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Global Call to Action to Stop the Violence in Israel-Palestine
an article by Kai Brand-Jacobsen, Director, Department of Peace Operations (DPO) – PATRIR
Here are immediate actions you can take to bring about an end to fighting and just peace for all the people of Israel-Palestine.
click on photo to enlarge
In the face of violence the overwhelming majority of us can often feel helpless and powerless, gripped by the belief that ‘there’s nothing we can do.’ The reality is: this isn’t true. There is a lot we can do, and we’re not alone. The overwhelming majority of people in Israel – Palestine and in all of our countries do not support war and do not support the policies and continual escalation of confrontation and militarism that feed it.
For war to continue it requires the overwhelming reasonable majority of citizens in Israel and Palestine – and around the world – to sit back and do nothing. To make it end, we need to stand up and take effective, direct and constructive action.
Below are 18 recommendations for the people of Palestine and Israel, and all of us around the world. It is not an exhaustive list. If you have more ideas please add your own. Share these with others.
And – most importantly: take action.
The values this global call to action is based upon:
Values matter. They express who we are, what we believe in, and the world we want to live in. When war and violence happen we often feel the need to express our solidarity with those affected. This is natural. In this current moment our hearts go out to all the people of Palestine and Israel – all Palestinians, all Israelis, all Jews, all Muslims, all Christians, all seculars, all children, all parents, all grand parents, all women, all men, all those affected by the violence, all those fighting – for freedom, for protecting their people, for ending occupation.
Too often, however, this falls into an ‘us’ vs ‘them’ or ‘weighting’ of suffering. We ask one thing of you. This call is based upon one single and fundamental principle: all the people of Palestine and Israel deserve to live lives in dignity, free from fear and the threat and reality of violence. Deep down we know this. Deep down we believe in and agree with this. Let us have the courage to say it.
This call refuses to accept the immaturity and illegitimacy of calls that believe that the rights of one can be achieved at the point of denying the rights of another. All the people of Palestine and Israel deserve to live lives with the full enjoyment of their human rights, free from threat and reality of attack, free from governments and authorities which promote constant messages of war, violence, hatred and aggression and which continuously ‘blame’ the absence of peace on the failures of the other side while waging war – through missile attacks, suicide attacks, settlement expansion, and hate media and hate speeches.
The reasonable majority of the people of Palestine and Israel – the reasonable majority of the world – want to be able to live in peace – for ourselves, for our children, and for their selves, and their children. The reasonable majority want an end to war, and end to violence, and an end to the occupation.
(This article is continued in the discussionboard)
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(The following is continued from the main article listed above.)
We therefore call upon every peace activist and every citizen, human being, journalist and politician to call – and take immediate action – for an end to all violence, on all sides, and to refuse to accept the illegitimate and dishonest rhetoric of ‘legitimate of defence’ to excuse belligerent acts in a context where the cycle of violence is bringing suffering to all people and all sides.
We call upon every peace activist and every citizen, human being, journalist and politician to express their support and solidarity for the people of BOTH Palestine and Israel, and to use this moment where once again irresponsible and illegitimate ‘leadership’ and bankrupt policies of war and violence have brought us back to war, to launch a true, sustained, and unrelenting movement of the people of Palestine and Israel – with support from the people of the world – for a just and lasting peace and end to occupation.
What practically can I / we do?
Here is a list of 18 ideas. You may not agree with or resonate with all of them. You may agree and resonate powerfully with some. Please look over them. Think about them. Add your own. Share them further, and, most of all please take direct, effective and constructive action.
1. ACTIVELY EXPRESS SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT WITH ALL ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS: Express your support, sympathy, compassion and solidarity with all the people of Israel-Palestine and for all of those suffering, as well as for all of those waging the conflict. . ...more.
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