Israeli civilians seek to build bridges

Nicholas Blanford
(Beirut)Daily Star staff

An immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces from the south is essential if the Jewish state is ever to forge ties of understanding and peace with the Lebanese, according to the spokesman of an Israeli pressure group opposing the occupation. In an interview conducted by e-mail with The Daily Star, Shaul Zadka of the “Four Mothers” organisation insisted there was nothing to gain from the occupation, which served only to isolate the Jewish state from its Arab neighbours. “We believe that if we declare a will to pull out, we will change the average attitude of the Lebanese to Israel. It would not happen overnight but we have to start building bridges,” he said. “The people in Israel offer their hands to their ‘Jiran’ (neighbours) and they believe that once a friendly contact is established, the mutual demonisation will gradually cease.” The “Four Mothers” was established following the mid-air helicopter collision on February 4 last year, in which 65 Israeli soldiers and eight airmen were killed. The helicopters were en route to south Lebanon and the crash was the final straw for four mothers of Israeli soldiers serving in the occupation zone. “Their children lost a friend in the disaster. They concluded that it was time to do something about the situation, which has been dealt with before only by the military and political establishments,” Zadka said. He added that the Israeli media had chosen the group’s name after the Biblical figures of Sarah, Rebecca, Lea and Rachel. “Thousands of people signed our petitions and hundreds are registered as members, many of them activists. We are organising various activities which include demonstrations, picket lines every Friday on the main road junctions in the country, participating in panels, as well as lobbying politicians and ex-officers and maintaining constant contact with the press in Israel and abroad,” he said. Last Sunday, the group announced it would seek to contact Lebanese civilians to lobby for an Israeli withdrawal. “We want them (the Lebanese) to believe us, if not the (Lebanese) government, and understand our leaving their country is not only for the sake of our soldiers but for the future relations between the two countries,” Zadka said. The campaigner admitted the Israeli government was unused to mass public protests calling for a withdrawal but added that the group’s views have registered with some politicians. “The Israeli government does not know how to ‘digest’ us, since it has to deal with a group, unknown before in its nature, which advocates an end to the Israeli military presence in Lebanon, even by initiating a unilateral withdrawal from the region,” he said. “Ministers are meeting with us, and some of them agree with us. Others are hesitating and the rest are adamant the only solution should be an agreement with the governments of Lebanon and Syria.” Nonetheless, Zadka believed that Israeli defence minister Yitzhak Mordechai had been sincere in announcing his recognition of resolution 425, despite continuing to insist on security guarantees before pulling out. “I tend to believe that Israel’s willingness to adopt 425 is genuine. This is the mood in the country and we, partially at least, pushed the defence minister to make such remarks two weeks ago. Yes, it could be regarded as a PR stunt or a ‘trial balloon’, but let’s call Israel’s bluff and see,” he stated. Zadka, who lectures in political science and communication at Bar-Illan University, argued that the Israeli government does not believe it can split the Lebanon-Syria track in the peace process. “The prevailing attitude in Jerusalem is that nothing will move without the Syrians, so nobody is under the illusion that any declaration will drive a wedge between Syria and Lebanon,” he said. Admitting it was sometimes difficult to reassure residents of northern Israel they would not be exposed to cross-border attacks following a withdrawal, he nonetheless acknowledged that Hizbullah was a legitimate resistance movement. “Four Mothers and many (Israeli) soldiers regard them as guerrillas who conduct a legitimate warfare. It would have been easy for us to put forward such an argument if we were convinced that in the event of a pull out, Hizbullah will let the Lebanese army fill the gap and take over the vacant Israeli positions. But the Galilee is really worried about the aftermath of such a move,” he said. However, he maintained that most Israelis, including the government, support a pullout, adding that it is only the manner of withdrawing that has divided the nation. “Those who oppose us are concerned that a pull-out will jeopardise the safety of our settlements in the north… We don’t see the point in the security zone. It does no good for our integration into the region and reinforces Arab hostility towards us,” he said. “Now, more than ever, we believe the ground is prepared for such a move vis-à-vis Israeli public opinion.”

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