestinian and Israeli demonstrators gather next to the 8-meter-tall wall

Zahran said that Palestinian television and radio channels will broadcast the events of the day live to the entire world in a bid to mobilize public opinion in favor of the Palestinian rights.

"We want to send a clear message to the world, international media and human rights organizations to support us," he added.

Zahran underlined that the Palestinian people pin high hopes on the backing of international organizations and public opinion to stand against the wall which violates the Palestinians’ basic human rights.

Pessimism

The Palestinian official, however, sounded pessimistic as to the ICJ’s ability to enforce its ruling on Israel, which has a long history of disregarding hundreds of U.N. resolutions.

"We do not expect the ICJ to be able to stop the construction of the wall because this would require a U.N. Security Council mechanism.

"However, we need the world to know the truth and reality behind it, see the extent of injustice inflicted on the Palestinian people, and Israel’s disregard for international law and human rights."

Zahran did not expect demonstrations in Arab countries to mark the day, citing the political climate in the Arab world.

"We sure hope that Arab citizens would take to the streets in wide scale protests such as those organized by Europeans."

Significant

Mustafa El-Barghouty, a Palestinian political analyst and one of the organizers, said the campaign will be very important in mobilizing international public opinion against the separation wall.

"One of the main factors that could impact world public opinion is to see strong Palestinian opposition to the Israeli wall and the occupation," he told IOL.

"It is extremely important that the world see that the Palestinian people cannot accept or live with this racist apartheid wall," Barghouty continued.

"We hope the campaign would be see shows of solidarity from Arab and international powers."

He added that delegations from European countries will participate in the campaign and demonstrations.

Barghouty underlined that the campaign "will not stop and will continue through out the year. This is a year of solidarity with the Palestinian people and against the racist wall."