International Solidarity Movement Activists Tour U.S. to Rally Opposition Against War and Occupation in Palestine, Iraq

Interview with Slava Davidson, member of the International Solidarity Movement, conducted by Melinda Tuhus

Members of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud Party voted overwhelmingly on May 2nd against his plan to withdraw Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, even though polls showed a majority of all Israelis supports the idea. The May 2nd killing of a pregnant Israeli settler and her four children by Palestinian gunmen was thought to have influenced the vote.

A rotating group of activists who have spent time in the Palestinian territories serving as international monitors of human rights violations are now traveling in the U.S. as part of what's called the "Wheels of Justice Tour." The tour promotes education on nonviolence and encourages activism against war and occupation in both Palestine and Iraq. The tour bus, decorated with artwork and peace slogans, made several stops recently in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

At the tour's stop in New Haven, Slava Davidson described two recent visits to the West Bank, where he spent three months over the past year, departing in March. He is a member of the International Solidarity Movement, or ISM, a group founded by a Palestinian, an Israeli and American Jew and a Palestinian-American. Over the past two years, two ISM members -- American Rachel Corrie and Briton Tom Herndahl -- were killed by the Israeli military when they nonviolently intervened to protect Palestinian homes and children.

Davidson, who lives in New York City, spoke with Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus about his observations in the West Bank and expressed hope for a peaceful settlement through collaboration between Palestinians and Israelis.

For more information about The Wheels of Justice Tour, call (773) 505-1870 or visit their website at www.justicewheel.org

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