About Gush Shalom
The hard core of the Israeli peace movement.
Gush Shalom — the name means “The Peace Bloc” — is the hard core of the Israeli peace movement.
Often described as resolute, militant, radical, or consistent, it is known for its unwavering stand in times of crisis — such as the al-Aqsa intifada.
For years, Gush Shalom has played a leading role in setting the moral and political agenda of the peace forces in Israel, and in breaking the so-called “national consensus” built on misinformation.
Gush Shalom is an extra-parliamentary organization, independent of any party or political grouping. Some of its activists belong to political parties, but the Gush is aligned with none.
Aims
What peace requires.
The primary aim of Gush Shalom is to influence Israeli public opinion and lead it toward peace and conciliation with the Palestinian people, based on the following principles:
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Ending the occupation.
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Accepting the right of Palestinian self-determination. Accepting the right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent, sovereign State of Palestine in all the territories Israel occupied in 1967, or to join Israel as equal citizens.
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The 1967 Green Line as the border. Reinstating the pre-1967 Green Line between Israel and Palestine — with possible minor, mutually agreed exchanges of territory — open to the free movement of people and goods by mutual agreement.
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Jerusalem, the capital of both. East Jerusalem, including the Haram al-Sharif, as the capital of Palestine; West Jerusalem, including the Western Wall, as the capital of Israel. The city united physically and municipally, by mutual agreement.
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The right of return. Recognizing in principle the right of return of the Palestinian refugees — each free to choose between compensation and repatriation — with the number returning to Israel fixed by mutual agreement in annual quotas, without undermining the foundations of Israel.
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Security for both, guaranteed. Safeguarding the security of both Israel and Palestine by mutual agreement and guarantees.
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Peace across the region. Striving for overall peace between Israel and all Arab countries, and the creation of a regional union.
History
How we began.
Gush Shalom was founded by Uri Avnery and others in 1993, when it became clear that the older Israeli peace groups were unable or unwilling to oppose the repressive measures of the new Labor government headed by Yitzhak Rabin.
When Rabin expelled 415 Islamic activists from the country in late 1992, a spontaneous protest by Jewish and Arab citizens set up protest tents opposite the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem. The protest lasted 45 days and nights through the winter.
Out of the debates in those tents — and the silence of the other peace groups — some of the protesters decided a new Israeli peace movement was needed. They called themselves “Peacer than Peace Now,” and founded Gush Shalom.
Peacer than Peace Now.
Structure
A small wheel that turns a bigger one.
The Gush likens its role to a small wheel with a strong, independent drive that turns a bigger wheel, which turns a bigger one still. Beholden to no party interest and courting no fleeting popularity, it is free to state the truth as it sees it — and to work for its acceptance by a far larger public.
This is why the Gush, and its founders long before it, advocated ideas — recognition of the Palestinian people, negotiation with the PLO, a Palestinian state, the principle of return, Jerusalem as the capital of two states, dismantling the settlements — years, and sometimes decades, before the established parties and peace organizations.
The Gush runs on very little. It receives no funding from any Israeli or international body — only occasional, modest donations from peace groups and individuals abroad, in the Netherlands and Germany. The burden is carried by individual Israeli citizens who see supporting the Gush as a moral duty. They deserve the recognition due to them.
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