Full transcript: Speeches on International Women's Day 2019

Full transcript of event at Habima Square, Tel Aviv, on International Women’s Day 2019

Bushra: We stand here together today, women who carry a message of love, peace and life, and bless you with this message of ours.

Anat: We are a group of women from the Parents Circle – Families Forum. We have all lost loved ones as victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we shout “Enough!” —Enough wars, enough bloodshed, enough of the Occupation!

Bushra: Out of the abyss of grief, we found strength and hope in joining the Parents Circle, and our mission is to save more families from experiencing the terrible pain of loss. We march together today, on International Women’s Day, to show that it is possible to bring our message to society— if we can, so can all of you too.

Anat: In our activities, we —bereaved members from both sides— discovered the humanity of the other side, and we learned that despite the differences, there is much in common.

The pain of loss and the hope of ending the conflict are our strong link.

Bushra: We know that women, for the most part, are not the driving force of wars, but we suffer and pay the price of wars. Women can, and should, be involved in promoting peace and reconciliation at home, in society, and in the world. It is important that women take part in shaping peace agreements and raise and educate children for peace. And we tell you today – yes, we can!

Anat: I am Anat Marnin, a resident of Tel Aviv. I lost my two brothers in the Yom Kippur War. I was 16 at the time, and the foundations of my life were destroyed. As a mother of children, I realized that I could no longer keep my personal stories as a private life story. And so I chose to join the Parents Circle – Families Forum and share the story of my dead brothers, for the future of my children and future generations.

Bushra Awad from Beit Ummar, Hebron, the mother of Mahmoud Awad, who was killed on January 25, 2008: After the death of my son Mahmud, my life changed completely – I lost hope and all the reasons for happiness and joy. Mahmoud was less than 18 years old. Two years after he was killed, I joined the Parents Circle – Families Forum, hoping that the killing will not grow on both sides, Israeli and Palestinian, that the peace vote will prevail, and that everyone will live in security. On this day, International Women’s Day, I greatly appreciate the efforts that women make to promote a life of peace and mutual respect, because women constitute half of society and because they are able to build a society full of love and without revenge.

Anat: Today we chose to march and share flowers together, to tell you that for too many years we have placed flowers on the graves of the fallen and nothing changes. Let us work together to end the cycle of bereavement.

Anat: From this stage, we— Bushra, myself, and our friends from the Women’s Group of the Parents Circle – Families Forum— are calling out to you: Do not say “one day peace will come”; make that day happen!

Bushra: We are now inviting Israeli and Palestinian women members of the Parents Circle to share their hopes for a better future.

Laila: I am Leila al-Sheikh, from Bethlehem. I lost my son, Kosai.
Tzurit: I, Tzurit Sarig, from Hibbat Zion, I lost my son, Guy.
Leila: We walked together today to show that it was possible.
Tzurit: You can live together in peace

Ashrat: I’m Ashrat Rosenthal, from Kibbutz Nitzanim. I lost my brother, Gil.
Najla: I am Najla Abu Ayish, from Beit Ummar, I lost my brother Maher.
Ashrat: We walked together today to show that we could be different.
Najla: We can stop the circle of bereavement.

Maha: I, Maha Salah, from Beit Sahur, have lost my brother, Abdullah.
Orit: I, Orit Novik, from Jaffa, lost my father, Yekutiel.
Maha: We walked together today to show that it was possible.
Orit: We can create a better future for our children.

Anat: We are honored to invite two dear representatives from Women’s Group: Israeli poet, Hamutal Bar-Yosef, and Palestinian student, Rowand Aktam, who represent different generations of women who aspire to peace and are working to promote it.

Bushra: They will read in Arabic and Hebrew the song “Revenge” by Taha Muhammad Ali.

This poem reflects the choice of the members of the Parents Circle – the choice of reconciliation, rather than revenge.

"Revenge"

by Taha Muhammad Ali (Translation by Tania Sheko)

At times … I wish
I could meet in a duel
the man who killed my father
and razed our home,
expelling me
into
a narrow country.
And if he killed me,
I’d rest at last,
and if I were ready — 
I would take my revenge!

But if it came to light,
when my rival appeared,
that he had a mother
waiting for him,
or a father who’d put
his right hand over
the heart’s place in his chest
whenever his son was late
even by just a quarter-hour
for a meeting they’d set — 
then I would not kill him,
even if I could.

Likewise … I
would not murder him
if it were soon made clear
that he had a brother or sisters
who loved him and constantly longed to see him.
Or if he had a wife to greet him
and children who
couldn’t bear his absence
and whom his gifts would thrill.
Or if he had
friends or companions,
neighbours he knew
or allies from prison
or a hospital room,
or classmates from his school …
asking about him
and sending him regards.

But if he turned
out to be on his own — 
cut off like a branch from a tree — 
without a mother or father,
with neither a brother nor sister,
wifeless, without a child,
and without kin or neighbours or friends,
colleagues or companions,
then I’d add not a thing to his pain
within that aloneness — 
not the torment of death,
and not the sorrow of passing away.
Instead I’d be content
to ignore him when I passed him by
on the street — as I
convinced myself
that paying him no attention
in itself was a kind of revenge.

Nazareth
April 15, 2006

Bushra: Thank you Hamutal and Rowand.

Anat: We continue from here to march together to Rabin Square, to bring the Parents Circle’s message of reconciliation to the joint conversation we are having in a tent, with Women Wage Peace. We invite you all to join us.

Kholoud Houshiya

I am Kholoud Houshiya and I live in the village of Al Yamun near Jenin. Originally my family is from Haifa. I wasn’t able to experience childhood due to the occupation, which forcibly displaced my family to Jenin under oppression and humiliation.

Later, I married and I gave birth to my first child, whom I named Mohammed. I raised him with all my love and effort.

Mohammed was a young man who loved life dearly, and he loved me even more. He was both my son and my friend, thanks to our close bond.

Mohamad was 23 years old. He worked in Israel and helped his father.

On January 2, 2024 Mohamed took a picture of the Israeli army tearing down my neighbor’s house. The army thought otherwise and they shot him. Just because he was Palestinian.

I always dreamed of seeing my son as a groom, just like any mother. But now, I am left with him buried in my garden. I had hoped to see him, his wife, and his children in my house, but now, every day, I look at his grave from the window in my room.

My message to the world is this: Enough. Enough killing, enough injustice, enough destruction, enough oppression. Enough violence on both sides.

It is not easy for a mother to recount the story of her son’s death—the pain is indescribable. I cannot bear the loss of another child. This is why we must raise the voice of the mothers for a better future for all children and young generations – Palestinians and Israelis.

Maayan Kfir Shani

Hala
al-Bukhari

I am Hala Al-Bukhari, living in Jerusalem.

My daughter, my sister and her large family, children and grandchildren live in Gaza. Despite the distance, before the war, I used to communicate with them daily, checking on their health via video call.

On the morning of October 7th, my son told me to watch TV to see what was happening in southern Israel. From that day, fear has overwhelmed my heart.

Then came the morning of October 18th, bringing the harsh news: My sister’s house was bombed, and she, her husband, her children, and grandchildren were in the house—33 innocent lives lost in this horrific massacre. Since then, my fear for my daughter has grown. I have pleaded with human rights organizations, seeking any means to get her out of the hell of war and the horror of the massacres. Eventually we succeeded to get my daughter out of Gaza.

With every word I write, I struggle to express the extent of my pain. Our hearts bleed with grief for those we have lost and continue to lose. Our sorrow is profound, and our souls yearn for the peace we all dream of.

Let us all live in peace and build a better future for our children. War brings only destruction and ruin to everyone involved, whether Palestinian or Israeli. It is always the innocent people who suffer the most.

Liat Atzili

I am Liat Atzili from Kibbutz Nir Oz.

My partner, Aviv and I built a life and a family in Nir Oz. We were an inseparable part of this little community, which fulfilled our aspirations and needs. Mine as an educator, and Aviv’s as a farmer and an artist.

On October 7th, our kibbutz was attacked, conquered, and destroyed by Hamas. A quarter of the residents were either killed or kidnapped, including me. The time I spent as a hostage in Gaza was of complete despair, unending fear for my friends and family, and long days. I was nervous that I wouldn’t survive.

After 54 days in captivity, I was returned home. The following day, my family and I were told that Aviv was killed on October 7th. Aviv had hundreds of friends, he traveled and created, and made the most of every opportunity; he truly loved life.In his final year, Aviv fulfilled many dreams, the greatest being to share his art publicly. While managing the kibbutz’s agricultural garage, he painted on tractor parts and scrap metal, blending his love for metals and the Negev fields into his creations. Our children looked up to him and I feel like I had the greatest privilege to share my life with him.

I always believed that war is not our destiny, and that any conflict, including ours, can be solved. This war has proven to me beyond a doubt that we cannot continue fighting, that we have no right to impose the continued suffering of war on future generations on either side. I am ready today, more than ever, to do everything in my power so that our children can live here in peace and security.

Mazen Abu Zir

I am Mazen from Bethlehem. Many of my family members live in Beit Lahiya, Gaza. They lived in a beautiful house and went on about their lives, despite the siege.

It all stopped on October 10, 2024, when, my uncle, his three sons, and his son-in-law were outside near the house. Israeli aircraft targeted them with bombardment and gunfire. My aunt managed to bring their bodies into the house. With trembling hands, she was forced to gather what remained of them, unable for over a week to lay her husband and three sons to rest.
I cannot believe that so many of my family are dead, and that I cannot go there to help them and cry with them.

The depth of pain in Gaza is beyond description and cannot be fathomed by the human mind. How much longer will this hatred on both sides continue? How much longer will we endure this nightmare? All the Palestinian people desire is a dignified life free from occupation—a fundamental right, just like that of any other people in the world.

The suffering will not cease until we collectively seek pathways to peace and understanding. Revenge will not forge a shared future; we must strive to find common ground and solidarity. Let us unite for a brighter future for the generations to come, and let us raise our voices for peace, so that together we may end this cycle of violence and finally live in safety and harmony.

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