 
Women Peace Activists in Israel- thoughts by Gila Svirsky
27 May 2007
(http://peacewomen.blogspot.com/2007/05/women-peace-activists-in-israel-gila.html)
The women's peace movement in Israel has begun to work on this
problem [of security]. We call it a campaign to "reframe security" -
to broaden our conception of it.
We seek to demonstrate to Israelis that security is not the end-result
of having a strong, aggressive army, but rather the product of
a broad range of activity, which includes living in a society
that cares for its poor, reduces violence, protects its natural
resources, and co-exists in peace with its neighbors. Indeed,
this campaign seeks to instill the understanding that "peace
is the best way to promote security".
As part of this campaign, we take Israelis on "reality tours" to
show them the Separation Wall. We bring them into the homes of
Palestinians who are cut off from their land, jobs, and schools
by the Wall, and we give Palestinians an opportunity to tell about
their lives and how the Wall has changed them. For most Israelis,
this is the very first time they have ever spoken to a Palestinian.
We bring the Israelis to checkpoints, and have them observe the
soldiers' treatment of Palestinians trying to cross. We also take
them to see parts of Israel that have been neglected by the political
leaders - the slums, the shelters for battered women, the untreated
garbage, the trafficking in women, the inadequate health care centers,
the poorly equipped schools. Each participant goes on a number
of tours to see several aspects of the problem. We help Israelis
draw the connection between a society that is pouring its resources
into occupation and settlements, and failing to address the social
problems that exist within it.
These tours are powerful experiences. They reach beyond what Israelis
see in the media, showing them a slice of reality they have never
seen before. And then we ask: Do you think that the policies
of our government have enhanced your security? Or have they actually
compromised it?
We are hoping that the old conceptions will gradually give way
to a new understanding: that Israel will never be able to address
the needs of our population until a just agreement has been reached
with our neighbors. That security - whether in the narrow or
broader sense - is compromised by failing to achieve a political
accommodation with the Palestinians.
For years, women have focused on human security issues - better
schools, health services, poverty programs, violence issues,
etc. - but not named it "security". Now, instead of
fighting the concept, we are working to reframe it so that it
will promote the kind of society that we want to live in.
This campaign is more than a strategy. It is a fundamental belief
that all these forms of security are critical - and that it will
never be possible to realize a common zone of peace, prosperity
and progress - not for Israel and not for Palestine - until a
just and lasting settlement of the conflict is in place.
* Gila Svirsky is a veteran peace and human rights activist, and
currently chair of Bet Tselem, an Israeli Human Rights organization.
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