Humanitarian Aid Missions
The women of Itach-Maaki and A Topola are examining the practical implications of UN Resolution 1325 on the ground. For this, they have chosen to focus on the women of communities in Masafer Yatta, an area that was declared by Israel as a military operation zone, and the expulsion of its residents—numbering over 1000—was recently approved by Israel’s Supreme Court.
After the Supreme Court ruling, the petitioners are at a legal dead end. As such, we believe the only way to prevent their expulsion is concerted public and international pressure.
"The area is open, but we are imprisoned."
The story of the women of Masafer Yatta
"We hardly ever leave the borders of the village. We are imprisoned here. You may see an open area, but in reality, we are imprisoned. Now we are even imprisoned inside the house and not just inside the community. A week ago, they started training with live ammunition. We see the tanks and do not dare to leave the house for fear that they will shoot at us or we will be hit by a stray bullet
The testimony of Samia, a resident of one of the communities of Masafer Yatta in the south of Mount Hebron, is one of a series of interviews published in an unusual project led by Itach-Maaki (איתך مَعَكِ) – Women Lawyers for Social Justice, and the A-Topula Center, which seeks to make the voices of women from communities targeted for deportation heard.
In addition to interviews with 12 women, the project also includes:
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A feminist position paper that examines in depth the consequences to women and girls of expulsion from communities
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A call by 40 organizations to stop the deportation
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Videos in which the journalist Sanaa Hamud reads women’s testimonies
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A petition to stop the deportation, and more.
The impetus for the project is UN Security Council Resolution 1325 from 2000, which deals with the unique vulnerabilities of women in conflict situations, the necessity of protecting women from all types of violence – both in the private and public spheres and the need for equal participation of women in places where decisions are made as an integral part of this protection.
"This project was created in partnership with Nabila Espanioli from the A-Tupola Center, who together with the Itach-Maaki association, leads the forum of Jewish and Palestinian women's organizations to promote Resolution 1325," says attorney Neta Levy, who together with Dr. Nida Shagari manages the 1325 project in Itach-Maaki.
"We have been trying for many years to incorporate Resolution 1325 in Israel, given the understanding that it deals with the issues of women, peace, and security, and should promote the assimilation of gendered thinking into ending and preventing violent conflicts. There is no place to deal with it in a more relevant and genuine way than here. For this purpose, we created a fairly broad coalition of women's organizations that deal with 1325 under the leadership of our two organizations." (read more in Hebrew)
The indifference of the public and disregard of politicians for the lives of women and children who have been under occupation for 56 years has brought us, the Mothers, to be the eyes that see and the voice that will document and convey the stories of women and children living under siege.
Delegations leave every two weeks, each time to a different community of the 14 communities designated for expulsion. Humanitarian aid is our answer to the obstacles and conditions that prevent local residents from gaining access to sources of food and employment. The aid includes dry food, elementary medical equipment, medicine, and basic things such as clothing, bedding, blankets, games and schoolbooks for children, shoes, materials for arts and crafts, tools of trade for women, and more...
This assistance is made possible thanks to the donations and support of Mothers Against Violence. Please donate generously.
