Sir, - I have just returned from the International Forum: Women and the Politics of Peace, which was held in Zagreb on October 25th-28th. The forum had women from all the states of the former Yugoslavia, and many other countries, 22 in all, including several delegates from Northern Ireland. It was a fruitful conference in which women exchanged views and strategies for peace and spoke movingly of the personal consequences of war, some for the first time in public.
The only woman prevented from attending was the Palestinian delegates, Ms Jiha Abu Zneid of the Jerusalem Centre for Women, East Jerusalem, which is part of the Jerusalem Link, an Israeli Palestinian women's joint venture for peace. Her Israeli counterpart, Ms Daphna Golan of Bat Shalom, the Israeli partner in the Jerusalem Link, did attend.
Ms Abu Zneid, who is a resident of East Jerusalem, was not permitted by the Israeli authorities to leave Ben Gurion Airport. The reason given was that she holds an Israeli travel document which is issued by the Israeli Ministry of Interior for one year only. This despite the fact that she had a valid visa to enter Croatia waiting for her at Zagreb airport.
As an Israeli living in Ireland, I join all the conference delegates in condemning the violation of Ms Abu Zneid's rights. Although an official peace process exists between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, this act represents the daily reality of Palestinians' lives, which consists of human rights violations and the restriction of their movement. The fact that a Palestinian woman peace activist cannot travel to an international women's peace conference puts in question the Israeli Government's intention to reach a just peace agreement with the Palestinians. Yours, etc.,
Leinster Road,
Dublin 6.