[WCUSP] FYI - To State Dept - Call for Justice in Annapolis Peace Talks

[JoanWDrake at aol.com]

WILPF Letter to Condoleezza Rice; 
Dear Secretary Rice,

On behalf of Women's International League for Peace 
and Freedom (WILPF), U.S. Section, we would like to
thank you for your initiative in calling for a renewed
peace effort in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.  We 
will be watching as the proposed conference in
Maryland takes shape and attempts to move the process
forward.

Several years ago, our organization held our triennial
international congress in Baltimore.  Since WILPF has 
sections in Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon, we took
the opportunity to make an appointment and send a
delegation over to The U.S. State Department for a
frank discussion. We brought representatives from each 
of our Middle East sections--Jews, Christians, and
Muslims--and the under-secretary with whom we met
found our evaluation of the situation to be relevant
and useful.  Several of our suggestions later became
part of the U.S. stance in the negotiations which were
then taking place.

We feel that our extensive knowledge of the region,
which comes from an involvement predating the
creation of the State of Israel, as well as the 
experience of our members who live in the area, could
serve as a useful guide to the State Department as
this round of talks unfolds. To that end, we would
like to put forward some suggestions.

1.  In the past, the peace talks have been just that: 
talks.  The projected result needs to be a durable
peace, based on justice, which will benefit all of the
peoples of the region.  Real progress is measured in
concrete actions. Without action, the parties become 
frustrated.  Please set concrete and achievable goals
at each phase.

2.  No assumption can or should be made that the
parties to these negotiations are equal.  The State of
Israel is one of the most powerful nations on earth, 
while the Palestinian Authority, which declared itself
to be a state several years ago--both in Gaza on
October 1, 1948, and in Algiers on November 15,
1988--has not been given the same international
status.  In every true respect, this is not a 
negotiation between equals. Neither the U.S., nor any
other great power, should operate as a rubber-stamp
for the Israeli state, as that would further imbalance
the talks and surely lead to their failure.  Please be 
certain that the U.S. acts as an honest broker,
working for the good of all parties.

3.  The principle of land for peace and the items
generally referred to as "final status issues" must be
on the table and not simply ignored until the end. 
Most of these issues have been covered in relevant UN
resolutions.  The basis for negotiations has been, and
should remain UNSCR 242 and 338, plus all of the
resolutions relevant to each round of the talks.

4.  Although the U.S. currently recognizes the
Fatah-led government as the legitimate voice of the
Palestinian people, it must be recalled that the free
and fair democratic elections held by the Palestinian
people led to the selection of many members of Hamas.
Regardless of U.S. feelings about that organization,
many Palestinians believe it to be their legitimate
representative. That is especially true of many of the 
1.5 million residents of the Gaza Strip. Excluding
Hamas from the peace talks would be tantamount to
denying 1.5 million Palestinians a voice in their own
future.  Such exclusion would also doom the talks to 
failure. Attempts must be made to see that no such
exclusion take place. It is our position that both
Fatah and Hamas should be included in discussions
about the fate of the Palestinian people.

5.  The entire region should be declared a 
nuclear-free zone. Israel is known to be a nuclear
state and it must accede to the normal inspection
regimen of the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA). Other states in the region would be more
likely to follow suit.  Whenever possible, weaponry 
must be reduced, based on mutual agreement of the
parties.  We recommend, for regional
security, that Israel become a party to the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation treaties. Treaties to this effect
could be a basis for a lasting peace in the region. 

6.  Within both Palestinian and Israeli society, women
can be found in high leadership positions.  We are
happy to note that this is the case, and hope that
UNSCR 1325, which calls for the inclusion of women's 
voices at all levels and a gender-sensitive approach
to decision-making, will be adhered to in the
discussions of peace. Women in the region, including
members of our own organization, have much to say that
is relevant to achieving a durable and lasting peace.

7.  We continue to believe that the "creation of facts
on the ground," which includes house demolitions, land
confiscations, settlement- building, construction of 
Jews-only bypass roads, the separation Wall, and
hundreds of checkpoints are all obstacles to peace.
They are detrimental to all of the peoples residing
there, as they set up artificial barriers to the
normal interaction of people as neighbors. Our 
organization believes that peace is achieved through
building bridges, not walls.  In the end, a good deal
of this artificial infrastructure will undoubtedly
need to be dismantled, and the
sooner that occurs, the more likely that normal 
relations can be reestablished, including employment,
commerce, travel, and regular activity that leads to a
higher quality of life.  We would encourage by this
the implementation of UNSCR 181 regarding economic 
union.

8.  It is disingenuous to say that the parties must
settle their differences themselves.  Because of the
high level of financial support the U.S.  has given to
Israel over the years, including military weapons 
sales, the U.S. is very much involved in the heart of
the conflict.  Although we cannot make the final
determination of the end to the conflict, the U.S.
must resolve to assist in its termination.  The simple 
reason for this is that all of the parties suffer
during a continual state of war, or near-war, and that
everyone benefits from peace.

We hope that you, Secretary Rice, and the State
Department will consider our extensive and personal 
involvement in the region, and our many contacts among
residents at all levels of society, to be invaluable
as the talks progress. We are hopeful that they will
progress, and that the information we are providing 
herein will serve as a guideline to you in seeing that
the "talks" are productive towards a just peace in the
region

This letter represents our U.S. section, and is
supported by our branches in the following cities. 

Portland Branch of WILPF
Tucson Branch of WILPF
Ann Arbor Branch of WILPF
Washington, DC, Branch of WILPF









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