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The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation

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Colonial settlement activities: <strong>The</strong> Israelis started building these<br />

settlements in the West Bank in the mid-1970s.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Gaza War<br />

According <strong>to</strong> the Golds<strong>to</strong>ne report, the Israeli army was guilty <strong>of</strong> war<br />

crimes during the war on Gaza, which came close <strong>to</strong> constituting a crime<br />

against humanity. Seven war crimes are cited:<br />

Attacks upon civilians<br />

Killing <strong>of</strong> civilians<br />

Preventing medical assistance from reaching civilians.<br />

Attacking ambulances <strong>and</strong> killing medical personnel<br />

<strong>The</strong> use <strong>of</strong> illegal weapons<br />

Total destruction <strong>of</strong> infrastructure<br />

Totally disproportionate use <strong>of</strong> force.<br />

No less than 1400 people were killed, 410 <strong>of</strong> them were children, <strong>and</strong><br />

some 5300 people were injured, including 1850 children. A <strong>to</strong>tal <strong>of</strong> fourteen<br />

Israelis were killed, eleven <strong>of</strong> them soldiers killed while attacking<br />

Gaza, <strong>and</strong> three Israeli civilians were killed because <strong>of</strong> missiles shot by<br />

Gazan militants. Out the eleven soldiers, seven were killed by friendly fire.<br />

Since the beginning <strong>of</strong> the conflict, women have been in the midst <strong>of</strong><br />

all the complications <strong>of</strong> the issue, <strong>and</strong> have had a major role – that <strong>of</strong><br />

saving the social fabric <strong>of</strong> the Palestinians. <strong>The</strong> Palestinian people are<br />

subjected <strong>to</strong> constant <strong>and</strong> accelerating aggression <strong>and</strong> are under siege,<br />

all <strong>of</strong> which influence their lives, even in their bedrooms. <strong>The</strong> Palestinian<br />

woman was always part <strong>of</strong> the struggle for freedom. She has partici -<br />

pated in the different stages <strong>and</strong> forms <strong>of</strong> struggle. Since the Naqba, the<br />

suffering <strong>of</strong> the women doubled, since women have <strong>to</strong> fight both at the<br />

national <strong>and</strong> the societal level. As mentioned above, the Palestinian society<br />

is a patriarchal society which discriminates against women. It was<br />

mainly an agriculture society were women had the tasks <strong>of</strong> working in<br />

the fields <strong>and</strong> at the same time fulfilling the role <strong>of</strong> the housewife. Since<br />

these roles were not reflected in the power relationships in the family<br />

<strong>and</strong> society, women were oppressed <strong>and</strong> discriminated against. After<br />

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