"... What other ethnic group would be treated with such indifference or ignorance or bias? Especially a devastated population, with the heaviest casualties among babies and children, by U.S.-made weapons. " Ralph Nader

Ralph Nader

@RalphNader

 

The media’s continued indifference to the massive under death count of Palestinians in Gaza at the hands of the genocidal Netanyahu—embraced for the 5th time this year at the White House—by Dictator Trump. The total death count coming from the most intense bombardment and starvation (food, water, medicine and healthcare) of a human population in military history in the tiny enclave is not nearly 70,000. It’s about 600,000—or slightly over a quarter of the civilian population. 

 

What other ethnic group would be treated with such indifference or ignorance or bias? Especially a devastated population, with the heaviest casualties among babies and children, by U.S.-made weapons.

https://x.com/RalphNader/status/2007105459719713058 

 

Civic Self-Respect

by Ralph Nader

Seven Stories Press  https://www.sevenstories.com/books/4505-civic-self-respect?srsltid=AfmBOooe0l0Zvtxn-KJ-9dBiwv1L4dS67VqFbFGz0XDZ9sJdDJ9MGgh7

AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine, or at least fair and just laws and policies] 

Born in Connecticut in 1934, RALPH NADER has spent his lifetime challenging corporations and government agencies to be more accountable to the public. His 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed permanently altered the course of a reckless U.S. automobile industry and made Nader a household name. His lobbying and writing on the food industry helped to ensure that the food we buy is required to pass strict guidelines before reaching the consumer. One of Nader’s greatest achievements was his successful lobbying for a 1974 amendment to the Freedom of Information Act, which gave increased public access to government documents. Over the years he has co-founded the public interest groups Public Citizen, Critical Mass, Commercial Alert, and the Center for the Study of Responsive Law. His 2000 presidential campaign on the Green Party ticket served to broaden the scope of debate on the nation’s priorities. Named by the Atlantic as one of the hundred most influential figures in American history, Nader continues to be a relentless advocate for grassroots activism and democratic change. He lives in Washington, D.C. 

Pennsylvania troopers handcuff protesters calling for end to state investments in Israel

The sign says DIVEST FROM GENOCIDE-INVEST IN PA

Dozens of protesters, calling on the state to divest itself of Israel, entered the Pennsylvania Capitol on Monday.

The protesters, many of whom wore masks and black T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Divest From Genocide," started their protest outside. But sometime after noon, they entered the main rotunda, temporarily blocking the main stairs and some access points.

When members of the crowd were told they needed to leave immediately and that the protest was now an unlawful assembly, they cheered.

Eventually, Pennsylvania state troopers removed those gathered, handcuffing them with zip ties as others chanted, "Free, free, free Palestine."

Before entering the Capitol, organizers called on the Pennsylvania Treasurer to stop investing money in Israel.

In October, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced that her department would be investing $20 million in Israeli bonds---for a total of $56.4 million in Israeli investment. An additional $8 million is invested in securities with companies based in Israel.... READ MORE  https://www.wgal.com/article/protesters-enter-pennsylvania-capitol/46650909

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

Palestine IS Personal... a note from Nancy, a very Concerned Palestinian American Citizen

 

The Beauty of Palestine

About all that we can do to stop the genocide is to write to our representatives.

I urge all Palestinian-Americans to do so. Include a bit of your personal history. It doesn't even take long as we know our histories and are united in our revulsion of seeing most of our representatives do little to stop the slaughter. I've sent edited versions of this to my congressman and senators, also.

 

Dear President Biden,

 

I am a Palestinian-American Christian. 

 

My father immigrated to the US in 1951. He is from Ramallah, Palestine, which was a predominantly Christian village until an influx of Palestinians sought refuge in Ramallah in 1948 because of the ethnic cleansing which took place throughout Palestine at the hands of the Zionist gangs. And no, it was not a result of the Arab armies; according to Dr. Salman Abu Sitta, a prominent Palestinian writer and engineer, fully two-thirds of Palestinians were expelled from their towns and villages before any Arab armies entered Palestine. Israel assured that no Palestinians would return by demolishing over four hundred villages and towns. See a pattern here?

 

I was impressed with your reading of poetry and thought that you were a good guy. I no longer feel that way. I am appalled that in your position you won't call off the wholesale slaughter of Palestinian babies and children, women and men. My God, they are without fuel, water, food. Religious institutions and hospitals, doctors, health care workers, ambulance drivers and responders are targeted. Your lack of action is repugnant and criminal. I've never felt more ashamed to be an American than I am now.

 

In spite of the anguish of witnessing trembling children and mourning parents; in spite of the desire to just give in to hopelessness and despair, I still urge you to demand a ceasefire and to learn about the history of Palestine so that you know that Palestinian actions did not occur out of nowhere. 

 

You can still make right seventy-five years of colonization, oppression, and dehumanization of Palestinians. I urge you to do so for the sake of humanity, for the sake of us all: Jews, Palestinians, Muslims, Christians.

 

Sincerely,

Nancy Harb Almendras

Concerned Palestinian American Citizen  

Stop the Genocide

 

Art by Prominent Palestinian Artist- Mamoun Al Shayeb

This man is everywhere your bombs have been for the last 19 years, from Iraq to Syria to Yemen to Libya to Somalia and beyond.. and in Palestine he has been standing like this for 70 years in a concentration camp, under your bombs.

from Mike Hanini Odetalla

"      For all those Americans and British who, while bombing the Middle East for 17 years, refuse refugees because they are 'coming here not to work but to live off our benefits and social security' , I'd love to see you work, against all odds, like this man.

       For all my fellow Arabs and Muslims who say we are useless, haven't contributed anything to mankind in decades, take a good look at the determination of your brother here. 

       For all those voters going out to vote on November, have some mercy on this man and the millions like him. He is everywhere your bombs have been for the last 19 years, from Iraq to Syria to Yemen to Libya to Somalia and beyond.. and in Palestine he has been standing like this for 70 years in a concentration camp, under your bombs. 

Thanks for listening, thanks for caring.
 
Love & Peace.

Via Hanaan   "

USA TEACH PEACE: "I'm neither Israeli or Palestinian. I am just a military veteran fed up with $10.5 million dollars of taxpayer money each day going to Israel to fund an apartheid regime."

 

"I'm neither Israeli or Palestinian. I am just a military veteran fed up with $10.5 million dollars of taxpayer money each day going to Israel to fund an apartheid regime. Further, I am disturbed by the fact that nearly every death of a US service member during the last 30 years is usually tied to an Israeli agenda (Google: The Greater Israel Project) and nothing to do with our national security and those deaths fly in the face of the oath we took when we swore in." 
Jeff Bellamar 
on facebook

THANK YOU Jeff Bellamar!!!!!!

My letter to the NYTimes RE Israeli Defense Minister Compares Beloved Palestinian Poet [Mahmoud Darwish] to Hitler & For Palestinians, Raising Arabian Horses Is ‘the Hobby of the Poor’

Mohammad al-Eisawi, 39, and his son Majd, 5, atop an Arabian horse named Furys near Issawiya. Photo Credit Daniel Berehulak for The New York Times

Israeli Defense Minister Compares Beloved Palestinian Poet [Mahmoud Darwish] to Hitler
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/22/world/middleeast/avigdor-lieberman-compares-mahmoud-darwish-to-hitler.html?_r=0
&
For Palestinians, Raising Arabian Horses Is ‘the Hobby of the Poor’ By JAMES GLANZ and RAMI NAZZAL JULY 13, 2016
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/14/world/middleeast/for-palestinians-raising-arabian-horses-is-the-hobby-of-the-poor.html?action=click&contentCollection=Middle%20East&pgtype=imageslideshow&module=RelatedArticleList&region=CaptionArea&version=SlideCard-1

Dear Editor,

Regarding "Israeli Defense Minister Compares Beloved Palestinian Poet to Hitler" & "For Palestinians, Raising Arabian Horses Is ‘the Hobby of the Poor’ "

"The poem is always incomplete, the butterflies make it whole."  To A Young Poet - Poem by Mahmoud Darwish

The beloved Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish, wrote many different things- and many different things have been written about him.  Friday 7 June 2002, The Guardian published a fascinating article on Darwish by Maya Jaggi : Poet of the Arab world. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/jun/08/featuresreviews.guardianreview19 "Poetry and beauty are always making peace. When you read something beautiful you find coexistence; it breaks walls down... I always humanise the other. I even humanised the Israeli soldier," which he [Darwish] did in poems such as "A Soldier Who Dreams of White Lilies", written just after the 1967 war. Many Arabs criticised the poem, but he says: "I will continue to humanise even the enemy... The first teacher who taught me Hebrew was a Jew. The first love affair in my life was with a Jewish girl. The first judge who sent me to prison was a Jewish woman. So from the beginning, I didn't see Jews as devils or angels but as human beings." Several poems are to Jewish lovers. "These poems take the side of love not war"

Taking the side of love not war, I won't tweet or blog my outrage that the "Israeli Defense Minister Compares Beloved Palestinian Poet [Mahmoud Darwish] to Hitler". No need to add into the click bait hate mongering found on every side- everywhere... on every topic. Yes we need to know the facts, but in hoping for peace and an end to the very real plight and suffering of the Palestinians (and Israelis) I'd rather notice and reinforce the magic of "Raising Arabian Horses" which has the capacity to coax us all into "the same arenas, where the conflict briefly melts away and everyone admires the horses"

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES

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

This is Palestine... "I don't want to carry hate in my heart" Widid Kawar

This is Palestine from Lucy Lyon on Vimeo.

Collector, Widad Kawar explains her motivation towards creating a little piece of Palestine in her home in Amman, Jordan.

 "I taught myself not to hate. If I am going to carry hatred to Israel in my heart all the time, I am poisoning myself. I am a slave to this hatred.  So I learned to do something just the opposite: To be positive in one way or another... " Widad Kawar

My letter to the NYTimes RE Let Israel Fight ISIS by Shmuel Rosner

RE Let Israel Fight ISIS by Shmuel Rosner
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/11/opinion/let-israel-fight-isis.html?ref=international&_r=0

Dear Editor,

ISIS/Daesh sees quite clearly how successful modern Israel has been as a Jews-preferred nation state that actively oppresses, impoverishes and displaces the native non-Jewish Palestinians.  

Israel could indeed not only help fight, but actually help end ISIS/Daesh's reign of terror- but not by deploying more violence, bullets, bombs and escalating bigotry. 

"The Jewish State" VS  "The Islamic State" both armed with lethal weaponry and hate filled rhetoric (plus plenty of graphic videos depicting the very real plight and suffering of the Palestinians) would only make a very bad situation much much worse, everywhere.

Religion should be a personal private matter, not a state funded enterprise with freedom, jobs, housing, special privileges and positive PR reserved for those deemed to be the right religion. Respecting the spirit and the letter of international law and universal human rights, including but not limited to the refugees inalienable right to return to original homes and lands, would send a powerfully compelling message about real justice and peace.

Building peace and universal prosperity by establishing and sustaining the rule of fair and just laws will always an ongoing process, but it is the right road to be on, for everyone's sake.  Israel needs to evacuate all of its illegal occupation of the West Bank and its crippling stranglehold on Gaza immediately OR give full Israeli citizenship with equal rights and freedoms to all Palestinians everywhere ASAP.  

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
UN: Despite Human Rights Day, 'Many Challenges Remain'

Weeks of violence dampen Christmas spirit at Bethlehem hotel

Crucifixion: Nathalie Handal on being Palestinian, writing and enduring love

What is the Israel/Palestine conflict? ...Imagine a SEGREGATED road system where the color of your license plate dictates which roads you can drive on.

Strangling Jerusalem: "In reality, the roots of the violence in Jerusalem are deeper and far more complex. For decades now, Israel has been strangling East Jerusalem denying its Palestinian inhabitants freedom, opportunity, dignity, and hope, with devastating impact. Before Israel closed Jerusalem off from the rest of the West Bank in 1994, the city had served as the hub of Palestinian life. Not only was the city important for its religious role, all of the major Palestinian economic, social, cultural, educational, medical, and service institutions were located in the city. " James Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute & author of 'Arab Voices'

"Israel's unmistakable message is: "You are defeated and subjugated, now accept your lot." Palestinian political leaders are all seen as essentially saying: "We are your champions, but we have absolutely no idea about how to advance your interests, promote your cause or gain your independence." The West, and the international community generally, seems to be saying: "We'll get back to you as soon as Israel seems to be interested in peace again, now in the meanwhile here are some kind words and limited aid." " IBISH: The Tragedy of the Palestinians

***

"What is so special about the Journal of Palestine Studies is our commitment to academically rigorous content that is also accessible to non-academics, to anyone interested in Palestine. I want to make sure Palestinian non-academics who crave this information and history can enjoy the Journal as much as a scholar in Middle East studies." Nehad Khader, managing editor of The Journal of Palestine Studies

***

A Curious Land: Stories from Home... "A superb collection and a perfect selection for public libraries"

US State Department: "And as you know, we do not consider settlements to be part of Israel. We do not view labeling the origin of products as being from the settlements as a boycott of Israel."

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

Unclench your fist... Live by the Golden Rule...

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Words to Honor: The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 1.

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.

Three radiant girls with infectious smiles, carrying earthenware jars of water on their heads, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, 1938

Three radiant girls with infectious smiles, carrying earthenware jars of water on their heads, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, 1938. Notice the girls' dresses and wooden clogs, and the Augusta Victoria in the background.

British Mandate Jerusalemites Photo Library

My letter to the NYTimes RE "Mismanaging the Conflict in Jerusalem" by Nathan Thrall & East Jerusalem, Bubbling Over With Despair by Jodi Rudoren

RE: "Mismanaging the Conflict in Jerusalem" by Nathan Thrall

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/19/opinion/mismanaging-the-conflict-in-jerusalem.html?emc=edit_ee_20151019&nl=todaysheadlines-europe&nlid=22789767
& East Jerusalem, Bubbling Over With Despair by By Jodi Rudoren
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/18/world/middleeast/in-east-jerusalem-palestinians-are-seething-after-years-of-neglect.html?emc=edit_th_20151018&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=22789767&_r=0

Dear Editor,

Mismanaging- or managing the Israel-Palestine conflict means a continuation, rather than an end to the conflict.

So far, more than sixty years and counting, violence has not ever come close to ending the conflict. Quite the opposite. Both institutional bigotry by the sovereign nation Israel, as well as individual violence by Israelis and Palestinians has only exasperated suffering, despair, angst, insults, revenge and more violence that fuels escalating hostilities- and bigotry.

Violence does make for eye catching newspaper headlines and exciting stories easily spun by professional and amateur propagandists on all sides of the conflict. In the West we tend to hear Israeli perspectives (and excuses), whereas all through out the Middle East the Palestinian perspective is quite well known on a personal level as the longest running refugee crisis in the world today continues to push Palestinians into forced exile.

One can not know what the 'wrong side of history' is until long after a situation ends, but my best guess (very much influenced by the global information age) is that sovereign Israel in harshly oppressing, impoverishing, trapping, tormenting and displacing as well as killing the native non-Jewish men, women and children of historic Palestine is on the wrong side of history.

Israel wants Palestinians - and Americans- to make peace with the idea that religion should determine citizenship rights and freedoms.

I think Palestinians are right to refuse to make peace with that. 

A sovereign nation state in long term and flagrant violation of international law on multiple counts is on the wrong side of history. A recent UN Report points out an obvious place to start righting that wrong: "All settlement activity in occupied territory must cease "without preconditions" and Israel "must immediately initiate a process of withdrawal of all settlers", said the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)" http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/31/israel-must-withdraw-settlers-icc#_=_

Two fully sovereign, fully secular states (based on full respect for universal human rights and the rule of fair and just laws) is the best way to actually end the Israel-Palestine conflict ASAP- for everyone's sake.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
Tit-for-tat violence is ‘new normal’ in occupied territory..."The emerging “new normal” – characterised on the Palestinian side by spontaneous acts of violence mainly by youths, and on the Israeli side by settler vigilantes and trigger-happy soldiers – is yet another reminder that the status quo is neither manageable nor containable." Hussein Ibish

The ugly order of free-for-all killings in Israel-Palestine - See more at: http://www.jordantimes.com/opinion/rami-g-khouri/ugly-order-free-all-killings-israel-palestine#sthash.4Q036fgT.UFvoh4TJ.dpuf

The ugly order of free-for-all killings in Israel-Palestine - See more at: http://www.jordantimes.com/opinion/rami-g-khouri/ugly-order-free-all-killings-israel-palestine#sthash.4Q036fgT.UFvoh4TJ.dpuf

The ugly order of free-for-all killings in Israel-Palestine By Rami G. Khouri in the Jordan Times

Ex-U.N. Official John Dugard: Israel’s Crimes are "Infinitely Worse" Than in Apartheid South Africa

Sam Bahour: Palestinians must not fall into this trap, again!  "To cover up its crimes, Israel needs to feed all the western stereotypes of Palestinians as violent and subhuman rather than hungry for freedom and equal rights."

Artists got ‘Homeland is racist’ Arabic graffiti into the latest episode of ‘Homeland’

A Palestinian woman, wearing her traditional embroidered dress while shopping in Ramallah's open market, holds a pomegranate.

On World Food Day, we are reminded that food is so much more than just what we eat... 16 Pictures of the World's Kitchens Show the Hearts of Homes

***

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

Unclench your fist... Live by the Golden Rule...

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Words to Honor: The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 1.

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 Net ... a poem

...Forwards ...a poem

... The Connectors ... a poem

..Destroying Careers and Countries

RECRUIT ... a poem

... There Are Clues

Click by Click Culpability

America/Israel/Palestine 1776

... In Growing Gardens for Palestine: I ask you not to bomb

Translating the Obvious ... A poem for peace in Growing Gardens for Palestine

Trust... A poem for peace in Growing Gardens for Palestine

... Ibrahim's Estate... The Promised Land: In Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights & Peace Day

The Academy of American Poets: Congratulations to Academy Chancellor Naomi Shihab Nye on her nomination by the Swedish Arts Council for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Prize, the world’s largest award for children’s and young adult literature.

“One of the civic responsibilities of the poet in America today is to continue to encourage a sense of civility among us and a sense of curiosity about one another’s lives. ”

—Naomi Shihab Nye, Academy of American Poets Chancellor 

https://www.poets.org/

Timeline Photos

Back to Album · The Academy of American Poets's Photos · The Academy of American Poets's Page

The Academy of American Poets

Congratulations to Academy Chancellor Naomi Shihab Nye on her nomination by the Swedish Arts Council for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Prize, the world’s largest award for children’s and young adult literature.

***

Naomi Shihab Nye was born on March 12, 1952, in St. Louis, Missouri, to a Palestinian father and an American mother. During her high school years, she lived in Ramallah in Palestine, the Old City in Jerusalem, and San Antonio, Texas, where she later received her BA in English and world religions from Trinity University.

Nye is the author of numerous books of poems, including Transfer (BOA Editions, 2011); You and Yours (BOA Editions, 2005), which received the Isabella Gardner Poetry Award; 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East (Greenwillow Books, 2002), a collection of new and selected poems about the Middle East; Fuel (BOA Editions, 1998); Red Suitcase (BOA Editions, 1994); and Hugging the Jukebox (Far Corner Books, 1982).

She is also the author of several books of poetry and fiction for children, including Habibi (Simon Pulse, 1997), for which she received the Jane Addams Children’s Book award in 1998.

Nye gives voice to her experience as an Arab-American through poems about heritage and peace that overflow with a humanitarian spirit. About her work, the poet William Stafford has said, “her poems combine transcendent liveliness and sparkle along with warmth and human insight. She is a champion of the literature of encouragement and heart. Reading her work enhances life.”... read more

***

a poem by 

Naomi Shihab Nye

Red Brocade

The Arabs used to say,
When a stranger appears at your door,
feed him for three days
before asking who he is,
where he’s come from,
where he’s headed.
That way, he’ll have strength
enough to answer.
Or, by then you’ll be
such good friends
you don’t care.

Let’s go back to that.
Rice? Pine nuts?
Here, take the red brocade pillow.
My child will serve water
to your horse.

No, I was not busy when you came!
I was not preparing to be busy.
That’s the armor everyone put on
to pretend they had a purpose
in the world.

I refuse to be claimed.
Your plate is waiting.
We will snip fresh mint
into your tea.

Copyright © by Naomi Shihab Nye.

Susan Muaddi Darraj's newest book "A Curious Land", short stories about Palestinians and the true meaning of home, wins the prestigious Grace Paley Prize in short fiction

Susan Muaddi Darraj

Thanks to the folks at the Aegis for this mention of the new book!

Congratulations to الدكتورة عايدة النجار Dr. Aida Najjar as she launches her new book today (10/19/2015) Her book is on the depopulated and destroyed Palestinian village of ‪#‎Lifta‬.

Congratulations to الدكتورة عايدة النجار Dr. Aida Najjar as she launches her new book today (10/19/2015) at Abdul Hameed Shoman Public Library in Amman, Jordan. Her book is on the depopulated and destroyed Palestinian village of ‪#‎Lifta‬.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201101806904722&set=a.10201101725022675.1073741927.1755387677&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/issa.abuothman/media_set?set=a.10201101725022675.1073741927.1755387677&type=3 

الدكتورة عايدة النجار Dr. Aida Najjar

My letter to the NYTimes RE The Cycle of Violence in Israel editorial

Modern Technology

RE  The Cycle of Violence in Israel editorial
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/opinion/the-cycle-of-violence-in-israel.html?ref=international
& The Israeli-Palestinian Tumult: Clashing Perspectives an excellent letter by Shelly Altman, co-chairman of Jewish Voice for Peace New Haven

Dear Editor,

The cycle of violence is very much generated by sovereign Israel's investment in Jews-preferred policies and settlement projects in the illegally occupied territories: "I’m a South African who lived through apartheid, I have no hesitation in saying that Israel’s crimes are infinitely worse than those committed by the apartheid regime of South Africa." former U.N. Special Rapporteur John Dugard. http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2015/5/6/ex_un_official_john_dugard_israel

Alan E. Steinweis writing recently in the NYTimes, about Bad History : Ben Carson Is Wrong on Guns and the Holocaust points out that "It is preposterous to argue that the possession of firearms would have enabled them [Jewish people being persecuted by the Nazis] to mount resistance against a systematic program of persecution implemented by a modern bureaucracy, enforced by a well-armed police state, and either supported or tolerated by the majority of the German population."

That was 60 years ago- long before sophisticated computers and cellphones and satellites and drones and all sorts of ways for a sovereign government to interfere with an oppressed people's quest for freedom, justice, and equality.

Clueless American politicians like Hilary Clinton use their public podium to make a bad situation worse by ignoring the very real plight of the Palestinians. So do "Pro-Palestine" apologists for Hamas and armed Palestinian resistance.

There are however some clear headed thinkers who refuse to accept an insane and cruel status quo, such as Palestinian businessman Sam Bahour who writes in his most recent article Palestinians must not fall into this trap, again!  "To cover up its crimes, Israel needs to feed all the western stereotypes of Palestinians as violent and subhuman rather than hungry for freedom and equal rights."

And your recent letter writer Shelly Altman, co-chairman of Jewish Voice for Peace New Haven, who states the facts "There are more than 500 checkpoints restricting their movement in the West Bank itself. The Palestinians have endured Israeli military occupation, arrests without charge, arrests of children, home demolitions and the uprooting of olive groves."

And your own editorial, which is basically good despite the fact that it really should have but did not fully show the big picture by pointing out who is in sovereign power with a very strong formal military and a plethora of modern technology that is being deployed to [torture,] silence and destroy the native non-Jewish men women and children of historic Palestine. Your conclusion is very true that "it should be clear that a peace agreement is the only chance Israelis and Palestinians have to stop the cycles of stabbings, shootings, bombings and fear"

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
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

Unclench your fist... Live by the Golden Rule...

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Words to Honor: The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 1.

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 Net ... a poem

...Forwards ...a poem

... The Connectors ... a poem

..Destroying Careers and Countries

RECRUIT ... a poem

... There Are Clues

Click by Click Culpability

America/Israel/Palestine 1776

... In Growing Gardens for Palestine: I ask you not to bomb

Translating the Obvious ... A poem for peace in Growing Gardens for Palestine

Trust... A poem for peace in Growing Gardens for Palestine

... Ibrahim's Estate... The Promised Land: In Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights & Peace Day

Boycotting Israel's Anti-Palestine War Games in the West Bank

"... a settlement boycott—and not just a refusal to buy settlement-produced goods but a prohibition on investing or financially underwriting settlement activity and industries—are really the least that any state or society that sincerely believes in the need for an eventual two-state solution can and should do."  Hussein Ibish

A settlement boycott is the least we can do

Everyone who cares about peace should boycott settlements

https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commentary/565132-a-settlement-boycott-is-the-least-we-can-do

[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 (& America)]

PLEASE NOTE

This is not "BDS" which too often veers off into being a podium and publicity for one-state activists, anti-Israel agitators, extremists, hate mongers and Zionists who do not support a negotiated end to the Israel-Palestine conflict.  

This is a reasonable call for reasonable people worldwide (as well as all organizations, NGOs, corporations, businesses, concerned governments...etc...) to uphold and respect international law and a two state solution to once and for all end the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Scales of Justice

"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 Universal Declaration of Human Rights

*** 

“[The] continued expansion of Israeli illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and other territories occupied by Israel since 1967, threatens the prospect of a just and final peace agreement,”  Foreign ministers from 16 EU countries – including the UK – have signed a letter to the EU’s foreign policy head, Federica Mogherini, requesting she expedite moves to ensure the clear labelling of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements and sold in Europe

My letter to the NYTimes RE A Tiny House in Seattle

A hemmed-in house has become Seattle’s shrine to defiance. Photo Credit Ian C. Bates for The New York Times

RE A Tiny House in Seattle
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/opinion/a-tiny-house-in-seattle.html?ref=international

Dear Editor,

Thank you for publishing Barry Martin's reality check on the story of Edith Macefield and her tiny house in Seattle... "she was neither the “anticorporate crusader” or the “old fool, blinded by stubbornness” that you wrote about, in describing the views of some."

Happily hyping Disney's movie "UP" the original report you published “House That Wouldn’t Budge (or Float Away) Faces a Last Stand” should have at least glanced at Barry Martin's book Under One Roof: Lessons I Learned From a Tough Old Woman in a Little Old House.  I haven't read the book yet, but will after seeing Barry Martin's fascinating letter and then reading a very easy to find online description about his book: "The story of Barry Martin and Edith Macefield is a tale of balance and compassion, of giving enough without giving too much, of helping our elderly loved ones through the tough times without taking away their dignity."

Seems to me, at the end of the day, there are many nice people and there are some not so nice people everywhere, in every walk of life, and there are countless personal motives for people to do what they do. Here in America, we have homes and we have businesses that help provide jobs so that people can have homes. We also have local zoning as well as neighborhood associations which help keep some very pleasant neighborhoods family friendly so that, as time passes and some people pass on or move away, other individuals and families are more likely to move in and invest in their earnings as well as their time and energy into maintaining a pleasant home and neighborhood.

Life is much more complex and interconnected than big bad corporate entity VS real people.  Jobs matter, personal effort matters, and so does good reporting by reliable newspapers so that we the people might be motivated to help build support for better policies by corporations, colleges, government, local business, as well as any other organization (and noble character) that influences life today.  Jobs matter, individuals matter, letters to the editor matter, stories matter, attention to detail matters, upholding the rule of fair and just laws matters immensely and so do volunteer efforts and the arts... and how we raise our children- what we teach them to see and explore and think about.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
American homemaker & poet

My letter to CSM RE Global Newsstand: Rami G. Khouri's "Constant cycle of violence won’t bring peace to Israelis and Palestinians"

Palestinian dress and golden key

 RE Global Newsstand: Rami G. Khouri's "Constant cycle of violence won’t bring peace to Israelis and Palestinians"
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Global-Newsstand/2014/1204/Constant-cycle-of-violence-in-Israel-regulating-working-hours-in-Japan-Bangladesh-s-quiet-mobile-revolution-Kenya-standing-against-terrorist-attacks-Latvia-s-first-openly-gay-politician

Dear Editor,

Thank you for linking to and publishing Rami G. Khouri's excellent commentary "Constant cycle of violence won’t bring peace to Israelis and Palestinians" on the Global Newsstand.  I hope many people forward the link, and read and think about the article- and figure out what they can personally do to help empower and promote a just and lasting peace. But don't be surprised if they don't. 

Khouri is right to conclude that "neither popular grassroots movements nor enlightened leaderships have emerged on either side to pull us all out of the endless cycle of death."   In today's world the internet provides information, and heart wrenching photographs and stories all about the very real plight of the Palestinians, but the internet also provides a podium for bad ideas and hate campaigning activist-entertainers, as well as religious extremists who are fueled by the Israel-Palestine conflict. Half truths flourish, basic logic is ignored, and reasonable people are harassed and pushed away. 

Enlightened leadership is not supported.  Compassion and diplomacy are scorned.  State building for Palestine is sabotaged by Israelis and also by "pro-Palestine" activists who use Israeli sources to build a case to boycott and destroy Israel.  It would be funny if it weren't so very very tragic... and dangerous.

Ending the Israel-Palestine conflict ASAP with a fully secular two state solution based on international law and fully respecting universal human rights is the best way forward. Weighing in one can chose to exasperate and perpetuate the Israel-Palestine conflict with all its many negative ramifications including the escalating rage that both sides feel towards "the other", or one can follow the lead of many noble and courageous albeit unsung heroes who, day after day, conscientiously focus in on ending the Israel-Palestine conflict for everyone's sake.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

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

UNITED NATIONS

• About Palestine
  • Government of the State of Palestine
  • Palestine Liberation Organization
  • Diplomatic Relations
• Status of Palestine
  • Membership Application
  • Resolutions & Reports on Status
• Mission Documents
  • Statements
  • Identical Letters
  • Press Releases
  • Mission Reports on GA
• UN Resolutions
  • General Assembly
  • 10th Emergency Special Session
  • Security Council
  • The Wall – Landmark Documents
• Conferences
• Palestine Programmes
• International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 2014

************
Tala Haikal: Empathy Is Essential to Humanity

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

ATFP Calls for De-Escalation between Israel and the Palestinians

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

AMERICAN TASK FORCE ON PALESTINE:

A Moderate Palestinian Group Struggles As Hope For A Two-State Solution Wanes

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