Two Plus Two Newer Archives - Nobel Laureate Shot by Israeli Soldier (rubber bullet)

I realize many of you have not engaged in non-violent direct actions to stop something you felt was immoral and unjust at personal risk to your health and safety. I have. In fact, I have been locked, by my neck, to a bulldozer that, if it would have moved, would have likely killed me. You may decry actions such as this foolish and stupid all you want, and proclaim that those that engage in them deserve what they get, that's your perogative.

However, i guarantee you that anyone that engages in such an action is aware of the risks involved and feels that those risks are worth it - a brief reading of Rachel's letters home will confirm that fact. Whether you believe in the cause she was fighting for or not, anyone who non-violently and courageously risks their own life to stop something they see as unjust and immoral should, at the very least, be recognized for the strength of their convictions.

In this case, it could have been a tragic accident. I doubt that the dozer operator was trying to kill her, though I don't rule it out. However, the tacit policy of illegal and widespread home demolitions in Palestine is a well-known Israeli tactic. If you believe that Israel is in a low-level war against terrorists, then you can justify those actions as part of the war. If you believe that Israel is illegally occupying Palestinian land, then those actions are part and parcel of that occupation.

I have two close friends that work for reconciliation in the area. One works with the ISM and lives in the West Bank (or did, she recently came back to the US). One is an orthodox Jew who strongly supports the right of Israel to exist and defend itself and lives in Israel. Despite their differing political views, they have both condemned strongly the actions of Palestinian suicide bombers and the IDF.

The Rachel Corrie discussion is sidetracking the OP which was about a prominent Nobel Laureate speaking about the violence of the Israeli military against non-violent protestors. Note that these protestors were coming from a conference specifically dedicated towards dicussing a non-violent resolution to the conflict and condemning both paramilitary terrorism and official IDF terrorism --

"Well, in 1976, we were in a very dangerous position in Northern Ireland. We were in the brink of civil war. Three of my sister’s young children were all killed. And we started a peace movement. Our message was, this problem will not be solved through violence; it can only be done through dialogue and through nonviolence. And today in Northern Ireland, we are very glad we have our peace, and we are moving towards a more normal society. I believe the message from Northern Ireland, that you cannot solve these problems through state violence, militarism, paramilitarism, suicide bombs; you cannot solve these problems through violence, but only through nonviolence. That's a message that is beginning to be heard more and more in Israel and in Palestine."