30 JANUARY SCHOOL DAY OF NONVIOLENCE AND PEACE
Today, in memory of Ghandi and the values he represents, we want to keep in mind and recognize the Israeli and Palestinian women who have worked for years for peace and justice in their land. We support that their model for adjustment of the conflict be disseminated in the schools. At present, the anti-war activists are repressed and punished by the government and rejected by the society. Among them:
Women in Black, Israel, 1988. Ten women went out into the street in Jerusalem at the beginning of the first Intifada to oppose the policy of occupation of the Israeli government of the Palestinian land, saying “STOP THE OCCUPATION”. Altogether, there were 30 vigils throughout the country. Since then, they have continued having vigils every Friday. This is the origin of the International Network of Women in Black.
The Jerusalem Link, 1994. Formed by two organizations of women, Bat Shalom (Israel) and the Jerusalem Center for Women, JCW (Palestine). They shared political principles that served them well to work together towards a just, integral and lasting peace for the accomplishment of a commonly held vision of peace.
Four Mothers, 1997, a movement of Israeli women that secured the withdrawal of troops from Lebanon.
New Profile, 1998, founded as a feminist movement to work against the militarization of society and the state of Israel. The organization accompanies young people who have decided to not serve in the army, offering them information and legal support. It carries out educational campaigns against militarization.
Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation AJEEC-NISPED. One of the founders in 2000 was Vivian Silver, who also participated in the founding of Women Wage Peace, a movement of Israeli and Palestinian women created after the Israeli operation on Gaza in 2014. Dressed in white, they traversed Israel and the Occupied West Bank to ask their leaders for a peace agreement. The most recent one was on 4 October 2023 from Jerusalem to Jordan. Silver was assassinated on 7 October.
Palestinian Women in Action for Peace, a Palestinian organization that works on gender and human rights issues and promotes the participation of women in building peace in Palestine.
Coalition of Women for a Just Peace, 2000. Formed by nine groups of feminists in Israel, who work together against the occupation, for peace and promoting the participation of women in politics.
Machsom Watch, 2001, a group of women who monitor and document the conduct of soldiers and police at the checkpoints in Palestine and help the Palestinians cross.
Conscientious objectors to military service, part of Mesarvot, a network of activists and refuseniks who refuse to serve in the Israeli army because of their policies of occupation. After 7 October, Palestinian and Israeli youth for peace have written a joint letter to the United Nations.
With all of them and for all of them, it is urgently necessary that:
- The massacres and war crimes end NOW.
- There is immediate liberation of all the Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
- The occupation of the Palestinian territories needs to be ended and reversed.
- The manufacturers of weapons cease enriching themselves by sowing pain and destruction all over the planet.
Let’s support the activists who keep calling “Not in my name”.
Translation: Trisha Novak, USA