Hundreds of women activists from the "Women Wage Peace" movement came together from all over Israel to take part in the rally in memory of Israel Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin rally that was held last night, November 1, 2014. Women Wage Peace called on the government of Israel to choose life and promote a political agreement. Nineteen women, affiliated with left-wing, right-wing and center political parties, young and old, Israeli and Palestinian, represented the movement on the central stage and showed that women must play an active role in solving the political conflict. Dr. Marie-Lyne Smadja , one of the movement leaders, said that women refuse to undergo another hundred years of war, that will lead to another hundred years of isolation. She called upon Israeli and Palestinian leaders to renew negotiation efforts and reach an agreement that is non-violent, respecting of and acceptable to both sides.
Five "Women Wage Peace" activists spoke at the rally:
Michal Shamir
I am Michal Shamir, a founding member and activist in Women Wage Peace. I stand here tonight – because I am from a bereaved family and I am the mother of a son who is about to be drafted to the IDF. I stand here tonight, because in the last ten years I've taught at Sapir College in Sderot, I have not been able to complete a single class, without being interrupted by a "Red Alert" siren.
I stand here tonight, together with thousands of other women, because we demand to be full partners in a process that will create a different reality for us and for our children.
We deserve a future! And as women, we can work together to make a change.
Fiona Choppe
I am Fiona Choppe, twenty-five years old, and a new immigrant from Switzerland. I chose to live in Israel because there's great energy here that I haven't found anywhere else. In Israel, I started my own catering company. But the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is hurting young people who want to make a decent living. We, young people who chose to live in Israel, want a future that can let us make a decent living and have a peaceful relationship with our neighbors.
Amal Reichan
I am Amal Reichan, a teacher of Arabic language, and a mother of four from Yaffo. Women are the base of the world's existence. They can and should affect the political reality in which they live. I believe in the power of Israeli and Palestinian women to make peace, so that we can live together side by side with mutual respect. My goal is to reach just co-existence and real peace, in our society and with our neighbors.
Lital Amsalem
I am Lital Amsalem, from Moshav Yevul in the Eshkol regional council, and I am the project coordinator in the unit for community action at Sapir College. I believe with all my heart in the power of women to make a social change, and promote tolerance amongst all people. I joined Women Wage Peace because I want to ensure a better future for myself and for young men and women in Israel, and especially in the south.
Marie Lynn Smadja
My name is Marie-Lyne Smadja, I’m a veteran immigrant from France.
My parents were born in Tunisia.
I am a co-founder of the new movement “Women Wage Peace.”
I believe that our country deserves a future, I believe my two children and future grandchildren (God willing), as well as all young men and women, deserve a future where security is sustainable and peace is long-term.
19 years after Rabin’s assassination, we stand on this stage, 19 women from the movement “Women Wage Peace”.
19 women representing thousands of women all across the country, from the political center, left and right; Jewish women and Arab women, young and old.
This is a historic moment!
This the moment of Israeli women!
This is the moment where we bring back hope to this square and the entire country!
The Israeli government signed a UN resolution stating that women should be integrated into all policy-making and conflict resolution processes.
What has the Israeli government done with this promise?
Today we are here demanding our involvement in the resolution of the conflict!
We demand courageous leadership. We say managing the conflict is not enough!
We require a political agreement acceptable to all parties, ensuring long-term security for all citizens.
We require defined borders with the Palestinians.
Only a political settlement will bring social and economic security to the region.
We’ve missed too many opportunities already!
We will not agree to one-hundred years of war that will result in one-hundred years of solitude.
There is a solution, and leaders on both sides must join forces to bring it.
We therefore call on all Israeli citizens, women and men, to join us and support us: restore the public's role in resolving the conflict!
We are reaching out to Palestinian women and Arab women across the Middle East to join us.
We choose life!
The Women Wage Peace presentation on the central stage at the Rabin rally, November 1, 2014.
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