ISRAEL

1) Bat Shalom

Bat Shalom, a feminist peace organization

April 2002
Bat Shalom & Jerusalem Center for Women
Joint DeclarationPalestinian and Israeli Women
Demand Immediate End to Occupation

Israel has launched a war against defenseless Palestinian communities. The terrorization of innocent civilians, the unlawful killings and arrests, the siege imposed upon President Arafat, and the destruction of property, infrastructures and institutions, can only lead to further escalation, prolonging the sufferings of both nations and destroying any prospects for peace. The climate of fear and the obsession with reprisals that grips our two peoples obscure the true cause of this cycle of violence - the continued and unlawful Israeli occupation of the Palestinian people and their land.

It is our role, women on both sides, to speak out loudly against the humanitarian crimes committed in order to permanently subjugate an entire nation. Right now, in the face of uncontrolled military turmoil, we jointly ask the international community of states to accept its duty and mandate by international humanitarian law to prevent abuses of an occupying power, by officially intervening to protect the Palestinian people.

Beyond the immediate crisis, we know that there is one future for us both. The deliberate harming of innocent civilians, Palestinian or Israeli, must not be condoned. By working together we improve our chances for a better future. We believe that women can develop an alternative voice promoting effective peace initiatives and sound approaches. We undertake to work for this goal together.

Women have already begun to give substance to the recognition that a just peace is a peace between equals. When we call for a Palestinian state (on the territories occupied on 4th of June 1967) alongside the state of Israel, we envision true sovereignty for each state, including control over land and natural resources. We envision a settlement based on international law, which would endorse sharing the whole city of Jerusalem, the dismantling of the settlements, and a just solution to the question of refugees according to relevant UN resolutions. In continuing our joint work together, we want not only to achieve an end to the occupation; we want to help create the conditions for a life of security and dignity for both peoples.

We call upon all women and men, young and old, to join us in our sincere quest to preserve life, human dignity and freedom in our region. Dehumanization, hatred, revenge, and oppression contribute nothing to the resolution of a century of conflict. Mutual recognition and respect of each other's individual and collective rights will pave the way for peace making.

The Jerusalem Center for Women and Bat Shalom

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(19 oct 2000)
Dear Bat Shalom Friends and Allies,

Individuals and organizations around the world have been asking for ways to show their support for Israeli women's peace initiatives.  We are grateful for the support and concern you have expressed, and now ask you to raise your voices, loud and strong and in great numbers.  Please sign (by replying with your name and address at the top of the message) the following petition**.  Print it out and collect signatures and mail them to Bat Shalom (see address below).  Help us to ensure that our women's voices are heard by sending a donation that will allow us to publish the petition, in Hebrew and Arabic,  in as many places as we can.

We know that two peoples CAN live in this land. WE know that our children deserve a life of dignity and peace. We do not want our children to be killed, nor do we want them to be killers.  We must stop this madness.  We must stop the use of brute force

Let Palestinian and Israeli women lead the way.  It was Israeli women who changed public opinion about the terrible and pointless war in Lebanon.  It was Palestinian women who were courageous enough to engage in joint peace initiatives with Israelis.  We the women can find an end to this cycle of violence as well

The men tell us not to be scared.  They all tell us to be strong.  We are scared, and we want them to be scared too. We do not want to be "strong". We don't want them to think that they are strong enough to make the other nation disappear or go down in defeat and disgrace.  We want each and every person to have the right to live in peace and dignity.

We want to share the resources of this land, its water, its vines, and its holy places. Jerusalem can be shared; this whole area can be shared between two independent and equal nations. Israel should not rule the lives of Palestinians. Neither Palestine nor Israel should believe that peace can be won through violence and force.

Palestinian and Israeli women have been talking for years about their future here.  Tens of thousands of women from around the world have been supporting our vision of making peace.  These have been quiet efforts thus far.  Now is the time to raise our voices and insist on being heard.

We are launching an international initiative to stop the violence immediately.  We are insisting that all negotiating teams include at least 50 % women - in the Palestinian and Israeli leadership, in the UN teams, among representatives of all the governments involved in attempts to resolve this conflict.

There are too many men with too many egos involved in burning this piece of land.
 Let the women talk- we can bring peace.

 Let the international community form a group of women from all around the world to become the Women's Peace Corps - an international meditating body of women who will listen, facilitate, help us save ourselves.

Bring the women in.  The men have not done a good job here.  They talk of a security based in might.  We know that security means being good neighbors.  Without forgetting the wrongs of the past, nor the unequal distribution of power, we will focus on how to LIVE here in peace. We do not want the next generation of children to wear uniforms, to go to war.  We want them to know self-determination and dignity, without the need to fight for them.

We feel the pain, we are outraged, we are scared.
Before it is too late - let the women talk.

** Profound gratitude to Daphna GOLAN, former director of Bat Shalom, for sharing her text with Bat Shalom.

Dear friends,

Luisa MORGANTINI calls for support to our friends in Palestine and
Israel:
 

"As you know for 8 weeks groups of Italian women have been to Palestine
and Israel to monitor the situation. It has been a very important
initiative which developed our international policy and helped
Palestinian women and Israeli women in their search for freedom and
liberation.

The experience for the Italian women was extraordinary and
now every day in Italy there are initiatives to let people know about
the tragic events in Palestine and Israel and the necessity to reach
agreements with a just peace and respect of international legality:
Now we stopped the weekly presence of women, next group will leave on
the 4th till the 11th March 2001, we would like to be for the 8th March with
Palestinian and Israeli women.

For the Italian we already have a group leaving, we would like to make
the event international and Palestine and Israeli women agreed on this.
Women from other countries who are interested to come, please contact
me!"

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