The demonstrations were watched by Israeli soldiers who confirmed that no arrests were made.
Ma'an News Agency
As the debate intensifies over the bid for recognition at the UN of a Palestinian state, questions are being raised about UNRWA, the UN agency mandated to bring education, health, relief and social services to as many as five million refugees pending a resolution of their plight. What will the future hold for refugees following the statehood discussions? And what about the continuation of services provided to refugees? For answers, Ma’an turned to the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Filippo Grandi.
Ma’an: How does the Palestinian bid for recognition and full UN membership affect UNRWA and the plight of the refugees registered with your Agency?
Grandi: The aspiration for Palestinian statehood, an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and a just and durable solution to the plight of Palestine refugees are distinct objectives, albeit closely related. A bid for statehood does not in and of itself address the plight of the refugees. We have long advocated that refugees’ legitimate rights and aspirations should be addressed and accommodated in the context of discussions between political actors, including the parties – discussions that must be based on international law and UN resolutions, and reflect the informed views and choices of the refugees. There is no doubt in my mind that there can be no just and durable peace in the Middle East unless some five million refugees are brought out of their 63-year state of dispossession and exile. Here we come to a broad range of rights, which we continue to say must be addressed by the parties and in discussion with the refugees. UNRWA does not make specific recommendations about how these rights are to be achieved, but we do say that those rights must be realised. This is in complete conformity with international law and refugee practice. So, as the statehood debate intensifies, I would encourage all concerned to bear Palestine refugees in mind and to remember that the refugees will play a key role in a political order based on two States living side by side in peace and dignity, and in a comprehensive and just solution to the conflict negotiated by the parties.
Ma’an: There has been much debate about UNRWA’s work, the possibility the Agency is reducing services, particularly its emergency programmes. Do you accept that the statehood debate has increased the fears and concerns of the refugees?
Grandi: You are right. I am acutely aware that the statehood debate has generated fresh anxiety among refugees regarding the future. Allow me to go some way to allaying those fears. By the same token that the statehood debate does not in and of itself deal with the question of the refugees, the need for UNRWA’s work also remains paramount and so does the imperative to ensure that our programmes are fully funded, whatever the outcome of the coming months. UNRWA will continue with its mandated services and programmes until such time that there is a just and durable solution for the refugees. Our core services in education, health, relief and social services will continue in earnest and I remain a positive and passionate advocate for this. Everyone including the donors is aware of this. On our emergency programmes, the need for which continues as the humanitarian needs of refugees persist, we are stepping up our fundraising efforts. I am renewing an appeal this week for substantial funds. As of today, we are asking our donors for US$ 36 million for our emergency work in Gaza. Of that US$ 36 million – US$ 11 million is for creating temporary employment, US$ 16 million for food assistance, US$ 6 million is for school feeding and US$ 3 million will be spent on community mental health. We have already approached some major donors with this new appeal and I will do everything in my power to make sure that these programmes are funded. I am aware that our emergency work in Gaza is facing a critical situation and all of our donors and other stakeholders are aware that this situation is unsustainable and needs to be dealt with immediately and as an urgent priority.
Ma’an: If the statehood bid fails, are you concerned that there will be an increase in violence, that the facts on the ground will change and that Palestinians will lose faith in the peace process and return to other means to achieve their goals?
Grandi: I have to say that the threat of Palestinians and Israelis being killed and injured in more violence has to be worrying to someone like me who is committed to humanitarian principles, the upholding of international law and the ideals of non-violent change. Whatever the outcome of the statehood bid, I would like to extend heartfelt appeals at three levels.
First, I appeal to all parties and concerned actors to exercise the utmost restraint in their reactions and to refrain from threats and acts of violence of any kind, bearing in mind that the Palestinian people – refugees and non-refugees alike – have had enough of armed conflict, political confrontations, human rights violations and suffering.
Second, all concerned must recognise that the statehood bid and its outcomes must not distract from addressing the pressing issues of rights, freedoms and liberties that remain outstanding, particularly in the occupied Palestinian territory. The occupation itself must be addressed, and with it settler violence, settlement expansion, demolitions and displacements in the West Bank, and the Gaza blockade, which the International Committee of the Red Cross has described as a clear violation of international humanitarian law. For many years, UNRWA’s advocacy against these violations has been consistent and determined and we will not flag in our efforts in this regard.
Third, the parties and the international community must renew with greater urgency the search for a negotiated solution to the conflict, one which comprehensively addresses all outstanding issues, including the refugee issue, in a manner consistent with UN resolutions and international law. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is as complex and intractable as any the world has known. Yet solutions would be possible if political actors were to engage the issues and fulfill their obligations in principled, courageous and compassionate ways. The outcomes from the statehood bid will leave intact the obligations of the parties and the responsibility of the international community to continue pressing for a fair and just solution to the conflict. I believe that the legendary fortitude of the Palestinian people and their refusal to be daunted by overwhelming odds will carry them through the coming months and enable them to derive positive outcomes regardless. Rest assured that UNRWA, on its part, will remain steadfast in its commitment to serve the humanitarian and human development needs of Palestine refugees until a just and lasting solution is found to their plight.
UNRWA photo archive
"If Israel is to be a pluralistic society, and the 20% of Israeli citizens who are not Jewish are to be treated as Israeli citizens, it's natural that a Palestinian state should treat Jews as Palestinian citizens," Ibish said."
Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas has said, 'We have exhausted all opportunities so we have to go to the UN.' Photograph: Joshua Lott/ReutersThe Guardian and the Forward have brought together two experts, Hussein Ibish and Yossi Klein Halevi, to take part in an online Q&A to answer your questions about what may prove a game-changing development in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They will be responding in real time on Thursday 15 September, 3-4pm [BST; 10-11am EST].
Ibish is a senior fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine, a frequent contributor to US newspapers and magazines, and author of What's Wrong with the One-State Agenda? Why Ending the Occupation and Peace with Israel is Still the Palestinian National Goal. Halevi is an Israeli writer, who is a fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute and Israel correspondent for the New Republic.
Mohammed Hassan al-Atrash is unconvinced of the merit of the Palestinian push for UN recognition of statehood. Photograph: David Levene"I am a simple man," he says, leaning on his sturdy walking stick. "I don't know about politics. But from my life experience, I don't think we will gain anything. What is left, after the settlements, the military zones, the wall, the bypass roads? You think you can build a state on a few scattered villages?
"If the UN is supportive of the Palestinians, they should stop Israel from doing all this. Talk is easy. What's important is what is happening on the ground."
It is a view shared by many Palestinians. As world leaders engage in frantic last-minute diplomacy in an attempt to avoid a damaging car crash of competing interests in New York, Palestinians shrug and get on with lives governed by checkpoints, permits, house demolitions, land confiscation and harassment from Jewish settlers. A vote at the UN, they say, will not end Israel's occupation.
The story of Atrash, 68, and his village, al-Walaja, which perches on terraced hills between the ancient cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, is the history of the Palestinian people over more than six decades....READ MORE
Zochrot ("Remembering") seeks to raise public awareness of the Palestinian Nakba, especially among Jews in Israel, who bear a special responsibility to remember and amend the legacy of 1948. The principal victims of the Nakba were the Palestinians, especially the refugees, who lost their entire world. But Jews in Israel also pay a price for their conquest of the land in 1948, living in constant fear and without hope. "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 InitiativeThe 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.
WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama said on Monday that a Palestinian bid for recognition next week at the United Nations was a "distraction" and would not result in viable statehood.
In a roundtable with Hispanic journalists, Obama also said that Israel would "hurt itself" if it retaliated to any such action by withdrawing resources that in any way harmed Palestinian self-policing efforts.
The United States has already threatened to veto any bid for full recognition by the Palestinians in the UN Security Council, a step that is expected at the UN General Assembly next week in New York.
Obama said the Palestinian tactics were "a distraction" and did not solve the problem of statehood....READ MORE
In just over a week’s time, the Palestinians will have made their request to the United Nations to recognize them as a state. Part of this bid is to guarantee that international law is applied to the Palestinians, including laws that guarantee the right of refugees to return to their homes or be compensated for the years of exile and loss of property.
Also, before week’s end, the Palestinians will commemorate an event not entirely disconnected with their UN move. Actually, it is very relevant and is the perfect example of why refugees must not be forgotten. Sabra and Shatilla, the two Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon that were the scene of one of the most horrific massacres in Palestinian history, will be remembered and honored by us all, followed by that harrowing vow of “never again.”
Between September 16 and 18, some 800 to 2,000 people were estimated to have been murdered in the camps by Lebanese Phalangist forces in a 62-hour rampage of rape, murder and terror under the watchful eye and directives of the occupying Israeli army. Dozens of Palestinian men were never accounted for after being taken away and never seen again.
That was in 1982, almost 30 years ago, but the events that eventually created what is commonly known as the Palestinian refugee problem are still in place today, just as unresolved as they were in the days following Israel’s creation in 1948. Back then the 800,000 or so Palestinians who fled their homes eventually settled in camps inside the West Bank, Jordan Syria and Lebanon. Sabra and Shatilla are just two of hundreds.
However, it is difficult not to single these two out because of the horrific events that transpired all those years ago. The details of cold-blooded murder, rape, executions of babies and the elderly are too stark of images to let pass into oblivion. For Palestinians, it is impossible.
The fact that the massacres even happened stems from the vulnerability of the refugees’ status, both in Lebanon and within the perimeters of world citizenry. They were expelled from their homes, thus losing residency in their rightful country, they were not welcomed in their host countries, which did not grant them citizenship and they were perceived overall as a burden to the international community, which did not know how – or perhaps did not want – to solve their predicament at all.
And so, in Israel’s eyes, they were expendable and the world, it was sure, would do little more than slap its hand in reprimand. Unfortunately, Israel was right. Although then Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon was found to be “indirectly responsible” for the slaughter and consequently resigned, the camps were left to heal their own wounds – not only those terrible gaping injuries left by death and mutilation but by the drawn out wound of abandonment. The victims were never honored, the Phalangists and Israelis never made to pay a cost for their atrocities and the Palestinian refugee issue was no closer to resolution than it was before.
That is why today, as the Palestinians prepare to make their case before the world’s nations – many of whom have been complicit in keeping the refugee problem unresolved – it is unthinkable that the right of return be disregarded.
The refugees have every right to return, to be compensated for the injustices rained down upon them since 1948 and to be allowed a life of freedom and dignity. Sabra and Shatilla will always remain a stark reminder that the world failed the Palestinians. It is too late for those whose lives were lost 30 years ago. For the living, however, there is never a wrong time to make things right.
Joharah Baker is Director of 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.
RE: An Israeli Case for a Palestinian State By Yossi Alpher"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/
I am at southside mall just before the big day in December of 2001, my rust-spotted RAV-4 parked in front of Goodwill, when my favorite holiday music starts up over the loudspeaker. "Greensleeves" always brings to mind the first time I heard it. Bagpipes and drums had awakened me in my hotel on my very first trip to London. When I looked out the window, below me marched a small parade of men wearing kilts, and I later learned the tune they played was a somber "Greensleeves."
Today it reminds me that, besides new Christmas tree lights, I could use luggage for my upcoming sixth trip to London, this time with the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. A Travelpro wheelie is my choice, and the likelihood of finding it in Goodwill is extremely remote, but the music lures me into the store. A plethora of tiny white bulbs awaits me, so that in less than five minutes I am heading for the jumbled pile of suitcases kept in the back of the store.
As I approach travel gear of all sizes and shapes, the latest Harpers Bazaar protruding from the magazine pocket of a roll-aboard catches my eye. I bend down to inspect the suitcase, and to my amazement there is the Eiffel Tower logo, assuring my disbelieving eyes that this is indeed a Travelpro, and it is outwardly pristine. The handle pulls out easily, the zippers work. There is a strap for hooking on my carry-on bag. Inside one of the smaller pockets my fingers touch objects left behind....READ MORE
Reuters photo/John Kehe illustrationThe terrorist attacks have become this generation's Pearl Harbor – an epic event that has changed young peoples' view of the world and America's place in it.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2011/0909/How-9-11-has-shaped-a-generation-of-Americans
U.S. Muslims in Pasadena on Sept. 13, 2001 sing "God Bless America" at an interfaith memorial service for victims of the 9/11 attacks. (Lucy Nicholson / AFP) (LUCY NICHOLSON, AFP / September 11, 2011)
Good morning, Tomorrow, on the tenth anniversary of the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, we will mourn the innocent lives lost, honor the heroic first responders who rushed to the scene, and pay tribute to our troops and military families who have served over the past ten years to keep us safe and strong.
But, I also hope you'll remember how the worst terrorist attack in American history brought out the best in the American people. From giving blood, volunteering time, and donating clothing, food and money, in the weeks and months after the attacks, we were united as a nation, everyone doing their part to lend a hand and help the country move forward together.
With just a small act of service, or a simple act of kindness towards others, you can both honor those we lost and those who serve us still, and help us recapture the spirit of generosity and compassion that followed 9/11.September 11th has been designated as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Americans across the country will come together to honor the victims of 9/11 and to reaffirm the strength of our nation with acts of service and charity. In Minneapolis, volunteers will help restore a community center, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, members of the community are building new homes for deserving families, and once again, Michelle and I will be joining a local service project as well.
There are so many ways to get involved, and every American can do something. You can join me in participating in the National Day of Service by finding a service opportunity in your area on Serve.gov.
A decade ago, our fellow citizens and first responders rushed up stairwells, into flames, and into that cockpit and gave their lives to save others. In the decade since, a new generation -- our military personnel, intelligence officers, and law enforcement -- has stepped forward to serve our country and keep us safe.
This weekend, I encourage all Americans to remember not only the innocent lives we lost on that day, but to remember the ordinary goodness and patriotism of the American people and the spirit of unity that brought us together during the days and weeks after the attacks of September 11th.
Sincerely,
Cairo (CNN) -- An angry crowd lingering near the Israeli embassy in Cairo after an attack on the building a day earlier turned on journalists reporting the incident Saturday, accusing at least one of being an Israeli spy.
As a CNN crew filmed the embassy from across the street, another crew from American public television -- led by Egyptian television producer Dina Amer -- approached the building.
The crew's Russian cameraman was preparing to film the embassy when a woman in the crowd began hurling insults at the TV team, Amer said.
"There was this older lady who decided to follow me and rally people against me," Amer recalled.
"She said 'you're a spy working with the Americans.' Then they swarmed me and I was a target."
A growing crowd surrounded Amer and her colleagues, as they tried to leave the scene.
Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, a producer working for CNN, rushed to help escort Amer through the angry crowd. But suddenly the two reporters were pinned against the railing of an overpass by young men who were accusing Amer of being an Israeli spy.
Yelling "I'm Egyptian," Fahmy managed to pull Amer another 10 meters down the road, until the pressure from the mob overwhelmed the pair.
Amer screamed as she and Fahmy were knocked to the ground and the crowd started to trample them....READ MORE
“The beginning of their relationship was good — auspicious, actually,” said Ziad J. Asali, the president of the American Task Force on Palestine. “But then decisions, mistakes and reality changed the relationship.”"
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/10/world/middleeast/10memo.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
White House Memo: Obama and Abbas: From Speed Dial to Not Talking
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