I wrote the following statement on behalf
of War Resisters League as an organisational statement on the bombings in
Israel.
"We at the War Resisters League extend our heartfelt sympathies to
all Israelis in the wake of the terrible bloodshed from the recent wave
of terror bombings. In such a small country the devastating nature of these
attacks can't be overstated. We condemn the bombings in the same spirit
in which we have denounced acts of violence committed by Palestinians and
Israelis, by military forces, individuals and clandestine cells. We recognize
that in the comfort of the U.S. we do not experience the horror of Israelis:
wondering if our child, cousin or neighbor was on that bus. (Although foreign
visitors were also killed and Israeli Arabs could have been on the busses,
the targets selected were in primarily Jewish neighborhoods.) In a similar
way, we haven't endured the denial of civil and national rights, the squalor
of Palestinian refugee camps, the jailings, beatings and killings so common
to Palestinian families in recent decades.
The immediate desire to stop the attacks at all cost is understandable.
No one wants to see more people die. Unfortunately, it is also impossible
to prevent future bombings with true certainty. Shimon Peres openly acknowledged
that such assurances couldn't be made as he declared an all-out war on Hamas
and Islamic Jihad. Extreme police and military measures, by either the Israelis
or Palestinian Authority forces, may serve as the justification for a renewed
wave of attacks and counterattacks. The history of Israel is rife with such
exchanges.
While it had great shortcomings and limitations, the peace process between
Israel and the Palestinians remains the best long-term hope for an end to
this terrible violence. As long as Palestinians are denied their fundamental
right to self-determination they will continue to struggle, as they should.
Lasting peace will come to Israel and Palestine only after the establishment
of a Palestinian state. The sooner this occurs the better the chances of
a successful and relatively peaceful transition. The hope that such an option
is still open grows slimmer by the day. We wish the Palestinians would wholeheartedly
embrace nonviolence as a guiding principle of that effort, but despite much
progress in this area, they haven't forsaken the sword. (Neither have the
Israelis.)
Although at this present moment Israelis are the victims, neither side has
clean hands. The recent wave of violence was initiated by the assassination
of Yahya Ayyash. Israel has chosen to remain silent on whether they were
responsible for his murder. This is only the most recent in a long legacy
of assassinations, invasions and attacks launched by the Israeli military
and security forces. Does the fact that they are carried out by a government
make them more acceptable?
There are signs of hope, though they are hidden deeply below layers of anger
and fear. The voices we have heard of ordinary Palestinians speak out against
the bombings. Within Hamas itself there is discord about these attacks.
The isolated acts of a small group, no matter how horrible they may be,
should not be allowed to hold the future of millions of Palestinians and
Israelis hostage.
As in confronting other terrible human-created tragedies, we as pacifists
are left without obvious answers. At the same time that we offer words of
caution and try to point out the danger of renewed militarism, we recognize
that the answers we offer will only be effective in the long-term. We regret
that this offers so little solace today."