Thank you for opening up a space here to consider a wider variety of Jewish women's perspectives on Israel than is usually considered by Jewish mainstream organizations. It is important to consider all kinds of Jewish voices, from Zionist to non-Zionist to anti-Zionist. There are many women, for example, in the leadership of the new anti-Zionist No Time To Celebrate campaign (notimetocelebrate.org).
But today's challenge is twofold. We need not only honor Jewish voices of dissent, but also Palestinian voices who have been silenced and ignored for far too long. Women like my friend Fatima Khaldi, who lives in a rural West Bank village and started the women's organization Women for Life and the girls' organization Flowers Against the Occupation to challenge Israel's military occupation and to work on girls' and women's empowerment within their own society. Women like my host mother in Dheisheh refugee camp, who wakes up every morning at 2 am to spend 4 hours traveling the 5 miles to Jerusalem to "illegally" earn a living for her family. Women like Olfat Mahmoud, founder of the Palestinian Women's Humanitarian Organization in Lebanon and inspiring role model for many. Women like my friend Shireen, who grew up in a West Bank Palestinian refugee camp and is now studying on a full scholarship in the U.S., planning to return to Palestine when she finishes and work to improve the situation for her people. And the many women in the Palestinian government, founders of NGOs, activists on the streets, and mothers and caretakers within their own homes.
Let us commit, in this 60th anniversary of Israel, the 60th anniversary of the Nakba ("catastrophe" in Arabic), to seek out Palestinian women's voices, honor their experiences, and work in solidarity with them.
Thank you for opening up a space here to consider a wider variety of Jewish women's perspectives on Israel than is usually considered by Jewish mainstream organizations. It is important to consider all kinds of Jewish voices, from Zionist to non-Zionist to anti-Zionist. There are many women, for example, in the leadership of the new anti-Zionist No Time To Celebrate campaign (notimetocelebrate.org).
But today's challenge is twofold. We need not only honor Jewish voices of dissent, but also Palestinian voices who have been silenced and ignored for far too long. Women like my friend Fatima Khaldi, who lives in a rural West Bank village and started the women's organization Women for Life and the girls' organization Flowers Against the Occupation to challenge Israel's military occupation and to work on girls' and women's empowerment within their own society. Women like my host mother in Dheisheh refugee camp, who wakes up every morning at 2 am to spend 4 hours traveling the 5 miles to Jerusalem to "illegally" earn a living for her family. Women like Olfat Mahmoud, founder of the Palestinian Women's Humanitarian Organization in Lebanon and inspiring role model for many. Women like my friend Shireen, who grew up in a West Bank Palestinian refugee camp and is now studying on a full scholarship in the U.S., planning to return to Palestine when she finishes and work to improve the situation for her people. And the many women in the Palestinian government, founders of NGOs, activists on the streets, and mothers and caretakers within their own homes.
Let us commit, in this 60th anniversary of Israel, the 60th anniversary of the Nakba ("catastrophe" in Arabic), to seek out Palestinian women's voices, honor their experiences, and work in solidarity with them.