The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation
The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation
The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation
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orist, Abbas was no partner because he was “weak <strong>and</strong> not able <strong>to</strong> deliver<br />
the goods”.<br />
With Sharon’s insistence upon not negotiating with the Palestinians, <strong>and</strong><br />
the heavy burden <strong>of</strong> safeguarding the Israeli settlements in the Gaza<br />
Strip, a unilateral disengagement idea emerged. By the summer <strong>of</strong> 2005,<br />
a plan <strong>to</strong> evacuate twenty-on settlements in Gaza <strong>and</strong> four in the West<br />
Bank <strong>to</strong>ok shape.<br />
Aggressive protest actions <strong>of</strong> the settlers against Sharon’s plan were the<br />
reaction, included blocking main roads in Israel, violence against Palestinians,<br />
<strong>and</strong> attacks on police <strong>and</strong> soldiers. <strong>The</strong> settlers called on the soldiers<br />
<strong>to</strong> refuse <strong>to</strong> obey the government’s orders. Any evacuation <strong>of</strong><br />
Jewish settlements would create a civil war in Israel, the settlers warned.<br />
In mid-July the army closed the Gaza Strip <strong>to</strong> Israeli citizens. Between<br />
August 15 <strong>and</strong> 24, all Gaza settlements <strong>and</strong> the four West Bank settlements<br />
were evacuated. Violence used by the settlers against the police<br />
<strong>and</strong> the army created anger among the Israelis <strong>to</strong>wards the settlers. For<br />
the first time, an average Israeli could witness the conduct <strong>of</strong> behaviour<br />
<strong>of</strong> the settlers <strong>and</strong> their attitude <strong>to</strong>wards law <strong>and</strong> order. Some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
settlers’ leaders admitted that although they settled the l<strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> Israel,<br />
they had failed <strong>to</strong> settle in<strong>to</strong> the hearts <strong>of</strong> the Israelis.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Hamas vic<strong>to</strong>ry in the elections <strong>of</strong> January 2006 sent Fatah, the ruling<br />
party for forty years, in<strong>to</strong> the opposition. <strong>The</strong> international community reacted<br />
by suspending aid <strong>to</strong> the Palestinian Authority. <strong>The</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> a<br />
new militia unit, founded by Hamas in Gaza, intensified the tension be -<br />
tween Fatah <strong>and</strong> Hamas; fighting, killing <strong>and</strong> kidnappings became a norm.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se clashes came <strong>to</strong> a peak in July 2007, as Hamas fighters executed<br />
Fatah <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>and</strong> soldiers, captured weapons <strong>of</strong> Fatah groups, <strong>and</strong> executed<br />
Fatah related people. Fatah fighters fled <strong>to</strong> Egypt <strong>and</strong> Israel.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Second Lebanese War<br />
In July 2006, Hezbollah fighters crossed the Israeli border, killing <strong>and</strong><br />
capturing members <strong>of</strong> an Israeli army patrol. Other soldiers got killed,<br />
as their tank hit a mine, while searching for the captured. At the same<br />
time, Hezbollah launched rockets on Israeli villages <strong>and</strong> <strong>to</strong>wns. Israel<br />
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