<h2>Huge Jerusalem march for peace</h2>
Jan. 25, 2002

We never hear these stories in the mainstream media... It's important to remind ourselves and each other that resistance DOES exist.
Today was a ray of sunshine in an otherwise bleak Middle East.

An amazing 5,000 people, most dressed in black, turned up for today's
events, beginning with the March of Mourning for all the victims --
Palestinian and Israeli -- of the Occupation. Responding to the call of
the Coalition of Women for a Just Peace, people from all over the world
found their way to the vigil plaza today. When the signal came to begin,
we were all mixed up with each other -- Israeli, Palestinian, European,
American -- and began a slow, solemn walk, in silence (mostly), with only
a funereal cadence sounded by two women drummers at the center of this
long procession. Although the extreme right wing staged a counter-demonstration at the beginning of our route, their small number (about 30) and angry shouts only served to dramatize the power of our own dignified presence.

We led with a huge banner,"The Occupation is Killing Us All", as well as
hundreds of black hands with white lettering"Stop the Occupation", and
scores of signs calling for peace, a state of Palestine beside the state
of Israel, and sharing this beautiful city of Jerusalem, loved so long by
so many. It was an unseasonably warm and balmy winter morning, and we
were suddenly feeling hopeful and powerful marching together this way.
Although the police were trying to keep us all walking on the sidewalk,
soon we burst our seams and spread out into the road, blocking traffic
along the route. And Ezra, long-time supporter of Women in Black in
Jerusalem, walked among us, handing out a thousand red roses to Women in
Black until the roses ran out, though the women did not.

We made our way slowly toward the broad, new plaza just outside historic
Jaffa Gate, one of the main entrances to the Old City of Jerusalem. By
the time everyone arrived, we had filled up the plaza completely, with
spillover inside the gate and along the roads leading up to it. Past the
stage, participants could see as backdrop the beautiful Citadel, rising
from the walls of the Old City, with the Valley of Gethsemane spread out
beyond in a breathtaking view.

The entire program was moderated in Hebrew and Arabic by Dalit Baum and
Camilia Bader-Araf, co-MCs. They acknowledged the Knesset members who had joined us for the events -- Muhammed Barake, Naomi Chazan, Zehava Galon,
Tamar Gozansky, Anat Maor, Issam Makhoul, and Mossi Raz -- as well as the
delegations from Belgium, Canada, England, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain,
and the U.S. Marcia Freedman, former Israeli MK and long-standing Woman
in Black, read the list of 118 locations around the world where solidarity
events were planned for the same day (from Adelaide to Zaragoza -- see our
website for the full list).

Speeches opened with Shulamit Aloni, first lady of human rights in Israel
and former government minister, comparing our struggle to end the
occupation with the struggles led by Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther
King, reminding us that although the task is arduous, it will inevitably

be crowned with success. She was followed by other powerful speeches --
Nurit Peled Elhanan, winner of the Sakharov Peace Prize, awarded by the
European Parliament, and mother of Smadar, 13 years old when she was
killed by a terrorist bomb in Jerusalem; Zahira Kamal, courageous
Palestinian activist for peace as well as the rights of women and workers,
who found a way to outwit the closure in order to reach Jerusalem and
address this rally; Luisa Morgantini, irrepressible Italian member of the
European Parliament and devoted supporter of the women's peace movement in the Middle East; Khulood Badawi, chair of the Association of Arab Students in Israel; and Vera Lichtenfels, a 17-year old Portuguese peace activist, representing youth all over the world who are working for peace.

These speeches were eloquent and inspiring, but I myself was especially
moved by the ceremony of torch lighting by 13 Israeli organizations who
have shown extraordinary commitment to activism for
peace and human rights. Each representative lit a torch about one aspect
related to their work -- the killed, the wounded, the homes demolished,
the trees uprooted, the children whose lives were fractured, as well as the
efforts of those who refuse to give in to the despair, but keep on
struggling to transform this nightmare into a vision of peace and partnership.

These are words that one simply doesn't hear in thisregion, so publicly, by Israelis and Palestinians together. And then we held
a concert rarely heard in the Middle East -- a"peace happening" of
Palestinian and Israeli performers. It opened with the Elisheva Trio -- 3
talented black Jewish women from Dimona, singing peace songs in soul and rock arrangements. There were readings of poetry and plays, a performance
piece, and an amazing duo of young Palestinian rappers from Lydda/Lod
doing Arabic and Hebrew political lyrics. Ending it all was a hopeful
reprise by the Elisheva Trio, with many in the crowd holding hands,
swaying, and singing together.




When the concert was over, few wanted to leave and let go of the feeling that peace is really possible. Fortunately, we didn't really have to, because Peace Now was holding its own optimistic rally just inside Jaffa Gate, with Palestinians and Israelis signing a Peace Declaration and releasing doves into the sky over the city. Palestinians and Israelis wandered in and out the streets of the Old City trying to hold tight to the beautiful warm thaw in the air, within this long winter of violence and tragedy.

This evening, I watched Israeli TV to see if anything was reported about the hope for peace that had swept through Jerusalem today.

I saw nothing about either the Coalition of Women for Peace or the
Peace Now events, though I did hear that the Coalition action made the
radio news several times today. We are used to this by now, and it brought
to mind the words of Shulamit Aloni earlier today:"Even though Israel's
'patriotic' media seek to ignore you, there is no doubt that your voice
will be heard and that a great many others will join your cause. You will
break through the silence because yours is a vision of freedom, justice,
and peace."

May it come to pass. Today I feel more hopeful than I have for a long, long while.

Thank you to everyone all over the world who joined us
in solidarity today, whether in vigils, through contributions, or in
your hearts.

Shalom, salaam,
Gila Svirsky
Jerusalem


Quelle


<center>

<HR>

</center>