How Israel’s separation wall compares with the Berlin Wall

Israel’s separation barrier in the occupied West Bank is compared with the Berlin Wall, which fell on 9 November 1989. The comparison highlights how the barrier divides communities and restricts Palestinians’ access to land, family, work and services; unlike the Berlin Wall, it remains under construction.

Planned to run 712km, the barrier is more than four times the Berlin Wall’s length, and its concrete sections can reach about 9 metres. By April, 456km, or 64 per cent, of the planned route had been built, with about 85 per cent running inside the West Bank. OCHA says 14,000 Palestinians live between the barrier and the Green Line, while around 150 communities have land there; access for farmers depends on permits and gates, most of which are usually closed. The barrier also sits within a wider system of 925 movement obstacles documented across the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem.