The bustling town of al-Ram, with a population of over 25,000, is strategically located between Jerusalem and Ramallah. For a long time, the town’s geography was its blessing. Today, it has become its curse.

Al-Ram’s main entrance was once the Jerusalem-Ramallah road just past the suburbs of Shufat, Beit Hanina and Dahiyat al-Barid. But then the wall was built, dividing half of Dahiyat al-Barid and placing the entire town of al-Ram on the other side of the wall away from its normal access from either side of the Jerusalem-Ramallah road. All shops, including the recently opened branch of the Arab Bank, that were once on the main road suddenly found themselves facing a 10-meter-high wall with no access to either Jerusalem or Ramallah. To get to the two main cities, one must now exit the rear of the town, which is the most poorly maintained, least properly zoned part.

The population of al-Ram, made up almost entirely of east Jerusalemites with Israeli blue ID cards and yellow licensed Israeli car plates, suddenly found themselves surrounded and isolated. Residents must now take the long way to get to school, work or any other location that used to take minutes to reach.

Worst yet, the city has become a lawless area. Israel, which technically and legally is responsible for the security of al-Ram — as it is declared part of Area C — has totally ignored the town. Meanwhile, Israel does not allow Palestinian police to reach al-Ram because of the Oslo Accords, which consider Area C the sole domain of Israel for both security and administrative issues. The Israelis have provided east Jerusalemites living on the other side of the wall with some access to administrative services by allowing a branch of the post office and other offices within the nearby Qalandia checkpoint.