PRESS RELEASE: ALLMEP member Women Wage Peace “refuses to give in to despair” and delivers the Mothers’ Call to the President’s residence
WE REFUSE TO GIVE IN TO DESPAIR
Members of Women Wage Peace came to the President’s Residence this morning with a message to leaders of both sides: Stop the vicious cycle of violence and bring about, courageously and responsibly, the renewal of negotiations.
Members of the movement presented President Herzog with The Mothers’ Call, a joint pact formulated by Israeli and Palestinian women with a commitment of mothers from both sides to not be silent until an agreement is reached.
The Mothers’ Call states: “We believe that the majority of the people of our nations share our mutual desire. Therefore, we demand that our leaders listen to our call and promptly begin peace talks and negotiations, with resolute commitment to achieving a political solution to the long and painful conflict, within a limited time-frame. We are calling on the peoples of both nations – Palestinian and Israeli, and peoples of the region to join our call and demonstrate their support for the resolution of the conflict. We are calling on our leaders to show courage and vision in order to bring about this historic change, to which we all aspire. We join hands, as partners, to bring back hope to our peoples.”
With the recent fatalities and the deterioration of their sense of security, members of Women Wage Peace came to the President’s Residence Thursday morning, calling on the President to work with the leadership of both sides to end the violence immediately and renew negotiations.
“As mothers and women, responsible for our children and future generations, we do not have the privilege of despair. How many more victims will there be to this unending conflict? Over and over again, it becomes clear that it is impossible to ‘manage the conflict,’ nor to wait for a new political reality. There must be immediate actions towards a process leading to the resolution of the conflict,” said a Women Wage Peace member.
“I am happy that such a wonderful group of women came to the Sukkah of the President’s Residence,” said Michal Herzog, the President’s wife. “It is so important that they stand up for their beliefs and fight for peace. We all pray for that day. I congratulate them on their persistence. Thank you.”
The event at the President’s Residence was the highlight of the 2022 “Journey to Peace” campaign, which began a month ago in Akko and continued on to Jisr A Zarka, Modi’in, Jerusalem, Beit Jalla, Tekoa, Meisar and the region bordering Gaza. At every station of the journey, the message was, “The time has come for a courageous leadership to create an atmosphere of hope and a different future for our children.”
Over the past year, the movement Women Wage Peace has organized a series of joint activities with Palestinian women, demanding that leaders on both sides listen to The Mothers’ Call and begin negotiations in order to reach a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace and put an end the long and painful conflict.
For more information on Women Wage Peace, please visit their website here.
