WILPF Advocacy Documents

The Assault by the Israeli Military on the Free Gaza Flotilla

Human Rights
Date/month:
2 June 2010
Document type:
Position
Body submitted to:

The Women’s International League for peace and Freedom joins with civil society organisations and States in condemning the unprovoked attack on the flotilla taking aid to Gaza. This is a seminal moment in the history of the United Nations. A failure by member States to respond using all appropriate mechanisms to address violations of international law by Israel will bring the organisation into disrepute and cause greater instability and insecurity in an already insecure region.

Many States have already called for an investigation. The Women’s international league for peace and freedom endorses that call, but would go further. A Human Rights Council mandated enquiry under the leadership of Richard  Goldstone lead to a well researched and strong report on atrocities committed during the invasion of 2009. Instead of implementing its recommendations certain States chose instead to vilify its authors and detract from its findings. The dilitatory responses have meant that thus far there has been no accountability . This must not be repeated. The system cannot again be seen to fail. WILPF believes that a broader investigation is needed which incorporates, not just the killings on the 31st May but looks at a system wide failure in the mechanisms for protection.

Israeli forces have prevented humanitarian aid from entering Gaza before. The first ship organised by Free Gaza set sail in December 2008.  It was rammed at sea by the Israeli navy, crippling the vessel and threatening lives.   Israeli forces were trained    to stop the flotilla. Israel’s foreign minister Avignor Liberman publicly stated;
“We really have all determination and political will to prevent this provocation against us….. we’re ready at any cost… to prevent this provocation”. A special detention centre had been set up in Ashdod, south of Tel Aviv where the flotilla passengers were going to be detained.

With this in the public domain, WILPF would ask; what did the friends of Israel advise? Did they assert the absolute necessity of compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights? Or did they promise to veto any subsequent Resolution condemning the action and, for example, referring the matter to the ICC?

What of the States who arm and provide weapons systems for Israel? Some of which may have actually been used in the assault on the flotilla, killing and injuring people of various nationalities. WILPF will argue that States are and have been on notice since  Goldstone reported, that it is reasonably foreseeable that Israel will use these weapons in violation of international humanitarian and human rights law. The complicity of States selling arms to Israel must also come under scrutiny. Due diligence is required of the selling States and they must be also be held to account. WILPF calls on the members of the Human Rights Council, to ensure that this is done by a Resolution requiring an expansive investigation into the assault on the flotilla, the role of other actors and the  extent of compliance with the standards that must be applied in such circumstances. States must re examine their polices in light of the Israeli conduct and WILPF calls for consideration of a trade and arms embargo on that country.

A WILPF section member from Israel stated:” We, here in Israel are running from one protest to the other,  we are so ashamed and upset that words cannot express….” 

Her truth must be that of the international community. We must stand ashamed at what has happened and we must hold Israel to account .

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Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

WILPF Afghanistan

In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region. 

IPB Congress Barcelona

WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative

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Demilitarisation

WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.

Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.

Militarised masculinity

Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.

WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.

Feminist peace​

In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.

In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.

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