Labels

Friday, May 7, 2010

My letter to USAToday RE Latest Israel-Palestinian talks hold little hope By Mustafa Barghouthi

RE Latest Israel-Palestinian talks hold little hope: Although I back the two-state approach, no solution will be acceptable to Palestinians that doesn't provide full rights. By Mustafa Barghouthi
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-05-06-barghouthi05_ST_N.htm

Dear Editor,

Good to see a Palestinian voice pop up in your pages- and to hear that Palestinian voice clearly articulating the bottom line: "The goal of negotiators must be a viable Palestinian state based on the 1949 armistice lines with its capital in East Jerusalem; Palestinian control over borders, airspace and seaports; a connector between Gaza and the West Bank; and a just resolution of the Palestinian refugee issue that resolves the plight of the more than 700,000 Palestinians expelled 62 years ago by Israel and never allowed to return."

The persecuted and impoverished men, women and children of Palestine need to have real freedom and real job opportunities where ever they might decide to live as the Israel/Palestine conflict ends.... "Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world." Eleanor Roosevelt (at the presentation of "IN YOUR HANDS: A Guide for Community Action for the Tenth Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.")

One state or two, Israel really does have to start FULLY respecting international law and the Palestinians' basic human rights- including but not limited to the Palestinians refugees inalienable legal, natural and moral right to return to original homes and lands. Yes it is going to be hard as well as humbling- and there are many huge challenges ahead, but surely a just and lasting peace are worth the work !

Surely civilization itself deserves all our best efforts- for everyone's sake.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

UN Resolution 194 from 1948
Article 11
Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.
Please note from the start: "The United Nations had certainly not intended that the Jewish State should rid itself of its Arab citizens" 5 May 1949 Application of Israel for admission to membership in the United Nations http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/85255e950050831085255e95004fa9c3/1db943e43c280a26052565fa004d8174?OpenDocument


In 1948 United Nations Mediator Count Folke Bernadotte pointed out that "It would be an offence against the principles of justice if those innocent victims of could not return to their homes while [Zionist] immigrants flowed into Palestine to take their place." This is still true today.

2010 NOTES
"Continued settlement activity, confrontations in East Jerusalem, excavations near holy sites, evictions of Palestinian families, travel and visa restrictions, belligerent conduct by extremist settlers, and sporadic violence by individual and organized Palestinian extremists all undermine the viability and credibility of negotiators and negotiations. " Ziad Asali

Why it's a good thing that Palestinians are returning to negotiations with Israel: "I find the reality of the occupation totally unacceptable and even a slim chance to end it is worth pursuing, and also because I have very grave concerns that if the conflict continues, it will further metastasize and morph into a religious conflict led by bearded fanatics on both sides over the will of God and holy places and therefore become much harder to resolve and much more dangerous for Israelis, Palestinians and all of their neighbors, if not the whole world." Hussein Ibish

Emanating from the conviction of the Arab countries that a military solution to the conflict will not achieve peace or provide security for the parties, the council:

1. Requests Israel to reconsider its policies and declare that a just peace is its strategic option as well.

2. Further calls upon Israel to affirm:

I- Full Israeli withdrawal from all the territories occupied since 1967, including the Syrian Golan Heights, to the June 4, 1967 lines as well as the remaining occupied Lebanese territories in the south of Lebanon.

II- Achievement of a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem to be agreed upon in accordance with U.N. General Assembly Resolution 194.

III- The acceptance of the establishment of a sovereign independent Palestinian state on the Palestinian territories occupied since June 4, 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

3. Consequently, the Arab countries affirm the following:

I- Consider the Arab-Israeli conflict ended, and enter into a peace agreement with Israel, and provide security for all the states of the region.

II- Establish normal relations with Israel in the context of this comprehensive peace.

4. Assures the rejection of all forms of Palestinian patriation which conflict with the special circumstances of the Arab host countries.

5. Calls upon the government of Israel and all Israelis to accept this initiative in order to safeguard the prospects for peace and stop the further shedding of blood, enabling the Arab countries and Israel to live in peace and good neighbourliness and provide future generations with security, stability and prosperity.

6. Invites the international community and all countries and organisations to support this initiative.

7. Requests the chairman of the summit to form a special committee composed of some of its concerned member states and the secretary general of the League of Arab States to pursue the necessary contacts to gain support for this initiative at all levels, particularly from the United Nations, the Security Council, the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the Muslim states and the European Union.

BADIL Announces Al-Awda Award Winners for 2010 at 4th Annual Awards Ceremony




BADIL Announces Al-Awda Award Winners for 2010 at 4th Annual Awards Ceremony

The award aims to foster Palestinian talent and creativity and to raise the profile of the Palestinian Nakba and the right of all forcibly displaced Palestinians to return to their homes and lands As with previous years, the Awda Award Festival launches the Nakba commemoration activities in Palestine that will continue over the coming months.

The 2010 Winners are:

Category: Best Nakba Commemoration Poster
Members of the jury: Yousif Ktlo, Sulaiman Mansour, Makboula Nassar, Mohammad Alayan, Omar Assaf.

Name: Mosaab Jamal Abu Sil
Prize: First
Gaza
Age: 22

See the poster

Name: Ashraf Ahmad Ghareeb
Prize: Second
Gaza
Age: 39

See the poster

Name: Ibrahim Ahmad
Prize: Third
Salfeet
Age: 23

See the poster

Moment of truth has arrived by Daoud Kuttab

Moment of truth has arrived

By Daoud Kuttab

If ever there was a statement that reflected the true position of Palestinian negotiators and Arab leaders, it was the one made by the Qatari prime minister, Hamad Ben Jasem Al Thani. The statement, made after the Arab follow-up committee gave the PLO the green light to resume indirect negotiations, reflects a pessimistic outlook of peace.

"We don’t trust Israel, but we find positive indications on the part of the US mediator," said the Qatari premier, who is also his country's foreign minister.

It is not difficult to understand why Arabs mistrust Israel, especially under the current right-wing government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu. This coalition has yet to agree to a total settlement freeze in areas slated to become the Palestinian state and has repeatedly provoked Palestinians by its high-profile attempts to Judaiase East Jerusalem, whether through new Jewish settlements or through destruction of Palestinian houses.

The Israeli army has done little to deter Jewish settlers’ activities, which including burning of mosques and uprooting of olive trees, while this same army, headed by the purportedly less radical Ehud Barak, is busy issuing military orders that violate the unity of the expected Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.

The trust Palestinians and Arabs have in the Obama administration is the result of a number of factors. The persistent, unwavering involvement of Washington, starting with day one of the Obama administration, has been different from that of all previous US administrations. In an attempt to refuse everything initiated by Bill Clinton, when George W. Bush became president in 2000, his administration stayed away, as much as possible, from the pursuit of peace in the Middle East. Bush and his secretaries of state Collin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, did return to the pursuit of peace, but with the veto power of an unconfirmed White House official, Elliot Abrams, the Bush administration's efforts were not allowed to reach fruition.

While the upcoming “proximity talks” give the US mediators, a unique position to arbitrate and bridge proposals, US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell had agreed, from day one, to the Palestinian request that American officials attend any direct negotiations so as to be sure to judge who is obstructing the path of peace. This is new for American negotiators.

Until the Obama administration, the US policy was that Americans help bring the parties to talks, but do not participate in talks. Obviously with a military/politically/financially strong Israel and a weak Palestinian party such an approach kept on failing because there was very little incentive for either side to make compromises.

Palestinians and Arabs are also willing to give the current process a chance because, for the first time, they have some strong points. The world community, led by the US, is totally united and genuinely interested in an end to the Israeli occupation and to help give birth to a truly independent and viable Palestinian state. The American army's high-profile intervention and suggestion that there is a strategic need for a Palestinian state strengthens the statement that such a state is necessary for the national interest of the US.

Arab unity is also quite noticeable this time. While there might be some internal disputes among Arab countries regarding Hamas and Fateh, the Arab support for the policies of the current PLO leader are unprecedented.

Internally, the situation also gives strength to Palestinian negotiators. Talks are not going to take place without public support and visible resistance to occupation. By embracing nonviolent protests, the Palestinian leadership has found a winning formula. Such protests help keep the kettle boiling and show that the occupation has persistent and active opponents. At the same time, by sticking to popular nonviolent activities against armed soldiers and an illegal wall, the Palestinians prove the Israeli claim that this is terrorism or indiscriminate violence against Israeli civilians to be false.

In addition to all of the above, what makes the Palestinian negotiating position stronger can be identified by name: Salam Fayyad. This Palestinian prime minister trained in the West has focused his attention, intellect and every fibre in his body on the goal of Palestinian statehood. Instead of cursing the occupation, he has created and is pursuing a two-year plan to build up the Palestinian state. His effort has brought security and the rule of law to the West Bank, and has won him admiration from friend and foe alike.

Ranked by Time Magazine as the tenth most influential politician in the world, Fayyad has made it his goal to declare a de facto Palestinian state by August 2011.

While the Americans have not stated if they will publicly give it recognition, so as not to make negotiations futile, Europe said it will do so irrespective of the results of the talks by then.

Palestinians and Israelis have their work cut out for them now that indirect talks are set to begin. With Americans being directly involved in every negotiating position that is offered, the moment of truth about who is truly obstructing peace has finally arrived.

7 May 2010

Omar Baddar: "The correct "us vs. them" divide is between those of us... who value freedom of speech and thought and who oppose violent extremism and"

"Had Maher merely stated that our culture is better than the Taliban's (which is truly hideous), I daresay the majority of Muslims would approvingly count themselves among "us" in that equation. Where he should be expressing solidarity with progressive Muslims who would stand with him in opposition to violent extremism, he instead alienates them by a fictitious cultural divide between simplistic categories of a tolerant West and a Muslim world which he defines by its worst elements.

The correct "us vs. them" divide is between those of us, in all societies (including Muslim ones), who value freedom of speech and thought and who oppose violent extremism on the one hand, and those who employ or endorse such violent intimidation on the other. Someone like Maher should've known this"

Omar Baddar

IBISHBLOG: The bottom line....

"The bottom line is that neither side has yet accepted the other's proposals for a final status agreement. There have been lots of Palestinian proposals that have been interesting and creative at different times, not to mention the Arab Peace Initiative, and none of them have been accepted by Israel either. Therefore more negotiations in good faith are required. I think there are a lot of myths on the Israeli side about all the supposed "generosity" of various Israeli proposals, and a Palestinian point of view that the fundamental problem is that Israel has never really offered to actually end the occupation at all. As I say, the lack of documentary evidence makes it difficult to evaluate the accuracy of these views, but they are deep-seated opinions.

I think clearly both sides have an obligation to reach out as much as possible to both the leaders and the public on the other side, to make clear exactly what it is they want, how they propose to get there, and why this is in both the Israeli and the Palestinian interest. It's obvious that most people on both sides want a negotiated agreement but believe that the other side does not. Both sides also have their "evidence" demonstrating this, and the Goldblog reader's question is a very common Israeli version of that. There is an entire, complex and substantive Palestinian discourse that makes the same case vis-à-vis Israel. I think aggressive public diplomacy from both parties to counter these fears and suspicions is appropriate, but given the political vulnerability of the leaderships on both sides, public diplomacy is usually aimed more at a domestic political audience that really reaching out to hearts and minds on the other side.

I do think it is significant that the PLO's aims are quite clear and the vision of the future of the mainstream Palestinian nationalists is not particularly murky even if they haven't done a good job of communicating this, and why it's a good idea, to the Israeli public. I don't, however, think it's clear at all, even to most Israelis, what the Israeli government's aims are or what its vision for the future might be. They've gone to great lengths to construct considerable ambiguity and fog about their intentions and their vision, leaving Palestinians with the strong temptation to conclude that they have absolutely no intention of ending the occupation and that the present Israeli government, or at least some parts of it, views diplomacy as a time-buying measure and a cover for further deepening and entrenching the occupation and ensuring the impossibility of Palestinian independence. I don't think anything would be more helpful diplomatically, even if it might be very difficult in terms of domestic politics, than for the Israeli government to describe clearly and unequivocally what exactly it wants in a final status agreement. This may cause serious difficulties with the Palestinians, and maybe even with the United States, but I think all parties, the world and, not least, the Israeli public deserves to know what the Israeli vision for the future and intentions are." Hussein Ibish

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Palestinians hold balloons before they are released during a Nakba rally in al-Ram in the West Bank on the outskirts of Jerusalem May 6, 2010. Palestinians will mark "Nakba", or "Catastrophe", on May 15 to commemorate the time when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were expelled or fled from their homes in the war that led to the founding of Israel in 1948. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS ANNIVERSARY)

UN envoy voices concern at mosque fire and calls on Israel to curb settlers

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34621&Cr=palestin&Cr1=
UN envoy voices concern at mosque fire and calls on Israel to curb settlers

Robert Serry, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process

6 May 2010 – A senior United Nations official today called on Israel to curb extremist settlers following a report that a blaze earlier this week in a mosque in a Palestinian village on the occupied West Bank was probably the result of arson.

“There have been a number of attacks upon mosques in recent months, as well as violence against Palestinian property and individuals by extremist settlers,” Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry said, voicing deep concern at a fire service report that Tuesday’s blaze in a mosque in Lubban al Sharqiya was probably started deliberately.

“I condemn these attacks. It is vital that the Israeli Government impose the rule of law and that those responsible for such crimes are brought to justice,” he added in a statement.

“Extremists from either side must not be allowed to set the agenda and undermine the vital efforts to renew negotiations.”

Proximity talks, or indirect negotiations, between Israel and the Palestinians are due to begin shortly following a 16-month halt to meetings between the two sides after Israel launched an offensive against Gaza at the end of 2008 with the stated aim of trying to halt rocket attacks against it.

Last week Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak to discuss prospects for progress on the Middle East peace process and he voiced the hope that proximity talks would begin shortly.

News Tracker: past stories on this issue

Israel must freeze settlements, Security Council hears

George Bisharat: Palestinians deserve to be recognised

Palestinians deserve to be recognised

EVERY May 15 since 1948, Palestinians across the globe have marked another anniversary of the Nakba ("catastrophe" in English), the term designating the destruction of Palestinian society attendant with the establishment of Israel. Beginning in late 1947, about 780,000 Palestinian Arabs were forced from their homes and homeland or fled in fear because of a deliberate campaign by Jewish troops of ethnic cleansing. The majority Arab population of Palestine was, by its physical presence and predominant ownership of land, a major obstacle to the foundation of a state with a Jewish majority.

The expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, therefore, was no accident of war. Indeed, close to half of the Palestinians forced or terrorised into exile had fled before Israel declared its independence, and thus before any Arab state intervened in the conflict. A notorious massacre by Jewish troops of Palestinian citizens occurred in Deir Yassin on April 9, 1948, five weeks before Israel was founded.

Expulsions of Palestinians continued even after the 1949 armistice agreements Israel signed with the Arab states. For example, thousands of residents of Majdal, in the south, were forced across the border into the Gaza Strip in the 1950s. The homes, businesses and moveable property of Palestinian refugees were appropriated for Jewish use.

By now, these facts have been meticulously documented by Palestinian, Israeli and unaffiliated scholars. Many of the myths generated by Israel to obscure its culpability for the Palestinian refugee problem have been dispelled.

Yet the Nakba remains shrouded in misunderstanding.

In fact, the Nakba has never ended. What happened more than 60 years ago was only the first and most convulsive phase of a long historical process -- the forced displacement and exclusion of Palestinians in favour of Jewish settlers. The Nakba continues today, only in new and more subtle forms. It is an ongoing, lived experience for many Palestinians, whether they reside in exile, or as citizens of Israel, or as subjects of Israeli military occupation.

How does the Nakba continue for Palestinians in exile? To its credit, the international community quickly recognised that Palestinian refugees, like other victims of ethnic cleansing and wars, enjoyed the rights to return to their homes and communities or to receive compensation and support for resettlement if they so chose. These rights were enshrined in United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 (1948), supported at the time by Australia. Even if there were questions about the provenance of the Palestinian refugee problem, there is no doubt Israel holds the key to resolving it -- and has steadfastly refused to readmit Palestinian refugees for the past 60 years. Their right of return, therefore, continues to be violated on a daily basis.

How has the Nakba continued for Palestinian citizens of Israel? These are the Palestinians who escaped expulsion in 1948, and their offspring, who number approximately 1.2 million persons and constitute about 20 per cent of Israel's current population. Many fled their homes and villages in 1948, but remained within territory ultimately controlled by Israel. These internally displaced Palestinians have also not been permitted to return to their homes, nor have they received meaningful compensation.

Indeed, Palestinian citizens have faced relentless pressure to surrender their remaining land holdings. Israel expropriated Palestinian private properties to "Judaise" the Galilee region in the 1970s, thus isolating and disempowering Palestinian communities. Palestinian protests against the land seizures were suppressed with lethal force that Israel has never employed against Israeli Jews. Today, 80,000 Palestinian Bedouins live in the Naqab (Negev) in roughly 45 villages, some of which pre-date Israel's founding, that are unrecognised by the government, and thus receive no services, and do not even appear on official maps. Instead, a government-sponsored "wine route" is being installed on Palestinian ancestral lands.

The continuation of the Nakba today is most evident in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Hardly a month passes without an announcement of new construction for Jewish use on lands seized via legal shenanigans from Palestinians. Palestinians, meanwhile, are routinely denied building permits, and the unauthorized homes they build are summarily demolished. Israel recently issued military orders that broaden the definition of illegal "infiltration" that would enable it to expel virtually any Palestinian from the West Bank. The violent ethnic cleansing of the past, in other words, is replaced by bureaucratic and administrative ethnic cleansing of the present.

What would it take to bring the 60-plus year Palestinian Nakba to an end? On the one hand, the answer is simple: Israel must begin to treat Palestinians not as obstacles, nor as a "demographic threat", nor as mere afterthoughts to Jewish privilege but as human beings with rights equal to those of Israeli Jews. Their ethnic and religious roots render them no lesser beings than Jews, and their rights to live in peace, security, and dignity in their homeland are just as important as those of their Jewish neighbours. Ending the Nakba requires turning the page on the principle of ethnic privilege and on the domination of one group by another. Implementing equality between the two peoples is the challenge of our age, and one we neglect only at our peril.

George Bisharat is a professor at Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco and writes frequently on law and politics in the Middle East

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

My letter to the Washington Post Regarding Israelis and Palestinians are ready to begin talking -- sort of



RE: Israelis and Palestinians are ready to begin talking -- sort of http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/04/AR2010050404633.html?wpisrc=nl_cuzhead

Dear Editor,

Sovereign Israel's investments in institutionalized bigotry and its ongoing violations of international law and the Palestinians' basic human rights have been creating a cruel situation: Kudos to all who have the strength to remain calm and rational- and compassionate in their pursuit of a just and lasting peace for both Israel and Palestine.

Regarding both Jerusalem and the plight of the Palestinian refugees, for everyone's sake, we need to understand that negotiations must be about how best to respect existing international laws and resolutions- and
The Arab Peace Initiative, including but not limited to "Achievement of a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem to be agreed upon in accordance with U.N. General Assembly Resolution 194."

If "proximity" talks help shape a comprehensive peace deal based on a two state solution in line with international law and UN Resolutions then so be it. Better to work towards progress and a better future for both Israel and Palestine than to wallow endlessly in cynicism and defeat.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

Refugees, Borders & Jerusalem... "The State of Israel, in its present form, directly contravened the previous recommendations of the United Nations"

UN Resolution 194 (11 December 1948)

Article 11: [The General Assembly]
Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live in peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest possible date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the governments or authorities responsible; instructs the Conciliation Commission to facilitate the repatriation, resettlement and economic and social rehabilitation of the refugees and the payment of compensation, and to maintain close relations with the Director of the United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees and, through him, with the appropriate organs and agencies of the United Nations.

Emanating from the conviction of the Arab countries that a military solution to the conflict will not achieve peace or provide security for the parties, the council:

1. Requests Israel to reconsider its policies and declare that a just peace is its strategic option as well.

2. Further calls upon Israel to affirm:

I- Full Israeli withdrawal from all the territories occupied since 1967, including the Syrian Golan Heights, to the June 4, 1967 lines as well as the remaining occupied Lebanese territories in the south of Lebanon.

II- Achievement of a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem to be agreed upon in accordance with U.N. General Assembly Resolution 194.

III- The acceptance of the establishment of a sovereign independent Palestinian state on the Palestinian territories occupied since June 4, 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

3. Consequently, the Arab countries affirm the following:

I- Consider the Arab-Israeli conflict ended, and enter into a peace agreement with Israel, and provide security for all the states of the region.

II- Establish normal relations with Israel in the context of this comprehensive peace.

4. Assures the rejection of all forms of Palestinian patriation which conflict with the special circumstances of the Arab host countries.

5. Calls upon the government of Israel and all Israelis to accept this initiative in order to safeguard the prospects for peace and stop the further shedding of blood, enabling the Arab countries and Israel to live in peace and good neighbourliness and provide future generations with security, stability and prosperity.

6. Invites the international community and all countries and organisations to support this initiative.

7. Requests the chairman of the summit to form a special committee composed of some of its concerned member states and the secretary general of the League of Arab States to pursue the necessary contacts to gain support for this initiative at all levels, particularly from the United Nations, the Security Council, the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the Muslim states and the European Union.

When it Comes to Settlements, It's Never Too Late By Joharah Baker for MIFTAH

http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=22073&CategoryId=13
Date posted: May 05, 2010
By Joharah Baker for MIFTAH

I will not lie. I have quite a few bones to pick with the Palestinian leadership and their method of managing the conflict. However, I am also a fair enough person to admit when someone is doing something right in my opinion. Since last January, Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad has waged a war on settlement products in the Palestinian territories, a war that is in full force today. Fayyad has been photographed burning settlement products in Salfit and calling on Palestinians to boycott all settlement products. Palestinian police and security services have blocked the entry of settlement products to Palestinian markets and a law was signed by President Mahmoud Abbas banning these products in Palestinian areas just last month. Violators face heavy fines or even imprisonment. Cantaloupes, meat, crackers and cookies made in settlement industrial zones in the West Bank have all been swept off Palestinian shelves in a bid to purge the economy of one of its most dangerous ills.

While some critics may say this is too little too late – after all, settlements have been around almost as long as the conflict – I would rather say "better late than never." According to estimates provided by the Ministry of Economy, settlement products account for at least $200 million a year. That's a ton of money poured into what Palestinian officials have called "a cancer."

In any case, it’s a good thing Prime Minister Fayyad finally took charge. The government has yet to outlaw Palestinian labor in settlements given the lack of better alternatives from some workers, but they strongly discourage it, pushing laborers to "find work elsewhere."

Such a move has been a long time coming. Settlements really are a cancer in Palestinian territories and have exhausted the population economically, politically and geographically with the ever-expanding red-roofed houses, roads and infrastructure. Not to mention that settlements built in the West Bank are illegal under international law, something even the United States cannot dismiss completely. So, as Palestinians, the least we can do is boycott these settlements in all ways possible.

Perhaps the leadership headed by Fayyad was encouraged by the Europeans, who have tightened the reins on settlement products entering the EU territory. Settlement products, says the EU, are not made in Israel and are therefore not eligible for preferential access to EU markets along with Palestinian products. The Palestinians, naturally, have taken the restrictions several steps further, banning these products altogether, which will hopefully encourage other parties to realize how harmful settlements are to the Palestinians and to any prospects for peace.

Israel, unsurprisingly, does not see it that way. Amazing how panicky Israel has become over this Palestinian declaration against something already deemed illegal by the rest of the world. "The Palestinian boycott is counterproductive and will only damage peace prospects," opined Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yigal Palmor. "I don't think by concentrating their efforts on boycotts they will achieve any of the political goals, if these still include reaching a peace agreement with Israel."

Furthermore, Israeli officials have said the ban would be "discussed" in the upcoming proximity talks, slated to begin this week. The Knesset's economic affairs committee has proposed several responses to the Palestinian ban, including trying to block the PA joining the World Trade Organization and blocking any EU funding that might go towards helping the settlement ban. Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Israel Shraga Brosh even went as far as saying Israel should close its ports to imports and exports of raw materials and goods from the Palestinian Authority.

"Our port is their oxygen tube and closing it will only hurt them, not us…we will show them that after their slap in the face, we will not turn the other cheek," Brosh said.

This is not all false information. Palestine is heavily dependent economically on Israel and can only conduct trade though Israel's ports and border crossings. Furthermore, until an alternative is offered to the thousands of Palestinians forced to work in the settlements' industrial zones, these jobs are a life line for their families. Israel understands this well and will no doubt exploit this fact to pressure the Palestinians to give up their fight. After all, Israel is all about consolidating the settlement enterprise in the Palestinian territories and it needs the Palestinian economy to stay alive. Besides, perhaps what is more dangerous to Israel is the spotlight that now shines down on its years-long illegal policies. Israel is a master of delving into details rather than addressing the core issues. It is the best way to keep a real solution at bay and buy time to continue usurping more Palestinian land. We all know how negotiations between the two sides usually transpire. They start with the broad guidelines and end up as a cockfight about a few dozen roadblocks, a few million dollars or a few thousand laborers allowed entry into Israel. Rarely are key issues such as Jerusalem, the borders, refugees or settlements discussed in earnest, which is all to Israel's benefit.

Now with the Palestinians officially banning settlement products just as proximity talks are to be launched, Israel is fretting over what kind of publicity this issue will receive. Israel doesn't want to talk seriously about dismantling settlements. That became clear during all the futile years of negotiations behind us. It would rather nip this little Palestinian scheme in the bud before it spins out of control and the illegality of settlements and their damaging repercussions on any prospects of peace are finally exposed in broad daylight.

One thing is for sure. Israel will continue to pressure the Palestinians until they buckle. For once, the Palestinian leadership may actually have an ace in the hole. Let's just hope we don't blink first.

Joharah Baker is a Writer for the Media and Information Department at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). She can be contacted at mid@miftah.org.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Ziad Asali: The sensible Palestinian statehood plan

Anyone seriously interested in achieving a two-state agreement should understand, and welcome, this new diversified and peaceful Palestinian strategy.

Ziad Asali
The Daily Star (Opinion)
April 30, 2010 - 12:00am
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=1143...


Palestinians have recently been developing a peaceful multilevel strategy to achieve their national goals of a negotiated peace agreement with Israel, an end to the occupation, and the creation of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.

In the past, Palestinians relied first exclusively on armed struggle, then on armed struggle mixed with diplomacy, and then strictly on diplomacy disrupted by two uprisings in the Occupied Territories. The present leadership of the Palestinian Authority, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, is committed to preventing any return to violence and to continuing to seek a negotiated peace agreement. However, Palestinians are also adding a series of bottom-up tactics to augment top-down negotiations and diplomacy.

This strategy is being developed in the West Bank, while Hamas continues to cling to the ideology and rhetoric of armed resistance – although there is a clear disconnect between what it says and what it does – with tragic consequences for the people of the Gaza Strip and for the Palestinian national interest.

The most thoroughgoing of the new Palestinian Authority measures is the state- and institution-building program it is pursuing. Palestinians are working to build the institutional, infrastructural, economic and administrative framework of their state in spite of the Israeli occupation, in order to end that occupation. They are taking up the responsibilities of self-government while continuing to insist on their right to self-determination.

Palestinians are also increasingly engaged in nonviolent protest and civil disobedience actions designed to challenge an occupation starkly defined by the separation barrier and settlements that violate Palestinian human and civil rights. For nonviolent protest to be effective, however, it must be genuinely peaceful. It must avoid any hint of violence, including stone throwing, and incitement of any kind. Both serious collective discipline among the protesters and, at times, preventative measures by the Palestinian security forces will be required to maintain a thoroughly nonviolent atmosphere.

The models of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. can represent a powerful tool to peacefully oppose the Israeli occupation, while not opposing Israel itself. This growing nonviolent movement among Palestinians is simultaneously emerging spontaneously from the grassroots and is being encouraged by the Palestinian leadership.

In addition, the Palestinian Authority has initiated steps to try to remove goods manufactured in Israeli settlements from the Palestinian economy and to discourage or prevent Palestinian laborers from working on settlement construction projects. It has also encouraged European and other states to take economic measures against settlement products and companies that supply equipment to elements of the occupation apparatus, such as the separation barrier. All of this is intended to challenge the Israeli occupation by making a distinction between Israel on the one hand and the occupation and the settlements on the other.

Palestinians should avoid counterproductive measures, such as calls for wide-ranging boycotts that target Israel itself, as opposed to its occupation of Palestinian territories.

These three new tactics – state building, nonviolent protests and economic measures – challenging the occupation, are no substitute for diplomacy. The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is a political problem that requires a political solution, one that takes place through a negotiated agreement.

Violence and incitement are not the only pitfalls that need to be avoided. Palestinians should not be tempted by the prospect of a unilateral declaration of independence. And none of these new tactics should be deployed to delegitimize Israel itself, although they should all forcefully challenge the occupation in a peaceful, sustained, constructive and dignified manner.

As Palestinians rightly demand their independence and emphasize that Israel must acknowledge their own deep history and attachment to the land, they should acknowledge the deep Jewish history in and connection to that land as well. While neither side should be expected to renounce its national narrative, the bottom line is that to reach an agreement, both sides must make significant compromises on all major issues, including the future of Jerusalem.

The development by Palestinians of an integrated peaceful strategy for achieving independence is in the interests of all parties, including Israel and the United States. Anyone seriously interested in achieving a two-state agreement should understand, and welcome, this new diversified and peaceful Palestinian strategy.

Why it's a good thing that Palestinians are returning to negotiations with Israel

Ibishblog
The weblog of Hussein Ibish

An Ibishblog reader asks me the following question:

For as long as I have been reading your articles, you have maintained an almost messianic belief in "negotiated settlements; road maps, etc.. etc.." and in the meantime, Israel has continued to colonize, terrorize, violate and punish. My question is: how long will you go on believing (do you really), advocating, and dreaming that your preferred approach will yield any results that any Palestinian (and most any Arab not on some payroll) can accept? Am at a loss to understand. Do you really believe in this endless charade of "negotiations"?

Now this is actually an interesting question: why do I continue to advocate that Palestinians pursue negotiations in spite of the many reasons for suspecting they probably won't achieve anything in the immediate term and may even not ever achieve anything in the long-term? Simply, because there is no other way of ending the conflict and ending the occupation. Either we have negotiations that produce a conflict-ending agreement, or the conflict and the occupation will continue. It really is...READ MORE

Top UN officials stress importance of freedom of information

Top UN officials stress importance of freedom of information
3 May 2010 – Marking the annual World Press Freedom Day, top United Nations officials have called for promoting the universal right to publicly-held information as well as ensuring the safety of all those who work in the media.

“Some journalists risk intimidation, detention and even their lives, simply for exercising their right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas, through any media, and regardless of frontiers,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message for the Day, which is observed worldwide on 3 May.

Last year, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) condemned the killing of 77 journalists.

Mr. Ban noted that these were not high-profile war correspondents, killed in the heat of battle. Most of them worked for small, local publications in peacetime, and were killed for attempting to expose wrongdoing or corruption.

“I condemn these murders and insist that the perpetrators are brought to justice. All Governments have a duty to protect those who work in the media,” he stated.

“Impunity gives the green light to criminals and murderers, and empowers those who have something to hide. Over the long term, it has a corrosive and corrupting effect on society as a whole,” he added.

While welcoming the global trend towards new laws which recognize the universal right to publicly held information, the Secretary-General pointed out that these new laws do not always translate into action.

“Requests for official information are often refused, or delayed, sometimes for years. At times, poor information management is to blame. But all too often, this happens because of a culture of secrecy and a lack of accountability.”

People have a right to information that affects their lives, and States have a duty to provide this information, he stressed, adding that such transparency is essential to good government.

The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, said this year’s theme – freedom of information – included the principle that organizations and governments have a duty to share or provide ready access to information they hold, to anyone who wants it, based on the public’s right to be informed.

“The right to know is central for upholding other basic rights, for furthering transparency, justice and development. Hand-in-hand with the complementary notion of freedom of expression, it underpins democracy,” she stated in her message.

Highlighting some recent advances, she noted that more and more countries are adopting freedom of information legislation, making it easier to scrutinize government actions, and reinforcing public accountability.

In addition, faster and cheaper technology means that more people in the world have ready access to information from outside their immediate environment than ever before.

“Now is the time for us to capitalize on these advances, by strengthening institutions, by providing the necessary training for information professionals, by fostering greater openness within our public sectors and greater awareness among the public,” said Ms. Bokova, calling on governments, civil society, the media and individuals everywhere to join forces with UNESCO in promoting freedom of information.

The agency is celebrating World Press Freedom Day with a two-day global conference of media professionals entitled, “Freedom of Information: the Right to Know,” in Brisbane, Australia.

Also today, the Director-General will present this year’s UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to Mónica González Mujica, a Chilean champion of investigative journalism.

“Throughout her professional life, Mónica González Mujica has shown courage in shining the light on the dark side of Chile,” said the President of the jury, Joe Thloloe, Press Ombudsman of the Press Council of South Africa. “She has embodied the very spirit of the Award. She has been jailed, tortured, hauled before the courts but has remained steadfast.”

The UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue, today urged all countries to ensure the full enjoyment of the freedom of information and the right to know:

“It is imperative that we talk about a ‘right’ wherein ordinary citizens can get information as an entitlement, and not as a favour,” he said in a statement. “Watering down what is now universally regarded as a fundamental right to passive concepts like ‘access’ or ‘freedom’ will blur the focus and dilute the effectiveness of any concerted effort to open up records.”

Meanwhile, the UN human rights office in Nepal is using the occasion of World Press Freedom Day to urge that the perpetrators of killings of journalists in the South Asian nation be brought to justice.

It noted in a news release that it has received reports of at least 28 incidents in the past six months ranging from intimidation to murder affecting journalists, editors and media entrepreneurs. Most incidents have occurred in the Terai region, targeting journalists for reporting wrongdoing or corruption, or simply for not following a particular political line.

Despite repeated calls by journalists, human rights organizations, and the international community, the Government has yet to make a single arrest in relation to any of the incidents.

“Bringing to book those responsible for attacking members of the media requires a genuine, determined effort by the authorities, while those sheltering alleged murderers must be prepared to surrender them,” said Richard Bennett, the Representative in Nepal of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

As a first step, Mr. Bennett suggested that the authorities enforce the existing arrest warrants for those accused in the 2007 murder of journalist Birendra Shah, a correspondent for the Nepalese private radio station NepalFM, the Dristri Weekly and the television station Avenues TV.

The Maoists, who fought a decade-long civil war with the Government before signing a peace accord in 2006, claimed responsibility for the killing.

News Tracker: past stories on this issue

Public right to information essential to good governance, Ban stresses

PEACE AND SECURITY

On eve of nuclear summit, Ban renews call for global nuclear disarmament

From Growing Garden for Palestine: Playing God ... poem by Anne Selden Annab


Playing God

If I were to make a flag today
for a one state Israel/Palestine,
a confederation to stop the conflict
with full and equal rights for all,
I would blend the sky blue of Israel
with the earth green of Islam,
to make each stripe a deep blue green... a teal
like around the eye of the dabbing duck
indigenous to Eurasia...
a tertiary teal
blending primary and secondary colors.

Minority and majority rights
play hopscotch:
Every home
and every child is safe...

Every student ready and able
to learn real science... & art.

I'd add six tips to the central six point star.
One new point in between each old point,
transforming it into a twelve point star... a gear.
Each tip color might be a different hue...
... like a color wheel... a rainbow in the round.

And the flag would be hoisted
to help save the River Jordan
from being sludge

"The only deadly sin I know is cynicism" HLS


poem copyright ©2010 Anne Selden Annab



Why it's a good thing that Palestinians are returning to negotiations with Israel: "I find the reality of the occupation totally unacceptable and even a slim chance to end it is worth pursuing, and also because I have very grave concerns that if the conflict continues, it will further metastasize and morph into a religious conflict led by bearded fanatics on both sides over the will of God and holy places and therefore become much harder to resolve and much more dangerous for Israelis, Palestinians and all of their neighbors, if not the whole world." Hussein Ibish

Ziad Asali: The sensible Palestinian statehood plan


Sunday, May 2, 2010

UNRWA Marks Sixtieth Anniversary of Operations- Six Decades of Service to Palestine Refugees

UNRWA Marks Sixtieth Anniversary of Operations

Six Decades of Service to Palestine Refugees

1 May 2010
UNRWA, Jerusalem

Archive photo of small childSixty years ago today, the first aid workers with the then-fledgling United Nations Relief and Works Agency arrived on the ground to assist some 750,000 Palestine refugees. This anniversary is one to be marked solemnly because the reason for UNRWA’s existence is the continuing absence of a just and lasting solution to the plight of Palestine refugees.

Also, however, it is an occasion to recall UNRWA’s contributions to a better life for Palestine refugees, creating opportunities for self-reliance for millions of them through education, health care, microfinance, social services and camp improvement programmes.

“UNRWA is unique among humanitarian actors in offering services directly to refugees in times of peace and war. Looking back, we are proud of our achievement. Looking forward, our commitment to Palestine refugees will remain steadfast pending a just and lasting solution of their plight. Then there will be no need for UNRWA,” said Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi. “As we pass this important milestone in the history of UNRWA, I salute the commitment and compassion of the Agency’s staff, including those who gave their lives in the cause of serving Palestine refugees.”

In the fields of health care, education, microfinance, social services and camp improvement, UNRWA has broken new ground throughout its 60-year history. In its areas of operation (Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank), UNRWA has seen an eight-fold reduction in infant mortality from the 1960s to the present time, exceeding World Health Organization targets for middle income countries.

Schoolgirl looking along streetIn 1951 the proportion of female pupils in UNRWA schools stood at 26 per cent, but gender equality was achieved in the 1960s and has been maintained ever since. In 1962 UNRWA opened the Ramallah Women’s Training Centre, the first vocational training centre for women in the Arab world, which has equipped thousands of highly qualified women for competitive job markets throughout the world.

UNRWA’s Microfinance Department, created in 1991, has provided services to over 20,000 refugees who have received over 100,000 loans, setting them on the path to self-reliance and prosperity. The Agency’s relief and social services programme, which supports some of the most vulnerable groups in the Middle East, has established 65 women’s centres and 37 community rehabilitation centres, serving women, people with disabilities, the young and the elderly.

Today UNRWA serves up to 4.7 million registered refugees. The majority of its 30,000 staff are teachers, working in schools across the Middle East for some 500,000 students. UNRWA, of course, remains an effective provider of humanitarian and emergency assistance when conflicts erupt, like last year in Gaza. “But with renewed emphasis on better education, on vocational training more tailored to market needs, on microfinance, and on preventive health, UNRWA – more than ever – is an organisation that helps refugees improve their conditions, seize opportunities for prosperity and self-reliance, and above all live in hope and dignity in this turbulent region,” said Grandi.

News
Dancer offers Syria new artistic vision
Video: Bright idea takes Nablus girls to California
Easing of Gaza blockade “drop in the bucket”
Run for refugees supports an “important cause”

Christopher Gunness – 972 (0)54 240 2659
c.gunness@unrwa.org

Sami Mshasha – 972 (0)54 216 8295
s.mshasha@unrwa.org