Peace now

peace now (in Hebrew, שלוםעכשיו - “Shalom Ahshav” ) is a movement Israeli extra-member of Parliament of which the objective is “to convince the public opinion and the Israeli government which it is on the one hand possible and necessary to obtain a peace fair and on the other hand to reconcile Israel, the Palestinian people and the close Arab countries, a solution based on the exchange of “the ground against peace”” (free translation since the site of Shalom Ahshav and the english language version of this article).

Historically, it is about the first movement for peace in Israel. This one is, in addition, the greatest political group Israeli not-member of Parliament, as well as the only group for Israeli-Arab/Palestinian peace to have a real political base and on the ground.

Principles

Since its creation, peace now fights for:

  • that is recognized the right of Israel to exist in sure borders

  • that Israel recognizes this same right to its adjoining countries
  • that is recognized the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

In particular, since the years 1980, the movement peace now militates for the creation of a Palestinian State independent at the sides of the State of Israel, in the conviction that it is about the only viable solution to the conflict:

  • Israel turning over to its borders of 1967

  • the Palestinian State recovering for its part the occupied territories by the Egypt and the Jordan of 1948 to 1967 then by Israel since the War the Six Day old.

History

In 1978, during the visit of Anwar Sadat in Israel and in front of the imminent failure of the peace talks between Israel and the Egypt, a group of 348 soldiers and officers Israeli reservists, all members of combat units, publish an open letter with Israeli the Prime Minister, Menahem Begin, requiring of him to continue the effort of peace. The movement is born following tens of thousands of letters sent by Israelis in support for this initiative. During a gathering with Tel-Aviv, on the place Malkhei Israel (since famous place Yitzhak Rabin in memory of the assassinated leader), the demonstrators called in Menachem Begin, asking him to restore the peninsula of the the Sinai in exchange of peace agreements with the Egypt.

In 1982, the movement organizes many protests against the participation of Israel in the war of Lebanon, calling with the withdrawal of the Israeli forces. This activity culminates at the time of a demonstration in reaction to the massacre organized by the Lebanese Christian phalanges in the camps of Sabra and Chatila. The demonstration which gathered officially 400  000 people (that is to say 8% of the total population of the country) - in fact probably a little more 100  000 according to the former deputy Meretz Mosi Strong current - and is at the origin of the creation of a board of inquiry which concludes with the indirect responsibility for Ariel Sharon.

In 1988, when PLO recognizes the existence of the State of Israel (Resolution 242 of the Safety advice of UNO) and accepts the principle of a solution in two States, peace now organizes a demonstration which gathers 100  000 people to call with the negotiations with the PLO and the withdrawal of the band of Gaza and the West Bank.

Since the signature of the Agreements of Oslo, in 1993, peace now supports all the initiatives, governmental or different, whose objective was to solve the conflict.

The Intifada of the mosques, in September 2000, sees the movement losing in support. The Israeli opinion, shocked by the sudden explosion of violence, is then dominated by the feeling that Yasser Arafat had negotiated only for better sitting its authority and saving time and had refused “extraordinary” the concessions suggested by Ehud Barak.

Since 2002, peace now is of return on the political scene, in particular supporting the Roadmap, the Accords of Geneva (Yossi Beilin - Ahmed Raabo) and the Coalition for Peace (Ami Ayalon - Sari Nusseibeh).

At present, the principal activity of peace now is the monitoring of the establishments of the colonies, in particular the update of the chart of the illegal establishments. It is in the center of the “coalition of the majority” which organized great demonstrations calling at the same time with the support for the evacuation of the band of Gaza and of the north of the the West Bank and with the resumption of negotiations with the new Palestinian government.

In parallel are organized demonstrations, conferences and publicity campaigns of the public to its ideas. One will announce also the initiative of school partnerships, allowing the bringing together and the mutual recognition as well by the professors as the students, through various exchanges and of work completed jointly. Initiatives of university co-operation are also to announce.

Related articles

See too

External bonds

  • Peace Now (Hebrew) English
  • Call 2 people 2 states.
  • French association peace now , in the past the friends of Shalom Archav
  • has Song for Peace (Hebrew and English translation)

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