Bat Shalom & Jerusalem Center for Women
Joint Declaration
Palestinian 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
other1s individual and collective rights
will pave the way for peace
making.
April 2002
The Jerusalem Center for Women and Bat
Shalom