Bay Area Women in Black are Jews and allies
in the United States who stand against militaristic and
fundamentalist leadership in all countries, including our own. We
are committed to nonviolent resistance against injustice,
believing that all people have the right to security, home,
education, justice and freedom. We are part of the international
movement of Women in Black, a transnational network of feminist
activists which includes women of many ethnic and national
backgrounds who cooperate across these and other differences. Our
international solidarity is an expression of the political
decision to attempt to create a moral and ethical way to live our
interconnected lives.
Our central focus is working non-violently to end the Israeli
Occupation which we believe is a violation of human rights and
international law. Only a just resolution of this conflict can
bring peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians and the whole
Middle East community. We challenge the key role of the United
States government's support of the Occupation through financial
and military aid which threatens global security and widens militarism in the Middle-East.
We wear black and stand in public space in silence as a symbol of
sorrow-- for all victims of war, of religious, political and
nationalistic struggles around the world and as a way to transform
women's mourning for the dead into a powerful refusal of the
inevitability of war. Together we educate, inform and influence
public opinion, and work cooperatively to create a future for our
children, grandchildren and the earth.
Read our
statement of
solidarity with the people of Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and
Lebanon.
Please visit our
photo gallery and our Facebook page
Any
inquiries about Bay Area Women in Black or about this website may be directed to
bayareawomeninblack@yahoo.com.
Some of you may be
confused by a group that calls itself 'Oakland Women in Black'.
Our observation of this group tells us that it is the same as San
Francisco Voice for Israel, a pro-Israel group which opposes
BAWIB's criticism of the policies of the Israeli government and
military. We believe that SF Voice for Israel's use of the name
'Oakland Women in Black' is a masquerade. The positions of
SF Voice for Israel are contrary to those of Women in Black
around the world.
BAWIB is not anti-Israel. BAWIB believes Israel's occupation is
wrong and deprives Palestinians of basic human rights. BAWIB calls
for the end of the occupation and its violent effects on Israelis
and Palestinians.
Check out this short
video of
Women in Black around the world and the messages they convey.
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