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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Ziad J. Asali urges voices of reason to rise to forestall the spread of wild fire across the region after Israeli forces raid AQU campus

"While the politicians on all sides escalate rhetoric and fail to restrain belligerent actions in order to score political points, I urge voices of reason to rise to forestall the spread of wild fire across the region." Ziad J. Asali

Israeli forces raided AQU campus and prevented the University educational TV from Broadcasting

Dear Friends,

We have received the message below from Al-Quds University and I am forwarding it to all those who are interested in resolving this conflict with simple questions: What does this mean? What message does it send? Are such Israeli actions leaving any room for the quest for peace and for those who seek dialogue and compromise? Should the campus of Al-Quds University expect thuggish smashing in lieu of search warrants?

Coming at the heels of killings at crossings and shooting at demonstrations at a time of great political agitation, economic hardship and escalating rhetoric, this is an ominous development. I am calling for a policy of maximal restraint and cooling down.

Statesmen in the Middle East are in short supply and the whole region is reminiscent of the time in Europe when a single shot triggered WW1. While the politicians on all sides escalate rhetoric and fail to restrain belligerent actions in order to score political points, I urge voices of reason to rise to forestall the spread of wild fire across the region.

I send this as I convey my greetings to my friends Sari and Lucy Nusseibeh, with great admiration for their courage and unmatched achievements at Al-Quds University.

Ziad J. Asali, M.D.
President, American Task Force on Palestine


From: Rula B. Jadallah, Manager, Public Relations & Cultural Affairs, Al-Quds University

In the early hours of this morning, two fully armored vehicles carrying a dozen Israeli occupation soldiers broke into the campus of the Institute of Modern Media, a part of Al Quds University which houses the department of media studies and Al Quds Educational TV Station (AQTV), damaging and seizing equipment, including the television transmitter. The raid apparently included plain-clothes Shin Bet forces. Classes were suspended today as students demonstrated outside the campus, and the University attempted to assess the damage.

At 3.30 this morning, two Israeli jeeps pulled up outside the campus. When the (lone) University guard did not open the gate, Israeli occupation forces entered a site next door and breached it to access the campus. The guard was polite and offered them tea or coffee, but they threatened him with arrest if he did not fully cooperate, confiscated his ID card and demanded to be shown the room with the transmitter. They searched the station and broke down a door to which the guard did not have the key (as the room is used by a local internet company) and tore out the internet cables. Eventually, they reached the room with the transmitter and seized it.

Al Quds University condemns in the strongest terms, and calls on the international community to join in its condemnation of this – and previous – unprovoked and unjustified invasions of Al-Quds University campuses and the illegal seizure of University property and harassment of University personnel. It is a blatant violation of the Oslo peace accords between the Palestinians and the Israelis, as the campus is located in Area A. It is an unacceptable military invasion of a university campus, and it takes direct aim at two basic freedoms, the freedom of the press and the freedom or right to education.

AQTV, established in 1996, is aimed at promoting well-being in Palestinian society. Many of its programmes are specifically educational, focusing on children, such as “sharea simsim”(Sesame Street) produced in conjunction with Sesame Workshop in New York. The TV also broadcasts lectures from the university and makes films on public awareness programmes on behalf of civil society working closely, for example, with the PA Ministry of Health on anti-anti-smoking campaigns, for instance, and the PA Ministry of Social Affairs. The Institute of Modern Media is also supported by USAID, which recently funded a state-of-the art multimedia lab at the campus that was attacked.

Lucy Nusseibeh, Director of the IMM at Al Quds University said: “We are in shock, and this is a rude awakening for all of our students as we teach them about the importance of the freedom of expression, and about what it means to be under a military occupation, even in Ramallah. We are an educational institution and this military raid is entirely unacceptable. Al Quds Educational Television is fully licensed by the Palestinian Ministry of Telecommunications, and frankly, even if the Israeli army did want our transmitter, there was absolutely no need to attack the university campus in the dead of night and start smashing down doors , or intimidate our poor security guard. We would like to thank everyone for reaching out to support us in this difficult time.”

Rula B. Jadallah
Manager, Public Relations & Cultural Affairs
AQU Abu Dis campus- Jerusalem

********************


American Task Force on Palestine.

1634 Eye St NW
Suite 725
Washington, DC 20006
United States - 202-887-0177 - info@atfp.net

ATFP Hosts Washington Dinner for Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land

... Wrapping up the evening, ATFP President Ziad J. Asali noted how refreshing it was to hear religious leaders expressing in harmony a moral voice raised in defense of moderation and peace rather than conflict. This powerful moral message can be used to shape "A Different Future," the name of the organization that Dr. Wexler founded which is presently studying Palestinian and Israeli textbooks. This is an example of the role this moral voice can play in promoting peace and reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinians, Dr. Asali noted.
Press Release February 29, 2012

My letter to the Boston Globe RE "A United, Democratic Nation with Equal Rights for All" by Diana Buttu

RE: A United, Democratic Nation with Equal Rights for All by Diana Buttu
http://bostonglobe.com/opinion/2012/02/29/united-democratic-nation-with-equal-rights-for-all/ZQ5PLdMI9LBJSMHCHq6Y4N/story.html

Dear Editor,

Diana Buttu certainly does have good intentions, and she is absolutely correct to be quite concerned about ethno-religious privilege vs true equality, but she is looking in the wrong direction for what will actually help peace and Palestine the most: Far too many fiercely pro-Palestine activists like Buttu make a huge and very dangerous mistake in neglecting to factor in how very much Islamists and militants have already sabotaged Palestine, the state building efforts, and the diplomatic efforts (including grass roots support) necessary to build world wide support for a just and lasting peace with a fully secular two state solution to once and for all end the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The best way forward is to understand the vital importance of establishing two fully secular states with real freedom, true democracy and full equality for all citizens of each respective state; one sovereign Israel and one sovereign Palestine, living alongside each other in peace and security. And yes the Palestinian refugees, just like the Jewish refugees from the Nazi Holocaust, have every right to return to original homes and lands, as well as to seek compensation for their losses.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab
American Homemaker & Poet

NOTES

MIFTAH Condemns Israeli Raid on Television Stations

End Israel's "policy of racism"

Don’t discount a third intifada (as conditions for one are building quickly)

My Letter PUBLISHED CSM 2-27-2012 Islamists still pose a risk

Modern day zealots envision new Jewish Temple in Jerusalem

Catholics ask Israeli leader to help end attacks

UN must probe 'Judaisation' of E. Jerusalem

Israel nixes solar energy for Palestinians

UN Palestinian rights committee speaks out against Israeli settlement construction

Islamic Jihad and the international campaign to sabotage support for a secular two state solution to end the Israel-Palestine conflict


The Golden Rule... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

Growing Gardens for Palestine
a personal blog

...To Return

A Spider Silk Cape... a series of three poems by Anne Selden Annab in Growing Gardens for Palestine

MIFTAH Condemns Israeli Raid on Television Stations

February 29, 2012 The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy, MIFTAH strongly condemns the Israeli army raid on the offices of Watan Television and Al Quds Educational Television early this morning in Ramallah. According to Watan employees, a large Israeli army force raided their Ramallah office at 2:00 a.m. , confiscating computers and broadcast equipment and briefly detaining four employees. The employees said the soldiers ransacked the office, confiscating documents and files from the administration. Also this morning, Israeli army forces raided the Al Quds Educational television office in Ramallah and confiscated its equipment as well. According to director Haron Abu Ara, the soldiers broke down the door and ransacked the office before leaving

MIFTAH is deeply concerned with Israel’s continued violations of Palestinian rights, including the right to expression and free press. It calls on all concerned parties, including the international community and international media organizations to step in and stop Israel’s blatant disregard for Palestinian media organizations. If any peace is to prevail, it must be based on clear lines of respect, something Israel repeatedly shuns.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

End Israel's "policy of racism"

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-02/28/c_131436579.htm
RAMALLAH, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- An official of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Tuesday called on the international community to force Israel to end its "policy of racism" against Palestinians.

Hanan Ashrawi, head of the PLO information and culture department, criticized Israel's "racist separation system" against Palestinians, referring to the West Bank barriers, checkpoints and the expansion of Jewish settlements.

In the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967, there are 500, 000 Jewish settlers "living on the sources of income of the Palestinians," she added.

"The racist separation system that Israel boosted requires declaring Israel as an apartheid state and bringing it accountable, " Ashrawi said.

Ashrawi said Israel used the Palestinian people "as tools to enforce its domination and is now seeking to deprive them of their rights to live."

Don’t discount a third intifada (as conditions for one are building quickly)

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=370070A Palestinian hides from Israeli soldiers during a skirmish outside of an Israeli-run prison in the West Bank (AFP photo)
Hussein Ibish, February 28, 2012

Is a third Palestinian intifada coming in the foreseeable future? An Israeli Foreign Ministry intelligence report circulated in the government last week and leaked over the weekend to Ha’aretz suggests it could well be. The report is right, and its assessment should make sobering reading for Israeli officials and citizens alike.

The report holds that there is little appetite on behalf of the mainstream Palestinian leadership in Ramallah, or among the majority of Palestinians, for “a violent escalation with Israel.” All the evidence points in that direction. However, the report allegedly continues, “The continuing freeze of the diplomatic process, combined with any drastic Israeli moves in the military and/or economic realm and the continuing stormy situation in the Middle East, could bring about a change in this approach.”

What the report implicitly recognizes is that the situation on the ground is simply untenable. Despite the intentions of the Ramallah leadership or the Palestinian majority, the situation is building to such a state of tension that even a small spark could unleash waves of protest. Such protests could well begin nonviolently, but sooner rather than later would, as they always do, elicit a violent response from occupation forces.

The occupation, after all, is in essence a system of discipline and control over millions of subjugated noncitizens by a foreign army. Israeli forces ultimately have little recourse other than violence to suppress Palestinian protests—whether these are non-violent, symbolically violent (as in stone throwing against heavily armored troops) or genuinely resemble riots. The bottom line is that no people in the world will continue to sit idly by as their country is colonized before their very eyes and they continue to endure decades of foreign occupation with no end in sight...READ MORE

Monday, February 27, 2012

My Letter PUBLISHED CSM 2-27-2012 Islamists still pose a risk

CSM photos of the day February 27, 2012: Children carry food at a compound for displaced people in western Baghdad, Iraq. Officials say more than 1.3 million Iraqis remain homeless after being forced to flee six years ago during widespread sectarian violence that threatened their lives. Khalid Mohammed/AP

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]


http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Letters-to-the-Editor/2012/0227/Readers-Write-Islamists-still-dangerous-Irish-history-matters-US-needs-a-CEO-prez

Islamists still pose a risk

I very much appreciated the Feb. 20 editorial "Islamists come in from the cold." Kudos to the Arab Spring and to all the many heroic and forward-thinking Arabs who seek self-governance and dignity through peaceful means. Empowering nonviolence is crucial.

Hussein Ibish, senior research fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine, a firm advocate of a fair and just negotiated settlement to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, understands Islamists better than most, and he wisely points out the importance of "introducing inviolable constitutional principles protecting the rights of individuals, women, and minorities."

Even with that sage advice, I am quite wary about pushing the all-inclusive message too hard. Extremists and hatemongers (in addition to radical Islamists) often piggyback on real struggles for freedom, happily usurping momentum for a just cause in order to gain positive publicity, popularity, and funds for their own self-absorbed aims.

Even moderate Islamists might be a very risky investment because the potential for religious tyranny is always a very real danger, no matter which religion. Both Israel's and the Palestinians' best chance for peace is to let religion be a private matter, not a state-funded project.

Anne Selden Annab

Modern day zealots envision new Jewish Temple in Jerusalem

Jewish Orthodox men look on the Dome of the Rock in the Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City. For many, the golden cupola of the Dome of the Rock is a symbol of Jerusalem. But for a growing number of Jewish zealots, the dream is to see a different skyline -- one dominated by the outline of a Third Jewish Temple. (AFP Photo/Khaled Desouki)
[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

"No singing. No dancing. No praying. No animals," reads the curiously worded sign greeting visitors heading up the rickety wooden ramp to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City.

For the non-Jewish visitor, it takes a few moments for the significance of the words to sink in.

But for Jews, who revere the site as the former location of the First and Second Temples, it is a bitter reminder of a harsh reality -- they are not allowed to worship at Judaism's holiest site.

Known to Jews as the Temple Mount, the plaza is referred to by Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif and is considered the third holiest site in Islam.

Home to the Al-Aqsa mosque and the golden-topped Dome of the Rock, the plaza is one of the most sensitive places in the Middle East.

For many, the golden cupola of the Dome of the Rock which dominates the Jerusalem skyline is a symbol of this Middle Eastern city.

But for a growing number of Jewish zealots, the dream is to see a different skyline -- one dominated by the outline of a Third Jewish Temple.

For the Palestinians and the Muslim world, such a move would be viewed as no less than an act of war, and one which could trigger unforeseeable consequences.

In September 2000, a controversial visit to the compound by Israel's hawkish opposition leader Ariel Sharon sparked the five-year second intifada.

And any Israeli attempt to build or to dig in the area around the Al-Aqsa compound tends to spark a furious reaction from the Palestinians, who frequently accused the Jewish state of trying to undermine the sacred plaza.

Early on a bright winter morning, a handful of nondescript Israelis gather among the hoards of tourists waiting to be checked by police before going through the Mughrabi Gate, the only entrance which is open to non-Muslims.

"We are not here as tourists, but as Jews who are ascending to God's mountain," explains Assaf Fried, the group's burly leader.

For him, these weekly visits have one goal: to build the Third Temple....READ MORE

Catholics ask Israeli leader to help end attacks

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]
http://news.yahoo.com/catholics-ask-israeli-leader-help-end-attacks-145710746.html

JERUSALEM (AP) — A top Roman Catholic official has taken the rare step of asking Israel's president to help put an end to attacks on Christian holy sites.

The custodian of holy places in the Holy Land, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, recalled in his letter sent Sunday to President Shimon Peres that vandals spray-painted "Death to Christians" and "We'll crucify you" on the Baptist Church in Jerusalem and similar hate graffiti on a Greek Orthodox monastery in the city.

Pizzaballa wrote that "red lines that must not be crossed have been crossed" and asked Peres' help to eradicate "this dangerous phenomenon."

The anti-Christian graffiti is suspected to be the work of Jewish extremists who have attacked various targets, including Christian and Muslim holy sites as well as Israeli military equipment, to protest what they believe to be anti-settler positions by the government.

Peres' office said the president took the appeal "very seriously" and was working on the matter personally. It said top advisers have already been in touch with Pizzaballa, and were working with Jerusalem City Hall and national ministries to prevent further violence against Christian sites.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

UN must probe 'Judaisation' of E. Jerusalem

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]
http://news.yahoo.com/un-must-probe-judaisation-e-jerusalem-qatar-185929558.html

UN must probe 'Judaisation' of E. Jerusalem: Qatar


Qatar urged the United Nations on Sunday to investigate Jewish settlement expansion in annexed Arab east Jerusalem, warning that Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories was unacceptable.

"We must act quickly to stop the Judaisation of Jerusalem," said Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, at the International Conference on Jerusalem in Doha.

The conference, which brings together international and regional experts and officials, is intended to address what the Palestinians warn is an Israeli push to cement its control over the occupied eastern sector of the Holy City.

In his remarks, Sheikh Hamad called on the UN to "investigate the measures Israel has taken to Judaise Jerusalem since its occupation in 1967."

Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, has proved one of the thorniest issues dividing Israel and the Palestinians.

The Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state and adamantly reject Jewish settlement construction in the territory.

They accuse the Jewish state of building settlement neighbourhoods in east Jerusalem, while denying Palestinian building permits and revoking their residency in a bid to rid the city of Arab residents...READ MORE