On Republic Square in Belgrade, on July 25th 2014 from 01:00 pm to 01:30 pm, silently and wearing black, Women in Black will hold a peace action “Stop Israeli aggression on Gaza”.
We join condemnations of the continuing siege of Gaza, the Israeli government and its armed forces over civilian population in Gaza. We condemn the permanent and brutal violations of human rights of Palestinian population by Israeli state.
With its war-making politics, the Israeli government violates international humanitarian law. Therefore, institutions of international community need to take steps towards establishing criminal liability of Israeli government for the war against the civil population.
Women in Black Belgrade join demands by numerous members of the International network of Women in Black to end the permanent violence in Gaza and the West Bank, to have European and all other states suspend the sale of arms to Israel, because those arms are used against Palestinian civil population and in that way we all become accomplice in aggression.
We join demands by numerous members of the International network of Women in Black that: the Israeli government stops the violence and ends the siege of Gaze, stops the violence on occupied territories on the West Bank, respects OUN Resolution and international humanitarian law.
We express our support and solidarity with suffering Palestinian civil population, as well as with Palestinian civil society which stands for nonviolent and peaceful solution. We express our closeness, support and admiration for Women in Black from Israel, who have acted nonviolently for almost three decades against the nationalist-militarist politics of their government.
We express support and solidarity with all groups of civil society in Israel who fight for peace and coexistence with Palestinian people.
We appeal to the media not to ignore but to make visible the part of Israeli and Palestinian society which still makes common initiatives towards peaceful and nonviolent resolution of problems. Given the fact that they are exposed to horrific pressures by extremists in their environments, that they are proclaimed traitors and exposed to huge risks, they necessarily need support. We express it again on this occasion, appealing to others to do the same.
Our protest will be joined by activists from Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia.
July 23rd 2014, in Belgrade
Women in Black
With support of: Center for Women’s and Peace Education Anima, Kotor; Center for Women Victims of War, Zagreb; Center for Women Studies, Zagreb; Foundation Girls Sarajevo and Alliance for gender equality, Skopje
