Sunday, December 20, 2009

My letter to the LATimes RE Steps to create an Israel-Palestine by Jonathan Kuttab

Band members play at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009. According to Israeli police, nine activists were detained when they took part in an unauthorized march calling for a declaration naming Jerusalem as the cultural capital of the Arab world. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty)

RE: Steps to create an Israel-Palestine by Jonathan Kuttab, co-founder of Al Haq and the Mandela Institute for Political Prisoners.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-kuttab20-2009dec20,0,3289579.story

Dear Editor,

An American perspective: One state or two, Israel and Palestine (or Israel-Palestine) should be respecting basic human rights and investing in the rule of fair and just laws- not segregation and institutionalized bigotry... and certainly not religious extremism.

One state or two, the very real plight of the Palestinians has been a crime against all of humanity- and so is terrorism.

One state or two, Israel and Palestine (or Israel-Palestine) need to be serious about making peace for all the people- regardless of supposed race or religion... and one state or two all the world needs to be fully respecting the Palestinian refugees' inalienable right to return to live in peace as clearly spelled out by UN Resolution 194 from 1948 (and reaffirmed over and over and over again through out the years.) And I think we also need to be doing all we can to help the Palestinian refugees leave if they want- to resettle far away from the source of so much misery and suffering. To be able to start anew still connected to their roots, their extended families and their cherished homeland, but able to earn a decent living and create a better future wherever they might want to go.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
homemaker & poet



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