| As you probably know, our recently-formed government has been racing ahead with a judicial overhaul – a coup in the eyes of those who oppose it. Deep divisions already present in Israeli society continue to rise to the surface, with hundreds of thousands now turning out in the streets for multiple, mostly peaceful, protests each week throughout the country. As members of Women Wage Peace (WWP), we agree with experts in various fields who fear such a legislative blitz will severely damage human rights, including freedom of expression; harm the economy and the military’s ability to provide security; and restrict life and opportunity in the Palestinian territories to an even greater extent than at present. Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, in his efforts to propose first steps toward a compromise, warned of the real possibility of civil war. We wish to reiterate that WWP is a non-partisan peace movement that neither supports any one party nor calls for the overthrow of any government. We will continue to work with democratically-elected administrations. That being said, we oppose any steps taken that stand in the way of peace. We oppose any measures designed to limit women in general and civic organizations in particular that represent them, along with other under-served populations. We understand that the current struggle for democracy is part of the struggle for peace and vice versa. We want you to be aware that - many of our members have been active in the country-wide protests, both as individuals and as representatives of WWP - WWP has joined a new coalition of women's groups advocating for equal rights - we are continuing with all our Israeli-based activities - in the Knesset, at conferences, among Israelis from alll walks of life from the North to the South, as well as with diplomats - we are participating in meetings abroad, especially peace conferences - we continue to strengthen our partnership with our Palestinian counterparts, Women of the Sun, according to the declaration we made together in our joint Mothers' Call. WWP promotes a non-violent, respectful and mutually accepted solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the active participation of women through all stages of negotiations. Even in the current climate of increasing ill-will, we affirm that our vision for a peaceful region was not born out of naiveté but rather from our ability to listen to the human cry of all women and men who wish to thrive here.
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