Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, Arun, will travel to Ramallah and address “Palestinian peace activists,” at rallies against Israel’s security fence: Gandhi heir to lead rally in Ramallah.

The “wall” Gandhi said in a telephone interview with The Jerusalem Post from his home in Memphis, can only disrupt the peace process. “Building a wall to separate people is the ultimate [expression] of violence and the culture of violence. It doesn’t bring about any solution, it only adds to the problem,” said Gandhi. “The whole point of building a wall is not only keeping people out, but you are locking yourself in,” he said.

Mohammed Alatar, who leads the US-based grassroots group Palestinians for Peace and Democracy, said the needless bloodshed on both sides “breaks his heart.”

In an attempt to stop the violence he invited Gandhi, who has devoted his life to following in his grandfather’s footsteps, to the region to meet with Palestinians and Israelis. Alatar said the Palestinians can learn from the examples set in India by the elder Gandhi and Nelson Mandela in South Africa. “Our main goal is to regroup the Palestinian peace camp and to offer a different way to resist the occupation,” said Alatar.

Palestinian educator Terry Boulata of Abu Dis, who is also one of he trip’s organizers, said the “wall” has become one of the “icons of the occupation.” Among the slogans will be, “freedom is the key for peace,” “end occupation,” and “down with the wall,” she said. They will also be calling for the right of all children to live in peace.

But while she and Alatar said they believe peace is a message that binds Israelis and Palestinians together, neither of the rallies call for an end to suicide bombings.

“People are whispering about that [the need to stop suicide bombing]. There is no need to talk about it publicly,” said Boulata. The focus of the rallies is the occupation and the harm it causes both sides, said Boulata, even though both she and Alatar are personally against suicide bombings.

Gandhi, however, said he will be talking about stopping all forms of violence, including suicide bombings.