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News Archive |
LAST UPDATE
December 15, 2007
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| December 10, 2007 |
Stop the Wall Speaking Tour 2007 - Japan's involvement in the occupation
of the Jordan Valley |
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Although news about Palestine reaches those in Japan through their televisions each night, it is rare to directly hear the personal stories of those living their lives in the Occupied Territories. In order to bring Japanese attention to the voices of the Palestinian people, and to consider the role of their own country in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Peace Boat joined a coalition of nine Japan-based organisations and individuals, in inviting Fathi Khdeirat, Jordan Valley Coordinator of the grassroots campaign Stop the Wall. [link: http://stopthewall.org], of which Peace Boat is also a member. Mr Khdeirat toured eight cities of Japan, as well as meeting with parliament members in Tokyo, to raise awareness about the annexation of the Jordan Valley and the Apartheid Wall, and Japan's complicity with these crimes.
During his visit, Mr Khdeirat spoke about everyday life under occupation in the Jordan Valley, where Palestinians face severe restrictions on their freedom, as well as economic difficulties. This was a rare experience to hear of the situation in the Jordan Valley, a region not well known to many of the audience.
For Mr Khdeirat, one of the key reasons for his travel to Japan was to raise awareness about a US$100 million project currently being planned by the Japanese government, through its Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This project, entitled the “Concept for Creating the Corridor for Peace and Prosperity,” was initiated following former Prime Minister Koizumi's 2006 visit to the Jordan Valley. Launched in March 2007, the programme aims to establish an agro-industrial park in the Jordan Valley and a related water resource development plan, followed by a project to strengthen the support system for sustainable agriculture in the region.
Yet for the Palestinian residents of the area, this project is highly problematic. Mr Khdeirat shared his opinion that the project, rather than benefiting the Palestinian people, will just construct further irreversible occupational infrastructure. Israel, Jordan and Palestine are listed as partners in the development. Yet to the Palestinians, Israel is not seen as a “partner,” but the occupier. Furthermore, sufficient information is not being provided to Palestinian residents of the area.
A further problem with the Japanese involvement in the region as defined by Mr Khdeirat lies in Japan's larger engagement in the Middle East. No reference is made within the project to the Israeli occupation of the area, and the Japanese government has remained silent regarding the legality of the occupation itself, as well as the Apartheid Wall already built in the Jordan Valley. Japan's naming of Israel as a partner in this project is thus seen by the Palestinian residents as a serious obstacle to the peace process.
Mr Khdeirat also spoke of ongoing difficulties faced in regards to agriculture in the Jordan Valley. While JICA states the aim of the project to be assisting development of agricultural products in the region and transportation of products to markets overseas, production capacity is not the problem faced by Palestinian agriculture. Rather, the problem lies in delivering the goods to outside markets. Farmers are separated from their fields by the wall, stopped at Israeli checkpoints, and forced to go through Israeli-owned trading companies to sell their goods. For these reasons, Mr Khdeirat called for Japanese consumers to boycott the Israeli goods widely available in Japan, for example the fruit “sweetie”, popular throughout Japan and produced solely in Israel. He stated that without breaking down the economic structures where corporations benefit from the occupation and money is used for military purposes, the cycle will never end.
Through his speaking tour, Mr Khdeirat brought these concerns of the local Palestinian community to a Japanese audience, calling for a space for dialogue and community feedback about the project. As well as public sessions, he held a hearing in the Japanese Parliamentarian Building, and submitted an official request paper to the Japanese government.
A strong appeal from Mr Khdeirat called for the Japanese organisations involved in organising his speaking tour to continue their coalition, and use this opportunity as a starting point to continue other projects in solidarity with and support of the Palestinian people. Finally, and leaving a huge impression on all present, Mr Khdeirat invited his audiences to visit Palestine. “If you come and see it for yourselves, the people of the Jordan Valley including me will warmly welcome you and you can understand our situation better.” |
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