PEACE MOVEMENT

Peace Movement: translation

(Peace Camp)

Within Israel, between theSix-Day War(1967) and theYom Kippur War(1973), two alternatives to the official position developed that focused on theOccupied Territoriesand their disposition. Some argued that Israel should retain the territories occupied in 1967 and establishsettlementsthere. The Peace Movement, which was composed of a number of small groups on the Left, took time to become organized, in part because the official position preempted the movement's main arguments by making overtures to theArabstates that indicated Israel was prepared to return territory for peace and to be magnanimous in victory.When it became clear that Israel's insistence on direct negotiations for peace was unsuccessful in achieving its objective and when the government began to show an interest in establishing settlements and retaining territories, the Peace Movement became more prominent. It argued that the failure of the peace process could be attributed in large measure to the government of Israel for not taking greater initiatives. The diminished trust in thePalestinianleadership resulting from the breakdown of theCamp David IInegotiations and the protractedAl-Aksa intifadaprompted a significant crisis of conscience among mainstream elements of Israel's Peace Movement.

See alsoPeace Now (Shalom Achshav); Peled, Matityahu (1923-95).