Posted on 15-1-2002

Subject Ray of sunshine in the Middle East
From Sananjaleen June Hughes

Today was a ray of sunshine in an otherwise bleak Middle East. At 930
a.m., the organizers were still discussing whether the march should be held
single file or two-by-two, as the police refused to grant us a permit to
walk in the streets, wanting to contain us on the broad sidewalk. By 1030
a.m., we saw there would be no hope of containing the vast crowd that had
showed up.

An amazing 5,000 people, most dressed in black, turned up for today's
events, beginning with the March of Mourning for all the
victims-Palestinian and Israeli-of the Occupation. Responding to the call
of the Coalition of Women for a Just Peace, people from all over the world
found their way to the vigil plaza today. When the signal came to begin, we
were all mixed up with each other-Israeli, Palestinian, European, American-
and began a slow, solemn walk, in silence (mostly), with only a funereal
cadence sounded by two women drummers at the center of this long
procession. Although the extreme right wing staged a counterdemonstration
at the beginning of our route, their small number (about 30) and angry
shouts only served to dramatize the power of our own dignified presence.

We led with a huge banner, "The Occupation is Killing Us All", as well as
hundreds of black hands with white lettering "Stop the Occupation", and
scores of signs calling for peace, a state of Palestine beside the state of
Israel, and sharing this beautiful city of Jerusalem, loved so long by so
many. It was an unseasonably warm and balmy winter morning, and we were
suddenly feeling hopeful and powerful marching together this way. Although
the police were trying to keep us all walking on the sidewalk, soon we
burst our seams and spread out into the road, blocking traffic along the
route. And Ezra, long-time supporter of Women in Black in Jerusalem, walked
among us, handing out a thousand red roses to Women in Black until the
roses ran out, though the women did not.

We made our way slowly toward the broad, new plaza just outside historic
Jaffa Gate, one of the main entrances to the Old City of Jerusalem. By the
time everyone arrived, we had filled up the plaza completely, with
spillover inside the gate and along the roads leading up to it. Past the
stage, participants could see as backdrop the beautiful Citadel, rising
from the walls of the Old City, with the Valley of Gethsemane spread out
beyond in a breathtaking view.

The entire program was moderated in Hebrew and Arabic by Dalit Baum and
Camilia Bader-Araf, co-MCs. They acknowledged the Knesset members who had
joined us for the events-Muhammed Barake, Naomi Chazan, Zehava Galon, Tamar
Gozansky, Anat Maor, Issam Makhoul, and Mossi Raz-as well as the
delegations from Belgium, Canada, England, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain,
and the U.S. Marcia Freedman, former Israeli MK and long-standing Woman in
Black, read the list of 118 locations around the world where solidarity
events were planned for the same day (from Adelaide to Zaragoza-see our
website for the full list).

Speeches opened with Shulamit Aloni, first lady of human rights in Israel
and former government minister, comparing our struggle to end the
occupation with the struggles led by Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King,
reminding us that although the task is arduous, it will inevitably be
crowned with success. She was followed by other powerful speeches-Nurit
Peled Elhanan, winner of the Sakharov Peace Prize, awarded by the European
Parliament, and mother of Smadar, 13 years old when she was killed by a
terrorist bomb in Jerusalem; Zahira Kamal, courageous Palestinian activist
for peace as well as the rights of women and workers, who found a way to
outwit the closure in order to reach Jerusalem and address this rally;
Luisa Morgantini, irrepressible Italian member of the European Parliament
and devoted supporter of the women's peace movement in the Middle East;
Khulood Badawi, chair of the Association of Arab Students in Israel; and
Vera Lichtenfels, a 17-year old Portuguese peace activist, representing
youth all over the world who are working for peace.

These speeches were eloquent and inspiring, but I myself was especially
moved by the ceremony of torch lighting by 13 Israeli organizations who
have shown extraordinary commitment to activism for peace and human rights.
Each representative lit a torch about one aspect related to their work- the
killed, the wounded, the homes demolished, the trees uprooted, the children
whose lives were fractured, as well as the efforts of those who refuse to
give in to the despair, but keep on struggling to transform this nightmare
into a vision of peace and partnership (see below for the names and
descriptions of these organizations).

These were words that one simply doesn't hear elsewhere, so publicly, by
Israelis and Palestinians together. And then we held a concert rarely heard
in the Middle East-a "peace happening" of Palestinian and Israeli
performers. It opened with the Elisheva Trio -- 3 talented black Jewish
women from Dimona, singing peace songs in soul and rock arrangements.
There were readings of poetry and plays, a performance piece, and an
amazing duo of young Palestinian rappers from Lydda/Lod doing Arabic and
Hebrew political lyrics. Ending it all was a hopeful reprise by the
Elisheva Trio, with many in the crowd holding hands, swaying, and singing
together.
When the concert was over, few wanted to leave and let go of the feeling
that peace is really possible. Fortunately, we didn't really have to,
because Peace Now was holding its own optimistic rally just inside Jaffa
Gate, with Palestinians and Israelis signing a Peace Declaration and
releasing doves into the sky over the city. Palestinians and Israelis
wandered in and out the streets of the Old City trying to hold tight to the
beautiful warm thaw in the air, within this long winter of violence and
tragedy.

This evening, I watched Israeli TV to see if anything was reported about
the hope for peace that had swept through Jerusalem today. I saw nothing
about either the Coalition of Women for Peace or the Peace Now events,
though I did hear that the Coalition action made the radio news several
times today. We are used to this by now, and it brought to mind the words
of Shulamit Aloni earlier today "Even though Israel's 'patriotic' media
seek to ignore you, there is no doubt that your voice will be heard and
that a great many others will join your cause. You will break through the
silence because yours is a vision of freedom, justice, and peace."
May it come to pass. Today I feel more hopeful than I have for a long, long
while.

**Women in Black - holding vigils throughout the world to stop violence and
injustice, founded in Jerusalem in 1988 to end the occupation. One picture
is already up at our website. Web site of the Coalition of Women for a Just
Peace www.coalitionofwomen4peace.org

* sananda@erols.com