Thursday, May 29, 2014
Palestinians villagers fear encroaching Israeli settlement bloc... Palestinian villager Ismail Taha: "It's stealing, and we have no means to defend ourselves. While they have biased courts, police and an army, we have no money and no power. We're peaceful, but..."
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| Photo credit google image search for Palestine's Kufr al Deek: Hiking on Mohamads family land in Kufr al Deek village. by johannes.a |
Israel has declared the 300-dunam (74-acre) tract traversed with olive
trees and dirt paths "state land," a label it has applied to much of the
other lands upon which settlements and their connected farming lands
have been historically built.
"The present case refers to declared state lands on which approved
works are taking place lately for the agricultural development of the
region. The works are under constant supervision and monitoring," the
Israeli government body responsible for the occupied West Bank told
Reuters.
Residents of Kufr al-Deek and other villages disagree with the "state land" claim and say settlement activity is expanding.
They point out ruined Palestinian cisterns and modest homes on the hill
they say Israeli forces demolished in recent months. Looking out on the
horizon, the string of nearby settlements appear to be growing, with a
whole hillside next to one being flattened ahead of apparent planned
construction and settler portacabins pouring down the hillside of
another....
Peace Now, an Israeli watchdog
group, said Netanyahu's government had advanced plans to build almost
14,000 new settler homes on occupied land in the 9-month period of peace
talks which began last July.
The International Court of Justice deems the settlements illegal. While
the European Union has said it "deplores" them and the United States
calls them "illegitimate," countries have taken few obvious steps to
slow their spread.
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http://news.yahoo.com/palestinians-villagers-fear-encroaching-settlement-bloc-135605973.htm
By Noah Browning
KUFR AL-DEEK West Bank
(Reuters) - Palestinians in the village of Kufr al-Deek in the northern
occupied West Bank awoke on Sunday to see Israeli earth-movers busily
flattening the top of a nearby hill.
Locals say it is their privately-owned land and that the Israeli
government is preparing to build a new Jewish settlement outpost there.
They fear it will help consolidate a bloc of Israeli towns, plunging
almost halfway into the occupied territory, which they say will deny
them a viable future state....READ MORE
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
My letter to the Washington Post RE On Mideast, a hopeful dialogue
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| Good quote from Maya Angelou... may she rest in peace. In 2006, Maya Angelou recorded a reading for the commemoration of Rachel Corrie's life on the third anniversary of Rachel's tragic death: |
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/david-ignatius-former-saudi-and-israeli-officials-engage-in-a-hopeful-dialogue/2014/05/27/d807ca7e-e5d4-11e3-8f90-73e071f3d637_story.html
Dear Editor,
Ignatius is inching towards understanding the Israel-Palestine conflict... but he is not there yet, and his analysis reflects that. One can phrase the same basic thing multiple ways, and end up with very different meanings, and very different advice: Palestinians have been calling for Israel to withdraw. They are ignored by Ignatius. Instead Ignatius features an Israeli, and an Israeli “Plan B” if other negotiating options fail.
The Israeli "Plan B" Ignatius promotes in his column rewards Israelis who foolishly chose to move into Israel's Jews-only housing extravaganzas and "neighborhoods" in the illegally occupied territories. These Israelis have been enjoying the comfort of subsidized housing, job opportunities, freedom and security provided by the state of Israel. The Palestinians have not. These Israelis might or might not believe that Israel's "Plan A" is to continue to violate international law and the Palestinians basic human rights, usurping as much Palestinian land as possible, and continuing to oppress the native non-Jewish Palestinians, pushing as many as possible into poverty, exile and despair.
Arabs agreeing that "that Abdullah’s peace initiative should be seen as a framework for discussions, rather than a diktat to the Israelis, and that issues such as borders, the status of refugees and Jerusalem must be negotiated between the parties" are not saying that Israel is free to turn basic human rights into bargaining chips.
Negotiations must be a way to agree on how best to fully respect international law and universal basic human rights- for everyone's sake.
Abbas' welcome speech to Pope Francis the other day in Bethlehem is good food for thought, if you dare really listen: " We take this historic opportunity of your presence among us today to send a message of peace to our Israeli neighbors by saying: come and make peace based on truth, justice, equality, and mutual respect. Your work for the good of your people to live in prosperity, peace, and stability is the exact same thing that we strive for. " Palestine's Abbas calls on pope to support Palestinian struggle: "Your visit today carries all the symbolism that your name and holiness hold as a defender of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. Your visit represents a call for peace during your pilgrimage to the land of Palestine, the land of love and peace."
Sensible people learn to research, and think things through.
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
American Homemaker & Poet
NOTES
Have you taken action yet to condemn the destruction at the Nassar family farm?
Middle East Peace
Palestine: Residential buildings with old windows in Nablus. Photos by Ayman Nobani/WAFA.
Palestine's Abbas welcomes Pope Francis to Bethlehem, calls on pope to support Palestinian struggle: "Your visit today carries all the symbolism that your name and holiness hold as a defender of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. Your visit represents a call for peace during your pilgrimage to the land of Palestine, the land of love and peace."
Full text of Pope Francis' speech at the Palestinian president palace... "I can only express my profound hope that all will refrain from initiatives and actions which contradict the stated desire to reach a true agreement, and that peace will be pursued with tireless determination and tenacity. Peace will bring countless benefits for the peoples of this region and for the world as a whole."
LATIMES: Pope Francis calls on Israel, Palestinians to back two-state solution
SAVE THE DATE! American Task Force on Palestine 2014 Annual Gala, Tuesday, Nov. 18... Washington DC
Daoud Kuttab: Pope Francis exceeds expectations for Palestinians
"Words matter, and words of support are crucial to the success of any international and diplomatic project. Palestinians just got an enormous boost from Pope Francis, who underlined – particularly for the Israelis – the strong international expectation that there will indeed be a state of Palestine in the foreseeable future." Hussein Ibish of ATFP
"We were trying to take the Christian message and teachings and juxtapose them with the current situation, to help us think through what has happened over the last 66 years," Museum director John Persekian
POPE FRANCIS Pilgrimage.... So That They May Be One: The unity of Christians is a message of unity for all humanity, called to overcome the divisions of the past and march forward together towards a future of justice, peace, reconciliation, pardon and fraternal love.
Israeli and Palestinian Leaders [invited] to Meet With Pope at Vatican... Francis took the unexpected step in Bethlehem, where he became the first pontiff ever to fly directly into the West Bank and to refer to the Israeli-occupied territory as the “State of Palestine.”
"It is critically important to have a broad strategic vision of the future that embodies the values and aspirations of your people. And it is equally important to be able to project how you can see that vision being implemented in the short term. " James Zogby of AAI...
"Thinking about the future means we do not create "false idols"
of the past or present. It means that we understand that we are
human, subject to God's laws, and that we do not allow ourselves
become so arrogant as to subject God to our own whims and fancy.
It also requires that we reject the temptation to use means that
contradict the very ends we seek to accomplish."
Connecting the dots: How We Stop the Next Boko Haram... Attacks on dissenting journalists show how scared Hezbollah really is... Maronite patriarch's Israel trip raises Hezbollah ire... Experts Outline Challenges, Propose Solutions for Gaza at ATFP-UNRWA Briefing
Christian exodus shadows papal visit to Holy Land
Pope Francis to visit The Holy Land: JORDAN hopes the visit will "push for achieving peace and stability in the region, including the Israeli-Palestinian peace process"
How do we want to define feminism in 2014?
Hussein Ibish: ADL Anti-Semitism survey has the potential to mislead
"Laws are necessary but not sufficient for countering intolerance in individual attitudes. Intolerance is very often rooted in ignorance and fear: fear of the unknown, of the other, other cultures, nations, religions. Intolerance is also closely linked to an exaggerated sense of self-worth and pride, whether personal, national or religious. These notions are taught and learned at an early age. Therefore, greater emphasis needs to be placed on educating more and better. Greater efforts need to be made to teach children about tolerance and human rights, about other ways of life. Children should be encouraged at home and in school to be open-minded and curious."
Visual map of how the Israeli ID system is stratified to limit democratic access to home ownership, security, services & participation in the polical system which creates and sustains the Israeli ID system
STAY CONNECTED... Given the U.S. commitment to religious freedom, and to the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right of every human being, the United States seeks to: Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries
UNITED NATIONS: International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 2014
Reasonable voices & helpful resources ...America for Palestine MAY 2014
The Arab villages lost since Israel's war of independence - Guardian Interactive: ...Pre 1948 ...March 1948 ... May 1948 ...June 1948 ...Oct 1948 ...July 1949 ...Now
Remembering the Nakba: Israeli group puts 1948 Palestine back on the map Zochrot aims to educate Israeli Jews – through tours and a new phone app – about a history obscured by enmity and denial
Growing Gardens for Palestine: "And it's up to all of us together"... a Spring poem for Palestine & peace
Peace Building ... civic muscle
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
The Golden Rule...
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
"The only way to honor our tragic histories is to create a future for our children free of man-made tragedy. This means making peace fully, completely and without reservation, between Israel and Palestine." American Task Force on Palestine's born in Jerusalem Dr. Ziad Asali: To honor a tragic history, we must work for peace
Have you taken action yet to condemn the destruction at the Nassar family farm?
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| Annie's Notes |
SUBJECT: Condemn the Recent Violence & Injustice by Israeli Forces
Dear Mr. Secretary,
Sometimes form letters are the only way to say something... for when it comes to Palestine it has all been said, and yet still, the very real plight of the Palestinians remains dire.
The destruction of over 1,500 trees on the farm of Daoud Nassar near Bethlehem by Israeli Forces on May 19 is but the latest in a series of actions or threats of action by Israeli authorities aimed at separating farmers and herders from their land in the occupied Palestinian territories.
I call on you to publicly call attention to this Israeli practice and condemn it as a barrier to peace.
Sincerley,
Anne Selden Annab
http://action.cmep.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=17591
URGENT ACTION : Tent of Nations Farm Uprooted by Israeli Forces
Last
Monday morning Israeli forces uprooted some 1,500 fruit trees on a farm
of Daoud Nassar, a Lutheran farmer with land near Bethlehem. He is well
known to many US visitors as the head of “Tent of Nations” and has
fought to hold on to his family’s land in the face of opposition by
nearby settlers. His motto is “We Refuse To Be Enemies.” In a nationwide telephone conference organized by CMEP on Tuesday, he stressed the importance of non-violent resistance by Palestinians to the occupation and expropriation of land by Israeli authorities. His farm is surrounded by growing Israeli settlements east of the Green Line but west
of the separation barrier/wall.The destruction of the trees this week on the Nassar farm seems consistent with long standing efforts by Israeli authorities to force Palestinian farmers and herders off the land by various means, including more construction of the wall that separates farmers from their land; demolition orders for structures in newly declared military firing zones; and destruction of water cisterns used by farmers for their animals.
Tell Secretary of State Kerry that the U.S. must publicly condemn systematic efforts by Israeli authorities to force Palestinians off their land.
John Kerry
U.S. Department of State
Email:kerryj@state.gov
Working together
Justice can prevail
Peace is possible
Justice can prevail
Peace is possible
Middle East Peace
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| EYE on PALESTINE |
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| EYE on PALESTINE |
Palestine News & Information Agency - WAFA
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| Most Viewed Photo 2014/5/25 President Mahmoud Abbas receives Pope Francis "The Pontiff" upon his arrival to West Bank city of Bethlehem. Photo by Thaer Ghanayem. |
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| Natural scenes from Jordan Valley. Photo by Tamer Bana/WAFA. |
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| Palestine |
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| 2014/2/10 A flower seller in Ramallah. Photo by Mohammed Farraj/WAFA. |
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| Fishing boats at the Gaza port. Photo By:Hateem Mousa/WAFA. |
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| Hebron -Palestine‘s nature. Photo by Samar Badir/WAFA. |
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| Hebron -Palestine‘s nature. Photo by Samar Badir/WAFA. |
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| Hebron -Palestine‘s nature. Photo by Samar Badir/WAFA. |
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| Hebron- Anchusa azurea ‘Dropmore’ blooms from spring to early fall. Photo by Samar Badir/WAFA. |
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| Hebron - Craft of colorful sand drawing. Photo by Samar Badir/WAFA. |
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| Hebron - Craft of colorful sand drawing. Photo by Samar Badir/WAFA. |
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| Hebron - Craft of colorful sand drawing. Photo by Samar Badir/WAFA. |
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| Hebron - Craft of colorful sand drawing. Photo by Samar Badir/WAFA. |
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| old ways- new brooms |
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| Turtles |
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| Hebron’s mountain plains. Photo by Hossam Abu Allan/WAFA. |
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| Hebron’s mountain plains. Photo by Hossam Abu Allan/WAFA. |
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| Evening view of Jerusalem. Photo by Afif Amira/WAFA. |
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Palestine: Residential buildings with old windows in Nablus. Photos by Ayman Nobani/WAFA.
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| Residential buildings with old windows in Nablus. Photos by Ayman Nobani/WAFA. |
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| Residential buildings with old windows in Nablus. Photos by Ayman Nobani/WAFA. |
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| Residential buildings with old windows in Nablus. Photos by Ayman Nobani/WAFA. |
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| Residential buildings with old windows in Nablus. Photos by Ayman Nobani/WAFA. |
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| Nablus - Residential buildings with old windows in Nablus. Photos by Ayman Nobani/WAFA. |
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Palestine's Abbas welcomes Pope Francis to Bethlehem, calls on pope to support Palestinian struggle: "Your visit today carries all the symbolism that your name and holiness hold as a defender of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. Your visit represents a call for peace during your pilgrimage to the land of Palestine, the land of love and peace."
+kisses+President+Mahmoud+Abbas+during+an+open-air+mass+on+May+25,+2014+at+Manger+Square+outside+the+Church+of+the+Nativity+in+Bethlehem.jpg) |
| Pope Francis (center) kisses President Mahmoud Abbas during an open-air mass on May 25, 2014 at Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Ma'an News Pope Francis in Bethlehem: How the day unfolded |
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http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=699831
Abbas calls on pope to support Palestinian struggle
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The following is a translation of President Mahmoud Abbas' speech at a press conference upon Pope Francis' arrival in Bethlehem early Sunday.
It's a great honor to welcome Your Holiness to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus (peace be upon him), the holy blessed land. Welcome, Your Holiness. You are a dear guest to our people in the cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
Your visit today carries all the symbolism that your name and holiness hold as a defender of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. Your visit represents a call for peace during your pilgrimage to the land of Palestine, the land of love and peace.
I am very happy to meet with His Holiness Pope Francis and to listen his wise opinions and his insightful human vision. The visit of His Holiness holds a noble significance in our souls and the souls of our people. This is a historic visit that we cherish in the framework of our friendship and our spiritual and religious bonding between the Vatican and Palestine, which we aspire to strengthen. The Holy Land is the destination of millions of believers. It represents a unique model of coexistence in the spirit of harmony, brotherhood, and equality in rights and duties.
We welcome you in the State of Palestine with all the love and hospitality. We welcome your meetings with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in the city of Jerusalem.
I briefed His Holiness on the latest developments in the peace process and negotiations towards reaching a just and lasting peace, to ensures security, safety, and stability to our region and its peoples.
We have fully updated His Holiness on the outcome of the peace process and the pitfalls and obstacles which befell it, primarily the settlement enterprise, and daily attacks on places of worship including churches and mosques, as well as the continued detention of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails , who yearn for freedom. A number of these prisoners have been on hunger strike for more than 30 days in protest against ill-treatment and detention without trial or verdict, under the pretext of "administrative detention."
We have also shared with His Holiness the tragic situation experienced by the city of East Jerusalem, the capital of our country, which has been occupied since 1967. Israel has been systematically working to change the identity and character of the city, imposing restrictions on the people of Palestine, Christians and Muslims, in order to displace them and to prevent the faithful from praying at their holy sites.
We call upon the Israeli government to cease these practices, which violate international law. And from our side, our vision is for our capital in East Jerusalem to be open to the followers of the three monotheistic religions without discrimination.
These Israeli practices have led to the migration of Christians and Muslims, who should be able to stay on their ancestral land. We are ready to work together to strengthen the Palestinian indigenous Christian presence in the Holy Land, especially in Jerusalem.
We would like to express from the bottom of our hearts that we value your efforts and support for the rights of our people. We count on Your Holiness to contribute towards enabling our people to attain their freedom and full independence, by bringing the Israeli occupation to a complete end and establishing an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Your Holiness, you saw the monstrous wall being constructed by Israel, the occupying power on our land, at a time when we desperately needed to build bridges of communication and dialogue rather than anything that would sow the seeds of hatred, malice, and hostility. We, the people, are looking to live in freedom and dignity and to have sovereignty over our national soil, away from the occupation.
We are committed to the Arab Peace Initiative. Once Israel withdraws from the territory it occupied in 1967, all the Arab and Islamic countries will recognize Israel and immediately establish diplomatic relations with Israel.
Your Holiness, thank you for meeting with the children of the refugee camps who are living the tragedy and sufferings of displacement and asylum, which was imposed on them by the Nakba 66 years ago.
Your Holiness, we don't ask for the impossible, and we have made sacrifices for peace. We have accepted the establishment of the independent State of Palestine only on the land occupied in 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside the State of Israel in security, mutual respect, and good neighborliness.
We also appreciate your willingness to share a meal with the Palestinian families who are representative of our society that lives under occupation. This meeting sends a message to the whole world, and reminds the world of the tragedy of Palestine.
We in Palestine are counting on your generous efforts towards realizing the rights of our people and we welcome any initiative which you may take to make peace a reality in the Holy Land, which will enable our people to build a life and a future.
It's time to respect the principles of rights, justice, peace, freedom, and human dignity that you believe in, and which are the foundation of all religions as well as international laws and resolutions. These are all principles that must be respected and applied in the Holy Land.
We take this historic opportunity of your presence among us today to send a message of peace to our Israeli neighbors by saying: come and make peace based on truth, justice, equality, and mutual respect. Your work for the good of your people to live in prosperity, peace, and stability is the exact same thing that we strive for.
Security, peace, and stability are in our mutual interest, for our region and the whole world. Peace is made with a wise mind and heart, and a living moral and human conscience, in order to remove injustice, oppression, and abuse. Also, (peace is made) by abandoning expansion at the expense of the rights of others -- the policy of double standards. Honest and sincere intentions are needed to achieve desired peace, which shall be enjoyed by our future generations.
Your Holiness, thousands of believers have been waiting for you since the morning in Manger Square to express their love, appreciation, and respect, and to pray with you to Almighty God for brotherhood, love, and peace.
We welcome your Holiness and the Vatican delegation to Palestine, the land of peace, and we wish you all the health and happiness and every blessing to the believers.
Peace be upon you.
Full text of Pope Francis' speech at the Palestinian president palace... "I can only express my profound hope that all will refrain from initiatives and actions which contradict the stated desire to reach a true agreement, and that peace will be pursued with tireless determination and tenacity. Peace will bring countless benefits for the peoples of this region and for the world as a whole."
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| Ma'an News Pope Francis in Bethlehem: How the day unfolded |
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Pope to Abbas: You are known as a man of peace
The following is the official translation of the full text of Pope Francis' speech at the Palestinian president palace beside Mahmoud Abbas Sunday morning.
Mr President,
Dear Friends,
I thank President Mahmoud Abbas for his kind welcome and I offer cordial greetings to the representatives of the government and the entire Palestinian people. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to be here with you today in the birthplace of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. I thank all of you for your warm reception.
For decades the Middle East has known the tragic consequences of a protracted conflict which has inflicted many wounds so difficult to heal. Even in the absence of violence, the climate of instability and a lack of mutual understanding have produced insecurity, the violation of rights, isolation and the flight of entire communities, conflicts, shortages and sufferings of every sort.
In expressing my closeness to those who suffer most from this conflict, I wish to state my heartfelt conviction that the time has come to put an end to this situation which has become increasingly unacceptable. For the good of all, there is a need to intensify efforts and initiatives aimed at creating the conditions for a stable peace based on justice, on the recognition of the rights of every individual, and on mutual security. The time has come for everyone to find the courage to be generous and creative in the service of the common good, the courage to forge a peace which rests on the acknowledgment by all of the right of two States to exist and to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders.
To this end, I can only express my profound hope that all will refrain from initiatives and actions which contradict the stated desire to reach a true agreement, and that peace will be pursued with tireless determination and tenacity. Peace will bring countless benefits for the peoples of this region and for the world as a whole. And so it must resolutely be pursued, even if each side has to make certain sacrifices.
I pray that the Palestinian and Israeli peoples and their respective leaders will undertake this promising journey of peace with the same courage and steadfastness needed for every journey. Peace in security and mutual trust will become the stable frame of reference for confronting and resolving every other problem, and thus provide an opportunity for a balanced development, one which can serve as a model for other crisis areas.
Here I would like to say a word about the active Christian community which contributes significantly to the common good of society, sharing in the joys and sufferings of the whole people. Christians desire to continue in this role as full citizens, along with their fellow citizens, whom they regard as their brothers and sisters.
Mr President, you are known as a man of peace and a peacemaker. Our recent meeting in the Vatican and my presence today in Palestine attest to the good relations existing between the Holy See and the State of Palestine. I trust that these relations can further develop for the good of all. In this regard, I express my appreciation for the efforts being made to draft an agreement between the parties regarding various aspects of the life of the Catholic community in this country, with particular attention to religious freedom. Respect for this fundamental human right is, in fact, one of the essential conditions for peace, fraternity and harmony. It tells the world that it is possible and necessary to build harmony and understanding between different cultures and religions. It also testifies to the fact that, since the important things we share are so many, it is possible to find a means of serene, ordered and peaceful coexistence, accepting our differences and rejoicing that, as children of the one God, we are all brothers and sisters.
Mr President, dear friends gathered here in Bethlehem: may Almighty God bless you, protect you and grant you the wisdom and strength needed to continue courageously along the path to peace, so that swords will be turned into ploughshares and this land will once more flourish in prosperity and concord. Salaam!
LATIMES: Pope Francis calls on Israel, Palestinians to back two-state solution
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The pontiff repeated that message in both Bethlehem and Jerusalem on the second day of a whistle-stop tour of the Middle East that the Vatican insists is purely a religious journey.
But Francis surprised observers by trying to give the moribund peace process a boost with an unexpected invitation to Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas to meet him at the Vatican next month to pray for peace. The offices of the two men said that they had accepted the invitation.
"For the good of all, there is a need to intensify efforts and initiatives aimed at creating the conditions for a stable peace," the pope declared after talks with Abbas in Bethlehem, in the West Bank, on Sunday morning.
Francis urged officials to show courage in the attempt "to forge a peace which rests on the acknowledgment by all of the right of two states to exist and to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders."...READ MORE
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Tuesday, May 27, 2014
SAVE THE DATE! American Task Force on Palestine 2014 Annual Gala, Tuesday, Nov. 18...
The Ritz-Carlton
1150 22nd Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
To see more about previous ATFP galas, click here.
Honoring the Achievements of Palestinian Americans
American Task Force on Palestine
1634 Eye St
Suite 725
Washington, DC -20006
United States
Suite 725
Washington, DC -20006
United States
- 202-887-0177 - info@atfp.net - The American Task Force on Palestine
"The only
way to honor our tragic histories is to create a future for
our children free of man-made tragedy. This means making peace
fully, completely and without reservation, between Israel and
Palestine." Dr. Ziad Asali: To honor a tragic
history, we must work for peace
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