Bring Israeli Women into Peace Process, NCJW Says

October 16, 2007, New York, NY -- Members of a mission to Israel sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) today called upon Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to include women in Israel's delegation to the peace summit planned for November in the United States as Israeli law now demands.

The NCJW delegation met in Israel with Marit Danon, the Prime Minister's Advisor on Women's Affairs, to present a petition of over 1500 signatures. NCJW President Phyllis Snyder called on the Israeli government to take steps to include women in the delegation to the November peace summit, stating that:

"Since amending its Equal Representation of Women Law in 2005, Israel is legally mandated to include women -- at all levels of government -- in decision-making bodies involved in the prevention, management, and resolution of conflict and its aftermath.

"Sadly, there are few signs of progress for such inclusion since the mandate was enacted. Israel has an important opportunity to involve women in a significant way when the peace summit occurs in November. It can be an example for the world as a leader in the struggle to give women a place at the table when matters of war and peace are at stake.

"We call upon Prime Minister Olmert to fulfill the promise made by the Israeli Knesset when equal representation of women was made part of Israeli law."

The petition is part of an effort to implement United Nations Resolution 1325, whose purpose was incorporated into Israeli law in 2005 when the Israeli Knesset passed Amendment 4 to the 1951 Equal Representation of Women Law. The law requires the inclusion of representatives of diverse groups of women in any public committee appointed by the government for negotiations in times of conflict. Women's representation is also mandated in the design of domestic, foreign, or security policy. Israel thus became one of only a few pioneering countries to have passed such legislation, but since its passage little action has been taken by the government.

NCJW is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families and to ensure individual rights and freedoms for all through its network of 90,000 members, supporters, and volunteers nationwide.

Contact: 
Emily Alfano 
202 296 2588 x5; emily@ncjwdc.org