At-Home with Gila Svirsky

This was written and circulated prior to the Gulf War of January 1991.

War is a Crime

War was, is, and will continue to be a crime, no matter how many seals of approval it receives from international bodies. No amount of rhetoric can justify the act of war — not even a war against Saddam Hussein.

Who makes war?
Politicians who fan and exploit fear to buttress their power; industrialists who develop and sell weapons; military leaders who see brute force as a means of problem-solving.

Who pays the price of war?
The poor, the elderly, children, young men and women in uniform — all those innocent of the decision to make war.

Yes, we condemn Saddam Hussein — and all industrialized countries, including the United States and Israel — who use their technological prowess to develop horrifying machines of mass destruction — biological, chemical, and nuclear.

Yes, we believe that countries (and individuals) must defend themselves against aggression.

But, we also believe that there are better means of self-defense than burying human beings under the rubble of bombed-out houses. And that bombs only delay — cruelly and counter-productively — the negotiated settlement that must take place in any case.

We, Israeli women for peace, demand that the leaders of both sides stop their aggressive male posturing and use their heads to pursue alternative ways of resolving the conflict.

Grow up. And give our children a chance to grow up too.