“There was great hope in the air,” smiles Yael Braudo-Bahat, recalling a rally by the Dead Sea on 4 October. “Israeli and Palestinian women came together in their thousands demanding an end to the conflict and violence.”
Braudo-Bahat is a lawyer and co-director of Women Wage Peace (WWP), an NGO led by women campaigning for a negotiated political resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With more than 50,000 members, WWP is considered the largest grassroots peace movement in Israel.
- BBC 100 Women names 100 inspiring and influential women around the world every year – Yael Braudo-Bahat is on this year’s list
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As we return to the present day, she is adamant the current cycle of violence in Gaza must be resolved. “The hostages should be the top priority,” she insists.
“The government should consider political alternatives that would save the lives of Israeli soldiers and the lives of Gazan civilians, weaken Hamas, promote and strengthen the moderate forces in the region and promote peace,” she says.
“Without a political agreement I don’t see a future.”
