My letter to the WSJ RE The Time for a Palestinian State Is Now by Maen Areikat

RE: The Time for a Palestinian State Is Now by Maen Areikat
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303830204577448343969347360.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
http://www.americantaskforce.org/daily_news_article/2012/06/08/time_palestinian_state_now

Dear Editor,

I quite agree with Maen Areikat that The Time for a Palestinian State Is Now and I very much hope that any one involved in weighing in on the conflict, or funding and fueling it in any way, steps up to do what they can to help convince friends and family and colleagues to do whatever one can to contribute serious positive momentum towards the creation of a just and lasting peace for both Israel and for Palestine- for everyone's sake.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
 
 NOTES
"Palestinian options are significantly limited: Israel, as the occupying power, holds almost all the cards." Hussein Ibish

"After almost a half century of an occupation and settlement enterprise that shows no sign of ending – quite the opposite, settlements become more entrenched by the day – many would argue there already is an apartheid regime in place in the territories under Israeli control between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea." Hanan Ashrawi

"We're very clear that continued Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank undermines peace efforts and contradicts Israeli commitments and obligations."  State Department spokesperson, Mark Toner

"We must work together to build a future in which both peoples can enjoy the rights, responsibilities and dignity of citizenship and self-determination. There is only one way to actually accomplish this: ending the occupation and creating a Palestinian state to live alongside Israel. Palestinians must recognise and accept Israel, which is a legitimate member state of the United Nations. The Palestinians must have one place on earth, the territories occupied in 1967, where they can live freely as first class citizens in their own independent state. There is no other way to end the cycle of bloodshed, pain and hatred that has lasted for so long." Ziad J Asali


"The variety and distribution of plants and animals on Earth – and, for many species, prospects for survival – may be nearing an abrupt, fundamental change because of human activity, warns an international team of ecologists and biologists. Unless humanity deals with the underlying causes that could be pushing Earth's biosphere toward such a change, the results could lead to social and economic instability, write the researchers in a study unveiled Wednesday in the journal Nature. The underlying triggers that the researchers say could lead to a global ecological tipping point have a familiar ring: population growth and the resulting thirst for resources, with their effects on land use, climate, and habitats." Report: Humans near tipping point that could dramatically change Earth

The Arab Peace Initiative requests Israel to reconsider its policies and declare that a just peace is its strategic option as well