Today, I read an article that appeared in an Indian newspaper. The article is titled, “For Lasting Peace, Listen to Women” (click here) and was written by Aditi Bhaduri.

The article offers insight into the experiences of women in Palestine and Israel during the recent siege on Gaza: “Besides outright casualties, activists Hannah Safran and Assia Istoshina have noted that there are a number of other ways in which women bear the consequences of war. A recent report by Women’s Security Index (WSI), a group that comprises six organisations of Palestinian and Jewish women, has revealed that during the recent round of fighting in Gaza, domestic violence hot lines in Israel reported a sharp increase in calls. Moreover, Arab women in the country, too, were found to be extremely vulnerable due to the prevailing heightened sense of ‘nationalism’. And yet Safran said, “Women have not given up. They are at the forefront of demonstrations against war.” ”

The article also refers to an organization called, Creativity for Peace (click here), which creates opportunities for the young women of Israel and Palestine to realize that they can be leaders and peacemakers for their intersecting societies. Perhaps, they will help to make possible this saying…

“There is a saying in Israel, passed from one generation to the other: ‘Don’t worry, by the time he will be eighteen, He won’t have to go to the army. We will have peace by then.’ And then you have another war. -Eran Shakine 2009” (click here and here) (and here)