Over 5,000 women from Israel and the West Bank reached Jerusalem after marching under the banner “Journey to Peace” for two weeks through the arid hills leading to the Jordan river demanding peace.
The women, many wearing white gathered under a “Peace Tent,” named for Hagar and Sarah, scriptural mothers of Ishmael and Isaac, the half-brother patriarchs of Muslims and Jews.
“We are women from the right, the left, Jews, and Arabs, from the cities and the periphery and we have decided that we will stop the next war,” Marilyn Smadja, one of the founders of the organizing group, Women Wage Peace, said, Reuters reported.
Women Wage Peace was set up in 2014 after the Gaza war that lasted 50 days killing over 2000 Palestinians, mostly civilians. The organization has organized similar marches in the past. Last year, a similar march was organized near Jericho, located near the Jordan River in the West Bank.
Ill Girl and a #Woman Soldier: The Hours-Long 'Five Minutes' https://t.co/dDgrzxinIP via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/Pzr9bm15N3
— Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) October 7, 2017
The members of the organization also fasted in shifts outside Israeli Prime Minister’s Residence for 50 days to mark one year of the bloody Gaza war.
Former Knesset member Shakib Shanan whose son, a border police official, was killed near Jerusalem at Temple Mount mid-July also spoke during one of the events at the tent.
“Although my heart is bleeding I stand here tonight with you. In pride and faith that only peace and love must connect us. We have suffered so much, Palestinian families and Israeli families have lost their loved ones and been left with a wound that does not heal. I came here to say, we want to live!” Shanan said.
The two-week long march that was initiated at several locations was attended by several thousand women. The march culminated Sunday evening at Jerusalem’s Independence Park, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence.
(teleSUR, PC, Social Media)
