The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation
The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation
The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
gue. However, at the Annapolis negotiations, it was only possible <strong>to</strong><br />
agree <strong>to</strong> hold future negotiations for permanent solution <strong>to</strong> the settlement<br />
issue. At the same time however, the Israeli government pub -<br />
lished contradic<strong>to</strong>ry positions on the future <strong>of</strong> Jerusalem, on settlement<br />
construction, on the annexation <strong>of</strong> parts <strong>of</strong> East Jerusalem, <strong>and</strong> other<br />
issues.<br />
At the same time, as the exchange <strong>of</strong> fire between the Israeli army <strong>and</strong><br />
the Hamas militia continued, an increasing number <strong>of</strong> rockets were fired<br />
from Gaza against Israeli terri<strong>to</strong>ry; on December 24, 2008, a <strong>to</strong>tal <strong>of</strong> sixty<br />
rockets were fired on Israeli <strong>to</strong>wns <strong>and</strong> cities. Soon thereafter, Israel<br />
began the Gaza War, in which 1300 Palestinians <strong>and</strong> thirteen Israelis<br />
were killed, <strong>and</strong> a large part <strong>of</strong> the infrastructure in Gaza was destroyed.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> war was perfectly used by the right-wing parties, who came <strong>to</strong><br />
power in the elections held on February 10, 2009. <strong>The</strong> accession <strong>of</strong> the<br />
current government, made up <strong>of</strong> the extremist right, fascists <strong>and</strong> religious<br />
parties, marked the <strong>to</strong>tal defeat <strong>of</strong> the more moderate parties.<br />
This parliament is characterized by a weak opposition, peace-oriented<br />
parties are almost non-existent, <strong>and</strong> civil society groups which work on<br />
human rights, democracy <strong>and</strong> peace are under harsh attack ...” (Report,<br />
p.185).<br />
Molly Malekar describes Israeli national identity as highly complex. “<strong>The</strong><br />
Jews in the world, as is claimed by many, do not share a common<br />
language, culture, ethnic or genetic ancestry, have no common terri<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
or his<strong>to</strong>ry, <strong>and</strong> the beliefs <strong>of</strong> Jewish communities vary. <strong>The</strong> only common<br />
element is religion <strong>and</strong> religious civilization, either directly (among<br />
the orthodox) or vague <strong>and</strong> distant, or even rejected (among the secular).<br />
With the definition <strong>of</strong> the Israeli state as a ‘Jewish’ state, the Israeli state<br />
cannot but fail <strong>to</strong> become an entity that safeguards <strong>and</strong> regulates the<br />
common interest <strong>of</strong> a pluralistic civil society <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> the communities with -<br />
in its boundaries.” (Report, p. 187). This confusion, she says, as well as<br />
the battle with the Arab world for the l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> the domination <strong>of</strong> it, have<br />
given Israel’s political establishment the possibility <strong>to</strong> propagate a nation -<br />
al identity built on the fear <strong>of</strong> persecution <strong>and</strong> destruction as a common<br />
his<strong>to</strong>rical experience <strong>of</strong> all Jews in the Diaspora.<br />
54