US visa refusal for Palestinian delegation prompts calls to move UN meeting to Geneva. General assembly session about two-state solution for Palestine and Israel due to start in New York on Tuesday

The UK, France, Australia, Canada and others are expected to recognise a Palestinian state if certain conditions are met. Photograph: Haitham Imad /EPA

The US’s refusal to grant visas to the Palestinian delegation to the UN general assembly has led to calls for a one-day conference on a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel to be moved from the UN’s headquarters in New York to its other main site in Geneva.

Donald Trump’s White House has already refused to grant a visa to the Palestinian Authority (PA) president, Mahmoud Abbas, and 80 other Palestinian officials for the general assembly session, which begins on Tuesday.

There is now speculation that, citing anti-terrorist laws, he will also ban diplomats from Brazil, Iran, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

In 1988 the US debarred the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), Yasser Arafat, from travelling to New York.

But the White House is going further than before by withholding visas from the entire travelling Palestinian delegation to probably the most important diplomatic event for Palestine since the Oslo accords – a one-day event at which the UK, France, Australia, Canada and others are expected to recognise a Palestinian state if certain conditions are met, which has infuriated Israel.

Such a blanket ban has never been attempted in the history of the UN. Per Clausen, a Danish MEP who is a member of the Left group, has called for Europe to propose a temporary transfer to Geneva “both to uphold the Palestinians’ right to be represented and to... READ MORE    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/08/us-visa-refusal-for-palestinian-delegation-prompts-calls-to-move-un-meeting-to-geneva

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]

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."

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

[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]

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=699831

Abbas calls on pope to support Palestinian struggle

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."

Ma'an News Pope Francis in Bethlehem: How the day unfolded

[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]

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=699794

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

 [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]

Pope Francis waves to the crowd as he arrives at Manger Square before presiding over an open-air Mass outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Jack Guez / AFP/ Getty Images

 http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-pope-mideast-20140526-story.html

by Batsheva Sobelman, Maher Abukhater, Henry Chu

 

On a day bookended by visits to the sites of Jesus' birth and death, Pope Francis on Sunday called on Palestinians and Israelis to recognize that "there is simply no other way" than a two-state solution for them to coexist peacefully after decades of conflict and bloodshed.

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

Pope Francis in the Middle East  LATIMES PHOTOS

Andrew Medichini / European Pressphoto Agency

Pope Francis prays at the Jordan River in Bethany Beyond the Jordan, which believers hold to be the site of Jesus' baptism.

Yousef Allan / Jordanian Royal Palace

Pope Francis prays in front of the Jordan River in Bethany Beyond the Jordan, west of the Jordanian capital, Amman.

Palestinian Press Ofiice / Getty Images

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas greets Pope Francis in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Menahem Kahana / Pool Photo

Pope Francis is greeted by children from Palestinian refugee camps during a visit to the Dheisheh camp on the outskirts of Bethlehem.

Thomas Coex / AFP/ Getty Images

People wave flags as they gather in Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity.

Ahmad Gharabli / AFP/ Getty Images

Pope Francis blesses a child as he leaves Manger Square after presiding over an open-air Mass.

Andrew Medichini / Associated Press

Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Manger Square next to the Church of the Nativity.

Osservatore Romano / Associated Press

Pope Francis visits the Church of the Nativity.

Jack Guez / AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis leads a prayer during a meeting with prelates, nuns and seminarists at the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane, in east Jerusalem. The pope called for people of all faiths to have access to often hotly-contested sacred sites in Jerusalem.

Israeli Government Press Office / Getty Images

Pope Francis visits the Dome of the Rock in the Old City of Jerusalem. May 26, 2014

  [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]

“You have to understand that the progressive forces in the Arab world, those that support having a visible relationship with Israel, cannot reach out to it until the Palestinian problem is resolved,” said one Jordanian official. “Moreover, this should also be Israel’s interest, because the only way to stop the Islamic movements from seizing control in the West Bank is through an agreement with the Palestinians.”

[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]    

http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.570661

Jordan's King Abdullah, right, speaking to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Royal Palace in Amman, Jan. 10, 2012. Photo by Reuters

A new, improved Jordanian option

'You have to understand that the progressive forces in the Arab world, those that support having a visible relationship with Israel, cannot reach out to it until the Palestinian problem is resolved,' said one Jordanian official.

By Reuven Pedatzur | Jan. 27, 2014

The recent surprise visit to Jordan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is indicative of the importance the premier attributes to the Hashemite kingdom’s role in advancing the diplomatic process, and particularly to its role in the future, if and when a Palestinian state is established. The substance of Netanyahu’s talks with King Abdullah a week and a half ago have not leaked, but the king’s positions and strategic plans can be discerned from off-the-record conversations with senior Jordanian officials, some of them with direct access to the royal palace.

The most important message emerging from the talks with the Jordanians is their assessment that it is vital to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian agreement that will lead to the end of the conflict. Such an agreement will not only allow Jordan to publicly improve its relations with Israel, but will have far-reaching implications for Israel’s relations with other countries in the region.. READ MORE

found via ATFP front page   

ATFP (The American Task Force on Palestine) categorically and unequivocally condemns all violence against civilians, no matter the cause and who the victims or perpetrators may be.

Time Magazine: A Perfect Christmas in the Holy Land

Vera Baboun, mayor of Bethlehem, Palestine

For me, like other Christians in the Holy Land, Christmas means a new birth, a new beginning. Bethlehem is the city of the Nativity and all citizens, Christians and Muslims alike, come together in a unique celebration. On Dec. 16 we light the Christmas tree in Manger Square, and on Dec. 24 we have the most beautiful festivities when the Latin Patriarch processes to the old Church of the Nativity accompanied by scout groups playing drums and bagpipes. Then there’s midnight Mass especially for the visitors, which is broadcast worldwide.

It’s important that tourists spend some time in and around Bethlehem, visiting famous sites such as the Grotto of the Nativity and Shepherds’ Fields in the neighboring village of Beit Sahour, with its 4th century cave-church. But to really experience Bethlehem’s Christmas spirit, you need to walk our streets and talk to our people.

Read more: http://style.time.com/2012/12/14/a-perfect-christmas-in-the-holy-land/#ixzz2FSCKzy64

An eastern European pilgrim walks away from the Armenian section of the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Dec. 24, 2011. Marco Longari / AFP / Getty Images

http://style.time.com/2012/12/14/a-perfect-christmas-in-the-holy-land/

Let these residents bid you welcome and be your guides...

Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, Ramallah, Palestine
Maoz Inon, hotelier and co-founder of the Jesus Trail, Nazareth, Israel
Vera Baboun, mayor of Bethlehem, Palestine
Mariam Shahin, author of Palestine: A Traveller’s Guide, Ramallah, Palestine
Raed Saadeh, owner of the Jerusalem Hotel, East Jerusalem

New York Times: The Long Overdue Palestinian State By Mahmoud Abbas

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/opinion/17abbas.html?_r=2&ref=opinion

The Long Overdue Palestinian State

By MAHMOUD ABBAS

Published: May 16, 2011

Ramallah, West Bank

SIXTY-THREE years ago, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy was forced to leave his home in the Galilean city of Safed and flee with his family to Syria. He took up shelter in a canvas tent provided to all the arriving refugees. Though he and his family wished for decades to return to their home and homeland, they were denied that most basic of human rights. That child’s story, like that of so many other Palestinians, is mine.

This month, however, as we commemorate another year of our expulsion — which we call the nakba, or catastrophe — the Palestinian people have cause for hope: this September, at the United Nations General Assembly, we will request international recognition of the State of Palestine on the 1967 border and that our state be admitted as a full member of the United Nations.

Many are questioning what value there is to such recognition while the Israeli occupation continues. Others have accused us of imperiling the peace process. We believe, however, that there is tremendous value for all Palestinians — those living in the homeland, in exile and under occupation.

It is important to note that the last time the question of Palestinian statehood took center stage at the General Assembly, the question posed to the international community was whether our homeland should be partitioned into two states. In November 1947, the General Assembly made its recommendation and answered in the affirmative. Shortly thereafter, Zionist forces expelled Palestinian Arabs to ensure a decisive Jewish majority in the future state of Israel, and Arab armies intervened. War and further expulsions ensued. Indeed, it was the descendants of these expelled Palestinians who were shot and wounded by Israeli forces on Sunday as they tried to symbolically exercise their right to return to their families’ homes.

Minutes after the State of Israel was established on May 14, 1948, the United States granted it recognition. Our Palestinian state, however, remains a promise unfulfilled....READ MORE

Fayyad in the Galilee: We won't be hostages .... & Abbas honors Darwish in Paris

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=291631

Fayyad in the Galilee: We won't be hostages

Published yesterday (updated) 13/06/2010 21:56

Ramallah – Ma'an – Ramallah government Prime Minister Salam Fayyad attended the inauguration of the Mahmoud Darwish Foundation for Creativity in the Kafr Yasif village, northern Israel on Saturday, delivering an address for the celebration.

"From the Darwish platform, I hereby assert that we will not be hostages to Israeli choices of either siege or separation," the premier told conveners, which included the late poet's family, Arab Follow-Up Committee head Muhammad Zeidan, Nazareth Mayor Ramiz Jaraysa, Kafr Yasif local council chief Awni Tomam, Bishop Atallah Hanna, as well as Palestinian Knesset members Muhammad Barakeh, Ahmad Tibi, Talib As-Sanna, and

"As we refuse both siege and separation and we stand united in the face of siege, we should be more united to face separation because unity of our homeland is our path to freedom, independence and statehood in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the eternal capital of our state,” Fayyad said.

Fayyad described the Palestinian minority of Israel as "constant pioneers of peace efforts" in the face of adversity and discrimination, leading efforts to crystallize a just peace, and securing Palestinian rights "determined by international resolutions, particularly the right of return."

The political process would fail to meet its desired ends, he said, without a return to credibility. " This cannot be achieved unless the international community adheres to its responsibilities of ending the occupation, applying international resolutions, and securing the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood."

The premier described the foundation in the Galilee as "an organic expansion" of Palestinian culture, stemming from Darwish's "status and creativity," adding that the Palestinian Authority will "stay committed to the promotion of Palestinian culture, following in the footsteps of Darwish and other pioneers."

Meanwhile, as President Mahmoud Abbas continues his international tour, he is expected to open a square in Paris named after the late Palestinian poet on Monday, a diplomatic source in Paris told Ma'an.