Israel: Peace Movement
(see also Israel, Israel since 1968, Palestine, Palestine since 1968, Palestine: Peace Movement, Anti-War Movement Today)
Basics
On the Web: Articles
Fortress Israel. Ilan Pappé, London Review of Books (5/19/05). Palestinian right of return must be acknowledged in the pursuit of peace.
On the Web: Specialized Sites
Israeli Peace & Justice Organizations:
Abraham Fund. Promotes Jewish/Arab coexistence in Israel. Advocacy, education, dialog.
Adalah. Nonsectarian Palestinian-run Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, est. 1996. Seeks equal rights & national minority standing for the Palestinian 20% of Israeli citizens.
Adam Institute for Democracy and Peace in Memory of Emil Greenzweig. Promotes education for democracy & peace, breaking down stereotypes & teaching non-violent conflict resolution.
Adva Center. Research, education & advocacy for equality between social groups in Israel.
Alternative Information Center (AIC). Palestinian/Israeli organization combining research& critical analysis with political activism.
Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI). Established in 1972 to bolster Israel's commitment to civil liberties & human rights through legal action, education & public outreach.
Bat Shalom. Coalition of Israeli & Palestinian women for comprehensive, just & lasting peace.
B’tselem. Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in Occupied Territories.
Coalition of Women for Peace. Jewish & Palestinian citizens of Israel for end to occupation & just, negotiated peace.
Courage to Refuse. IDF reserve officers & soldiers who refuse service in Occupied Territories.
Defense for Children International (DCI Israel). Promotes & protects rights of child in Israel & Occupied Territories.
Democracy & Workers Rights Center. Defends human & legal rights of Palestinian workers in Israel & Palestine. Education & outreach to workers, employers & state, empowering workers to help build democratic civil society.
Friendship Village. International center of education for peaceful, democratic, multicultural society.
Friends of the Earth Middle East. Umbrella organization for NGOs defending shared environment of Middle Eastern peoples.
Gush Shalom. Leading organization in struggle against Occupation & for negotiated peace.
Interfaith Encounter Association. Envisions society in which "otherness" is accepted, understood & respected.
Independent Media Center. See for Israeli "refuseniks."
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.
Israel-Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI). Joint Palestinian/Israeli public policy think-tank seeking practical solutions to conflict.
Israeli Peace Coalition.
Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families for Peace.
Israel/Palestine Local Peace Organization Directory.
Ittijah (Union of Arab Community Based Associations). Umbrella group for Arab NGOs working inside Israel to end political, legal, social, economic & cultural discrimination against Palestinians.
Kol Ha Isha - Women's Center. Jerusalem grassroots organization uniting women of all backgrounds, persuasions & sexual orientations to pursue common interests, raise awareness, & take action on issues.
Kvisa Shchora (Black Laundry). Gays, lesbians, bisexuals & transgenders against the Occupation.
Movement of Democratic Women in Israel (MDWI). Jewish-Arab organization inspired by Women's International Democratic Federation, est. after World War II to prevent war & genocide, defend women's rights, equality & democracy.
Negev Coexistence Forum. Framework for Jewish Arab cooperation for equal civil rights, recognition of Beduin villages, education for tolerance & mutual understanding.
Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development (NISPED). Promotes peace, conflict resolution, development of civil society & sustainable human development through voluntary, people-centered NGOs.
Neve Shalom - Wahat el Salam School for Peace. Cooperative village of Jews & Palestinian Arabs of Israeli citizenship.
New Israel Fund . Works to improve status of Arab & Jewish women in Israel.
New Profile. Women's campaign for demilitarized society & conscientious objection to military service.
News from Within. Alternative Information Center, challenging Jewish & Zionist nature of Israeli society & authoritarian nature of Palestinian Authority.
Open House. Ramle home of Palestinian family before 1948, now meeting-place for Jewish & Palestinian children & families to engage in educational & social activities & forge friendships.
Parents' Circle/Families Forum. Israeli & Palestinian families of victims of violence seeking reconciliation.
Peace Now. Leading proponent of peace through negotiations since 1978.
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel. Works against abuses of human & medical rights.
Public Committee Against Torture in Israel. Documents, monitors & responds to cases of torture in Israel & Occupied Territories & under Palestinian National Authority. Public education, legal aid & advocacy before Israeli government for torture victims.
Rabbis for Human Rights. Advocates on behalf of human rights from religious perspective.
Refuser Solidarity Network. More than 1100 IDF soldiers refusing to participate in Occupation & violence against Palestinians.
Shministim. Conscientious objectors group for young men & women of draft age.
Sikkuy - Association for the Advancement of Equal Opportunity. Aims to enhance civic equality & identity of Palestinian Arabs as citizens of Israel.
Social Development Committee of Haifa. Seeks equality of Jews & Arabs in Israel, education & empowerment of Arab community in Haifa. Sponsors co-existence projects.
Ta'ayush. Arab-Jewish partnership in direct nonviolent action in solidarity with Palestinians.
Women in Black. World-wide organization for peace, begun in 1988 by Israeli women's weekly demonstration at major traffic intersection, in black clothing with “Stop the Occupation” signs.
Women's Organization for Political Prisoners (WOFPP). Assists female political prisoners who resist Occupation.
Yesh Gvul. IDF pilots who refuse to bomb civilian targets in Palestine.
US & European-based Organizations for Peace in Israel/Palestine:
Brit Tzedek v'Shalom (Jewish Alliance for Justice & Peace). Seeks withdrawal of Jewish settlements from Occupied Territories.
Christian Peacemaker Teams. Mennonites, Brethren & Friends stationed in Hebron since 1995 to "get in the way" of systems of domination & exploitation.
If Americans Knew. Seeks to provide Americans with full & accurate information on US role in fueling Israel-Palestine conflict, & our responsibility to help bring about a resolution.
Jewish Peace Fellowship. Founded in 1941 to support Jewish conscientious objectors to military service. Pursues active nonviolence as means of resolving conflicts, informs local draft boards about theological basis for Jewish opposition to war.
Jewish Unity for a Just Peace. Seeks to mobilize at least 10,000 Jews to work for a just peace by ending Israeli occupation of West Bank, Gaza & East Jerusalem.
A Jewish Voice for Peace. Supports human, civil & economic rights of Jews, Palestinians, & all Middle Eastern peoples.
Jews Against the Occupation. Advocates peace through justice for Palestine & Israel.
Jews for Justice in the Middle East.
Meretz USA. For Israeli civil rights & peace. Publishes informative Israel Horizons.
MADRE. International women's human rights organization.
Neturei Karta (Jews United Against Zionism).
New Profile. Movement for the civil-ization of Israeli society.
Not in My Name. Coalition of Jewish peace activists.
Progressive Jewish Alliance. Dedicated to Jewish tradition of pursuing peace, promoting equality & diversity, & ensuring social & economic justice in US, Israel, Middle East & throughout world.
Seeking Peace, Pursuing Justice. Reform Movement's campaign to educate, encourage & mobilize North American Jewry to support peace efforts & social justice causes in Israel.
Tikkun Community. National organization of Jews & non-Jews for US-imposed just peace in Israel & Palestine, politically & economically viable Palestinian state, & genuine Israeli security.
In the Library: Articles
Beinin, Joel. "Acts of refusal (interview with Rela Mazali)," Middle East Report 34,2 (sum 04).
Cobban, Helena. “A binational Israel-Palestine,” Christian Science Monitor (10/9/03): 9.
DiNovella, Elizabeth. "Talking to the children," Progressive (6/02):37-39. Review of film "Promises."
Dow, Mark. “Crossing the threshold” In These Times (5/27/02): 19-20. Machsom Watch keeps eye on Israeli checkpoints.
Falk, Richard. "Ending the death dance," Nation (4/29/02):11-13.
Gordon, Neve. "Israeli doves speak out," Nation (10/30/00):5.
__________. "The enemy within," In These Times (1/21/02):3-4. Difficulties facing the Israeli peace movement.
__________. "Support grows for soldiers refusing to serve in occupation," National Catholic Reporter (2/8/02):3.
__________. “Where are the peaceniks?” Nation (4/29/02): 4-5. Blatant racism in Israel, feeding on fear of suicide bombings, is changing Jerusalem landscape.
__________. “Israel’s slippery moral slope?” In These Times (3/4/03): 8. When ends justify means, all is permissible.
__________. “Up against the wall” National Catholic Reporter (11/7/03): 17. On
11/ 9, International Day against the Wall, protestors will celebrate fall of Berlin wall & condemn construction of new wall between Israel & occupied West Bank.
Gorenberg, Gershom. "The thin green line," Mother Jones (9-10/02):49-55, 90. Do refuseniks help the cause of peace or hurt it?
Grier, Peter and Ron Scherer. “Unofficial peace push” Christian Science Monitor (11/5/03): 1. Dovish Israelis & Palestinians try to make peace from bottom up.
Hitchens, Christopher. "Israel Shahak, 1933-2001," Nation (7/23/01):9. Appreciation of late inveterate peace activist.
Jubber, Nicholas. “One radical rabbi” In These Times (5/27/02): 20. Ever since second Intifada began in 9/00, Rabbi Arik Ascherman of Rabbis for Human Rights has worked for peace in region where religious leaders more often preach war.
Kidron, Peretz. "I won't serve in your army," Progressive (5/02):20-21.
Lazare, Daniel. “The one-state solution” Nation (11/3/03): 23-30. However utopian, binationalism may be last hope for Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Lerner, Michael. "Jews for justice," Nation (5/20/02):4-5.
Oz, Amos. "Every one of us has a teaspoon. A plan to bring peace to the land of Israel," In These Times (5/27/02):18.
Prince-Gibson, Eeta. "An Israeli dove mourns," Progressive (12/00):24-26.
__________. "We've all been irrevocably changed, and not for the better" Progressive (5/02):22-23.
Rabin, David. "The pains of peace," Progressive (5/02):18-19.
Rothschild, Matthew. "Israel isn't David: it's Goliath," Progressive (7/01):27-29. Interview with Prof. Irena Klepfisz, Jewish-American poet & opponent of Israeli Occupation.
Sciolino, Elaine & Greg Myre. “Negotiators celebrate an unofficial peace plan.” San Jose Mercury News (12/2/03). Self-appointed Israeli & Palestinian negotiators met in Geneva to craft symbolic Middle East peace plan.
Segal, Jerome M. "A new Middle East approach," Nation (1/28/02). Argument for "externally directed separation" imposed by UN Security Council.
Sontag, Susan. “Susan Sontag on courage & resistance” Nation (5/5/03): 11-14. Keynote address at presentation of Oscar Romero Award to Ishai Menuchin, chairman of Yesh Gvul (“There is a Limit”), Israeli soldiers’ “refusenik” movement.
Urbina, Ian. "The world is watching," In These Times (5/13/02). Interviews Canadian/Israeli peace activist Neta Golan of International Solidarity Movement, inside Arafat's besieged compound.
_______. "School ties: Israeli divestment campaign carries on," In These Times (3/31/03):
In the Library: Non-Fiction Books
Avneri, Uri. My Friend, the Enemy (NY: Lawrence Hill, 1986).
Beilin, Yossi. The Path to Geneva: The Quest for a Permanent Agreement, 1996-2004 (NY: RDV, 2004).
Carey, Roane & Jonathin Shainin (eds.) The Other Israel: Voices of Refusal & Dissent (NY: New Press, 2002).
Chacham, Ronit. Breaking Ranks: Refusing to Serve in the West Bank & Gaza Strip (NY: Other, 2003).
Dowty, Alan. Israel/Palestine (London: Polity, 2005). Explores grounds for optimism.
Elazar, Daniel Judah. Two Peoples, One Land: Federal Solutions for Israel, the Palestinians & Jordan (Lanham MD: University Press of America, 1991).
Gopin, Marc. Holy War, Holy Peace. How Religion Can Bring Peace to the Middle East (NY: Oxford, 2002).
Gordon, Neve & Ruchama Marton (eds.) Torture: Human Rights, Medical Ethics & the Case of Israel (London: Zed, 1995).
Grossman, David. The Yellow Wind (trans. Haim Watzman; NY: Noonday, 1998). Interviews with Palestinians & Israeli settlers on West Bank.
__________. Death as a Way of Life: Israel Ten Years after Oslo (NY: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 2003). Despairing account by Peace Now activist & novelist. Peace possible when Israel gives up settlements & Palestinians the right of return; no viable coexistence while fear rules on both sides.
Gush Shalom. 80 Theses for Israeli-Palestinian Peace (Santa Cruz CA: Resource Center for Nonviolence, 2001).
Hurwitz, Deena (ed.) Walking the Red Line: Israelis in Search of Justice for Palestine (Philadelphia: New Society, 1992). A pioneering book in English at that time, full of ideas and information that are still useful today.
Kaminer, Reuven. The Politics of Protest: The Israeli Peace Movement & the Palestinian Intifada (Brighton: Sussex Academic, 1996).
Kidron, Peretz (ed.) Refusenik! Israel's Soldiers of Conscience (London: Zed, 2004).
Kushner, Tony & Alisa Solomon (eds.) Wrestling with Zion: Progressive Jewish-American Responses to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (NY: Grove, 2003).
Reinhart, Tanya. Israel/Palestine: How to End the War of 1948 (NY: Seven Stories, 2002).
Rotblat, Joseph (ed.) Voices for Yanunu (London: Campaign to Free Vanunu, 1997). Mordechai Yanunu, who has spent much of his life in prison for having blown the whistle (to London Times) in mid-1980s on existence of Israeli nuclear weapons program.
Shafir, Gershon & Yoav Peled. The New Israel: Peacemaking & Liberalization (Boulder: Westview, 2000).
In the Library: Fiction
In the Library: For Young Readers
In the Library: Poetry
In the Library: Drama
In the Library: Photography
CD & Audio
Film & Video
"It is No Dream" [2002], dir. Benny Brunner & Joseph Rochlitz, 60m. Interviews Israeli opponents of government policy towards Palestinians: writers Meir Shalev, Yitzhak La'or & Yehudit Katzir, Ha'aretz columnist Gordon Levy, B'tselem director Jessica Montell, Israeli Center for Democracy director Yizhar Be'er, high school "refusenik" leader Noa Levy & philosophy professor Adi Ophir.
"Promises" [2001], dirs. B.Z. Goldberg, Justine Shapiro & Carlos Bolado. Inspiring, hopeful docudrama on interactions of seven Israeli & Palestinian children in Jerusalem, 1997-2000.