From the very beginning of NOW's existence in 2002 the Arab/Israeli conflict in the Middle East has been a source of major concern to us. In September of 2003 three members of NOW, Jenny Stanton, Caroline Raine and Ag McKeith, travelled to Ramallah and Jerusalem to make contacts with women's groups in the area. The following year, Jenny returned with Niki Carter and their accounts will shortly appear on the website.
Jenny, Caroline & Ag also meet with Israeli peace groups, and they joined Women in Black for their weekly demonstration in Paris Square, Jerusalem, and heard how reduced and isolated they feel (WIB have to be protected by armed police due to public hostility). Jenny has suggested NOW might be interested to hear about The Coalition of Women for Peace
THE COALITION OF WOMEN FOR PEACE (www.coalitionofwomen4peace.org )
The Coalition of Women for Peace, composed of 9 Israeli women's organizations,
was founded on November 8, 2000. They are a mix of Jewish and Palestinian women
(all citizens of Israel), and they engage in public advocacy to call upon Israel
to end the occupation and accept a just political solution.
The 9 Member Organizations of the Coalition Bat Shalom - The Israeli
side of The Jerusalem Link, an Israeli-Palestinian partnership of women for
peace. batshalo@netvision.net.il
Machsom-Watch : A human-rights group that monitors checkpoints and seeks
to prevent abuse of Palestinians who cross these checkpoints.
NELED: An organization of 'Women for Coexistence'. New Profile - Addresses
issues of militarism and supports those who refuse to do military service. www.newprofile.org
Noga Feminist Journal - News and analysis of feminist issues in Israel and abroad.
TANDI: Movement of Democratic Women for Israel - an organization of mostly
Palestinian citizens of Israel that seeks equality for and empowerment of women.
WILPF: The Israeli chapter of the Women's International League for Peace
and Freedom.
The Fifth Mother: The re-grouped Four Mothers Movement, which played
a major role in ending the Israeli occupation of Lebanon.
Women in Black: Women dressed in black have stood in vigils every week
for 15 years throughout Israel, calling for an end to the Israeli occupation.
The Women in Black movement, represented by the Israeli and Serbian groups,
was a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 and 2003
Coalition Activities: Members of the Coalition support each other's
work - by attending, publicizing, recruiting for, and otherwise being supportive
of events. In addition, the Coalition itself carries out mass rallies, human
rights campaigns, and advocacy.
The first activity of the Coalition was a mass vigil and march in Jerusalem,
with 2,000 Israeli and Palestinian women calling for an end to the occupation
and negotiation of a just peace. Subsequently, we held a series of demonstrations
demanding an end to the military 'closure' of Palestinian towns and villages.
In the first action, where women blocked the entrance to the Ministry of Defense
in Tel-Aviv in order to illustrate the problems of closure, 17 demonstrators
were arrested.
Subsequent actions, often in cooperation with mixed-gender peace organizations,
involved nonviolent resistance to closure. These included the removal of blockades
and filling in of trenches, both intended to be physical barriers to prevent
Palestinians from entering or leaving their villages. In other actions, individual
women push resistance one step further by standing in front of army bulldozers
or chaining themselves to olive trees, in an effort to prevent further destruction
of Palestinian homes and property.
Twice a year, the Coalition organizes mass ralllies to call for an end to the
occupation, and over 150 vigils around the world have responded in solidarity.
In Jerusalem, 5,000 Israeli and Palestinian women marched under the banner 'We
Refuse to be Enemies'. This past May, the Coalition held a 'lie-in' of 1,000
women in a large public plaza in Tel-Aviv to mourn all the victims and call
for an end to the occupation.
An end to the occupation.
The full involvement of women in negotiations for peace. Establishment of the state of Palestine side-by-side with the state of Israel based on the 1967 borders.
Recognition of Jerusalem as the shared capital of two states.
Israel must recognize its share of responsibility for the results of the 1948 war, and cooperate in finding a just solution for the Palestinian refugees.
Opposition to the militarism that permeates Israeli society.
Equality, inclusion and justice for Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Equal rights for women and all residents of Israel.
Social and economic justice for Israel's citizens, and integration in the region.