Israeli Women for Peace

Mothers and grandmothers of soldiers in the Israeli army are the heart of the Israel peace movement. They not only see through the rationalizations of the politicians for continuing the brutal occupation of the West Bank, but they also have seen the damage that serving in the West Bank has done to their children and grandchildren.

I’ve met Israeli women that oppose the occupation in Rabbis for Human Rights and in secular Israeli peace groups such as Machsom Watch, the Alternative Information Center, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, and Women in Black.

I went one Friday with several other members of the EAPPI to stand for an hour with about twenty women at a main intersection in West Jerusalem, as part of a Women in Black weekly vigil. We held signs that said, in Hebrew, English and Arabic, "End the Occupation." And we handed out flyers explaining the purpose of the vigil. The flyer said:

"Why, beginning in 1988, have Israeli women – Jewish and Arab – maintained a vigil under the slogan, End the Occupation?"

"Because the occupation means ruling another people, oppressing them and indiscriminately killing women and children in the process."

"Because the occupation is the breeding ground for violence and fanaticism on both sides – and because it undermines basic human values and corrupts Israeli humanity."

"Because the occupation has poured money into settlements at the expense of developing towns, taking resources from the most vulnerable sectors of Israeli society."

"Because the occupation means living in permanent fear of the next attack."

"Because occupation and peace can’t exist together!"

While we were standing at the intersection, four young men came out of the guesthouse across the street, which belongs to the American Conservative Jewish movement. They held up a sign that said in Hebrew, "Peace activists support terrorists."

As soon as the young men arrived, three Israeli soldiers moved from behind us to put themselves between us and the four young men, and it became clear that they were protecting those involved in the Women in Black vigil. Over the years women participating in these demonstrations in Israel have been called terrible names, have had debris thrown at them, and even been physically assaulted. But these Friday vigils, which are held each week in several cities in Israel, now have the protection of the Israeli government.

When I asked an elderly Israeli woman how long she had been coming to the Women in Black vigils, she said is halting English, "You don’t want to know." When she asked why we were there, and I explained that we were an ecumenical Christian group, she wanted to know if we believed in God condemning all the Jews at the end of the world. "Isn’t that what Christians believe?’ she said. "Some Christians do believe that," I answered honestly, for this is the position of Christian Zionism. "But the Bible doesn’t actually support this belief."

As we talked, an elderly man stopped across the street and began to speak with the four young men holding the sign that accused us of supporting terrorism. Quietly, without any indication of acrimony, he succeeded in persuading them that they should take their sign down and go back into the guesthouse. The young men were no threat to us, but it was good to see an Israeli take the initiative to confront them in a respectful way that proved successful.

After the vigil was over, we walked to a nearby park to talk with Gila Svirsky, who has been attending Women in Black vigils for 17 years. Of average height, in her fifties, and a little thick of body, Gila could easily pass as the Jewish mother she is. But after listening to her for only a few sentences, it is clear she is much more.

I had asked her to talk about the Israeli peace movement, because most EAs have had little exposure to it. She described the peace movement as having two parts: Peace Now, the moderate lobby that convenes demonstrations and files court cases, and everyone else, which she characterizes as the "progressive" peace movement. After naming several other organizations, she spent most of her time talking about the work of the Coalition of Women for Peace, of which she is a key organizer and leader.

The Coalition of Women includes Women in Black and 8 other organizations, and involves several hundred women in Israel, both Jews and Arabs. The Coalition also works in partnership with Palestinian women’s groups, as that is possible.

She described demonstrations with both Israeli and Palestinian women carrying signs, "We refuse to be enemies." The Coalition also sponsored a "die in" in Tel Aviv, with signs that said: "The Occupation is killing us all." They women in the Coalition have done concerts for peace, picked olives with Palestinian farmers, and delivered supplies to Palestinians trapped by Israeli closures. (After the Israelis invaded Jenin and cut off the water, they managed to get diapers, sanitary napkins, and wipes to the Palestinian women, who were trapped for days in the city.)

They also do outreach work within Israel. Gila said that 25% of Israelis are immigrants from Russian speaking countries. These immigrants tend to be manipulated by right-wing political groups, so the Coalition of Women is organizing consciousness-raising meetings with these immigrant women. Most of the women are poor, so the Women’s Coalition explains to them that the Israeli government’s expenditures on the occupation of the West Bank are largely to blame for the lack of funds being spent on education and health care for Israelis.

The Women’s Coalition also sponsors "reality tours" for Israelis to see the West Bank, checkpoints, and the Separation Barrier. Over 2,500 Israelis have taken part in these tours.

Gila argues that all this work has had a positive impact on Israeli public opinion, for what was once a left-wing point of view about two states and Palestinian sovereignty is now accepted by a majority of mainstream Israelis. She feels that the peace movement has succeeded in persuading Israelis that the Occupation is bad for Israel. Funding the settlements is draining money out of the economy, and sending soldiers into the Occupied Territories is bad for the young men that go there. "Fifteen years ago, there was almost no awareness of this," she told us. "Now polls show that 67% of the Israelis want to get out of the most of the settlements on the West Bank."

What is needed now, Gila said, is a vision of what to do both during and after the disengagement from Gaza. "The Oslo peace process gave us a vision of the future that looked better," she said. "But we lack a vision to give us hope after disengagement." She said the leaders of the Coalition of Women would be meeting next weekend to discuss this issue and to formulate a strategy for the next several months. So, we won’t have long to wait…

Bob Traer, 22 April 2005

I am writing as a participant in the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel, which is sponsored by the World Council of Churches. The views expressed above are personal and do not necessarily represent the World Council of Churches. If you wish to publish or disseminate this letter beyond personal friends, please contact the EAPPI Communications Officer (eappi-co@jrol.com) for permission to do so. Thank you.

For other Letters from Jerusalem, go to http://christian-bible.com/Ethics/lj.letters.2005.htm. 

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