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| ATFP Resources on Palestinian State and Institution Building |
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-new-understanding-for-the-middle-east/2014/01/03/65f23cb2-73f1-11e3-9389-09ef9944065e_story.html
Dear Editor,
Either Israel really wants to keep building Jewish-only housing projects on Palestinian land (in the illegally occupied territories) because Israel has no interest in ever allowing Palestine to be a sovereign state, or Israel is continuing on with these land grabbing "settlement" projects in order to instigate Palestinian protests and extremism and an indigenous rejection of peace negotiations and Palestinian state building efforts so that Israel is in a stronger position at the negotiating table ... and ultimately in the global job market.
This newest Israeli demand that Palestinians officially declare Israel Jewish might be Israel calculating yet another way to have a stronger position at the negotiating table- or it might be the step Israel needs to take in order to justify pushing even more native non-Jewish Palestinians into forced exile and despair.
A fully secular two state solution to once and for all end the Israel-Palestine conflict and to help stop the religious extremism and terror created by that conflict is the best way forward- for everyone's sake. Religion should be a personal private choice: Tax payers here and there should not be coerced into funding and empowering and arming sovereign Israel's religious scholars and schemes.
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
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RE: My Jewish State By Roger Cohen
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/01/opinion/cohen-my-jewish-state.html?ref=international&_r=0
Dear Editor,
Roger Cohen of the New York Times might see no hope as far as there being an end to the Israel-Palestine conflict in 2014 but I see burgeoning hope in part because of Cohen's willingness to be honest about the "Jewish State" issue: Cohen refused to rally his readers behind Netanyahu's ridiculous demand. Cohen also noticed the plight of the Palestinians.
In addition real progress and hope are in the Arab Peace Initiative.... just as there is progress and very real hope in every careful word of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1948.
I also see magnificent progress and hope in the work of The American Task Force on Palestine http://www.americantaskforce.org/ , a trustworthy think tank which realizes the immense wisdom of being both pro-America and pro-Palestine.... and I see hope in the work of Dr. Hussein Ibish http://ibishblog.com/ a brilliant analyst who is not afraid to tackle even the most difficult topics with a candor and acumen few can match.
Yes there is a loud angry echo chamber amplified by the internet, a loud angry echo chamber on both sides churning with negativity and nay saying and nasty jibs and jabs and cynical tweets plus some pretty darn cute cat pictures.
Some actually find the Israel-Palestine conflict entertaining and would rather exasperate it than calm things down and there are many who would rather wallow in all the worst they can find, as well as some who promote half truths and conspiracy theories and hate mongering for whatever reason, but there are also countless sincerely concerned and intelligent people who know how to think for themselves, how to research and find reliable sources.... how to do the math.... and how to act with integrity and honor.
Not every one wants to be a pawn for religious extremists. But as things are today we all are until we take a stand for a just and lasting peace for both Israel and for Palestine shaped by a negotiated settlement to once and for all end the Israel-Palestine conflict with a fully secular two state solution. We can all do our part to make it so.
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
American homemaker & Poet
Growing Gardens for Palestine
Annie's New Letters (& notes)
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