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Section Report 2002
Introduction: The Political Situation in Israel
The
political situation in Israel is the worst it has ever been. The
government, headed by Ariel Sharon, calls itself a national unity
government. In actuality it's a right wing government, a coalition
of all the extreme right wing parties, including all of the Jewish
religious parties; moreover it includes the Labor party which
was traditionally center-to-left. The defense minister, Ben-Eliezer,
head of the Labor party, is carrying out the right wing military
program against the Palestinians in the occupied territories.
Shimon Peres, the elder statesman from the Labor party, who is
the Foreign Minister, is mouthing niceties about peace while acting
as a cover up for the brutal military actions against the Palestinians.
The opposition parties, all on the left, are as vocal as possible,
but are a minority in the Knesset (parliament).
The
Palestinians are caught in a dilemma. When they try to contain
the extremists, in the hope of creating conditions for negotiations
with the Israeli leadership, the Israeli army - under the guise
of rooting out a known terrorist - blows up a house, or a car,
or a building killing many innocent people including women and
children. When the Palestinian extremists carry out a terrorist
act, such as a suicide bombing - which the Palestinians feel is
their only weapon against the army - that act becomes the reason
for ever more brutal actions against Palestinian civilians.
The
Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories are the crux
of the matter. The right wing parties all support the maintenance
and extension of the Jewish settlements, and the continuous establishment
of unauthorized outposts. These parties claim that all of what
was the British Mandate of Palestine before the UN partition decision
of 1947 - for the creation of Israel and Palestine - belongs to
the Jewish people and should be part of the Jewish state. The
extreme right wing parties do not recognize the rights of the
Palestinians living in the area, and support the building of more
and more Jewish settlements; this means taking away more and more
land from the Palestinians.
In
polls and studies done in Israel and among the Palestinians most
of the people are not extremists; they want the violence from
both sides to stop, and would like to get back to their everyday
lives. Despite this the Israeli public is afraid of terrorist
acts on the part of the Palestinians, and the majority believes
that only a strong military man like Sharon can protect Israel.
And so the cycle of violence continues.
Our
work as WILPF, and also as part of the peace movement, is directed
toward those people in the center of the political spectrum who
want peace, recognize the Palestinians legitimate right to their
own state, and think that most settlements should be dismantled
so as not to be an impediment to peace. But at the same time,
they are fearful of the Palestinians and don't believe that any
agreement with the Palestinian Authority is sustainable. The work
of WILPF, and of all the Israeli peace movement, is to show the
public that most of the Palestinians want to live in peace, in
a Palestinian state side by side with Israel; and to strengthen
the Palestinian peace camp by showing them that they have partners
for peace among the Israelis. By strengthening the peace movements
on both sides we can hope to pressure our leaders towards negotiations
and end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.
Racism in Israel:
In
the past year the condition of democracy in Israel has worsened.
Those who do not go along with the national consensus feel great
distress. The situation is especially difficult for Palestinian
citizens of Israel. People are called to interrogations concerning
their political activities which are, supposedly, basic rights
guaranteed under a democratic regime. There are those who have
been fired from their places of work; others are harassed in their
workplace and in public places because they are Arabs. Racist
stickers and graffitti have become part of the landscape, and
can be seen along the roads and heard on the media expressed by
right-wing leaders - arousing hardly any public protest. A racist
atmosphere is gradually beginning to dominate public discourse,
with the cooperation of much of the media. This further encourages
attacks on Arabs in public places and even, in some cases, the
burning of Arab businesses.
The
antagonism towards Arabs has spread to include Jews who oppose
the government's policies; there is a campaign of incitement and accusations against them. There are cases
in which artists and persons in the media industry, university
lecturers and others who oppose the official line have been fired
from their positions, or threatened with such action. Peace activists
from various groups have taken upon themselves to protest against
this situation; demonstrations have taken place in Nazereth, Jaffa,
Hadera and other places. Groups have been organized to erase or
cover over the racist slogans on the roadsides and along major
highways.
The
Knesset (Parliament) is now considering proposed laws, initiated
by right-wing members, that would make it unlawful to voice support
for the Palestinian struggle for an independent state - equating
this with support for terror, and deserving of punishment. The
Minister of the Interior in cooperation with the Security Services
is beginning to revoke Israeli citizenship from Palestinian citizens
of Israel for involvement in security violations, without trial
and with no recourse to legal defense. Palestinian Israelis continue
to suffer from appropriation of their lands by the government
and from a shortage of housing in Arab communities. At the same
time, they cannot build or buy houses in new Jewish housing developments.
The
fight for equality and against racism are the challenges facing
us. Many Palestinian Israelis are fearful and feel threatened
by what they perceive as attempts to transfer them out of Israel
- either by preventing them from leading normal, honorable lives,
or by incentives to leave the country, or by threats and collective
punishment. In light of all this, we have much work to do.
Activities of WILPF, Israel Section
As
in the past, and even more so this past year, WILPF, Israel, which
has 20 members, has worked hand in hand with a large number of
other organizations. We are an integral and active part of the
Coalition of Women for Peace; a coalition of nine Israeli women's
peace organizations which came into being in November of 2000.
Within the Coalition, in addition to being WILPF members, we are
active in Women in Black, Bat Shalom, Tandi, and Neled. We also
help out in Women for Palestinian Women Prisoners. In addition
we participate in the actions organized by Ta'ayush (Together) and the Peace Bloc, both of which are mixed,
men and women. (All of the organizations with which we are associated
have Israeli Jews and Israeli Palestinians as members.) The activities
are aimed either toward the Israeli public or toward the Palestinians.
Activities
aimed toward the Israeli public:
The Coalition of Women for Peace organized and carried
out a number of large demonstrations: December, 2001, a march
and rally in Jerusalem of over 4000 women; May, 2002, a march and demonstration in Tel Aviv of 10,000
(organized with other peace organizations). Throughout the months
of April - June there were weekly protest vigils of hundreds every
Saturday evening opposite the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv.
On International Women's Day, ninety women participated in a campaign
coordinated by Bat Shalom, in which we visited thirty different
embassies, in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. In groups of 3-4 women,
we spoke to ambassadors and other officials asking them to support
the efforts of the peace movement in Israel, and to urge their
governments to support the UN peace initiatives. There were demonstrations
in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in June, 2002, marking 35 years of the
occupation of the Palestinian territories. In May, 2002, the Coalition
held a 2 day retreat called "connections." All the peace
organizations, the environmental groups and NGOs for social justice
were invited to plan for improving our strategies. In September, Bat Shalom held its traditional
"Peace Tent" at the Megiddo Junction. Our sister, Tagrid
Shbita, chaired a workshop on racism. We are now planning our
annual December rally in Tel Aviv as Women in Black.
Actions
in support of the Palestinian citizens of Israel:
Commemorating the events of October 2000, when 13 Israeli Arabs were killed
by the Israeli police while demonstrating in support of the Intifada
and against the demonstration of power by Sharon, and his forces,
on his "visit" to the Temple Mount. The protests commemorating
the events took place on Oct. 1, 2001 and Sept. 29, 2002. On Oct.
1, 2001, our presence in Um-El- Fachem, placing ourselves between
the police and the rioting youth, while putting our lives at risk,
saved precious lives and prevented the situation from becoming fatally violent as it had the year before.
Free the Children Protest - On November 23, 2001, a vigil out side Hasharon Prison
protested the inhuman conditions in which minors, aged 12-17, were being
held, and were prevented from receiving blankets, visits from
their families and adequate facilities for education. These minors
had been incarcerated after the violent protests of October, 2000. The Coalition for Palestinian Political Prisoners
organized the protests and care for the minors.
Lifting the Blockade in Issawiya: Issawiya is an East Jerusalem Palestinian
suburb, 2 minutes driving distance from the entrance to the Hebrew
University. Even though the people there are residents of Jerusalem
by Israeli law, they are being constantly harassed – house
demolitions, curfews and blocking the roads into the neighborhood
with huge rocks, preventing access to schools, medical care, work
and shopping. The police used stun and tear gas grenades and extreme
violence to disperse the large group of people who came to protest.
Many were wounded, some of them elderly people in their seventies
and eighties!
Participating in Land Day activities – March 30th: We participated in 2 major
rallies in protest of land confiscations from the Israeli Arab
citizens: In the Negev – with Bedouin who are suffering from
massive land confiscations and harassments by the Israeli government
(in spite of the fact that many of them serve in the Israeli army!);
and in Kafer Kana in the Galilee.
Activities aimed toward the Palestinians:
These
activities are carried out by many Israeli peace organizations
working together, and in conjunction with the Palestinian peace
movement and friends in Palestine. There are a good number of
internationals involved in these activities. Unfortunately, the
Israeli police and army do not look kindly on our efforts to make
contact with Palestinians; they block our way and try to convince
us to turn back. Sometimes we manage to convince them to let us
through and sometimes not. Mounted police riding into the crowd
to force us to scatter, or tear gas and stun-grenades to force
us to run are the usual answers to our non-violent attempts to
meet with Palestinian peace activists.
South Hebron Cave Dwellers - We have been engaged in two years of active protests
against the efforts of the Israeli Army and Civil Administration
to expel the Palestinians who have adapted the natural caves in
the area as their homes. The army demolished the caves and shacks,
poured stones and debris into the wells (the only source of water
in the desert) and closed the area to those who have dwelt there
for hundreds of years. All this – ignoring a High Court order
prohibiting their expulsion. There were several actions in support
of these people, on Sept. 15, 24-25, and 29, 2001. On Oct. 27
we were there to help harvest the olive crop, and on January 11,
2002 we were there again bringing food and blankets to those who
were forced to set up tents. Another visit was made on May 5.
Our activity, and the attention it drew, enabled the dwellers
in most cases to return to their homes, but the struggle is ongoing,
and another convoy is scheduled shortly.
March Against the War – April 3rd - A-Ram checkpoint, Ramallah: In protest against the reoccupation by the Israeli army of the
territories under the administration of the Palestinian Authority,
and to deliver humanitarian aid to the people under attack, a
women's march of several thousand tried to reach the checkpoint
between Jerusalem and Ramallah. We met massive violence from the
police forces and the army; we were unable to meet our Palestinian
counterparts, but the aid went through.
Prevention of Medical Care in the Occupied Territories - On March 14 and April 13, 2002, several demonstrations
were held to protest the military actions in Jenin, and the blockages
of food and medical aid. A convoy of aid and food, donated by
Israelis, Jews and Palestinians, and also by international organizations,
made its way to the Jenin roadblock on April 13. With pressure
from the peace movement, the 35 trucks were eventually allowed
to pass the roadblock, but were delayed there for a week before
being distributed, which caused spoiling of some of the food.
Food Convoy to Deir El Khattab – Following our involvement with
the efforts to save the life of little Tabbrek Odeh, who died
from lack of medications, we raised donations (including that
of WILPF representatives who were visiting Israel/Palestine at
the time) to relieve the hunger and suffering of the village.
Sandals for Ketziot Prisoners: A WILPF donation, brought by the representatives
who visited Israel/Palestine, also enabled us to purchase sandals
for the Palestinian prisoners held in the Ketziot prison in Israel.
These administrative detainees, many of whom were pulled out of
their houses at night without any preparation, were taken during
the Israeli army's incursions into Jenin, Ramallah and other Palestinian
cities and villages. A group of Israeli activists went down to Ketziot, in the
Negev, to deliver the sandals, and sent the men encouraging messages
with balloons and by megaphone.
Convoy To Bethlehem Area – April 26, 2002 – After a month of strict
curfew, our food and aid was sorely needed and greatly appreciated
Peace Meeting in Bethlehem: On August 10, 2002, 500 Israeli peace activist gathered
in Jerusalem and tried to reach Bethlehem where 700 Palestinian
peace supporters were waiting in Manger Square in front of the
Church of the Nativity. The Israelis were stopped by the army
and the police. Their brutal tactics convinced us that we couldn't
get through, so the contact between the two groups was through
mobile phones and loudspeakers.
Aid Convoy to Nablus: On August 24, in protest against three months of curfew in
Nablus, Israeli activists organized an aid convoy which reached
Nablus.
The Olive Harvest: Now, during October and November, after the first rains,
is the olive harvest season. The Palestinian farmers are being
shot at, beaten, chased out of their legally owned olive groves
and harassed by the Jewish settlers in some of the areas. Almost
daily, Israelis together with the peace activists from the International
Solidarity Movement and the IWPS have been going into the territories
to act as human shields and as helpers in the harvest. The settlers
are less likely to harass the harvesters when the Israelis, who
can notify the police immediately, are around. Even so, some of
the Israelis have come under live fire, and some have suffered
from physical blows from the settlers. The Israeli presence has
brought the problem into the press.
Humanitarian Support: "Physicians for Human Rights," an Israeli organization,
manages to get some Palestinian babies and children, in need of
operations which can't be done by the Palestinian hospitals, into
Israeli hospitals. These children are accompanied by parents who
must stay with them all the time. The parents are allowed to enter
Israel with absolutely nothing except the clothes on them. Support
teams are organized to visit these families everyday bringing
them necessities like soap, toothbrush, towel, clothes, and even
food.
Activities outside Israel:
Two
speaking tours were carried out this year:
Ednna
Glukman, who hails originally from Chile, was invited by the Women
in Black of Spain to come there in March, 2002, for a series of
talks. Ednna spoke in 6 different cities around Spain, to large
groups of women, telling them about the activities and goals of
the women's peace movement in Israel. She was very well received
and her listeners felt she had given them a lot of food for thought.
We thank the Women in Black in Spain for their wonderful hospitality
and their efforts which
made the tour a success.
The
Middle-East Committee of the United States section, headed by
Odile Hugonot Haber, invited Aliyah Strauss to speak in 11 cities
in the USA in September-October, 2002, about the peace movement
in Israel and the connections with the Palestinian peace activists.
Due to the good work done by the WILPF sisters of the branches
in those cities, Aliyah was able to speak to large groups of people,
and was interviewed for newspapers, public radio and television. In Washington she met with
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, and spoke at the Ralph J.
Bunche Center, at Howard University, and at the Center for Policy
Analysis on Palestine. With many thanks to all the WILPF sisters
for their hard work and marvelous hospitality, the speaking tour
was quite successful.
Challenges
for 2003:
The International Human Rights March, March, 2003 - A group of activist
women in Oslo, Norway have taken on themselves to organize an
International Human Rights March in Israel and Palestine in March,
2003. Through the Coalition of Women for Peace, Aliyah Strauss
and Tagrid Shbita have been chosen to head the organizing team
in Israel: with them the members of WILPF Israel will be active
in this project. Tagrid Shbita spent 10 days in Oslo, together
with another Israeli, and three
Palestinians, at an initial planning session. Invitations will
go out all over the world inviting women to join us in Israel
and Palestine.
On-going Activities to Promote Peace
We
will, of course, be busier than ever with all of the on-going
activities and actions:
· to bring down the present right wing anti-peace government;
· to elect a new government which will hopefully lead us to peace
with the Palestinians;
· to struggle against the growing expressions of racism in Israeli
society;
· to lend our support to our Palestinian neighbors, in any way
that they deem helpful to them.
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