This letter was written by an Israeli woman. a member of Machosm Whatch.
This checkpoint watch is a voluntary movement of Israeli women, founded in 2001, dedicated to monitoring and reporting human rights violations in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
It brings together Israeli women who are united in their opposition to the occupation and their commitment to human rights.
Machsom Watch claims to have 400 members, notably including Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s daughter Dana.
The word machsom is Hebrew for “checkpoint,” referring to Israeli Defense Forces checkpoints which control movement between different parts of the West Bank and between the West Bank and Israel.
What are Checkpoints?
A checkpoint is a roadblock which is guarded by soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) – the Israeli army in the Palestinian territories.
The purpose of Israeli checkpoints is to control and restrict the movement of Palestinians within the Palestinian Territories, as well as into and out of Israel across the Green Line. There are currently at least 144 Israeli-imposed checkpoints across the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with that figure changing often as new checkpoints arise (see maps).
How do Checkpoints violate Human Rights?
Checkpoints….
- Constitute a Form of Collective Punishment
- Deny Freedom of Movement
- Indiscriminately Inflict Physical Abuse, Harassment, and Humiliation on Palestinian Civilians
Impact of Checkpoints on Palestinian civilians
