Returning from Palestine and Israel - Marianita and Giuliana

We took part in the visit to Israel and Palestine with Luisa Morgantini from 19 to 27 April organised by the Association for Peace.

A long time had passed since our last visits (Giuliana in 2005 for the international meeting of the Women in Black, Marianita between il 2000 e 2001 at the start of the second Intifada).

It was a very busy week, during which we were able to take part in important events like the fifth international conference for the non-violent popular resistance in , and meet significant people, groups, and places.

In the document below, you can read a detailed account of our journey. Now we just want to tell you able the things that most impressed us.

Above all, one impression disturbed us: Palestine doesn't exist any more, it's been chewed up, swallowed, devoured by the wall, by roads, by checkpoints but most of all by the colonies that dominate the landscape of the West Bank, where towns and villages - isolated from each other - emerge like islands in a sea of occupation. Jerusalem too - the holy, the city of peac - is strangled in a grip of arrogance made up of cement, the wall, demolished and stolen houses and new settlements.

But if Palestine is disappearing, Palestinian men and women exist and resist: in Bil’in and in the popular committees of the other villages that have chosen the path of unarmed resistance, of the struggle for their rights carried forward with tenacity despite arrests, beatings, the violent reaction of the Israeli army that isn't ashamed to fire on unarmed civilans, wounding and sometimes killing them. In the Jordan valley, surrounded by colonies that steal the land, the water, life itself, they continue to try to farm the little land that still has not been taken from them. In Nablus - in the Balata refugee camp or in the city itself - activities are organised to give hope of a future to the children who still dream of a normal lfe. In Hebron - strangled by settlements that penetrate the heart of the city - they are restoring old houses and trying to bring the old market back to life.

And alongside the Palestinian women and men, those Israeli women and men continue to resist and every Friday, together with the palestinian popular committees, the confront the soldiers of the Tsahal in Bil’in and other villages, or they protest in East Jerusalem, to the rhythm of drums in front of houses stolen by settlers and protected by the police.

We dedicate this account to all of them

to the people of Bil’in, Nil’in and the other villages

to the families of i Sheik Jarrah left homeless and to the young Israelis who support them

to Fathy Khdirawt wh accompanied us along the Jordan valley

to the animators of the Yafa Cultural Center in Balata e and of the Human Supporters Association of Nablus

to Rauda Basir who continues to struggle for and with the women

to the girls and boys of Nablus and its surrounding area who danced and played for us.

to Nurit Peled an Rami Elhanan of Parents Circle who out of the knowledge of pain have drawn the strength to listen to the other and to build together the long and tortuous road of peace

to Nayla Ayesh who came with us to Haifa after 15 years absence

to the activists of the Massawa Center for the rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel in Hafa and to the women of Isha Isha and Aswat also in Haifa

to the Combatants for Peace who we met in Jaffa and in particular to Liri who dreams of getting married at a check point

ai responsabili dell’Hebron Rehabilitation Committee che con determinazione cercano di ricostruire il tessuto sociale del vecchio centro di Hebron

to the women who work and who have found refuge at the Mehwar Center in Beit Sahour

to Nidé, Tariq, Sahaladdin and all those whose names we don't remember but whose faces, voices, and message we will not forget.

To Luisa for the passion with which she continues to live all of this despite the pain that it brings and to Cecilia for her kind help.

Viaggio in Palestina

Solidarity with the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in Israel

From the Coalition of Women for Peace (CWP)

In the early hours of the morning on Monday 31 May, we awoke to the horrible news of the Israeli raid against pacificists on board the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which killed more than 10 people and wounded dozens.

The flotilla was carrying 10.000 tons of food, medicines and other products to Gaza, which has been under Israeli siege since 2005 (with even harsher restrictions since June 2007). The siege, designed to isolate and weaken Gaza, is a collective punishment of the civilian population of 1.5 million people.

The Coalition of Women for Peace is in solidarity with the Palestinian people and with the heroic members of the Freedom Flotilla. In spite of the attempts by the Israeli media and autorities to present a picture of unanimous support for the illegal assault on international pacifists, thousands of Israelis have demonstrated against it in recent days.

Spontanous demontration were held immediately after the news of the brutal assault on the flotilla - in Haifa, Nazareth, Shefa-'Amr at other cities in Israel. At the same time, 250 Israelis arrived at the port of Ashdod, in an action organised by the Coalition of Women for Peace and other Israeli organisations to demonstrate against the brutal massacre and to express there solidarity with the flotilla and with the Palestinian people. On Monday evening, there were demonstrations in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Um-El-Fahem. Demonstrators called for an international effort to lift the siege of Gaza. Other demonstrations will be held during this week in Palestine and Israel.

We would like to share with you some of the voices of the CWP following the raid:

«Despite this attempt to silence criticism, there are many Israeli citizens who are protesting against this massacre and calling on those responsible to give an account of their actions. The official version from the army and the government is not credible, especially since they imposed an electronic blockade on attempts to provide information about the raid. The international community has done very little to bring to justice those responsible for crimes against the palestinian people. Will other countries make more take it on themselves to intervene now that crimes have been committed against their own citizens?

Inna Michael, CWP Resources and Development Coordinator

The massacre of more than j10 militants is the exclusive responsibilty of the State of Israel, which could certainly have avoided the useless bloodshed. The siege of Gaza and the piratical attack on the flotilla by the Israeli armed forces are real provocations. This atrocity must open the eyes of the international community to the crimes committed by Israel. .
Eilat Maoz, CWP General Coordinator

If this is what Israel is capable of doing to pacifists, defenders of human rights and members of parliament, what more are they capable of doing to civilians under military occupation? The time has arrived to reawaken the international struggal against the siege of Gaza and the occupation.

Areen Hawari, Balad, member of the CWP



From the beginning of the siege, the CWP has publically denounced it and called for its immediate end. The international community cannot continue to do nothing – it must use all diplomatic means to put pressure on Israel to end the siege of Gaza and to punish those responsible for war crimes.

Frida 4 June, the coalition of organisation against the occupation and the Palestinian popular committees took part in a joint action to commemorate 43 years of occupation since June 1967. 43 years of domination, of oppression, of segregation, of construction of settlements, of theft of water and land, of military government, of restriction of movement, of demolition of houses, of political arrests, of torture, of war crimes and colonial expansion.

With this action we want to tell Israel to lift the siege of Gaza, to put an end to the occupation and to end the separation between Palestinians and Israelis and between Palestinians and their lands.

We appeal to our friends in the international community to hold vigils of solidarity throughout the world - demonstrating against the siege of Gaza, the endless occupation of Palestine and the deadly attack against innocent civilians who were trying to break the siege.