Women Protest Middle East Violence (BARF "end to war and an end to the Israeli occupation" )

One of the oldest women's groups in the country is holding a national conference at Goddard College this weekend. The Women's International League For Peace And Freedom descended on the state capital for a demonstration reminiscent of the Vietnam anti-war movement. This time it's the Israeli-Patestinian conflict.

Joan Drake came all the way from Washington D.C. to join other members. Holding signs in front of the post office on State street and then marching around the block, organizers said the demonstration grew out the conference, which drew about 200 people to the Plainfield campus. "When I heard that one of the threads of the conference was going to be an end to war and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, I decided I had to be here," she said.

Also attending is a veteran of the peace movement, David Dellinger, now well into his 80s. "There is violence on both side and we take a non-violent stand," he said. "The governments, including Arafat, are encouraging violence."

Much of the American peace movement blames Israel for the crisis in the Middle East. And some of these protesters are upset at Vermont's representatives in Congress. A Burlington group opposed to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank has tried to meet with congressman Bernie Sanders, so far without success. Word of that attempt has spread.

When asked what she thinks of the Vermont congressional delegation's position on the issue, Charlotte Dennett of the Women's League said, "I have heard that people are having a little difficulty meeting with Bernie... I think that they were also very disappointed in the congressional delegations's vote which was supporting what Israel was doing and not taking into account what was happening to the Palestinian people."

Congressman Sanders told Channel 3 he has remained "even-handed" on the Middle East question. He says instead of voting yes or no, he voted "present" on a resolution in support of Israel, saying it was not critical enough of the country.

Dissatisfied with the status quo, the women plan to do something about it. Drake said, "We're strategizing how to build a new peace movement in the United States that will have the same power and effect that previous movements have had, that really do make a shift and a change in our government's policies. That's what we're planning for."

9/11 put them into a shock. A shock that their world view was faulty. Shock that common joes now know more about the Middle East than they, and their voices are challenged rather than merely ignored. Since they have little to say in return to the facts, they get huffy and claim "censorship." The facts don't support an anti-American agenda based upon the wrongs of the third world others being righteously responsive to American misdeeds. The root causes weren't what they hoped them to be.

However, the flare-up in Israel this year excited them - they think they understand the situation, and that it validated their world views. they've obsessed about it for years. But the agenda to pin 9/11 on Israel failed, as it has for their Saudi common allies. Sharon doesn't seem to be the worse guy any more, so the Sharonization of hate and evil failed. Bush's speech swamped them - all they could do in response is try to resurrect Arafat - a losing game.

They're grabbing for straws to reaffirm their hate, couched in the disguise of peace.

What's wrong with them? It comes down to the politicization of their identity, an identity too comfortable to allow outside and new facts to threaten.

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