Taking action to stop war

I am one of the eight Jewish women who occupied the Israeli consulate in Toronto last Wednesday to protest the Israeli assault on Gaza on Wednesday. i have been heartsick watching the destruction of Gaza and the pain being inflicted on their people. I've been an activist all my life but don't often feel that civil disobedience is effective. The frustration we felt in trying to speak out as Jews who don't agree with what Israel is doing led us to this non-violent action of resistance. After about two hours of singing and chanting while sitting in a circle on the floor of the consulate, we were arrested but not charged. If you want to read more please see the article on rabble.ca

News of our action spread quickly through peace networks and we have gotten hundreds of e mails and phone calls from people around the world including in Israel who were inspired by what we did. The next day a group blockaded the consul in Montreal and there was a die in in Boston. On Monday Jews in New York are mobilizing to say "not in our name".

A friend of mine who is a refusnik in Israel told me a few years ago that the only constant in the Middle East, the only thing they can rely on is "it always gets worse." I am hoping this time that it has gotten so terrible and people around the world are so horrified but what is happening that there will be some awareness that war and violence is not the answer. I am feeling very positive about the massive mobilizations around the world and while some people are acting from anger and hatred most are acting for love of peace and justice and that gives me hope.

You can also see a video of the action here:

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Comment by Ramsey on January 13, 2009 at 9:41pm: I was an interpreter between Arabic and English at those meetings in Porto Alegre. There was a problem of lack of time for some people at those meetings. Debating it over these pages would solve that problem and allow a greater level of participation.

You are right that there is no political will, which is precisely the point of my concluding sentence. Working something out here on these pages would show that it is actually possible to arrive at a solution, contrary to the image given in the mainstream media.

It is also possible to get more publicity because IPeace is not a political organisation of any sort, so there would be no reason to not publish a press release titled "60 year political conflict solved in 60days on internet forum." The problem faced by organizations in Israel or Palestine is precisely that they are organizations in Israel or Palestine which means that there is always going to be one part of the international media hostile towards them.

Events in Gaza suggest that there is limited potential for success from "supporting organizations in Israel and Palestine who are working together and/or organizing for non-violent solutions". My suggestion is not for "the way to go" but an additional way to go.

Comment by Judy Rebick on January 13, 2009 at 6:16pm: I agree that stopping war is not enough but I wonder if working something out here on these pages would work. I attended the World Social Forum in Brazil in 2003. There was a meeting there of Israelis and Palestinians who worked out a very clear and just peace agreement among themselves over the five days of the forum. The problem is there is no political will to implement such an agreement. I think supporting organizations in Israel and Palestine who are working together and/or organizing for non-violent solutions is the way to go.

Comment by Ramsey on January 13, 2009 at 6:04pm: Judy, You have my respect and admiration for protesting against the Israeli assault on Gaza.

Let me ask you this, believing that there is an element of truth in each side's argument, namely that Hamas felt compelled to attack Israel to try to break the unbearable suffucating Israeli siege of Gaza and that Israel felt compelled to attack Gaza to stop the rocket attacks and so the crazy cycle of violence continues, is it enough to "stop war", if the result is returning to the situation with the same tensions which lead to the outbreak of war in the first place?

My suggestion is this: As well as (not instead of) exerting all the pressure we can to stop the violence, why don't we on IPeace engage in discussion to try and work out a formula for a peaceful and just resolution of the Palestinian Israeli conflict which has been continuing and getting prgressively worse for the last sixty years?

It is clear from the different points of view on Ipeace that probably all the dominant points of view which have influenced the different negotiations between both sides are represented here on Ipeace. If we can work out an acceptable formula then perhaps we can make a significant contribution to the ending of the crisis itself, rather than only stopping the violence, which will start again some time later so long as the crisis itself continues.

Clearly, leaving it to the politicians as we have done for the last sixty years is not likely to bring success.

Comment by Birce on January 12, 2009 at 1:17pm: By the way I know I am so rude. But it is making me annoyed that somebody say that "we are not guilty, they are gulty too" while somebody is talking about PEACE at all.
I am assisting you and the ones with you, Judy. I am on one side, side named peace and unity. Peace has no sides and no winner, no looser, only equilty in unity and joyfull feelings of friendship.
I am a bit angry to people who fight, but it is because of my raw nature. I am still getting tempered.

Comment by Birce on January 12, 2009 at 1:05pm: Is it possible not to fight with someone who wants to kick you out of your house?
Have you ever gone to war for your FREEDOM and YOUR COUNTRY?
I am sorry , if the battler had been between America and Russia, I would be sideless. But what about being with the one who is under heavy violence, how about being with the week one? I see it is not possible to be sideless in your situation. This war's responsibility can be loaded onto Israeli's shoulders, exactly. But I think Hamas is guilty, too. He gives importance only to his country and freedom, not to the Gaza's people. He thinks people must die with no fear for their country, I think he is wrong, people always have the choice about their lives. He is not thinking too, as Jews. Why did Jews go and settle there? Think once. Because Palestinians have ask them to share it with Jews? Have they tried to be accepted by Palestinians after going in there with no permission? Have they always be good to Muslims? They have poverty and are using it with no thinking. This is a war about this! 800 people died in Gaza. How can you say that it is noy only Jew's fault? Are you a child? Are you protecting your goverment because they are protecting you as a ghost warrior? Yeah, they are creating a safe place for you. But where will be these Muslim people be safe?
People! Create some pressure on your goverment in Israeli. They are killing in the name of you.
(Sorry for bad lang. but I have not much English, I learnt it from hollywood:)

Comment by Judy Rebick on January 12, 2009 at 2:48am: Thanks for you comments Lilu. The reason that people say, "not in our name" is often the actions of Israel are defended by the view that Israel provides a safe place for the Jews and therefore must be defended. It is also assumed that Jews around the world support Israel without criticism. In North America, at least it is very difficult to break this wall of silence.
I am openly critical of Hamas and the rocket attacks but don't feel we can have any influence on Hamas.
Thanks again for your comments and the respectful tone with which you make them

Comment by Lilu on January 10, 2009 at 3:31am: Judy, that's very noble of you. I admire you for acting on your beliefs. I only ask you this, and I think it's a legit request - when you protest the Israeli assault, could you please protest Hamas assault as well? there are terrorised children in Sderot and Ashkelon and Ashdod and Beer Sheva too, not just in Gaza. Pain is inflicted there too, and protesting the violence against Israeli civilians is not a contradiction of protesting the violence against Palestinian civilians. I have to say, in addition, that it would seem appropriate to also protest the use of Palestinians as human shields by Hamas. That is a crime too. Sorry, but the responsibility for this war and bloodshed does not sit on Israeli shoulders only.

One more thing which I feel I have to comment on - regarding those Jews in NYC and saying "not in our name"... well, with all due respect, the war isn't being conducted in their name, or your name. It's in the name of Israelis, South Israelis to be exact; it's not about being Jewish and there is no mention of religion in any way, it solely concerns being an Israeli living in Israel under fire (for instance, Bedouins in the Negev area have been afflicted by the recent rocket fire as well.)