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

Comment I posted RE Hussein Ibish: The tragedy in Yarmouk

NOW: A man stands inside a demolished building in the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in the Syrian capital Damascus on 6 April 2015. Around 2,000 people have been evacuated from the camp after ISIS seized large parts of it. (AFP/Youssef Karwashan)

The tragedy in Yarmouk: The Syrian Palestinian refugee camp has become "hell on earth"by
Hussein Ibish
https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commentary/565103-the-tragedy-in-yarmouk

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]

[Dear...]

Heart breaking- but a very good column by Hussein Ibish.  I am glad Ibish has not abandoned Palestine and the refugees. 

While I understand Ibish's call is for the international community, I have to wonder what exactly is the international community- is it formal governments worldwide, or is it mainly people speaking out to persuade their peers and elected leaders and newspapers to promote preferred story lines?   I can not help but think of all the many "pro-Palestine" activist individuals who constantly knock support away from diplomacy and state building efforts for Palestine.  Why are one-staters, anti-Israel Jewish activists and Islamists, who all tend to scorn negotiations, never ever held accountable for prolonging the Israel-Palestine conflict?

How many reasonable able advocates has Palestine lost, and how many good arguments for negotiations and statehood simply are not being made because 'pro-Palestine' in America has been hijacked by anti-state activists?

Seems to me the real Imperialism of today is a conglomeration of all the many "pro-Palestine" activist inciters weighing in to exasperate racism, religious bigotry, extremism, escalating conflict... further disenfranchising people connected to Palestine, and alienating America (and donors for UNWRA), rather than giving people concerned about the very real plight of the Palestinians the tools to help build a future with good jobs and real freedom based on a just and lasting peace for both Israel and for Palestine.

I wish more people had given more public support to American Task Force on Palestine efforts... I wish more people understood the vital importance of diplomacy and dialogue... and citizenship. American Task Force on Palestine might not be super active today, but all the many wise words, honest insights and good advice written through the years by Ibish & Dr. Ziad Asali (and others) remain in view providing a glimmer of hope that reasonable arguments for a real Palestine can still be made.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES

Hussein Ibish: Israel’s new indifference to the occupation is toxic...."Israel’s dominance over the Palestinians has reached a stage where, when they want to, Israelis can actually completely ignore the reality of the Palestinian people and get away with it."

Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint session of the US Congress. Mandel Ngan / AFP

Hussein Ibish

March 7, 2015

"The most important thing about the Israeli prime minister’s speech before a joint session of the US Congress was what he didn’t say. Benjamin Netanyahu never uttered a word about the Palestinians. This astonishing evasion has become the standard Jewish Israeli response to the existence of the Palestinian people and of their national movement. Palestinians have simply been written out of the equation in most facets of official and unofficial mainstream Jewish Israeli discourse. A number of leading Palestinians have complained that Israelis have become “blind” to them. It’s an apt metaphor.

Israelis increasingly speak and, presumably, think about their national, strategic and security challenges as if there were not 2.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank, 200,000 more in East Jerusalem and another 1.6 million in Gaza.

It’s a striking change because in the past, Israelis spoke openly, and almost obsessively, about the “Palestinian problem”. Those were times when the dimensions of the “problem” were, in every respect, much less challenging than they are now. Even when their discourse was characterised by rage, Israelis in the 1980s, 1990s and even the 2000s generally recognised that the Palestinians and the occupation were vital national security issues, and indeed existential ones."...READ MORE

Hussein Ibish is a senior fellow at the American Task Force on ­Palestine

On Twitter: @ibishblog

***

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]

My letter to the NYTimes RE The ISIS Theater of Cruelty By HUSSEIN IBISH

Conscientiously refusing to, in any way shape or form, accidentally promote the image and ugliness of Daesh/ISIS/ISIL/The Islamic State (or whatever you want to call it), and I've blogged my unpublished letter with a beautiful painting by Magritte.

The Return (Le Retour) by René Magritte 1940 oil painting... WIKIART: "Rene Magritte’s witty and thought-provoking paintings sought to have viewers question their perceptions of reality, and become hypersensitive to the world around them."

RE: The ISIS Theater of Cruelty By HUSSEIN IBISH
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/opinion/the-isis-theater-of-cruelty.html?ref=opinion

[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]

Dear Editor,

Daesh/ISIS/ISIL/The Islamic State (or whatever you want to call it) has viral violent videos as part of their recruiting tool kit, but I think we must also assume they have a plethora of much more subtle propaganda and a whole arsenal of psychological warfare tricks aimed at silencing dissent:  Please don't let any one bully you away from publishing more- much much more- of the brilliant Hussein Ibish's exceptionally relevant and helpful analysis on the situation in the Middle East.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
World Press Roundup: Middle East News

The Net ... a poem

Forwards ...a poem

The Connectors ... a poem

Mideast Quartet calls for speedy resumption of peace talks... "Pending the resumption of negotiations, the Quartet called on both parties to refrain from actions that undermine trust or prejudge final status issues."

Global Citizenship... laying the foundation for a culture of peace

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

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

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

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

 “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) American minister, humanitarian and social activist- a cherished leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, whose inspiring words continue to influence and empower diplomatic efforts to bring more justice, more security, more peace and more jobs to more people, every one and every where.

"We are brothers. It's not a question of Jews, of Christians or of Muslims. We're all in the same boat, we have to help each other to get out of this crisis." Lassana Bathily

IBISH: Clarifying why Arab and Muslim Americans should be smart rather than stupid

My letter to CSM RE How shock over murder of Muslim-Americans could counter creeping Islamophobia: Signs of anti-Muslim fears have been percolating in American society recently, but the murder of three Muslim-Americans in North Carolina could play at least a small part in challenging those views.

Suzanne Askar (r.) rests her head on the shoulder of Safam Mahate, a student at North Carolina State University, as they stand next to Nida Allam (far l.) during a vigil for three people who were killed at a condominium near UNC-Chapel Hill, Wednesday, in Chapel Hill, N.C.

PHOTO CREDIT CSM...Al Drago/The News & Observer/AP

RE How shock over murder of Muslim-Americans could counter creeping Islamophobia: Signs of anti-Muslim fears have been percolating in American society recently, but the murder of three Muslim-Americans in North Carolina could play at least a small part in challenging those views.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2015/0212/How-shock-over-murder-of-Muslim-Americans-could-counter-creeping-Islamophobia

Dear Editor,

As the talented Dean Obeidallah , co-creator of  "The Muslims are Coming!" a docu-comedy about a bunch of Muslim-American comedians who tour Middle America says on his facebook page: "Since the killing of the 3 Muslim students in Chapel Hill I have had such a mix of emotions of despair and outrage. Im sure others have too. I'm still trying to process the crime yet sadly I'm not surprised something like this happen given the unchecked anti-Muslim bigotry we see in the country today."

It is indeed very hard to process.  Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, Yusor Mohammad, 21, and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19 were bright, attractive, compassionate, creative, hard working people whose lives were cruelly cut short.

Thank you for covering the horrible and shocking murder of the three young Americans in Chapel Hill NC with such grace and dignity... and some very good quotes by some very reasonable and wise people who have not given up on hope for humanity.

Dr. Hussein Ibish of the American Task Force on Palestine is quite right to point out that "“Compared to most countries, [America is] a really great place to be an ethnic or religious minority,” "

And Ibish correct to conclude that “you’ve got a vicious circle between ideology of hatred and current events, and you need a virtuous circle between mainstream Muslims and mainstream broader American community, where you trump a vicious circle with a virtuous one.” 

Many mainstream Muslims here in America are simply Americans. There is no way to tell what their religion might be, and as Americans they are not required to disclose what their religion is, or who they vote for, or any other personal information. They have been and will continue to be an important part of America and who we are, as countless good citizens make numerous positive contributions to our world.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
World Press Roundup: Middle East News

Mideast Quartet calls for speedy resumption of peace talks... "Pending the resumption of negotiations, the Quartet called on both parties to refrain from actions that undermine trust or prejudge final status issues."

Global Citizenship... laying the foundation for a culture of peace

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

Hamas confirms that it has banned a visit by Palestinian orphans from the Gaza Strip to Israel because it was in the context of “normalization” with Israelis.

During World War II, the Allies adopted the Four Freedoms—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear, and freedom from want—as their basic war aims.... The United Nations Charter "reaffirmed faith in fundamental human rights, and dignity and worth of the human person" and committed all member states to promote "universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion"

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 

Jordan's King: World must stand up to radicals

What Will Israel Become?

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?

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

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

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

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

 “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) American minister, humanitarian and social activist- a cherished leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, whose inspiring words continue to influence and empower diplomatic efforts to bring more justice, more security, more peace and more jobs to more people, every one and every where.

"We are brothers. It's not a question of Jews, of Christians or of Muslims. We're all in the same boat, we have to help each other to get out of this crisis." Lassana Bathily

My letter to the Washington Post RE Kathleen Parker's "The irresponsible reporting in the Chapel Hill killings"

Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha and Razan Abu-Salha set an inspiring example in life and in death.

RE Kathleen Parker's "The irresponsible reporting in the Chapel Hill killings"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/02/11/the-irresponsible-reporting-in-the-chapel-hill-killings/

Dear Editor,

Kayla Jean Mueller,

Kayla Jean Mueller,

Kayla Mueller

Irresponsible reporting is indeed a problem, and so is the rise of Islamophobic anti-Muslim hate... and half a world away so is Hamas, Hezbollah, and Daesh/ISIS militancy- as well as Israel's refusal to respect international law and the Palestinian's basic human rights.  There is plenty of tragedy and plenty of blame to go around, with many different bellows seeking sparks.

Parker makes a point to point out that on very same day of the tragic Chapel Hill killings, we had gotten confirmation that 26 year old Kayla Mueller, the American aid worker kidnapped by "the Islamic State" was indeed dead.

The word Daesh would be a more accurate and more helpful word to use to describe the terrorist group in Syria that kidnapped and murdered Kayla Mueller. It is a derogatory term used by millions of Muslims. "The name Daesh is a "loose acronym" for "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (al-Dawla al-Islamiya al-Iraq al-Sham). The name is commonly used by enemies of ISIS, and it also has many negative undertones, as Daesh sounds similar to the Arabic words Daes ("one who crushes something underfoot") and Dahes ("one who sows discord"). Samantha Rollins" http://theweek.com/speedreads/446139/france-says-name-isis-offensive-call-daesh-instead

Hussein Ibish wisely explains in a recent column concerning the word Islamophobia that "The history of the battle against anti-black racism, or anti-Semitism for that matter, in the 20th century in the United States demonstrates that, in spite of the inherent difficulties posed in trying to use language for constructive social purposes (as opposed to demagoguery), real progress is, indeed, genuinely possible. And it all depends on developing, slowly and painfully, by fits and starts, new and improved social consensuses about the equality of all people in our societies and the basic respect they should be accorded in our national and collective conversations." https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commentary/564741-defining-islamophobia

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
World Press Roundup: Middle East News

Mideast Quartet calls for speedy resumption of peace talks... "Pending the resumption of negotiations, the Quartet called on both parties to refrain from actions that undermine trust or prejudge final status issues."

Global Citizenship... laying the foundation for a culture of peace

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

Hamas confirms that it has banned a visit by Palestinian orphans from the Gaza Strip to Israel because it was in the context of “normalization” with Israelis.

During World War II, the Allies adopted the Four Freedoms—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear, and freedom from want—as their basic war aims.... The United Nations Charter "reaffirmed faith in fundamental human rights, and dignity and worth of the human person" and committed all member states to promote "universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion"

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 

Jordan's King: World must stand up to radicals

What Will Israel Become?

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?

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

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

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

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

 “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) American minister, humanitarian and social activist- a cherished leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, whose inspiring words continue to influence and empower diplomatic efforts to bring more justice, more security, more peace and more jobs to more people, every one and every where.

"We are brothers. It's not a question of Jews, of Christians or of Muslims. We're all in the same boat, we have to help each other to get out of this crisis." Lassana Bathily

#JeSuixAhmed

#JeSuisAhmed: a crucial message that everyone should hear

A memorial to Ahmed Merabet, one of two police officers killed in the Charlie Hebdo massacre ( Marc Piasecki/Getty Images)

 The hashtag is also a reminder that the victims of Islamist terrorists are primarily Muslim

***

Terrorist acts not cartoons provoke Islamophobia.... "It is not obnoxious and freewheeling satire but terrorist atrocities that really and devastatingly promote Islamophobia in France and around the world." Hussein Ibish, PhD
Senior Fellow
ATFP
http://www.americantaskforce.org/

My letter to the Economist RE Palestine and the UN: Another gambit- How far will Mahmoud Abbas push a resolution to end Israeli occupation?

Christmas Magi Forever® stamp

RE Palestine and the UN: Another gambit- How far will Mahmoud Abbas push a resolution to end Israeli occupation?
http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21636779-how-far-will-mahmoud-abbas-push-resolution-end-israeli-occupation-another

Dear Sir,

Rage, self righteousness, religious extremism, hate mongering and bad advice on all sides exasperate the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the very real plight and suffering of the Palestinians. 

Diplomatic efforts based on FULL respect for international law and universal human rights (including but not limited to the Palestinian refugees right to return to original homes and lands) are the only way to actually end the conflict.

Hussein Ibish, senior fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine, quite reasonably concludes in a recent column Agreement on UN text is in everyone’s interest that "All parties have a clear interest in reaching an agreement over a text that can advance the prospects for peace, and reiterate the international community’s commitment to a two-state outcome between Israel and the Palestinians" http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/agreement-on-un-text-is-in-everyones-interest

The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) "supports Palestinian institution-building, good governance, anti-corruption measures, economic development, and improved living standards. ATFP holds that these same values are relevant to the broader Arab world, and that the question of Palestine is inextricably linked to regional realities and developments." ... Abbas & the PLO would be wise to follow ATFP's attentive lead rather than rushing forward with a badly worded self defeating draft. 

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
An Open Door Beckons in the West Bank

Why Muslims Love Jesus Too: The virgin birth is mentioned in the...what...gasp...Koran?! It is indeed. So have yourself a merry Muslim Christmas.

A Christmas poem... in Growing Gardens for Palestine: Star Street Bethlehem Palestine 2014

US general rebrands Isis 'Daesh' after requests from regional partners

What Do Palestinians Want for Christmas

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

What Will Israel Become?

“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.

New Ibish article: Hisham, Hope and Despair..."The crucial point is that the one thing that is certain is that the choices that we make individually and collectively will have a direct and profound impact on the short, medium and long-term outcomes. And, therefore, our choices must be carefully considered, deliberate and purposive, while apathy and inaction are not options."

Denial is not only pointless; it's no longer possible without becoming downright delusional. (AFP Photo/STR)

[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]

https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commentaryanalysis/564209-hisham-hope-and-despair

Hisham, Hope and Despair

Hisham Melhem is correct about the collapse of "Arab civilization," but hope remains

On 18 September, Hisham Melhem – the distinguished Arab journalist and de facto "dean" of the Arabic-language press corps in Washington – published a brilliant, ringing and profoundly significant cri de coeur in the American news magazine Politico. Its impact has reverberated powerfully throughout the Middle East-related commentariat, particularly in the United States. Surveying the wreckage of Arab culture and civilization as normatively understood over most of the past 100 years or so – in other words, what most Arabs thought we knew about ourselves, and which now lies largely in ruins – he conducts an unflinching, overdue and merciless autopsy of what he declares to be, at least for the rest of his own lifetime, a social, economic and political corpse.

All serious observers who care about the Arabs and the Arab world must either immediately acknowledge an instinctive and heartbroken identification with Melhem's anguish, or continue kidding themselves. Denial is not only pointless; it's no longer possible without becoming downright delusional. The profound crisis in the contemporary Arab social order and political culture is simply a fact. It can, and must, be analyzed and interrogated. But it cannot be dismissed or even downplayed.

Details aside, it's just impossible for any serious or honest person to take issue with the essence of Melhem's grim analysis. Many once-promising Arab societies have ...READ MORE

Hussein Ibish: US has a responsibility to rein in Israeli settlements

"Israeli leaders and others were livid at Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas’s recent United Nations speech, which included the hyperbolic claim that Israel is guilty of “genocide” in Gaza. This unusually strong language from Mr Abbas was undoubtedly aimed at a domestic audience and designed to express the anger and frustration of Palestinians who seemingly have no viable strategy for moving forward towards national liberation.

Even though such remarks – including Israel’s own hyperbolic claims on social media recently that that “Hamas = ISIL” – aren’t helpful, they don’t actually change the strategic equation on the ground. They are, in both cases, snapshots of a political moment, and crucially one that can pass quickly without leaving a deep scar.

The same cannot be said for ­Israel’s latest announcement of impending settlement activity in occupied East Jerusalem. Plans for 2,610 new settler housing units were revealed last week in the so-called Givat Hamatos settlement, to the south of Jerusalem." Hussein Ibish 

 US has a responsibility to rein in Israeli settlements

[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]

The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP): Established in 2003, its mission is to articulate and educate about the United States national interest in helping to create a Palestinian state living alongside Israel in peace, security and dignity. ATFP is committed to strengthening Palestinian-American relations at every level. The Task Force supports Palestinian institution-building, good governance, anti-corruption measures, economic development, and improved living standards. ATFP holds that these same values are relevant to the broader Arab world, and that the question of Palestine is inextricably linked to regional realities and developments.

 

My letter to the Guardian RE Netanyahu says US criticism of settlements is 'against American values'

Champion of Human Rights
America's Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962)

RE Netanyahu says US criticism of settlements is 'against American values'
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/05/netanyahu-says-us-criticism-settlements-against-american-values

Dear Editor,

“The idea that we’d have this ethnic purification as a condition for peace, I think it’s anti-peace.” Yes indeed Netanyahu has a point about peace and American values, but he fails to apply the same exact logic to Israel's brutal mistreatment of the native non-Jewish Palestinians who have been refused their inalienable right to return to original homes and lands since Israel first started pushing them into forced exile more than sixty years ago.

Hussein Ibish points out in his most recent op-ed, US has a responsibility to rein in Israeli settlements http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/us-has-a-responsibility-to-rein-in-israeli-settlements, that "Hamas at least can claim to have established agency, initiative and momentum. Israel’s latest settlement activity seems almost calculated to play into their hands. It certainly delivers another brutal blow to Mr Abbas and all those who seek a negotiated agreement. It undermines the credibility of potential negotiations, and of the negotiators themselves."

Israel is playing a very VERY dangerous game of exasperating despair as well as religious extremism on all sides.

As Ziad Asali points out in his most recent op-ed Confronting ISIL: The Day and Decade "After"  "There is a vicious circle of mutual self-reinforcement between state and society failure on the one hand and the rise of extremist non-state actors on the other."

A fully secular two state solution to once and for all end the Israel-Palestine conflict ASAP is the best way forward. No more dithering, no more distractions, no more red herrings, no more shell games: Religion should be a personal private matter, not a state funded dictate determining who gets freedom, jobs, subsidized housing, security, justice, peace, and praise.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
American homemaker & poet

NOTES
Tala Haikal: "It may not be possible to immediately free all the kidnapped girls and women due to the scope of the conflict with ISIS and the geographical dispersal of the captives in various locations. Some of these women and girls can be freed only once ISIS is destroyed."

UN report spotlights 'staggering' Islamic State atrocities in Iraq... "The group, which is fighting in Iraq and Syria, has carried out a wide range of atrocities, including mass executions, abductions, rape and other forms of sexual and physical violence against women and children"

"There is a vicious circle of mutual self-reinforcement between state and society failure on the one hand and the rise of extremist non-state actors on the other." Ziad Asali: Confronting ISIL: The Day and Decade "After"

USA Today... Sweden PM says nation will recognize Palestinian state: "It doesn't change a thing on the ground," Ibish said. "It changes the number of countries that have recognized the Palestinian state. It changes the Western commitment to a two-state solution, (and) it does put more pressure on Israel to make concessions."

Vatican seeks Mideast Christians' right of return

Salam Fayyad: How To Fix the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

Excellent letter in the Guardian by Chris Doyle: Trouble and shock in the West Bank

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

US sharply criticizes new Israeli housing project

Non-violent resistance is Palestine’s most powerful weapon

Tala Haikal: Empathy Is Essential to Humanity

Normalizing Intelligent Conversations, Diplomatic Support, and Hope for Palestine... ATFP Panel Briefing: Israeli-Palestinian War in a New Regional Landscape.

ATFP... American Task Force on Palestine

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

International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 2014

UNRWA photo and film archive for Palestine refugees

About UNWRA: ’The Long Journey of Palestine Refugee Women’ candidly portrays the lives and experiences of Palestine refugee women, this collection is a testament not only to their own strength and dignity, but also to the richness and resilience of their community.

Walking Palestine & The Abraham Path... a creative space for stories that highlight the unique culture, heritage and hospitality of the region

It's time for Palestinians and Israelis to share a just peace... It's time for freedom from occupation... It's time for equal rights.... It's time for the healing of wounded souls..... World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel: "Let my people go!"... 21 - 27 September 2014 An initiative of the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum (PIEF) of the World Council of Churches

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

1948

Time and time again I have watched the cycle of incitement and spin sabotage support for Palestine

Clarifying why Arab and Muslim Americans should be smart rather than stupid

Live by the Golden Rule

• “Forgiving is not forgetting; it’s actually remembering - remembering and not using your right to hit back.”

An Anne Frank Moment ... a poem by Anne Selden Annab

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

America/Israel/Palestine 1776

America/Israel/Palestine 1948: 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