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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<strong>The</strong> search for a strong leader who can lead the people out <strong>of</strong> their<br />
distress: Abuse <strong>of</strong> power is <strong>to</strong>lerated <strong>and</strong> justified; society has lost<br />
its immunity <strong>to</strong> resist abuse <strong>of</strong> power;<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a collective addiction <strong>to</strong> violence, a call for revenge <strong>and</strong><br />
retaliation.<br />
Escapism <strong>and</strong> passive acceptance <strong>of</strong> the “situation” prevail.<br />
Alienation <strong>and</strong> a lack <strong>of</strong> solidarity are widespread; each person only<br />
worries about his or her own fate.<br />
Internalized violence: <strong>The</strong> legitimation <strong>of</strong> the use <strong>of</strong> violence<br />
against the enemy has been internalized. Opponents are perceived<br />
as the enemy, even within one’s own society.<br />
<strong>The</strong> military <strong>and</strong> militarization in the service <strong>of</strong> the ongoing war<br />
<strong>The</strong> military <strong>and</strong> militarization as both ideology <strong>and</strong> institution dominate<br />
the Israeli collective sphere. <strong>The</strong> military as ideology accepts organized<br />
violence as a legitimate solution <strong>to</strong> conflict, <strong>and</strong> believes that the military<br />
response <strong>to</strong> political conflict is sensible; militarism as a social process<br />
involves the mobilization <strong>of</strong> a huge budget as well as the spiritual <strong>and</strong><br />
cultural resources for war.<br />
Gender inequality in Israel is manifested at all levels <strong>of</strong> life, e.g.: “<strong>The</strong><br />
best (men) for the Air Force; <strong>and</strong> the best (women) for pilots”. In spite<br />
<strong>of</strong> non-discrimina<strong>to</strong>ry legislation, women are not able <strong>to</strong> translate their<br />
options in<strong>to</strong> practice. <strong>The</strong> concept <strong>of</strong> separation between the private <strong>and</strong><br />
the public spheres is maintained, due <strong>to</strong> the socio-political reality <strong>of</strong> a<br />
militarized society.<br />
<strong>The</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> the family in Jewish society is magnified in the context<br />
<strong>of</strong> the political conflict. <strong>The</strong> family is used as the connecting link between<br />
the collective <strong>and</strong> the individual recruited <strong>to</strong> military service, <strong>and</strong> in time<br />
<strong>of</strong> crisis, <strong>to</strong> war. <strong>Women</strong>, identified with the private sphere, the family,<br />
are expected <strong>to</strong> furnish maximum support for their men, <strong>and</strong> occasionally<br />
even sacrifice their dearest in time if war. <strong>The</strong> shadow <strong>of</strong> war makes the<br />
family an important fac<strong>to</strong>r. As their children are <strong>to</strong> join military service,<br />
women prolong their role as mothers by two or three additional years.<br />
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