Women Peace Activists in Israel-Gila Svirsky

The women's peace movement in Israel has begun to work on this problem.  We
call it a campaign to "reframe security" - to broaden our conception of it.
We seek to demonstrate to Israelis that security is not the end-result of
having a strong, aggressive army, but rather the product of a broad range of
activity, which includes living in a society that cares for its poor,
reduces violence, protects its natural resources, and co-exists in peace
with its neighbors.  Indeed, this campaign seeks to instill the
understanding that "peace is the best way to promote security".



As part of this campaign, we take Israelis on "reality tours" to show them
the Separation Wall.  We bring them into the homes of Palestinians who are
cut off from their land, jobs, and schools by the Wall, and we give
Palestinians an opportunity to tell about their lives and how the Wall has
changed them.  For most Israelis, this is the very first time they have ever
spoken to a Palestinian.  We bring the Israelis to checkpoints, and have
them observe the soldiers' treatment of Palestinians trying to cross.  We
also take them to see parts of Israel that have been neglected by the
political leaders - the slums, the shelters for battered women, the
untreated garbage, the trafficking in women, the inadequate health care
centers, the poorly equipped schools.  Each participant goes on a number of
tours to see several aspects of the problem.  We help Israelis draw the
connection between a society that is pouring its resources into occupation
and settlements, and failing to address the social problems that exist
within it.



These tours are powerful experiences.  They reach beyond what Israelis see
in the media, showing them a slice of reality they have never seen before.
And then we ask:  Do you think that the policies of our government have
enhanced your security?  Or have they actually compromised it?



We are hoping that the old conceptions will gradually give way to a new
understanding:  that Israel will never be able to address the needs of our
population until a just agreement has been reached with our neighbors.  That
security - whether in the narrow or broader sense - is compromised by
failing to achieve a political accommodation with the Palestinians.



For years, women have focused on human security issues - better schools,
health services, poverty programs, violence issues, etc. - but not named it
"security".  Now, instead of fighting the concept, we are working to reframe
it so that it will promote the kind of society that we want to live in.



This campaign is more than a strategy.  It is a fundamental belief that all
these forms of security are critical - and that it will never be possible to
realize a common zone of peace, prosperity and progress - not for Israel and
not for Palestine - until a just and lasting settlement of the conflict is
in place.





* Gila Svirsky is a veteran peace and human rights activist, and currently chair of Bet Tselem, Israeli Human Rights organization.


chair of B'Tselem: The