GILA

“I don’t know why the people who created the state of Israel decided to do so in the historic land of the Jews when it was occupied by Arabs for centuries. I think the pioneers of Israel, like the pioneers of the new Palestine, made many mistakes. And while I do not condone any atrocities that Israel committed against Arabs pre 1948, in 1948, or after 1948, I remain staunchly Zionist and hold on to the vision that this land can be a model for the world.

In 1966, I gave up an easy life in America in order to live in the land of my ancestors and create something beautiful here. I am not saying that Israel today is beautiful -- it disappoints me in many ways. I think the root of our problems is the Occupation, even though I do believe we captured that land in our defense in the 1967 war. I have dedicated my life to ending the occupation. I believe the welfare of my people is more important than any plot of land in the Bible. Every Friday for the last fifteen years I have been demonstrating as part of Women in Black against the Occupation. I won’t stop until the Occupation is over.

There is no question in my mind that, what to the Palestinians is Palestine and to the Israelis is Israel, will be divided into two states. I know that the majority on both sides will reconcile to this because it will mean that our children – Israeli soldiers and Palestinian freedom fighters -- will not have to fight the next war over what America’s Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld calls ‘real estate.’ I know that for Palestinians and Israelis this land is a lot more than real estate.”