funny how i don't hear much about this on the regular news,nice to know not alone

[Guest guest]

Synopsis:

[Gila Svirsky, of the Coalition of Women for a Just Peace in Israel, sends

us this report of the mass rally in Tel Aviv yesterday, sponsored by almost

every peace group in Israel (with the notable, unfortunate, yet not

surprising exception of Peace Now). A list of the sponsors is at the end of

the article. Svirsky lists some of the signs held aloft in the

demonstration, and reports on some of the things said in speeches at this

rally. Uri Avnery, veteran peace activist, former member of the Irgun Zvai

Leumi during the days of Israel's war of independence, and prolific author

and writer spoke of his change of heart regarding the refusal to serve in

the Israeli armed forces. " I once disagreed with refusal to serve in the

army, but today I salute those who will not serve. Refusal is the beginning

of the end of the occupation. " Some other wonderful and inspiring comments

are noted. Of particular interest is the recasting of the traditional

Zionist song, " Ein li eretz aheret " ( " I have no other [home]land " ). She

notes that singing the song, as they did, in both Hebrew and Arabic casts it

in a new light of unification and shared experience. Svirsky says, " For the

Arabs in the crowd, the song suddenly became theirs, too, and for the Jews,

it meant a land we both love deeply. " The Israeli peace movement has

reawakened, and in a more decisive and strong form than ever. - MP]

 

 

10 February 2002

 

Friends,

 

We knew there would be a big turnout for the peace demonstration last night

just from the deluge of pro-peace ads in Ha'aretz the day before - page

after page of statements and petitions, all critical of the occupation.

Some excerpts:

 

*** " There is a choice! " An expanded new list of 200 combat officers and

soldiers who refuse to serve in the army of occupation. *** " There's a

limit! " Support for the new soldiers, and the names of others who have

consistently refused to serve, placed by Yesh Gvul. *** " We support the

soldiers who refuse to serve the occupation " - a petition placed by civilian

supporters. *** " Peres, you are a collaborator in war-crimes! " placed by Gush

Shalom. *** " Do not say 'we did not see, we did not know' - the price of

keeping the territories " - placed by the Israel Committee Against House

Demolitions. *** " A Recipe for National Suicide " - placed by a private

citizen.

 

And a huge, blood-red ad, " The Occupation is Killing Us All " , signed by the

28 organizations that came together to hold last night's impressive rally in

Tel-Aviv (full list below).

 

This was the largest pro-peace rally since this Intifada began in September

2000, with an estimated 10,000 participants - Jews and Arabs from all over

Israel filling the large Tel-Aviv Museum plaza. The mood is clearly

swinging in Israel, and the homemade signs of people who had not attended a

demonstration for years reflected the new thinking - " Stop Sharon before he

kills us all " , " More conscientious objectors! " , " Occupation itself is a war

crime " , and all permutations of " Share Jerusalem " , " Dismantle Settlements " ,

and " Bring our soldiers home " .

 

By the time veteran peace activist Yehudit Harel opened the ceremony, the

crowd was a mass of people amazed and buoyed by each other's presence, with

a great deal of hugging by people glad to be sharing the moment. And then

Yehudit's opening words in fluent Hebrew and Arabic set the tone for the

entire evening - we Israeli Jews and Arabs together will no longer abide the

crimes that the Israeli government is carrying out. " There is only one flag

held aloft here today, " said Yehudit, " and it is the black flag of pain,

mourning, death, bereavement, and the immorality of war crimes that are

being committed in our name. " At her words, hundreds of black flags were

raised high by the crowd, symbolizing the statement made years ago by an

Israeli court that if a military order has " a black flag " I once disagreed

with refusal to serve in the army, " said Uri Avnery to the crowd, " but today

I salute those who will not serve. Refusal is the beginning of the end of

the occupation. " of immorality " hanging over it, the order must be refused.

 

This was a rally in which the young men who refused to serve in the army of

occupation were the heroes of the evening, receiving ovation after ovation

at every mention. Some of these brave young men have been stripped of

their command, demoted, and face court martial, but continue to answer to

their conscience. " How can we serve in an army that kills children? " asked

Yishai Rosen-Zvi, an Orthodox tank corps sergeant in the reserves, " How can

we serve an army that demolishes homes, does not allow the sick to get

medical attention, seeks to humiliate an entire population, and reduces them

to hunger and poverty? "

 

Between speakers and sometimes during them, the crowd broke into chanting of

familiar slogans: " Fuad, Fuad, Minister of Defense, How many kids did you

kill today? " " Occupation, No! Peace, Yes! " , " Money for the poor, not for

settlers! "

 

It was a rally in which the stage was shared by Arabs and Jews, women and

men, Mizrahim and Ashkenazim, young and old, religious and secular.

Distinguished elderly author Sammy Michael pointed out the futility of the

ongoing occupation: " Death is not a threat to people who willingly give

their lives for a cause. " And Shulamit Aloni, former government minister

and perennial conscience of Israel, called out her message of hope, " All of

you here today are the harbingers of a mass movement that already has begun.

You will be the teachers of democracy to this government. You will set an

example of morality. We shall clean out the crimes of this country and fill

it with peace! "

 

There were many moments that brought tears to my eyes last night. I will

tell you of two: Famed singer Ahinoam Nini (known as " Noa " , I believe, to

her American fans) took the risk of alienating her Israeli right-wing fans,

and sang to the crowd a Hebrew, Arabic, and English version of " Imagine " by

the Beatles: " You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one; I hope

someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one. "

 

And the other was the transformation of a beloved Zionist song " Ein li eretz

aheret " . Reciting this song in two languages, Hebrew and Arabic, suddenly

infused it with new meaning: " I have no other country to go to. And even if

the land is burning under my feet, this is my home. " For the Arabs in the

crowd, the song suddenly became theirs, too, and for the Jews, it meant a

land we both love deeply.

 

I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one.

 

Gila Svirsky Jerusalem

 

Sponsoring organizations: Association of Arab University Students / Baladna

/ BANKI / Bat Shalom / Coalition of Women for a Just Peace / Druse

Initiative Committee / Du Siach / Gush Shalom / HaCampus Lo Shotek, Tel-Aviv

University / Hadash Youth / Israeli Committtee Against House Demolitions /

Kol Aher BaGalil / Kvisa Sh'hora: Lesbians and Gay Men Against the

Occupation / Left Forum, Haifa University / MachsomWatch / Meretz Youth /

Monitoring Committee of the Arab Population in Israel / NELED / Neve

Shalom/Wahat al-Salaam / New Profile / Noga / TANDI / Ta'ayush: Arab-Jewish

Partnership / Tajamu Youth / WILPF / Women and Mothers for Peace (formerly

Four Mothers) / Women in Black / Yesh Gvul

_____________ Coalition of Women for a

Just Peace: http://www.coalitionofwomen4peace.org

[Guest guest]

Fraggle

 

These are real heroes.

 

Jo

 

> This was a rally in which the young men who refused to serve in the army

of

> occupation were the heroes of the evening, receiving ovation after ovation

> at every mention.

 

 

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