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Peace strike, now By Daphna Golan Tags: Israel News Because of the rocket fire, all the academic institutions in the south of Israel are shut, and because of the war, thousands of students have been called up. But outside the line of fire, college and university studies are continuing as usual, as though there were no war. The students' fight against the tuition increase, the lecturers' struggle over their salaries, and the battle of the institutions of higher education over budgets - all were good reasons for repeated strikes over the past two years. But now, when - over a few days of an unnecessary and cruel war - hundreds of people have been killed and a fortune has been wasted that could certainly compete with the annual higher education budget, no one is talking about a strike. There should have been a strike. There should have been a strike after Gilad Shalit was captured, to tell the government that we will not carry on with life as usual until he is returned. Speak to Hamas, we should have said, lead us to reconciliation. But we didn't go on strike, because they told us there was contact with the captors and that the government was doing everything it could; they told us the army and the Shin Bet security service knew what they were doing and that there was no alternative, because only by force can we bring back our captured soldiers. And even after the Second Lebanon War, which sowed death, destruction and hatred - but didn't bring back the captives - we didn't strike. Advertisement We should actually have gone on strike many years ago - in the days of the first intifada, when the Israel Defense Forces closed the schools and universities in the territories for months on end. They told us then not to bring politics onto campus, and that the army knew what it was doing; they told us we couldn't let the Palestinians throw stones, and so we kept teaching. Those same years, when educational institutions in the territories were closed repeatedly for many weeks, when entire villages and cities were placed under curfew - that was the period when the suicide bombers and Qassam launchers of today were growing up. Then too, they told us there was no one to talk to, and we continued as usual. The head of the Civil Administration in the West Bank, who prohibited the Palestinians from owning hundreds of books that had been placed on a blacklist, was selected as the dean of the humanities faculty at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and he, like most of the Orientalists from the IDF and Shin Bet, assured us there was no one to talk to. Dr. Taisir Aruri, a physicist, was expelled from the territories after he gave a speech at a Peace Now rally in favor of two nations for two peoples. Hundreds of lecturers, teachers and students were among the thousands of Palestinians arrested and held without trial. But we still didn't go on strike. Now too, we are continuing as usual, as the same leaders who failed and repeatedly chose force over dialogue are bombing and killing, just like Hamas. It's not too late to call for dialogue, with Hamas and with any Arab leader prepared to talk with us. It's not true that there isn't anyone to talk to or that there isn't anything to discuss. After all, the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 (and reiterated by the Arab League in 2007) is a clear offer to accept Israel into a region that has rejected it. And until Israel ends the fighting, responds to the Arab initiative and begins talks about the release of Gilad Shalit and the Palestinian prisoners - and about how Jews and Arabs will live here together and separately - we have to hold a peace strike. The writer teaches in the law faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Humanitarian initiative There is a way for Israel to prove it is committed to universal moral values. Top Targets An Islamist site is compiling a list of U.K. Jews to target over Gaza op.   1.   Dapha, Israel has had more than enough of your "peace". 00:01  |  Chaim 08/01/09   2.   Ghandi 15:21  |  Mike 08/01/09

Read & React Yossi Melman: Excellent intel on Gaza shows Israel learned from Lebanon errors Responses: 14 Yoav Stern: Rocket fire on North may be realization of Iran threat Responses: 11 At least two Lebanon rockets hit north Israel; IDF responds with shells Responses: 32 Nasrallah: Hezbollah will make Lebanon war look like a walk in the park Responses: 18 Gideon Lichfield: So, why isn't Israel winning the PR war? Responses: 13 IDF sources: Conditions not yet optimal for Gaza exit Responses: 3 More Headlines 14:15 IDF officer killed during battle with Hamas militants in Gaza 13:13 At least two Lebanon rockets hit north Israel; IDF responds with shells 14:05 ANALYSIS / Rocket fire on North may be realization of Iran threat 14:45 4 people wounded when Gaza mortar shell strikes west Negev 10:23 Palestinian shot dead after trying to blow up settlement gas station 14:59 Hamas executes collaborators and restricts Fatah movement 15:02 Mubarak invites Olmert to Cairo to discuss Gaza truce offer 15:04 IDF sources: Conditions not yet optimal for Gaza exit 15:01 ANALYSIS / Excellent intel on Gaza shows Israel learned from its errors in Lebanon 18:20 Get up to the minute coverage of the warfare in Gaza directly to your email 14:59 Red Cross: Israel breaking international law, letting children starve in Gaza 14:47 ANALYSIS / Israel's three alternatives for the future of the Gaza war 03:17 Iran's Larijani meets Hamas political chief Meshal in Damascus 06:22 ANALYSIS / Gaza op has put an end to Israel's honeymoon with Turkey 22:58 Rice: Gaza truce needed, but must not allow return to 'status quo ante' 14:57 48 hours after her wedding, IDF officer enters Gaza with her troops 14:07 Israeli official blasts slow handling of evacuated Gaza settlers' plight 06:14 Tel Aviv judge defends right of Arab anti-war protesters 07:21 Israeli tennis star Shahar Peer faces Gaza protest while playing in New Zealand 06:44 El Al asks frequent flyers to donate points to lone soldiers Previous Editions Select Day 07 jan 06 jan 05 jan 04 jan 02 jan 01 jan 31 dec 30 dec 29 dec 28 dec 26 dec 25 dec

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