[NuovoLaboratorio] Fwd: Of Assassination and Dialogue

Author: Paola Manduca
Date:
Subject: [NuovoLaboratorio] Fwd: Of Assassination and Dialogue

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gila è una donna in nero israeliana e ci manda informazioni dal suo paese

>Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2003 23:15:41 +0200
>From: Gila Svirsky <gsvirsky@???>
>Subject: Of Assassination and Dialogue
>To: Gila Svirsky <gsvirsky@???>
>Importance: Normal
>X-Priority: 3 (Normal)
>
>
>Off with their heads!
>
>
>
>While a bunch of Israeli and Palestinian women were hugging and
>kissing outside Tulkarm today, the Israeli government dropped three
>250 kg (550 lb) bombs on an apartment building in Gaza, trying
>(unsuccessfully) to kill the ten Hamas leaders meeting inside. We
>were only trying to send them a message, said the news commentator
>on Israeli TV tonight. We were trying to kill them, corrected the
>anchor, but screwed up.
>
>
>
>Meanwhile, Abu Mazen resigned and Israelis have begun the
>countdown to quote more TV talk, on the life of Arafat. Will
>Israel finally make the kill or not? All agree that its only a
>matter of time.
>
>
>
>This kind of chatter about extra-judicial killing this year alone,
>Israel has assassinated 110 Palestinians, during the course of which
>it killed another 73 unlucky bystanders goes on in a country which
>does not have capital punishment. But thats a technicality.
>
>
>
>A better tale from Tulkarm
>
>
>
>Tulkarm is a Palestinian town in the West Bank on just the other
>side of the Green Line (1967 border) and one of the victims of the
>infamous Separation Wall now being constructed. This terrible wall
>has already trapped 12,000 people between it and the Green Line,
>cutting them off from their communities, and has stolen the land,
>olive trees, and water sources from tens of thousands of others. We
>went there today to call for an end to its construction, and for
>Israel to leave the territories altogether.
>
>
>
>We were 500 women half gathered on the Palestinian side of the
>Tulkarm checkpoint, and the other half on the other side (I almost
>wrote the Israeli side, but the checkpoint is actually inside the
>Occupied Territories). On both sides were a large but uncounted
>number of international women those who come from other
>countries to help us get to peace in the Mideast.
>
>
>
>The demonstration had been organized by the Coalition of Women for
>Peace, on the Israeli side, and the women of the Tulkarm branch of
>the Peoples Party, on the Palestinian side. We were also joined by
>multi-national contingents from CPT and the Ecumenical Accompaniers
> Christians doing peace work in Palestine; Code Pink the US-based
>womens protest organization; and individual women (and a few men).
>Buses came from throughout Israel.
>
>
>
>At the checkpoint, we could see the group on the Palestinian side,
>roughly 50 meters (about 150 feet) away. Both sides held signs
>calling for an end to the Wall and the root cause of the conflict
>the occupation. As we approached the checkpoint, we were rebuffed
>by a group of soldiers, clearly angry at our presence and signs.
>Within seconds of our reaching them, they pushed and then struck
>several of our group aiming for the men, but also catching some of
>the women who sought to get between them. Their officers arrived
>quickly and managed to stop their blows, but a moment later we saw a
>teargas canister explode near the Palestinian side. We were
>relieved that the Palestinians did not scatter, and no further shots
>rang out. The women remained firmly in sight across the military
>domain.
>
>
>
>A pre-arranged group of women approached the officers on our side to
>negotiate our passage across. Matters had flared much too quickly,
>and our negotiators spoke calmly, explaining our peaceful intentions
>in meeting with Palestinian women. Our case seems to have been
>buttressed by 10 very large cartons that we had brought for the
>women school supplies for Palestinian children. After talking and
>talking and making us wait in the hot sun, satisfying themselves
>that they had displayed their control over our movements, the
>officers gave permission for 30 of us to cross the checkpoint and
>meet the Palestinians.
>
>
>
>I was one of the lucky ones to go across, and when we reached the
>other side, there was hugging and kissing, although most of us did
>not know each other. Battery-powered megaphones allowed both sides
>short speeches: We share your hatred for the wall, your desire to
>end the occupation and launch an era of peace, and We welcome you
>to our town, we thank you for the gifts for our children, we view
>ourselves as sisters in the struggle for peace, followed by brief
>flute playing and a few rounds of songs that never quite got going.
>We were all a little shy after the first outburst of emotion.
>
>
>
>I watched the cartons get piled inside and out of one small,
>dilapidated car that drove off toward town, where I imagined eager
>little hands would rip off the plastic and find a colorful schoolbag
>inside, filled with notebooks, pencils, colored pencils, an eraser,
>sharpener, and ruler. And perhaps their parents would read them the
>letter inserted into each bag: We, Israeli women, send this to you
>with good wishes for a successful school year, and the sincere hope
>that your studies will not be interrupted by bullets or tanks.
>
>
>
>Then we all went home and listened to the news, made by people who
>spend their time planning encounters of another kind.
>
>
>
>At the Italian Riviera
>
>
>
>It was good to get recharged last week at the International Women in
>Black Congress held in Marina di Massa, Italy, where 400 women from
>dozens of countries shared their pain and their strategies. Despite
>the heat and intense humidity, there was nothing limp about 4 days
>of sessions among women peace activists. In addition to contingents
>from all the European countries (including a busload of 50 women
>from the Balkans), women actually managed to arrive from Iraq,
>Afghanistan, Colombia, Palestine, and other war-torn regions. Two
>demonstrations capped the events one outside a US army base in
>Italy, where the soldiers fervently concentrated on their softball
>to avoid looking at our anti-war signs outside the gate. And the
>other at the resort town of Viareggio, to remind vacationers that
>sunblock prevents only some problems from getting through. They
>didnt look interested.
>
>
>
>From Jerusalem,
>
>Gila Svirsky
>
>
>
>*******************************
>Coalition of Women for Peace:
><http://www.coalitionofwomen4peace.org/>http://www.coalitionofwomen4peace.org

--
Paola Manduca
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<html><head><style type="text/css"></style><title>Fwd: Of Assassination and
Dialogue</title></head><body>
<div>gila è una donna in nero israeliana e ci manda informazioni dal
suo paese</div>
<div> </div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2003 23:15:41 +0200 
From: Gila Svirsky <gsvirsky@???> 
Subject: Of Assassination and Dialogue 
To: Gila Svirsky <gsvirsky@???> 
Importance: Normal 
X-Priority: 3 (Normal) 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Off with
their heads! 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>While a bunch
of Israeli and Palestinian women were hugging and kissing outside
Tulkarm today, the Israeli government dropped three 250 kg (550 lb)
bombs on an apartment building in Gaza, trying (unsuccessfully) to
kill the ten Hamas leaders meeting inside.  We were only
trying to send them a message, said the news commentator on Israeli
TV tonight.  We were trying to kill them, corrected the
anchor, but screwed up. 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Meanwhile, Abu
Mazen resigned and Israelis have begun the countdown to quote
more TV talk, on the life of Arafat.   Will Israel finally
make the kill or not?  All agree that its only a matter of
time. 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>This kind of
chatter about extra-judicial killing this year alone, Israel has
assassinated 110 Palestinians, during the course of which it killed
another 73 unlucky bystanders goes on in a country which does not
have capital punishment.  But thats a technicality. 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>A better
tale from Tulkarm 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Tulkarm is a
Palestinian town in the West Bank on just the other side of the Green
Line (1967 border) and one of the victims of the infamous Separation
Wall now being constructed.  This terrible wall has already
trapped 12,000 people between it and the Green Line, cutting them off
from their communities, and has stolen the land, olive trees, and
water sources from tens of thousands of others.  We went there
today to call for an end to its construction, and for Israel to leave
the territories altogether. 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>We were 500
women half gathered on the Palestinian side of the Tulkarm
checkpoint, and the other half on the other side (I almost wrote
the Israeli side, but the checkpoint is actually inside the
Occupied Territories).  On both sides were a large but uncounted
number of international women those who come from other
countries to help us get to peace in the Mideast. 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>The
demonstration had been organized by the Coalition of Women for Peace,
on the Israeli side, and the women of the Tulkarm branch of the
Peoples Party, on the Palestinian side.  We were also joined
by multi-national contingents from CPT and the Ecumenical Accompaniers
Christians doing peace work in Palestine; Code Pink the
US-based womens protest organization; and individual women (and a
few men).  Buses came from throughout Israel. 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>At the
checkpoint, we could see the group on the Palestinian side, roughly 50
meters (about 150 feet) away.  Both sides held signs calling for
an end to the Wall and the root cause of the conflict the
occupation.  As we approached the checkpoint, we were rebuffed by
a group of soldiers, clearly angry at our presence and signs. 
Within seconds of our reaching them, they pushed and then struck
several of our group aiming for the men, but also catching some of
the women who sought to get between them.  Their officers arrived
quickly and managed to stop their blows, but a moment later we saw a
teargas canister explode near the Palestinian side.  We were
relieved that the Palestinians did not scatter, and no further shots
rang out.  The women remained firmly in sight across the military
domain. 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>A pre-arranged
group of women approached the officers on our side to negotiate our
passage across.  Matters had flared much too quickly, and our
negotiators spoke calmly, explaining our peaceful intentions in
meeting with Palestinian women.  Our case seems to have been
buttressed by 10 very large cartons that we had brought for the women
school supplies for Palestinian children.  After talking and
talking and making us wait in the hot sun, satisfying themselves that
they had displayed their control over our movements, the officers gave
permission for 30 of us to cross the checkpoint and meet the
Palestinians.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>I was one of
the lucky ones to go across, and when we reached the other side, there
was hugging and kissing, although most of us did not know each other. 
Battery-powered megaphones allowed both sides short speeches: We
share your hatred for the wall, your desire to end the occupation and
launch an era of peace, and We welcome you to our town, we thank
you for the gifts for our children, we view ourselves as sisters in
the struggle for peace, followed by brief flute playing and a few
rounds of songs that never quite got going.  We were all a little
shy after the first outburst of emotion. 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>I watched the
cartons get piled inside and out of one small, dilapidated car that
drove off toward town, where I imagined eager little hands would rip
off the plastic and find a colorful schoolbag inside, filled with
notebooks, pencils, colored pencils, an eraser, sharpener, and ruler. 
And perhaps their parents would read them the letter inserted into
each bag:  We, Israeli women, send this to you with good
wishes for a successful school year, and the sincere hope that your
studies will not be interrupted by bullets or tanks. 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Then we all
went home and listened to the news, made by people who spend their
time planning encounters of another kind. 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>At the
Italian Riviera 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>It was good to
get recharged last week at the International Women in Black Congress
held in Marina di Massa, Italy, where 400 women from dozens of
countries shared their pain and their strategies.  Despite the
heat and intense humidity, there was nothing limp about 4 days of
sessions among women peace activists.  In addition to contingents
from all the European countries (including a busload of 50 women from
the Balkans), women actually managed to arrive from Iraq, Afghanistan,
Colombia, Palestine, and other war-torn regions.  Two
demonstrations capped the events one outside a US army base in
Italy, where the soldiers fervently concentrated on their softball to
avoid looking at our anti-war signs outside the gate.  And the
other at the resort town of Viareggio, to remind vacationers that
sunblock prevents only some problems from getting through.  They
didnt look interested. 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>From
Jerusalem, 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Gila
Svirsky 
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>  
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>******************************* 
Coalition of Women for Peace: 
<a href="http://www.coalitionofwomen4peace.org/">http://www.coalitionofwomen4peace.org</a
></blockquote>
<div> </div>

<div>-- 
Paola Manduca</div>
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