New Profile

New Profile

Their website notes that: "We, a group of feminist women and men, are convinced that we need not live in a soldiers' state. Today, Israel is capable of a determined peace politics. It need not be a militarized society. We are convinced that we ourselves, our children, our partners, need not go on being endlessly mobilized, need not go on living as warriors. We understand that the state of war in Israel is maintained by decisions made by our politicians - not by external forces to which we are passively subject. While taught to believe that the country is faced by threats beyond its control, we now realize that the words "national security" have often masked calculated decisions to choose military action for the achievement of political goals."

"Over 2005, New Profile continued to work in various forms of collaboration with an array of organizations in both Israel and Palestine. Some of these are: the Coalition of Women for Peace and, in particular, its member organizations Women In Black (New Profile members played significant roles in preparing and conducting the International Women In Black Conference in August 2005) and Bat Shalom (New Profile collaborated with Bat Shalom on a week long showing of its exhibit – see above), the Mizrachi Democratic Rainbow (with which New Profile exchanged topical workshops), the Refusers’ Parents’ Forum, the Feminist Women’s Home, Salon Mazal (where New Profile held some of its events), Neveh Shalom, Nissan (a connection that has grown out of a partners’ meeting convened by the funding organization EPER/HEKS), the High School Seniors group, the Al-Tufula Feminist Center in Nazareth (where the exhibit was on show, accompanied by a workshop), the Women’s Parliament, BIMKOM, the Druze Initiative Committee, Zochrot, Gush Shalom, Yesh Gvul, the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions and others. While New Profile works primarily to achieve change in society in Israel, rather than creating partnerships and understanding with Palestinian groups and individuals, our efforts also continued to bring us into contact with organizations and activists from Palestine in 2005, including: Jerusalem Center for Women, Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights and others...

"In addition, members continued to meet with an extensive series of overseas organizations and individuals interested in learning about New Profile’s analysis and activity. Such meetings, often hosted in members’ homes, were held with organizations from the UK, the US, France, Spain and elsewhere. Some of the visiting organizations included: Fellowship of Reconciliation (US), International FOR, MAN (France), MOC (Spain), Jewish Voice for Peace (USA), Women to Women for Peace (UK), Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel and the World Council of Churches."

Funding
"The organizations that provided New Profile with financial support in the course of 2005 included the following: Refusers Solidarity Network (USA), Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers (UK), Responding to Conflict (UK), Urgent Action Fund (USA), Objection Fiscal (Spain), QPSY (UK Quakers), AFSC (US Quakers), Coalition of Women for Peace. A significant proportion of New Profile funding continued, in 2005, to come from the accumulated personal donations of a long list of individual supporters."

Contact

 * New Profile, P.O. Box 3454, Ramat Hasharon 47100, Israel
 * Web: http://www.newprofile.org

Related Sourcewatch

 * Sergeiy Sandler
 * Website links to Shatil, B'Tselem, Al-Haq, Rabbis for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Ahoti, and others.