Reflections on Women's Conditions under the Israeli Occupation

Amal Khreishe, a Palestinian activist and the general director of the Palestinian Working Women’s Society for Development, joined a “Palästina Komitee München” open panel on “Frauen unter Besatzung”, Women under Occupation. Mrs. Khreishe addressed the atrocities and continuous Israeli violations of human and women’s rights in Palestine.

Palestinian women are among the most vulnerable groups in society, as they are continuously exposed to immense oppression, which range from killing, demolitions of their homes, sexual harassment and assault, discriminatory treatment towards female prisoners, refusal of movement, to the refusal of access to healthcare during medical emergencies. As they directly suffer from implications of Israeli procedures, they also encounter indirect effects of Israeli occupation, such as poverty, unemployment and domestic violence.  Due to the worsening economic conditions in the Palestinian Territory, women’s contribution to the labor market approximates 15% of the labor force, according to the PCBS statistics. This has deeply affected women’s representation in the public life in general, and in formal politics in particular. The impact of living under occupation for women includes extreme anxiety, stress related illnesses, loss of opportunities in education and gainful employment, and is detrimental to their relationships with husbands and children. The violence and personal insecurity that many women have witnessed and been subjected to causes extreme psychological distress, harming both family life and society as a whole. 

During the open panels and the workshops, “Shalom Europa” tried to disturb the flow of the sessions, as they constantly marched into and interrupted the talks. They also published and distributed flyers and statements against the activities, in an attempt to silence the Palestinian story, and influence the audience. However, the activity was fruitful as also Knesset Member. Hanine Zoubi, Mrs. Halima Irmeilat, and Nesreen Abosultan projected their own experiences on women’s statuses under the Israeli occupation, in the West Bank, Gaza and inside Israel.