My letter to The NYTimes RE The Embattled Dream of Palestine

RE The Embattled Dream of Palestine- By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/20/opinion/the-embattled-dream-of-palestine.html?ref=opinion&_r=0

Dear Editor,

More than six decades ago the United Nations tried to help shape a just peace for the people of the region. Conspiracy theories and blame games abound on why it has not worked- yet.... Fact is as things are today, the angst of Israelis as well as the very real plight of the Palestinians are both likely to go from bad to much much worse, as various pundits, opinionators, religious bigots, propagandists, and hate mongers on both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict look for and find reasons not to make peace. 

Ordinary people are being impoverished by the Israel-Palestine conflict: Money that could be and should be invested in schools and infrastructure projects here and there, creating more jobs and better jobs, is being invested in war and bigotry with devastating consequences as well as tragic ramifications as criminals like Da'esh (IS or ISIS, Islamist terrorists) thrive on the continuation of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Ending the Israel-Palestine conflict ASAP with a fully secular two state solution based on international law and full respect for universal human rights gives both Israelis and Palestinians a chance to simply be Israeli citizens and Palestinian citizens: A chance to simply be people learning to live in peace with peace for peace.  People, not pawns for politicians and/or religious tyrants to push around, and not targets for snipers. 

Every Christmas I enjoy savoring all the many ways Christians interpret and celebrate the holidays.  Various creche scenes depicting a father and a mother looking down at a baby decorate many homes. That central theme is human history. A baby is born and loved and protected by parents. It is a moment of peace, and a moment of hope. It is unity. Common purpose. Community. Inclusiveness... Even in the happiest of happily ever after marriages there will be rough spots and disagreements and misunderstandings as two unique individuals figure out how to have a happily ever after. Compassion and empathy help, and so does hope... and diplomacy.

I hope for peace, for both Palestine and for Israel, despite everyone's obvious faults and flaws and past mistakes.  Including my own. I'd rather focus on the positive, moving forward to help promote a just and lasting peace and diplomatic efforts to (as Jean-Luc Picard often said) "make it so".

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
A Palestinian’s journey from stone-throwing to conflict resolution

“The United States casts its lot with the problem solvers, the healers, and the builders,”  US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman in a September speech, quoted by CSM in their recent editorial

Kerry heads to talks on Palestinian statehood bid: "There are a lot of different folks pushing in different directions out there, and the question is can we all pull in the same direction," Kerry said Friday, when asked about his meeting with Netanyahu."

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

"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin?

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

To honor a tragic history, we must work for peace : "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." Ziad Asali

Tala Haikal: Empathy Is Essential to Humanity

Hussein Ibish: Non-violent resistance is Palestine’s most powerful weapon

Jordan's King: World must stand up to radicals

ATFP Calls for De-Escalation between Israel and the Palestinians

Five Reasons to Walk the Holy Land
 
Palestinian Refugees (1948-NOW) refused their right to return... and their right to live in peace free from religious bigotry and injustice.

"There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies" Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 – 1968)

 “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.” Khalil Gibran (1883-1931), born in Lebanon, immigrated to the United States in 1895 where he grew up to become a beloved poet and respected writer.

My letter to CSM RE A Palestinian’s journey from stone-throwing to conflict resolution

Stop the Wall

RE:  A Palestinian’s journey from stone-throwing to conflict resolution
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/Olive-Press/2014/1218/A-Palestinian-s-journey-from-stone-throwing-to-conflict-resolution

Dear Editor,

Thank you.  Once again for the umpteenth time since I've began reading CSM many years ago, I very much appreciate your ongoing coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict...  Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah's story is enlightening: “I wrote with anger and bitterness, and used my pain to spread hatred against the other side,” he reflected in a 2009 account. “However, the more I wrote, the more empty and angry I became.”  

Abu Sarah is wise to then point out that "“The problem with reaction is it’s not done to make a change. It is not a strategy. The only thing you’re doing is getting your anger out.”

Right now the anger and the hate mongering, religious extremism, and terrorism generated by some on both sides of the ongoing Israel-Palestine is making the plight of the Palestinians worse, as well as undermining serious state building efforts for Palestine. 

I very much hope that Palestine is able to become a sovereign state living in peace and security alongside Israel, and that the people of Israel and the people of Palestine (and all their neighbors individually and collectively) will be able to find the strength and inspiration to seek out compassionate, intelligent, and peaceful ways to break through walls of anger, fear, and ignorance... for everyone's sake. 

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
“The United States casts its lot with the problem solvers, the healers, and the builders,”  US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman in a September speech, quoted by CSM in their recent editorial

Kerry heads to talks on Palestinian statehood bid: "There are a lot of different folks pushing in different directions out there, and the question is can we all pull in the same direction," Kerry said Friday, when asked about his meeting with Netanyahu."

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

"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin?

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

To honor a tragic history, we must work for peace : "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." Ziad Asali

Tala Haikal: Empathy Is Essential to Humanity

Hussein Ibish: Non-violent resistance is Palestine’s most powerful weapon

Jordan's King: World must stand up to radicals

ATFP Calls for De-Escalation between Israel and the Palestinians
 
Palestinian Refugees (1948-NOW) refused their right to return... and their right to live in peace free from religious bigotry and injustice.

"There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies" Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 – 1968)

 “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.” Khalil Gibran (1883-1931), born in Lebanon, immigrated to the United States in 1895 where he grew up to become a beloved poet and respected writer.

My letter to the NYTimes RE Still Failing Syria’s Refugees

Barriers to Health for Palestinians Under Occupation

RE: Still Failing Syria’s Refugees
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/14/opinion/sunday/still-failing-syrias-refugees.html?ref=opinion

Dear Editor,

Still Failing Syria’s Refugees: "Normally, the United States takes the majority of refugees referred annually by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; in 2013 this totaled 70,000 refugees from 65 countries — more than the rest of the world combined. But the approvals have become more time consuming as Washington seeks to screen out applicants with connections to militants."

Many of the refugees from Syria are originally from Palestine.  Times are changing: Religious tyrants, thieves and thugs are actively destroying the Middle East, and they are also eliminating avenues of escape for Arabs and Muslims- and Palestinians... as well as jeopardizing crucial funding for UNWRA & support for the United Nations.

Active "Pro-Palestine" advocates of a one state status quo claim to be for Palestine and peace but they are mainly an anti-Israel/anti-America echo chamber cherry picking story lines and blurring facts to build rage.

Doors are closing... and so is the window of opportunity to actually end the Israel-Palestine conflict.  Right now the PLO Delegation in Washington DC is foolishly obsessed with following and promoting Mondoweiss blog posts, as if a handful of very angry at Israel Jewish bloggers help shape a conversation that will end the Israel-Palestine conflict: The plight of the Palestinians continues to get more dire, but The American Task Force on Palestine, composed of articulate Arab Americans advocating for a two state end to the Israel-Palestine conflict in line with international law and fully respecting universal human rights, is downsizing due to lack of support.

Life is not fair- never has been. Every day brings personal pain, suffering, shocking tragedy, trauma, and betrayal to many people worldwide, with most stories never heard.  But if humankind can be industrious enough to put a man on the moon, and if humankind can be inventive enough to create the internet so that voices everywhere can be heard and preserved, surely humankind can also figure out ways to work together to empower decency, dignity, and diplomacy so that more people will have a better chance to live in peace with the rule of fair and just laws shaping a better future for all our children.

 “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.” Khalil Gibran (1883-1931), born in Lebanon, immigrated to the United States in 1895 where he grew up to become a beloved poet and respected writer.

"There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies" Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 – 1968)

Kerry heads to talks on Palestinian statehood bid: "There are a lot of different folks pushing in different directions out there, and the question is can we all pull in the same direction," Kerry said Friday, when asked about his meeting with Netanyahu."

It's all interconnected- ending the Israel-Palestine conflict with a just and lasting peace based on a two state solution would go a long way towards ending the refugee crises and the religious extremism inspired by that conflict.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
Shibley Telhami 2014: The power and weakness of inciting violence

Palestinian Refugees (1948-NOW) refused their right to return... and their right to live in peace free from religious bigotry and injustice.

King Abdullah of Jordan says the threat posed by ISIS represents a struggle between "good and evil." (AP)

Hussein Ibish: Non-violent resistance is Palestine’s most powerful weapon

ATFP Calls for De-Escalation between Israel and the Palestinians

Tala Haikal: Empathy Is Essential to Humanity

To honor a tragic history, we must work for peace : "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." Ziad Asali

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

"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin?

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