On September 7, 2017, Member of Knesset Dr. Aliza Lavie (Yesh Atid) attended and spoke at an exhibition of “Women Painting their Olive Trees” in Vienna, hosted by WIZO Austria, the Israeli Embassy, and the Saint Stephen Cathedral Parish. This event invited two Israeli women—one Arab Christian and one Jew—to show the Olive Tree Project’s artwork. This project has invited over thirty-five Israeli Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze, Circassian and Bedouin women to come together in the WIZO community center in Afula to paint pictures of olive trees, expressing intercultural dialogue and the desire for peaceful coexistence for women in Israel. It has been presented before the European Council of Strasbourg, the British Parliament, and the UN in Geneva.
The exhibition was also attended by the Talya Lador-Fresher, the Israeli-Austrian Ambassador; Tony Farber, the Cathedral Priest of the Saint Stephen’s Parish; Chayim Eizenberg, the Chief Rabbi of Austria; Dr. Hava Bugajer-Gleitman, the President of WIZO Austria; and finally, MK Amir Peretz of Zionist Union. During her visit, MK Lavie also met the Minister of Family Affairs, Sophie Karmasin. They spoke together about assistance to migrants, maternity leave (2 1/2 years for women and 1/2 year for men), women in politics, and programs to promote women’s status.
MK Lavie stated at the exhibition, “Here we can see and feel the future. I believe in peace. I pray every day for peace. And I think that peace starts here.”
