Israeli peace camp

The Israeli peace camp is a collection of political and non-political movements which desire to promote peace, mainly with the Arab neighbours of Israel (the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon) and encourage co-existence with the Arab citizens of Israel.

The leadership and hardcore activists of the peace camp are mostly associated with the left wing, although the silent majority of supporters are from the political center and moderate securitist-left.

In this article, the term peace camp will refer to the leadership, the movements and hardcore activists (and not to the silent supporters). This term should not be confused with the UK concept of peace camp which refers to a different type of camp and political protest.

Political movements (but not parties)

The mainstream peace movement in Israel is Peace Now, whose supporters tend to vote for the Israeli Labor party, Meretz and Shinui. Peace Now's 1982 "400,000 rally" led to the end of the 1982 Peace for Galilee war and the establishment of the Kahan investigation committee which impeached Ariel Sharon for indirect responsibility for the Sabra and Shatila massacre committed by Christian Phalange Militia. Peace Now also advocated a negotiated peace with the Palestinians. However, Peace Now's current focus is a struggle against the Israeli settlements. Peace Now hostility toward the settlers and its perceived lack of criticism of Palestinian Resistance can be seen to have decreased its standing within certain sections of the Israeli public. On March 19 2005, a pro-disengagement rally was not successful in attracting anything near its planned attendance, after only 10,000 people attended the demonstration. Critics assert that the failure is related to Yariv Oppemheimer (Peace Now's leader) strong criticism of the settlers and the radical left-wing image which may have caused centerists and mainstream public to refrain from supporting the rally. [1], [2] In contrast, the group itself asserts that the public visibility of the issue in Ariel Sharon's cabinet had lead the Israeli public to assume that disengagement was a foregone conclusion and therefore view the rally as of little importance.

The Geneva Initiative, which was launched on 2003, tried to promote peace by showing both Israelis and Palestinians that peace accords could be negotiated, and presented a draft Permanent Status Agreement, which was negotiated by public figures from both sides. However, both Israelis and Palestinian found the accord unacceptable and some even disputed the legitimacy of such a move. As of 2004, the negotiators tried to convince the people that the agreement provided hope of security for both parties and that the new Palestinian leadership represents a "partner for peace".

Gush Shalom is a radical leftist movement, and its classification as a peace movement is disputed by the Israeli right. Uri Avnery, the Gush Shalom leader and a former journalist, was among the first to meet and negotiate with PLO leader Yasser Arafat. Although Gush Shalom earned itself respect among peaceseekers in Israel as well as the United States and Europe, it is regarded by some Israelis as a pro-Palestinian movement whose leadership are equivocal towards violence and terrorism against Israelis. They see themselves as the small independent group which can say what others think but dare not say and thereby work as a catalyst.

Non-political organizations

There are many Projects working for peace among Israelis and Arabs in Israel. Most of the projects try to mediate between Jewish and Arab citizens within Israel, after the fragile co-existence was shattered by the violent October 2000 riots (13 Arabs, 1 Jew were killed) and the increasing involvement of Israeli-Arabs in terrorism against Israelis.

There were also some projects of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The most notable are the "Peace Team" - a youth soccer team of 8 Israelis and 8 Palestinians, who compete in international youth football tournaments. This project is sponsored by Peres Center For Peace.

Another project is the "National Census" - a peace initiative by former Shin Bet head Ami Ayalon and Palestinian professor Sari Nusseibeh. The current activity of the National Census is to sign as many Israelis and Palestinian on a petition which outlines a two states solution without right of return of Palestinians into Israel. Ayalon tries to be avoided from being identified with the political left.

Political parties

In Israel, the left-wing parties are identified with the peace camp, although successful peace treaties were achieved only by right-wingers (Menachem Begin, with Egypt) and securitist from the center-left (Itzhak Rabin, with Jordan).

The traditional "peace lobby" in the Knesset is composed of the Israeli Labor Party and Meretz-Yachad. Hadash is self-proclaimed Jewish-Arab communist co-existence party but recently shifted toward Arab nationalism when it ran to Knesset with Ahmed Tibi's Taal (National Arab Movement) under the religious campaign "Harram as-Sharif is in danger".

Arab parties are not considered as part of the Israeli peace camp.

The center-liberal party Shinui is not considered as a part of the peace camp, although it does support peace negotiations. The reason is Shinui's hard-line approach toward Palestinian terrorism and Yasser Arafat. Also, the fact that Shinui supported Ariel Sharon's policy, a long-time hated figure by hardcore of the peace camp, prevents Shinui to join the peace camp leadership - which traditionaly opposed Sharon.

Political power in the Knesset

Results of 2006 election to the Knesset (Israel's parliament) of the left-wing parties and the Arab parties:
* Israeli Labor party : 19 mandates .
* Meretz-Yachad : 5 mandates.
* Hadash : 3 mandates.
* Balad : 3 mandates.
* United Arab List (Islamic Movement - Southern faction) : 3 mandates+ 1 of Ta'al.

Totals: 34 mandates (out of 120). (24 Jewish, 10 Arab)

Criticism

The Israeli peace camp is highly criticized for lacking realism given the absence of a corresponding movement on the Arab side of the conflict. It is also accused for being forgiving toward Palestinian terrorism and not being able to stand up for the rights of the Israelis and the vital interests of Israel. The Israeli peace camp has poor standings in the Israeli public, as regular surveys by theTami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research show (for example: May 2004). The Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research is watching over the Israeli public opinion toward the peace process and the peace camp for more than a decade.

Ideological right wing

Criticism from the right is focused against the ideology of the peace camp, claiming that a land for peace deal with PLO terrorists is endangering the existence of Israel and will not lead to true peace. Moreover, they claim that such a deal is morally unacceptable as it involves the uprooting of people from their houses (Israeli settlements). Right-wingers have suggested alternative peace plans in which the Palestinian refugees would either establish themselves in Arab countries ("transfer with agreement"), or remain in their place, but be granted Jordanian citizenship.

The right wing also have hard criticism over the left's "partner for peace". They claim that the true intention of "Arafat's terrorist Tunis gang" is the destruction of Israel, and that the Oslo accords were actually a Trojan horse. Following the al-Aqsa Intifada and major Fatah involvement in terrorism against Israel, many in the Israeli public agreed that the right were justified in their criticism and warnings about the PLO.

Political center and pragmatists

The Israeli political center is composed from the moderate right, the liberals and the security-oriented left ( ×©×ž××œ ×‘×™×˜×—×•× ×™ ). Their position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is pragmatic and derived from security and economy interests, rather than a dogmatic ideology.

Criticism from the center says that the right was right about the PLO and that in Yassar Arafat, Israel did not have a sincere Palestinian partner for peace.However, the peace camp was right about the need to disengage from the Palestinians and the need to give them a state of their own so they won't be a demographic and political burden over Israel. Many of this group are what the Israelis call "Oslo disappointed" ( ×ž××•×›×–×‘×™ ××•×¡×œ×• ) â€" people who used to support the peace process and the peace camp until the al-Aqsa Intifada. This group favor unilateral actions to disengage from the Palestinians and widely support the Israeli West Bank barrier and Israel's unilateral disengagement plan of 2004.

Centrists usually refrain from voting to the left and support it publicly since many of them believe that left-wing politicians (such as Yossi Beilin) are incapable of standing up for Israel's rights and fear that they might endanger Israel by trying to appease the Palestinians.

Zionist left wing

Criticism from the left is focused mainly on the "small details", since they still believe that land for peace and negotiations with the Palestinians is the right way for peace. "Small details" that are criticized are:
* The marketing of the peace process and the failure to gain wide public support.
* Their negative attitude toward the Israeli Defence Forces and toward the settlers which creates them a "Jewish self-haters" reputation among the general public.
* The lack of pro-Israeli rhetorics in the peace rallies.
* The focusing on political arrangements while leaving the social and economic infrastructure for popular support at the hands of fundamentalist groups on both sides

Ami Ayalon, former head of the Shin Bet and the initiator of the National Census peace proposal (along with professor Sari Nusseibeh), has criticized Peace Now for demonizing the Jewish settlers, often treating them as "enemies", thus encouraging hate towards settlers, and providing the general public reasons to dislike the peace camp. Ayalon scorns Peace Now for failing to rally the masses in support of the Israeli Peace movement, although surveys indicate that the Israeli public supports a separation from the Palestinians and a peaceful solution. Ayalon explains that this because Peace Now and the left wing have shown alienation, hostility and a patronising attitude towards the general Israeli public, and that this attitude combined with increased terrorist activity over the past four years are to blame for Peace Now's current poor standing within the Israeli public, which feels the peace camp is not committed (enough) to stop Palestinian terrorism and protect Israel's interests.

Ayalon concluded that many settlements should indeed be disbanded, but the transferred settlers should be embraced and receive support - both financial and moral - from the state and the public, and not being treated as enemies. [3], [4]

Far left

Criticism from the far left criticized the adherence of the major movements (such as the Israeli Labor party and Peace Now) for Zionism and commitment toward Israel. They claim that the Oslo accords was a capitalist-Zionist fraud in order to exploit the Palestinians and deceive the world, while expanding the Israeli settlements and deepening the occupation. As the Israeli far left is very pro-Palestinian and anti-zionist, they think that true peace can only be achieved by a radical solution which include the elimination of zionism and Israel becoming a state of all its citizens rather than being a Jewish state: many of them offer bi-national state or a two-states solution with full or limited right of return for Palestinian refugees.

Of the far left groups Gush Shalom stands out as the one sticking to the more pragmatic two state solution ( http://otherisrael.home.igc.org/two-state.html ).

Moderate left-wingers often blame the far left as the reason for the bad image the Israeli peace camp has in the eyes of part of the Israeli public, but are not able to show the same devotion as the radicals who therefore can easily dominate the scene.

People

Political leaders

* Amir Peretz (head of the Israeli Labor Party)
* Yossi Beilin (head of Meretz-Yachad)

Leaders of organizations

* Uri Avnery (head of Gush Shalom)
* Tzali Reshef (former head of Peace Now)
* Adam Keller Gush Shalom spokesperson [5]
* Uri Savir (head of Peres Center For Peace)

Politicly affiliated peace activists

* Ami Ayalon (Israeli Labor Party)
* Amos Oz (Meretz-Yachad)
* David Grossman (Meretz-Yachad)
* Juilano Mar Hamis (Jewish-Arab actor, Hadash activist)

Peace activists without political affiliation

* Amnon Rubinstein
* Amnon Lipkin Shahak

Israeli peace camp: Encyclopedia BETA

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