Movement and Sovereignty: The Separation Wall and the Denial of Palestinian Statehood

Contemporary state theory has stressed the importance of monopolization of legitimate use of force. Using John Torpey's "Coming and Going" as a theoretical framework, this paper extrapolates on that theory by considering state monopolization of the legitimate means of movement, the policing of border regimes and the embrace and penetration of society by states, and applies this theory to the West Bank wall separating Israel and Palestine. This paper examines how this wall has confounded Palestinian ability to achieve state sovereignty by not only disallowing Palestinian authorities to have control over the legitimate means of movement, but also by embracing and penetrating Palestinian society to the benefit of Israel and the detriment of Palestinians. This paper looks to explain how without monopolization of the legitimate means of movement, no Palestinian state can ever exist, and one-way Israeli control over the means of movement between Israel and Palestine ensures the nonexistence of a Palestinian state.