Happy New Year!

Indian artist Harwinder Singh Gill displays a creation made with 250 small flags of different countries reading "Happy New Year 2012" in Amritsar. Spectacular fireworks burst over Sydney Harbour to ring in the New Year at midnight, kicking off noisy celebrations for billions around the world to mark the end of 2011 YAHOO! World News AFP photo

Palestinians say to seek UN, Arab league talks on settlement

The Palestinian flag is held up in the Arab east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan against Jewish settlement activity in 2010. Palestinian leaders decided on Saturday to seek sessions of the UN Security Council and the Arab League, hoping for action to halt Israeli settlement. (AFP Photo/Ahmad Gharabli)

http://news.yahoo.com/palestinians-seek-un-arab-league-talks-settlement-175557925.html
[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER PALESTINE AND PEACE]

Palestinian leaders decided on Saturday to seek sessions of the UN Security Council and the Arab League, hoping for action to halt Israeli settlement.

A statement by the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation said continued settlement growth in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem was liable "to destroy all chances of a peace process and the two-state solution."

"We shall go to the Security Council to discuss (it)," said the statement, read by PLO Secretary General Yasser Abed Rabbo. "We shall invite the Arab League at the highest level to follow up on this matter.'

It did not say when it hoped the bodies would convene.

The international peacemaking Quartet of the United Nations, the United States, Russia and the European Union has given the parties until January 26 to submit comprehensive proposals on territory and security.

Earlier this month Britain, France, Germany and Portugal led condemnation by Security Council members of increased settlement construction in the occupied territories and growing attacks by settlers on Palestinians.

That enraged Israel, which said the Europeans were in danger of making themselves "irrelevant."

Israeli construction of settlements in east Jerusalem and the West Bank is one of the thorniest issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, scuppering direct negotiations between the sides that began in September 2010 and ground to a halt shortly afterwards when a 10-month Israeli settlement freeze ended...READ MORE

Christmas in Palestine 2011 - families torn apart by Israeli walls, checkpoints and restrictions

"What was supposed to portray Israel as generous and trusting ended up looking more as a joke. Can there even be such a thing as a generous occupier? This occupier was to allow up to 500 Palestinian Christians from the Gaza Strip to travel to the West Bank to see their families and visit holy sites (oh, the generosity). The thing is though, only people under the age of 16 or over the age of 35 would get this permission which in many cases means that if the parents of a family can go, the children can’t and if the children are the right age, the parents aren’t. In the end what was supposed to look like a gesture of goodwill and tolerance became just another example of how Palestinian families are kept apart by walls, checkpoints and restrictions. " Julie Holm

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http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=24261&CategoryId=13
All I Want for Christmas…

Date posted: December 28, 2011

By Julie Holm for MIFTAH

This year I spent my first Christmas away from home, away from my family, snow, Scandinavian Christmas dinners and everything else I usually associate with Christmas. This year I spent Christmas in Bethlehem, not so much for religious reasons as for the fact that this seemed the place to be for the night. For me, Christmas has very little to do with religion and everything to do with people coming together and spending the evening with loved ones. Being away from my family, I truly appreciated the company of my close friends; old and new, Muslims, Christians and atheists alike. They filled my first Christmas in “the Holy Land” with love and joy and laughter, just like every Christmas should be.

Nevertheless, as living in Palestine has taught me, no celebration, however joyous and merry, can escape the realities of the Israeli occupation and Christmas in Bethlehem was no different. A good way to put this into perspective is the fact that if Mary and Joseph had come to Bethlehem this year, instead of some 2000 years ago, they would most likely not have been let into the city. As Bethlehem is surrounded by the wall on three sides, Mary and Joseph would have been stopped at the checkpoint by young, armed Israeli soldiers, their donkey would have been searched thoroughly and their ID papers would have been subject to close inspection. The fact that Mary was pregnant, almost about to give birth, would not have made a difference. Every year Palestinian women are forced to give birth at checkpoints, on their way to the hospital, at the risk of their own health and that of their unborn children. Just imagine the Christmas songs and nativity scenes if Jesus was born at an Israeli checkpoint.

The truth is, however, if Mary and Joseph were alive today chances are they wouldn’t even have started their trip to Bethlehem, knowing that the Israeli restrictions on mobility would prevent them from going very far. A couple of weeks ago, in the spirit of Christmas, Israel announced that they would ease travel restrictions for Palestinian Christians during the holiday. What was supposed to portray Israel as generous and trusting ended up looking more as a joke. Can there even be such a thing as a generous occupier? This occupier was to allow up to 500 Palestinian Christians from the Gaza Strip to travel to the West Bank to see their families and visit holy sites (oh, the generosity). The thing is though, only people under the age of 16 or over the age of 35 would get this permission which in many cases means that if the parents of a family can go, the children can’t and if the children are the right age, the parents aren’t. In the end what was supposed to look like a gesture of goodwill and tolerance became just another example of how Palestinian families are kept apart by walls, checkpoints and restrictions.

On Christmas Eve in Denmark when all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas preparations are over and the family is gathered around Christmas dinner under the lights from the decorated tree, we have an expression which, if literally translated means, “how Christmas peace is settling.” These words are also very relevant when celebrating Christmas in Palestine. The difference, however, is in the double meaning of “settling”. In Palestine, Christmas peace is not “settling” the country but Israel is, with their continued settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

Even though I spent this Christmas in the place where all Christmases are said to have their beginning, I could relate very little to the way I usually spend Christmas. Next year I am wishing for more peace and fewer settlements (if any at all), fewer walls and checkpoints and more families being united over Christmas dinner. It might be a little naïve and cliché but if there is any time of year to wish for more love, tolerance and (true) generosity, Christmas would be it.

A Palestinian boy holds a coffee mug in Gaza City as part of the campaign promoting the Palestinians' bid at the United Nations for statehood recognition, in September 2011. The US State Department said Congress has released $40 million in aid to the Palestinians, part of the nearly $200 million that was frozen over their bid for full UN recognition. (AFP Photo/Mohammed Abed)

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http://news.yahoo.com/us-congress-frees-40-million-palestinians-235656135.html

US Congress frees up $40 million for Palestinians

The US State Department said Congress has released $40 million in aid to the Palestinians, part of the nearly $200 million that was frozen over their bid for full UN recognition.

"We have been working with Congress for some time, because we don't think it's in US national interests to keep this money frozen," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters, saying US diplomats were "gratified" by the move.

The monies, provided through the Economic Support Fund, are targeted for economic and humanitarian support.

"We will continue to work with Congress when they come back in session to secure additional funding for these programs, because we think they're important," Nuland said.

"We think they aid in stability and security and development for the Palestinian people. That's in our interest, it's in their interest and we believe it's also in Israel's interest."

In November, officials said US lawmakers lifted a hold on nearly $200 million in aid to the Palestinians, mainly money for the police force, that had been suspended in response to the Palestinian bid for full UN membership.

However, officials also said lawmakers were maintaining a block on some $192 million in aid for infrastructure projects in the Gaza Strip, ruled by the Islamist movement Hamas, and the Fatah-controlled West Bank.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked Congress in October to preserve the aid to the Palestinian Authority, warning that Hamas militants could otherwise try to fill the void....READ MORE

Israel must choose between settlements and peace

"As Abbas stated in his address to the United Nations: We are facing a “moment of truth.” If the resolution to the conflict the international community seeks is two sovereign, viable and democratic states framed by the 1967 border, we all know what has to be done. If, on the contrary, the goal is to facilitate Israel’s confiscation of as much of Palestinian land as possible and to consolidate Israel’s settlement enterprise, then it would make no sense to waste our people’s trust and patience by participating in such a failed exercise." Xavier Abu Eid, an adviser to the PLO’s Negotiations Affairs Department
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?ID=251178&R=R1

Israel must choose between settlements and peace

By XAVIER ABU EID
12/28/2011 21:53

2011 showed the world that creating positive momentum in support of Palestinian self-determination is possible

The year 2011 showed Palestinians and the rest of the world that creating positive momentum in support of Palestinian self-determination and statehood is possible. After years of trying to make Palestine disappear from the world map, Israel witnessed an unstoppable wave of recognition for the state of Palestine on the 1967 border, with east Jerusalem as its capital.

Today Palestine is a member of UNESCO, and the international community now has a clear mandate to protect our national and cultural heritage in addition to its responsibility and obligation to support Palestinian state-building. This international support for Palestine is an investment in peace that does not contradict the fact that a two-state solution is predicated on negotiations.

On the contrary, it strengthens and preserves the prospects for a two-state solution on the 1967 border ...READ MORE

The last straw for Palestinian Bedouin in Jerusalem's periphery.... Israel's grave breaches of international law

UNRWA

‎"It's quite clear that the plan for mass forcible transfer relates to settlement expansion, which is not just illegal under international law but also condemned by powerful U.N. member states, including some of Israel's closest allies," warned UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness.

The last straw for Bedouin in Jerusalem's periphery? by Jonathan Guyer

mideast.foreignpolicy.com

KHAN AL-AHMAR, WEST BANK-- United Nations officials have issued a warning that the Government of Israel's plans for Palestinian Bedouin communities living in Jerusalem's periphery could constitute "mass forcible transfers" and "grave breaches" of international law. A pending plan in the West Bank threatens to displace Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village of refugees originally from Israel's south, pushed off their indigenous land in the early 1950's. Khan al-Ahmar lies on the side of a major West Bank thoroughfare and is sandwiched between the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumin and Jerusalem. This area is known as E1, an especially controversial 12 km patch of land where East Jerusalem would expand as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

It is impossible for Bedouins living here to obtain building permits from Israeli planning authorities, a situation that is not unique to Khan al-Ahmar. That Israeli officials consider Khan al-Ahmar's local community school, which educates over 70 children from surrounding villages, to be illegally constructed might spell its imminent destruction.

Over tea -- and then coffee -- Id al-Jahalin, Khan al-Ahmar's spokesman, described the perilous nature of day-to-day life in his village. There is neither running water nor electricity from a central grid here, and trash is burned as there is no waste pick-up by Israeli public services. Provocations from neighboring settlers punctuate daily routines in this pastoralist community....READ MORE

My letter to the Washington Post RE We the Palestinians by Maen Rashid Areikat & Fighting Islamophobia with jokes

RE We the Palestinians by Maen Rashid Areikat & Omar Elba, Dean Obeidallah, Negin Farsad, Maysoon Zayid Fighting Islamophobia with jokes (& Religious limits on women roil Israel )

Dear Editor,

A new year is in sight, beginning with a much more positive and productive start in seeing Maen Rashid Areikat's marvelous We the Palestinians as well as the brilliant comedians Omar Elba, Dean Obeidallah, Negin Farsad, Maysoon Zayid Fighting Islamophobia with jokes headlined in the Washington Post.

I hope this helpful trend continues with more and more people willing to use compassion, good humor, good intentions and intelligent tactics to challenge and disarm misinformation and negative stereotypes. Diplomacy can and should win the day, with more and more people worldwide figuring out the vital importance of curbing bigotry and actually ending the Israel/Palestine conflict for everyone's sake.

Focusing in on actively empowering peace with a fully secular two state solution in line with international law and based on full respect for The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights really is the best way forward.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES

"You have two peoples with real legitimacy in this land... and both must recognize it. The zero-sum game has gone on for too long." Forsan Hussein Worldview: A linkage of faiths at YMCA in Jerusalem

"Sherman claims that Palestinian refugees “are denied citizenship of the countries in which they have lived for decades.” This is often the case, but the greatest offender is Israel. The largest group of refugees includes the stateless people living under the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Worse still, Israel has made all the Palestinians of the occupied territories, not just refugees, stateless by simultaneously denying them citizenship and independence..." Hussein Ibish: Sorry, but Palestinians won’t be bribed

"Late Saturday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told a meeting of Christian leaders that he is committed to reaching peace with Israel...."I hope they will come back to their senses and understand that we are seekers of peace, not seekers of war or terrorism," said Abbas, a Muslim like most Palestinians. "The mosque, church and synagogue stand side by side in this Holy Land." " The mosque, church and synagogue stand side by side in this Holy Land.

American Task Force on Palestine President Ziad J. Asali: "The pursuit of peace, independence and reform is not a project for cowards..."

Help Build A Golden Rule Peace for the Holy Land

Growing Gardens for Palestine
"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

Palestine, a history rich and deep By Maen Rashid Areikat

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/palestine-a-history-rich-and-deep/2011/12/21/gIQALJ6GLP_story.html

Palestine, a history rich and deep

By Maen Rashid Areikat, Published: December 27

Maen Rashid Areikat is the Palestine Liberation Organization’s chief representative to the United States.

The issue of Palestinian identity and national history has become a source of controversy, with many Americans making deeply disturbing and alarming statements. As the representative of my people to the United States, I would like to tell you what the Palestinians, as a people, are all about.

We go far back, much further than those doubting our existence can remember. Jericho, my home town, goes as far back as 10,000 B.C., making it the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. We Palestinians also happen to live in a place that many consider important, at the crossroads of three continents and containing a site of holy reverence for more than half of the world’s population. It has been a mixed blessing: Palestine managed to draw the good and the bad from what the world has had to offer. We lived under the rule of a plethora of empires: the Canaanites, Egyptians, Philistines, Israelites, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Crusaders, Mongols, Ottomans and, finally, the British. This has made our region rich in history, culture and heritage. Indeed, if our olive trees could speak — some are centuries old — they would have a lot to say.

This makes us very proud and appreciative of our special place in this world. That is why we are so attached to our land and to our identity. I can’t think of a place that is quite like it. Yes, it is tumultuous, incomprehensible and, at times, very dangerous, but for us it is home. Centuries of rule by an eclectic assortment have taught us that empires come and go but legacies and values remain....READ MORE

Fighting Islamophobia with jokes

“Most people are more open-minded and not that concerned about Muslims,” Obeidallah said. “It’s really the fringe that’s driving that narrative.”
Omar Elba, Dean Obeidallah, Negin Farsad, Maysoon Zayid.

Fighting Islamophobia with jokes

VIDEO | In an era of increased suspicion of Muslim Americans, four comedians take their show on the road through the South to help dispel rumors.

• Muslim American comics stand up for tolerance

First, the good news: Bad news does not define the human race.... The State of the World (It's better than you think!)

This is the lead article in a package of stories for the Dec. 26th weekly edition of The Christian Science Monitor. Photo illustration by John Kehe & Ann Hermes/Staff

First, the good news: Bad news does not define the human race.

Yes, awful things happen in the world. Somewhere militias are settling political scores with AK-47s. Somewhere a tyrant is compiling a list of dissidents to arrest. Somewhere – too many somewheres – children don't get the food and health care they need, and their mothers remain oppressed as the property of men.

But here's something you'd never guess from watching cable news: There is progress in mankind's affairs as well. Consider these indications...READ MORE

Ibtisam Barakat 2011: The mystery of life is beautiful . .

Author Ibtisam Barakat - Palestine الأديبَة إبتسَام بَركات
Happy new December to all. The mystery of life is beautiful . . in ways people cannot understand . . I think it is meant to be seen as a mystery, as poetry, not as a shopping list and things that one understands . . . Have fun noticing the beauty in life..
-- Ibtisam Barakat 2011

To Uplift.... Abdu'l-Bahá (1844-1921)

Charter for Compassion
"May you become as the waves of one sea, stars of the same heaven, fruits adorning the same tree, roses of one garden in order that through you the oneness of humanity may establish its temple in the world of mankind, for you are the ones who are called to uplift the cause of unity among the nations of the earth." -`Abdu'l-Bahá (1844-1921)

Hussein Ibish: Sorry, but Palestinians won’t be bribed

"Sherman claims that Palestinian refugees “are denied citizenship of the countries in which they have lived for decades.” This is often the case, but the greatest offender is Israel. The largest group of refugees includes the stateless people living under the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Worse still, Israel has made all the Palestinians of the occupied territories, not just refugees, stateless by simultaneously denying them citizenship and independence..."

http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=346508&MID=0&PID=0

Sorry, but Palestinians won’t be bribed

Hussein Ibish, December 27, 2011

"...It is not only reasonable for everyone to be frustrated at the lack of progress in the moribund “peace process,” it is unreasonable for anyone not to be. But to allow such frustrations to degenerate into childish daydreams that essentially outline the political elimination of the national rival, or delusional fantasies this can be achieved by financial pressures, is the height of irresponsibility.

Ultimately, the only plausible alternative to conflict remains two states, no matter how unattainable irresponsible policies and rhetoric have made that only truly workable solution seem." Hussein Ibish

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Palestine Celebrating Hope

Come on World, it can’t Get Clearer Than This by Joharah Baker for MIFTAH

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http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=24252&CategoryId=3Come on World, it can’t Get Clearer Than This

Date posted: 26/12/2011

By: Joharah Baker for MIFTAH

If it were not so tragic, our situation would actually be funny. Someone like Jon Stewart could have a ball with the Israelis (and he does at times). Just imagine a show dedicated to Israel’s statements about peace. If it were not so unfortunate, it would be a laughing riot.

Take Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We have all known that the internal Palestinian split suited Israel just fine. It gave them an excuse to further vilify Hamas and more importantly, to say that they could not negotiate with President Mahmoud Abbas because he did not represent all of his people. "If Hamas joins the Palestinian government we will not hold negotiations with the Palestinian Authority," Netanyahu said yesterday.

So, the Palestinians battled their own demons and those thrown at them by Israel and the international community, which chided them for not working hard enough for peace, for not getting their own house in order and for not being resilient enough to sit back at the negotiating table.

Well, here’s some news. The Palestinians are getting themselves together again, finally. Turns out, Israel is not liking this at all. We are damned if we do and damned if we don’t apparently. If we’re split, no negotiations, and if we’re united, no negotiations again.

And if anyone thinks Netanyahu doesn’t mince his words, they haven’t met his foreign minister, Mr. Avigdor Lieberman. He says peace is “unachievable” anyway, so why bother. The most this Russian immigrant will give us is a possible formula to “manage the conflict” rather than solve it.

At the risk of being misunderstood, most of us Palestinians agree with him at least on principle. Peace certainly is not achievable with the likes of these two. Lieberman says settlements are neither illegal nor are they an obstacle to peace. He does live in one, so his stance is understandable.

So, what is the world waiting for? The Palestinians have accepted negotiations, which ultimately led to nowhere. The leadership has made concessions, which at times have landed them in hot water with their own people, all for the sake of peace. They have accepted western standards for peace in a Middle Eastern world and have accepted them without complaint. They have convinced their people that for the sake of preserving any of Palestine we would have to accept only a portion of it.

No doubt, they have made mistakes along the way, armfuls of them. But all said and done, they have played by the game fair and square.

Alas, for Israel, nothing is ever enough. President Abbas has been subject to a slander campaign in the Israeli media. Israeli officials slammed him for meeting with freed Palestinian prisoners exiled to Turkey and say he is showing his “true colors” by reconciling with Hamas. Oh, and by the way, turns out Abbas has been the “greatest obstacle to peace” all along.

So, the question remains, how much more does Israel have to say and do to prove it is not interested in a peaceful solution to the conflict? We Palestinians will continue with our struggle regardless of Israel’s intransigence and the international community’s lack of political will to change the status quo because a free Palestine is our ultimate goal. But nonetheless, it would be nice to see these powers-that-be [the US and Europe mostly] call Israel out on their obvious lack of good intentions and then follow their words with actions. If we’re lucky, Israel will force their hand with their ridiculous positions. Hence, it is our final hope that 2012 will be the year that Israel pushes its “friends” just a little too far.

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.

MIFTAH VISION

An independent, democratic and sovereign Palestinian state, which grants Palestinians their basic rights, preserves their dignity, and enjoys international recognition and respect.

MISSION

Established in Jerusalem in December 1998, with Hanan Ashrawi as its Secretary-General, MIFTAH seeks to promote the principles of democracy and good governance within various components of Palestinian society; it further seeks to engage local and international public opinion and official circles on the Palestinian cause. To that end, MIFTAH adopts the mechanisms of an active and in-depth dialogue, the free flow of information and ideas, as well as local and international networking.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

1. To disseminate the Palestinian narrative and discourse globally to both official and popular bodies and decision-makers
2. To empower effective leadership within all components of Palestinian society in order to enhance democracy and good governance and raise public awareness concerning the rights and responsibilities of good citizenship
3. To influence policy and legislation to ensure their safeguarding of civil and social rights for all sectors and their adherence to principles of good governance
4. To bolster MIFTAH's capacity and its capability to achieve its objectives and mission efficiently and effectively

Maan News In photos: Bethlehem celebrates Christmas

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=447656

Palestinian Authority officials say attendance at the annual Christmas eve tradition was the highest in decades. The Israeli army estimated that 100,000 visitors entered the city.

"The mosque, church and synagogue stand side by side in this Holy Land."

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal leads the Christmas midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem early Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammedl)

Most visitors entering Bethlehem, including the top Roman Catholic official in the Holy Land, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal, had to cross through an Israeli-controlled checkpoint to reach the town on Christmas Eve.

Twal, a Palestinian citizen of Jordan, celebrated Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity. In his homily, he referred to the Arab Spring, imploring Arab leaders to have "wisdom, insight and a spirit of selflessness toward their countrymen" and praying for reconciliation in Syria, Egypt, Iraq and North Africa.

He also noted the Palestinian campaign to join the United Nations, and complained that the U.N. was "less than united" in its support for the now-stalled initiative. With peace talks at a standstill, the Palestinians are seeking membership as a state in the United Nations and recently gained admission to UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency.

The patriarch criticized the international community for pushing the Palestinians to "re-engage in a failed peace process" which has "left a bitter taste of broken promises and of mistrust."

The Palestinians have subtly tried to draw attention to their plight with this year's Christmas slogan, "Palestine celebrating hope," a veiled reference to U.N. recognition bid.

Late Saturday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told a meeting of Christian leaders that he is committed to reaching peace with Israel.

"I hope they will come back to their senses and understand that we are seekers of peace, not seekers of war or terrorism," said Abbas, a Muslim like most Palestinians. "The mosque, church and synagogue stand side by side in this Holy Land."

http://news.yahoo.com/bethlehem-christmas-joyful-crowded-rainy-145225489.html

Bethlehem Christmas joyful, crowded, rainy

By DALIA NAMMARI | AP

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Worldview: A linkage of faiths at YMCA in Jerusalem

"You have two peoples with real legitimacy in this land... and both must recognize it. The zero-sum game has gone on for too long." Forsan HusseinThe Jerusalem International YMCA. Its tower looks down on the Old City.

Founded in a bookstore near the Old City in 1878, the YMCA was shut down by the Turks during World War I and later reopened by the British. It moved several times before construction of the current building began in the 1920s after a $1 million Christmas donation from James Jarvie of Montclair, N.J., who was inspired by plans to make the institution a center for people of all faiths.

Designed by Arthur Loomis Harmon, architect of the Empire State Building, the neo-Byzantine-style stone complex is covered with decorative elements that represent the three monotheistic faiths. The phenomenal carillon bells in the tower are played by a Jewish Israeli professor and a Mormon American.

When the building was dedicated in 1933 by British Gen. Edmund Lord Allenby, he had these words inscribed on the front in Hebrew, Arabic, and English: "Here is a place whose atmosphere is peace, where political and religious jealousies can be forgotten . . . " (For more on the building, visit www.jerusalemymca.org.)

Worldview: A linkage of faiths at YMCA in Jerusalem

This was a bleak year for anyone who dreams of Middle East peace or Arab-Jewish coexistence. So, on Christmas Day, I'd like to write about an institution in Jerusalem that brings Christians, Jews, and Muslims together, and about its director, who has bridged divides that seem insurmountable. »Read story

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