Palestinian women have played a leading role in the demonstrations, not fearing death but crying out: "Victory or martyrdom, but no to the occupation". At the same time, women have organized them­selves in relief committees to help the people who suffer during the uprising. They have also put themselves to danger by trying to rescue youths who are being beaten up by Israeli soldiers. As all other Palestinians, Palestinian women have been subjected to beating, imprisonment and martyrdom.

In Hebrew, yesh gvul means "there is a limit"; it also means "there is a border". A protest group by this name came into being in Israel following the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Its members pledged themselves to refuse to do military service in Lebanon. More recently, during the Palestinian uprising in the occupied territories, the group extended its pledge and it now covers refusal to take part in the Israeli repressions in those territories.

This letter is on behalf of an organization of faculty members at Tel Aviv University called 'Ad-Kan ("No Morel"), an ad hoc group formed in response to the extreme gravity of the situation in the occupied territories. While the members of 'Ad-Kan hold diverse political views, they are united in their commitment to bring an end to the occupation through negotiations with the Palestinians on the basis of mutual recognition and equality.