Dear America- No matter who is elected next month, I very much hope our elected leaders start to seriously invest in peace and prosperity for all people, not just white "Christian" con-artists, Billionaire tech bros, corporate corruption, AI delusions, and escalating pollution.

"Gaza is Drowning" by Palestinian artist Mahmoud Abbas

Dear America,

September was 9/11 and the criminal 2001 Al-Qaeda terror attacks on America. 

October is Oct 7th and the criminal 2023 HAMAS terror attack on Israel.  

November is elections- and Thanksgiving for many Americans, but not all.

No matter who is elected next month, I very much hope our elected leaders start to seriously invest in peace and prosperity for all people, not just white "Christian" con-artists, Billionaire tech bros, corporate corruption, AI delusions, and escalating pollution.

I hope our elected leaders STOP arming war violence and injustice.

Start with Palestine and the United Nations. Fund diplomacy and international law, and aid for those in need- not bombs and bully tactics.

And I hope our mainstream media- our fourth estate- starts being fully honest about Israeli crimes against humanity.

The brilliant headline fixer, Assal Rad, recently wrote a revealing new book "Don't Say Palestine: How the Media Manufactured Consent for Genocide".  Read it and learn the many ways Americans have been essentially lied to and swindled by the way "Mainstream Western media consistently downplays Israeli responsibility, “others” Palestinians, and casts doubt on inviolable tenets of international law like the sanctity of hospitals and journalists in war zones."  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/834977/dont-say-palestine-by-assal-rad/

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

NOTES https://anniesnewletters.blogspot.com/search/label/Notes

What happened to America’s compassion | Joyce M. Davis in The Patriot News, Pennsylvania

Peace & development are 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱. It's time to rebalancing world military spending for a sustainable and peaceful future... Global military spending is soaring, fueling a new arms race and placing immense pressure on national budgets and priorities

61m tonnes of rubble: Gaza aid workers face delicate task of clearing ruins concealing up to 10,000 bodies. Removal of war debris, in which lives, memories and unexploded Israeli bombs lie buried, is one of largest clearance operations in modern history

It’s not hypothetical: the dangers of AI are already here- Israel and the US have used AI to kill in Gaza and Iran, while law enforcement uses it in surveillance and arrests. The future is here

Weapon of distraction: How Israel uses greenwashing to mask its climate crimes

"Peace and security. Inequality. Climate. Artificial intelligence. These are the four great power tests of the future. And they are interlinked." - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

Israel uproots 400 olive trees in occupied West Bank as harvest season approaches... The trees are hundreds of years old- uprooting them not only destroys the trees, but also affects the livelihoods of Palestinian families that depend on them

Towards A More Just World... learn more

Refaat Alareer 1979-2023 killed by Israel (but not silenced) poet, professor, writer, & one of the co-founders of We Are Not Numbers: We remember him not only for how he died, but for how he lived — teaching and inspiring generations of young Palestinians to write back and tell their stories.

Breaking the Silence: " The IDF delegated target identification to an AI system, a deeply problematic step in itself. This enabled the military to carry out strikes at an unprecedented pace. Combined with the IDF’s extremely permissive collateral damage policy, this sent the death toll in Gaza skyrocketing. "

Genocide by Deprivation: How Israel keeps killing going in Gaza even without bombing

"Let this anniversary mark not only another year of mourning, but also a renewed determination to build a different future in which Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace & security, with their rights, dignity & aspirations fulfilled." United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ message marking three years since the attacks of 7 October 2023

Israeli settlers beat press photographer as soldiers watch in West Bank- Jaafar Ashtiyeh was covering violence against olive farmers when settlers set upon him with the butts of their rifles

“Silence in the face of suffering and injustice is not neutrality, it is complicity,” he wrote. “Shutting down discussion on the starvation of the Palestinian people weakens the reputation of the organisation and the legitimacy of our mandate. Being true to our mandate calls for a frank and open discussion around starvation, famine, and genocide in Palestine and elsewhere.” Benjamin Davis, Former UN food agency official claims he was fired for highlighting hunger in Gaza

Gaza before and after the Genocide

Palestinian Ministry of Education says over 22 thousands Palestinian students have been killed by Israel in the last three years; 179 public schools and 105 UNRWA schools were destroyed. Yet 700 teaching locations in Gaza opened for Gaza students

‘Had I resigned, I would have handed them that victory on a plate,’ says former UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini

In Gaza, farmers rescue roots buried under rubble to grow fruit again. Gazan fig and date farmers are replanting crops from roots that survived years of Israeli bombing.

Mosaic view of Gaza in the Church of St Stephen, Um ar-Rasas, Jordan. It was constructed in 756CE by the mosaics artists Stauranchius & Euremius

With deep sorrow and grief, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, mourns the passing of Mrs. Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud (Ayyad) and Mrs. Mary Hafez Michel Najjar (Abu Daoud), who were killed in the Israeli air strike that took place last night October 2nd, 2026, in ​Gaza City.

Gaza: WHO appeals for massive aid influx ahead of winter- Repeated delays in bringing lifesaving medicines, prosthetics and more [food, clean water...etc...] from Israel into Gaza risk having devastating consequences on Palestinians who urgently need them in the war-torn enclave, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said [warned] on Friday

AI [artificial intelligence] weapons systems are already here. Algorithms must not decide who lives and dies. Israel’s conduct in Gaza shows the danger of using AI in warfare. Humans must remain at the center of wartime decisions

Friday's International Day of Non-Violence [October 2, 2026] marks the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, a leader who remained committed to the principle of non-violence, even in the most difficult circumstances

WCNSF — Wounded Child, No Surviving Family... Medical workers [in GAZA PALESTINE] began using it to describe children who arrive at hospitals wounded, but with no surviving family left to find them. Nothing can make the deliberate or indiscriminate harming of children acceptable. There are an estimated 30,000 WCNSF in Gaza, they are not statistics. They are someone's whole world — until there is no one left.

Just a gentle reminder from Dr. Hanan Ashrawi of Palestine: "In Gaza, Israel continues to shell Palestinians, killing up to a dozen daily, while Palestinian civil defence employees continue to dig up hundreds of remains of the ten thousand that Israel massacred in their own homes & neighborhoods. In the West Bank, Israeli settler thugs continue their daily raids & pogroms armed, funded & aided by the Israeli government & army. They uproot hundreds of thousands of mainly olive trees & steal the olives that Palestinian farmers picked. In the meantime, the Israeli government brazenly announces the stealing of more land & the building of more settlements while re-engineering the demographic reality & courses of movement in the West Bank to facilitate its fragmentation & annexation"

New Google Maps images reveal massive scale of devastation in Gaza: Satellite imagery shows further destruction of homes, businesses and places of worship since fragile ceasefire

"Perhaps I should be terrified by this announcement from a man who, for all his sins, knows a thing or two about technology. But I’m sick of hearing about the hypothetical dangers of AI when the technology is being used to kill people today. Gates may not be directly involved in Microsoft any more, but, rather than making prophecies about the future, I’d love to hear what he thinks about the company’s role in the AI-enabled destruction of Gaza." Arwa Mahdawi

"For me, as a Palestinian from Gaza who survived the ongoing genocide, when I look at the rubble of homes on Google Maps, I am not seeing only the remains of buildings, which from far look like a decaying wall. I am seeing the remains of people whose bodies were crushed beneath walls and ceilings they painted with their own hands. I see children’s toys. Books. Backpacks. Coloring pencils. An unfinished meal. Blankets. Shoes. Photo frames of grandparents whose grandchildren never met. An old key to a home in Yaffa or Haifa. I can also hear the last words of a broadcaster on the radio before the news occurred, before the radio was broken and the family crushed..." Mosab Abu Toha

They see them, then kill them: Israeli quadcopters track, deliberately target civilians in Gaza

In the Fields- Jerusalem 2026 water colors painting by Rawan Anani

As Israeli bulldozers destroy more homes, uproot more trees, tear through orchards and fields, and alter a landscape that Palestinians have tended for generations, I find myself thinking about another kind of plow. A wooden one. And the hands of the man who held it. I think of my uncle—my aunt’s husband—Abu Ali, and of happier, simpler times....

Gaza students return to makeshift schools after three years of genocide. Hundreds of thousands of children attend classes in tents as destroyed schools, overcrowding and shortages continue to disrupt education across the strip

Israel and the US have battered the international legal order. The impunity must stop

Nearly 400 members of UNRWA 's workforce in Gaza have been killed, with hundreds of premises in the Occupied Palestinian Territory made “inaccessible, severely damaged, or utterly destroyed” - Antonio Guterres warned at the UN General Assembly

‘They uprooted it all’: Israel bulldozes Palestinian-owned olive groves. Israeli bulldozers uprooted olive groves near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank weeks before the annual harvest.

Humanity in war: A global initiative for humanitarian law - As of mid-August 2026, 118 states have officially joined the Global IHL Initiative, launched by Brazil, China, France, Jordan, Kazakhstan and South Africa, together with the ICRC.

Experts say that after nearly three years of war, the environmental consequences of the destruction in Gaza are now spilling back into Israel.

At 76, Mansoura’s most precious possession is the key to her former home... ‘This is where I live now, the back of a truck’: a day in the life of a grandmother in Gaza

25 Million Stitches - One Stitch, One Refugee; Raising awareness of the global refugee crisis through Art

‘I’m afraid they’ll bomb the cafe where I work, or bomb me’: a day in the life of a 12-year-old boy in Gaza, Palestine

Jordan's king tells The United Nations that Israel's 'expansionist appetite' is a regional threat.... “This sense of impunity has reached terrifying levels,” he continued, warning that “no one in this assembly should assume [Israel's] ambitions stop at Palestine.”

"What we know is that, because Israel controls about seventy per cent of the territory of the Gaza Strip, some two million people are squeezed into thirty per cent of the territory. We know that eighty-one per cent of the Gaza Strip is damaged or destroyed, and more than three hundred thousand housing units were completely destroyed during the war, in addition to schools and other infrastructure, like clinics, hospitals, and mosques."

"Bustan Al-Ard" (Garden of the Earth) 2020 painting by Palestinian artist Fayez Elhasani.

Painting "Playing for Return" (2020) from the "The Flute and the Goldfinch" series - by Palestinian artist Fayez Al-Hasani

New report shows key indicators of Earth’s health are ‘outside the safe operating space’ as climate disaster looms

Let’s give peace a chance "First, pay attention to conflicts, even those that aren’t in the headlines. You can ask your elected officials to make global peacemaking a priority. Ask them to fund peacemaking initiatives rather than fuel arms races." William Lambers in The Patriot News

“Achieving peace is not passive or automatic. It’s an active and deliberate choice to invest in a better future.” United Nations 2026

For more than 80 years, UNESCO has worked to build peace through education, culture, freedom of expression and dialogue. Peace is never secured once and for all. It is built through institutions, relationships and daily choices.

Local churches call it genocide — and say silence is no longer an option | Joyce M. Davis in The Patriot News

"For so long I wondered why I survived while family and friends were killed. Now I know the only difference between life and death may have been an AI algorithm..."

The Guardian view on NAZA’s persecuted directors: journalism is not treason. Politicians who threaten filmmakers rather than investigate alleged military crimes expose not strength but a leadership frightened of the evidence

“It’s good to criticise governments for violating children’s rights. It’s something that everyone should be doing. Because we’re the grownups of this world and we’re meant to keep children safe. And the fact that we are not is horrific” Ms Rachel, the queen of toddler TV- Her preschool fanbase are, of course, unaware of any of her politics, and they cannot get enough of her.

DEAR AMERICA

Dear America, I know for a fact that there are good and decent Jewish people on planet earth, there are good and decent Jewish groups on earth... but Israel is bad.

How much pollution and corruption has been generated by the manufacturing, transport, and deployment of bombs?

WE THE PEOPLE are being forced to fund weapons, escalating war, hate, and hypocrisy everywhere.

ICE and Israel should both be de-funded and de-fanged.

Jobs created by the weapons industry bring temporary economic relief to some- while inflicting immense pain and suffering on many many many more.

Pushing all commerce online to "Save A Tree" ends up decimating numerous forests and fields for energy and water hungry Data Centers. CEOs and our elected leaders take huge profits while taxpayers are left with escalating losses, including the surging loss of land and water for hyperscale Data Centers.

Anti-immigrant legislation and excessive funding for ICE are more about protecting wealthy people and corporations, who can hire illegals knowing that the workers and their families will be too afraid to complain about dangerous working conditions, low pay, long hours, and slum landlord housing.

You can't win a modern war. You can destroy homes & families, you can usurp land & resources from the rightful owners, and you can undermine & destroy a free press and the fourth estate- but people worldwide have memories, as well as a sense of right and wrong that cannot be bombed into oblivion.

STOP THE BOMBS and the bigotry, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop accepting bribes & propaganda & bad advice from a very foreign country that seeks to destroy support for UNIVERSAL human rights and the rule of fair and just laws.

Along the way we learned that slavery is wrong. We learned that domestic violence is wrong. We learned that racist hate is wrong. SO WHY are we funding Israel and why are we bombing Iran for Israel!!!

Violence is a problem- not the answer

The power of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the power of ideas to change the world. It inspires us to continue working to ensure all people can gain freedom, equality and dignity...

In 1945, 50 nations came together in San Francisco to create a new organization for peace, prosperity & human rights- the United Nations

"The United Nations is the only place on Earth where all the world's nations come together to discuss common problems and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity. This intergovernmental organization born out of the ashes of the Second World War remains indispensable to the pursuit of world peace, justice, equality and sustainable development" https://www.un.org/en/

The right of refugees to return to homes and lands they were expelled from is an individual right and cannot be unilaterally abrogated by third parties.  https://imeu.org/resources/resources/fact-sheet-palestinian-refugees-the-right-of-return-under-international-law/441

"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world..."   https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

The real refugee crisis is the failure to make peace. Refugees flee war, conflict and persecution. End the wars that force people to run for their lives

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

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Palestine's Abbas welcomes Pope Francis to Bethlehem, calls on pope to support Palestinian struggle: "Your visit today carries all the symbolism that your name and holiness hold as a defender of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. Your visit represents a call for peace during your pilgrimage to the land of Palestine, the land of love and peace."

Pope Francis (center) kisses President Mahmoud Abbas
during an open-air mass on May 25, 2014 at Manger Square
outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Ma'an News Pope Francis in Bethlehem: How the day unfolded

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

Abbas calls on pope to support Palestinian struggle

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

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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

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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

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“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.”

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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.