Hundreds of Israelis marched last week along the Green Line, the historic boundary between Israel and the West Bank, to remind Israelis that this is what separates the country from the occupied territory.

Holding signs including, “Fifty Years of Occupation – Enough,” activists organized by NIF grantees Machsom Watch and Givat Haviva laid long strips of green cloth along the line. The line is so invisible that at one section near the Latrun intersection in Israel they walked on a dirt road next to a wheat field and alongside a major Israeli highway.

Later they heard speakers, including Joint List Knesset Member Ayman Odeh and Meretz Party leader Zahava Galon. An Arab-Jewish art exhibit was also held at the Givat Haviva Center for Shared Society.

The marches were part of events to mark the 50 years of the occupation. The New Israel Fund has supported several such events including a Tel Aviv peace demonstration last month and a report that details the cost of the occupation to the Israeli economy.

Machsom Watch was founded 16 years ago to monitor Israeli military practices at checkpoints in Palestinian territories. It recently released a series of videos (in Hebrew) to further acquaint the public with its activists.

Givat Haviva works extensively with the New Israel Fund especially with respect to its Shared Communities Project that pairs neighboring Jewish and Arab towns to undertake joint projects that improve their lives and foster stronger relationships.