Wednesday, September 14, 2011

My letter to the IHT RE Jimmy Carter's After the U.N. Vote on Palestine

RE: Jimmy Carter's After the U.N. Vote on Palestine
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/opinion/14iht-edcarter14.html?ref=global

Dear Sir,

Jimmy Carter's spin on the Palestinian refugees right of return which he whittles down to "the right of return of its people to its own lands (with perhaps a token number to Israel)" is off the mark... and so is his assumption that The United States will regain its leadership role in the region.

The refugees right to return is to return to original homes and lands- and it is an inalienable right clearly affirmed by international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The reality of a two state solution to end the Israel/Palestine conflict once and for all will be that many (if not most) Palestinian refugees will wisely decide to resettle in the new Palestinian state rather than be Israeli- but it has to be the refugees' individual choice. The refugees should not be tricked or bullied into relocating and resettlement. Nor should they be forced to remain in refugee camps. The onus really is on Israel to fully respect the Palestinian refugees right of return- and the onus is on Palestine to welcome home all who would rather invest their talents (and taxes) into building and empowering a sovereign Palestinian state. A real state, not a rally cry.

And as far as the United States regaining its leadership role that is impossible with the global information age as our own fourth estate and freedoms which help keep our own democracy honest and on track provides far too much fodder for misguided anti-America activists and hate mongers operating in countries which do not have real freedom of speech and the freedom to flex civic muscle locally.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

"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
"Palestinian refugees must be given the option to exercise their right of return (as well as receive compensation for their losses arising from their dispossession and displacement) though refugees may prefer other options such as: (i) resettlement in third countries, (ii) resettlement in a newly independent Palestine (even though they originate from that part of Palestine which became Israel) or (iii) normalization of their legal status in the host country where they currently reside. What is important is that individual refugees decide for themselves which option they prefer – a decision must not be imposed upon them." http://plodelegation.us/palestine/core-issues/

ATFP Resources on September UN Initiative
The American Task Force on Palestine continues to expand and update its extensive set of news and information resources on a possible Palestinian UN initiative in September, covering Palestinian, pro-Palestinian, Israeli, American, Arab, European and other international perspectives, as well as general news items. This resource list is in chronological order within each category, beginning with the most recent items. This set of resources has been updated daily since it was launched a week ago, and will continue to be updated on a daily basis.

The ATFP resource guide on potential Palestinian September UN initiatives can be accessed here.

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