Sharing Jerusalem

By Gila Svirsky

June 21 1997

The Israeli and Palestinian women of the Jerusalem Link began planning this months ago. We knew that the planning process had to model the very peace that we were seeking -- negotiating in mutual respect -- and that the product had to reflect the principle of parity and the multi-culturalism of our city. It has not been a simple process, but today we saw the culmination of many difficult meetings.

We gathered in the amphitheater at the entrance to Damascus Gate, beside the wall of the Old City of Jerusalem, the heart of this troubled city. Israelis came from all over the country, north and south, and Palestinians from everywhere, but especially from Jerusalem. The speakers alternated between Israeli and Palestinian women. And the common theme was that Jerusalem has been shared in the past -- Jews, Muslims and Christians have lived amicably in this city for centuries -- and that we can do it again. That there is no reason for either side to dominate the other. Only once were the speeches interrupted, when the Palestinian shebab [young men] unfurled a Palestinian flag -- banned in Jerusalem -- and riot troops waded into the crowd and tried to arrest them. Israeli and Palestinian men and women closed ranks and refused to relinquish the young men to the police; faced with the large and unified group of resisters, the police were forced to extricate themselves from the crowd and leave empty handed. And when the speeches were over, dozens of white doves were released into the air and soared to freedom over the hopes of all those gathered.

Then we began the march through the streets of Jerusalem. People held aloft their encouraging signs: One Jerusalem Shared by Two Nations; Jerusalem, the Capital of Two States; and Israel and Palestine -- Two States for Two Nations. Some people linked hands, others held aloft the black cardboard "hands" of Women in Black with the simple words "Stop the Occupation", some chanted peace slogans and others walked in silence. I looked around and saw activists of the past 30 years, each of whom had found a personal way to express a longing for peace. Amira, an Israeli journalist who moved into a Palestinian neighborhood in the territories, and files reports about the price of living under occupation. Atar, who had co-founded an organization of psychologists to examine what role they play in supporting the oppression. Michael, an architect, who put an ad in the paper that he would not accept any jobs to design homes in the territories. Lily, who began dialogue groups between women from her kibbutz and women from the occupied city of Jenin. Michel, who runs an "alternative information center", bringing information out of the territories that otherwise would not have made it. Hava, who organized support visits to Palestinian women political prisoners. Leah, a lawyer who defends Palestinian political prisoners often at little or no fee. Ilana and Rolly, who wrote a book about Israeli soldiers carrying out the occupation. Yishai and Yossi and many young men who sat in jail rather than serve in the army in the territories. And all the many who have stood on vigils and demonstrations, written letters or articles, stood their ground and gone to jail, or taught their children about injustice, and sometimes all of these things together, year after year after year, to end the oppression of one people by another. To make the statement that, after all the blood has been shed, the time has come to share the land. And that begins in Jerusalem.

Walking through the streets of East and West Jerusalem this afternoon, through the Arab and Jewish parts of town, I felt inspired at the sight of all these dedicated people. I think we all felt inspired to see each other. Only a few people have spoken out about this solution for Jerusalem -- sharing it -- but this large group had the courage today to say it out loud, and those on both sides who love peace, once again let their defiant spirit rise above the din of narrow rhetoric. Today the quiet words could clearly be heard: Sharing Jerusalem. This march was a good beginning.