wall [wawl]
noun
1. a barrier
2. used for protection
3. used for separation between Palestinians and Jews
example: The Israeli West Bank Barrier
example: The Israeli West Bank Barrier
wall [wawl]
noun
1. a historical landmark
2. represents the past
3. a holy site towards Jews
example: The Western Wall
example: The Western Wall
It is crazy that wall literally has the most negative and positive meanings in Jerusalem. The Israeli West Bank barrier gives separation as the Western Wall in the Old City brings Jews is considered one of the holiest sites in the world.
It is just a thought, and of course something this simple yet complex would be in no place other than the city of Jerusalem.
I really like that you have brought up differing meanings of one simple word that means so much in the Israel/Palestinian conflict setting. I think that so often, we forget the importance of semantics in the issue. As in any political setting, one must be very careful about the words they use and what they mean. It is very easy to offend or insult someone or another group of people by using words that we find to be simple but in fact represent intense emotion.
ReplyDeleteGood Catch. Perhaps the most controvercial ssite in Jerusalem are both walls: the western wall and the border wall. Coinsidence or not, walls provide loaded metaphorcal imagery for the Pealitinian-Israeli situation. Do the walls prevent violence by imprisoning and restraining both sides? Is the graffitti on the border wall breaking it down or building higher? What if there was graffitti on the Western wall?
ReplyDelete