Life on the Border: The Impact of the Separation Barrier on the Residents of the Barta'a Enclave Demilitarized Zone

The route of the separation barrier between Israel and the Palestinian Authority does not coincide exactly with the border commonly known as the Green Line. As a result, a number of territorial enclaves have emerged along the length of the barrier that the State of Israel has not annexed but the Palestinian Authority is unable to administer and govern. These enclaves have become demilitarized zones of sorts, where the Palestinian residents live without any organized system of government. They have no effectual local government, no effective mechanism for collecting taxes, no organized planning, no labor laws and no veterinary supervision. The residents of these enclaves have been cut off from the West Bank, which had provided them with essential services in the past. The resultant situation should have had a deleterious impact on the residents’ economic development. In reality, however, the opposite took place. The citizens of the State of Israel see the separation barrier (and not the Green Line) as a security border and thus perceive the area as safe. Because of this sense of security, many consumers engage in lively commercial contacts with the Palestinian residents. As a result, business is booming in the villages within the enclave and the economy is flourishing. New shopping areas and stores are being built, along with garages, restaurants and factories, all benefitting from the low tax rates and cheap labor in an area where there is no established local government. The aim of this paper is to provide a multidisciplinary examination of how the residents of the village of Barta'a have coped socially, economically and politically with the changes that have taken place in their village. These changes have resulted from the remarking of the borderline, which has divided members of the same family between Israelis living in the State of Israel and Palestinians living in a territorial enclave. The paper examines how the residents cope with the geopolitical changes that have occurred along the ceasefire line over time.