Links in the Human Chain

By Lee Dinsmore

Every Friday Israeli women dressed in black stand together quietly in a plaza in central Jerusalem, in solemn remembrance of the victims of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, and in a mute appeal to stop the violence, killing and occupation of another people's land. Those opposing the women's silent vigil shout slogans, carry banners ("it's not occupation, it's liberation") and posters calling for the arrest of the women.

On Friday, December 29th, the resolute Israeli women in black were joined by hundreds of other women, also in black. They had come from Italy and elsewhere in Europe, and a few from the United States, in a sign of solidarity. Their quiet stand that day overflowed the traffic circle and lined the sidewalks. Israeli policemen, obviously under orders to allow the demonstration to take place, kept traffic flowing.

I saw two women, Jew and Arab, recognize each other and embrace.

After three quarters of an hour, the women left the plaza and formed a procession toward Palestinian East Jerusalem. Their numbers grew as Palestinian women joined them. As I walked alongside, I saw two women, Jew and Arab, recognize each other and embrace in joyous expressions of a common emotion. Somewhere they had met before and now they shared their longing for peace and reconciliation. Hands clasped, with tears in their eyes, they rejoined the march. Together they joined in rhythmic Hebrew and Arabic slogans, and everyone in the long line sang the African-American, now international, hymn, "We Shall Overcome."

The following day was awash in emotion as more than 25,000 Palestinians, Israelis, Europeans and Americans joined hands to make a human chain for peace around the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. Everywhere, faces beamed as Palestinians sang and danced in snaking lines; Jewish women shouted in Arabic, "Peace yes, occupation no," and Palestinian women repeated the same sentiments—in Hebrew. The chain was completed around the city.

And then, abruptly, it was broken. The next day in the local press, an Israeli Peace Now spokesperson said that the Israeli authorities who had counted on violence made sure that there was violence. Palestinians were not to be seen as capable of staging a massive gathering without turning it into a mob scene.

Into the singing, chanting groups crushed together at a narrow juncture near the Damascus Gate burst the mounted police, scattering everyone. Police charging on foot followed, swinging clubs, carrying guns.

Then there were shots and a water cannon truck moved into the packed crowds, spraying green dyed water. Some people fell, others stumbled over them. Boys running in the frightened crowd were grabbed by the police and clubbed.

A heavy woman wearing the long robe of a villager was knocked to the street by the water jet and lay there as the hose kept pummeling her. The jet was turned up into second and third story windows, smashing them as families watched the events.

An Italian couple, tired from standing in the crush of people, had returned to their hotel room on the second floor of a building overlooking the crowd. The water cannon swept the hotel room windows, exploding the glass into their faces. At the hospital later the woman's eye had to be removed.

At the hotel where the Italian delegation to the peace march was headquartered, Israeli police shot tear gas through the glass doors of the lobby and people streamed out, coughing and wiping their eyes.

Both days of those demonstrations of solidarity between Israeli peace seekers and Palestinians had begun and proceeded in an orderly manner. Proud self-control was evident throughout, with no hint of violence. Nor did anything untoward happen until the end of both of the demonstrations. for which Israeli authorities had granted permission. Then, police with clubs waded without provocation into the high-spirited crowds.

Meanwhile, Israeli military officials had imposed a curfew on the occupied territories outside Jerusalem, preventing Palestinians from leaving their towns to participate in the Jerusalem gatherings. That curfew was still in force when we left the country on Jan. 3.

Lee Dinsmore, of Elcho, Wisconsin, served as a YMCA director in Jerusalem in World War II and as a foreign service officer in Iraq, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. He was US Consul General in Dhahran when he retired in 1972. Since then he has revisited the Middle East frequently as a consultant for US Government cultural exchange programs and as a peace activist.