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West Bank Checkpoint Image: Chris Yunker This episode of Listen In starts with a history of the creation of Israel and the conflicts that led to the wall. Mohammad Ethman is a human rights activist in Palestine and working for peace in his country with the organization Stop The Wall. He sees Israel’s security wall as a major barrier because it was built across Palestinian land, keeping people from living their basic daily life. He sees it as a physical and symbolic barrier to the peace process as well. So to him and other locals it deserved the name "Apartheid Wall." Residents have objected not only to the fact that the wall keeps them from living their daily lives but also that it was built on Palestinian land beyond the actual geographic demarcations that separate Israel and Palestine. It has become a de-facto annexation of land by Israel. His outspoken opposition to the wall even got him arrested by Israel. Amnesty International took up his case. Their position is that a person should not be arrested for just stating their opinion, even if the government in power disagrees with it. He was eventually released and returned to public life with a new dedication to promoting peace in the Middle East and prosperity for his people. In his vision of the future, he sees a One State Solution for Israel and Palestine where all residents have an equal voice. He thinks foreign governments -- particularly the United States -- are a major factor in the region's success; he asks Americans to boycott the Israeli settlements which will put pressure on Israel to concede this land. West Bank barrier, as of 2006 Image: Ynhockey The United States promotes their "road map" as their guidelines for peace in the Middle East. President Obama reinforced his dedication to this plan in his May 17 2009 public discussion with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He opposed human rights violations on both sides, pointed out that the settlements are a major problem to the process, raised the problem of the isolation of Gaza, and condemned attacks on Israeli civilians. He did not talk about the wall directly. He officially supports the Two State Solution as the ultimate goal of the Middle East peace process. A Septic Radio production.