JERUSALEM: Hundreds of Palestinian and Israeli women rallied in Jerusalem and the Dead Sea in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, calling for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“We want peace,” chanted the demonstrators, many dressed in white and holding placards that read “Stop killing our children”.

“Our message is that we want our kids to be alive rather than dead,” Huda Abu Arqoub, a Palestinian activist and director of the Alliance for Middle East Peace NGO, said as participants initially rallied in Jerusalem.

“This is the first time that we have a real partnership between Israeli and Palestinian women on an equal level.” The protesters later headed to the Dead Sea in the West Bank where they were joined by more demonstrators, a correspondent reported.

The Alliance for Middle East Peace represents two women-led associations — Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun — that organised Wednesday’s rally.

“I feel very happy to be here and to feel that we, the Palestinian women, are not alone and there are many women who want to end the killings,” said Yasmeen Soud, a Palestinian from Bethlehem at the demonstration in Jerusalem. Pascale Chen, a coordinator from Women Wage Peace, said they wanted the conflict to brought to an end through talks.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2023