Sept. 12th, 2025: UN General Assembly ADOPTS resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution

UN General Assembly ADOPTS resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution 

Voting result 

In favor: 142 

Against: 10 

Abstain: 12

The water fountain is called a sabil [in Arabic], a word that originally meant path. Later, it came to mean path to God. Sabils were widespread in the Muslim world until the early 20th century. They were charitable water fountains refilled by water carriers at specific times of the day

 Jerusalem-  Naqshbandi Zawiya-  a historical little mosque built from about 300 years ago and also used as Islamic information center offers a free rest station for tourist free Islamic books free drinks and give an intro about Islam

Bukhari Mosque in Jerusalem

Arabs in Pictures   The water fountain is called a sabil, a word that originally meant path. Later, it came to mean path to God.

Sabils were widespread in the Muslim world until the early 20th century. They were charitable water fountains refilled by water carriers at specific times of the day. 

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) As Palestinian Christians face relentless attacks — churches destroyed, worshipers displaced — we witness a people whose faith refuses to die. No nation shows the power of resurrection, the depth of hope, and the endurance of love more than Palestine. This is the true meaning of faith. This is the true message of Easter.

 

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)

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“He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities… and by his bruises we are healed.” — Isaiah 53:5

 

This verse speaks of a suffering servant — one who bears the wounds of injustice to bring peace and healing.

 

Easter isn’t just about resurrection — it’s about resurrection through suffering. And nowhere is that more alive today than in Palestine — the land of Christ’s birth, life, and death.

 

As Palestinian Christians face relentless attacks — churches destroyed, worshipers displaced — we witness a people whose faith refuses to die.

 

No nation shows the power of resurrection, the depth of hope, and the endurance of love more than Palestine.

 

This is the true meaning of faith.

 

This is the true message of Easter.

 

#EasterInPalestine

Palestinian journalist Hossam Shabat dreamed of one day traveling beyond Gaza. Though he never had the chance, in the past few days, people around the world have marched and paid tribute to him. He never left Gaza, but his name echoed across the globe. [Toronto , Canada]

حسام شبات

@HossamShabat

Hossam dreamed of one day traveling beyond Gaza. Though he never had the chance, in the past few days, people around the world have marched and paid tribute to him. He never left Gaza, but his name echoed across the globe.[Toronto , Canada]

 

World Poetry Day 2025 with a poem by Mosab Abu Toha (of Palestine)

 Mosab Abu Toha

@MosabAbuToha

If we stay in our houses, they bomb us. 

If we shelter in a school, they bomb us. 

If we run to a hospital, they bomb us. 

If we move into a tent, they bomb us. 

If we go to a toilet, they bomb us. 

If we run from an air strike, they bomb us. 

If we do not do any of this, they still bomb us. 

If we stay like a tree, 

or temporarily leave like a leaf in the fall, 

they bomb us. 

But spring will come 

and they, those who bomb us, 

will find no bombs among 

the flowers. 

We will be on the trees bathing in the sun, 

and they, those who bomb us, 

will have no sun, 

no place to rest, 

no legs to run.

 

UNESCO Held every year on 21 March, World Poetry Day celebrates one of humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguistic expression and identity.: Practiced throughout history – in every culture and on every continent – poetry speaks to our common humanity and our shared values, transforming the simplest of poems into a powerful catalyst for dialogue and peace.

No War Please

The United Nations & full respect for Universal Human Rights is the best defense.

United Nations: In this Holy Month, let us all embrace our common humanity to build a more just and peaceful world for all... as millions of people around the world begin to observe Ramadan.

United Nations

@UN

In this Holy Month, let us all embrace our common humanity to build a more just and peaceful world for all. —

@antonioguterres

as millions of people around the world begin to observe #Ramadan.

António Guterres: We will never, ever give up making this world better for everyone, everywhere.

The Whole World

Professor of Physics David Goldberg, PhD, is part of a team that tackled these questions and struck upon what is now the most accurate flat map of the world: a double-sided circle that features the Northern Hemisphere on one side and the Southern Hemisphere on the other. Picture a vinyl record and flipping it over in your hands—the edge of the record would be the equator.

"Whatever our nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status, the international community on December 10 1948 made a commitment to upholding dignity and justice for all of us..."

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

Preamble

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,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, therefore,

The General Assembly,

Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction. 

Article 1

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.... READ MORE   https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

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

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages. The UDHR is widely recognized as having inspired, and paved the way for, the adoption of more than seventy human rights treaties, applied today on a permanent basis at global and regional levels (all containing references to it in their preambles). 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whatever our nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status, the international community on December 10 1948 made a commitment to upholding dignity and justice for all of us.

How Does International Law Protect Human Rights?

International human rights law lays down obligations which States are bound to respect. By becoming parties to international treaties, States assume obligations and duties under international law to respect, to protect and to fulfil human rights.  The obligation to respect means that States must refrain from interfering with or curtailing the enjoyment of human rights. The obligation to protect requires States to protect individuals and groups against human rights abuses. The obligation to fulfil means that States must take positive action to facilitate the enjoyment of basic human rights.

Through ratification of international human rights treaties, Governments undertake to put into place domestic measures and legislation compatible with their treaty obligations and duties. The domestic legal system, therefore, provides the principal legal protection of human rights guaranteed under international law. Where domestic legal proceedings fail to address human rights abuses, mechanisms and procedures for individual and group complaints are available at the regional and international levels to help ensure that international human rights standards are indeed respected, implemented, and enforced at the local level.... READ MORE  https://www.un.org/en/about-us/udhr/foundation-of-international-human-rights-law

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of #HumanRights reminds us that everyone is born #free and #equal in dignity and rights. Let’s act with compassion and respect to foster a world of equality.

 

United Nations Geneva

@UNGeneva

 

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of #HumanRights reminds us that everyone is born #free and #equal in dignity and rights. 

 

Let’s act with compassion and respect to foster a world of equality.

 

 https://buff.ly/4hCpGyJ

They are #NotATarget ...UNITED NATIONS' Golden Rule Thinking & Being

United Nations Geneva

@UNGeneva

Children. Civilians. Medical personnel. Humanitarian workers. They are #NotATarget.

Dear America- Don't let Israel drive a wedge between you and the truth.

@UNHumanRights chief @volker_turk urges Governments to put human rights at the core of policy & action to achieve a more peaceful, just & sustainable world. https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2024/09/human-rights-are-our-mainstay-against-unbridled-power  Human Rights are our mainstay against unbridled power

Dear America- letter sent to my Elected Leaders,

Time will tell who gets elected next. 

Meanwhile time has already told that American leadership does not care about the very real plight and suffering of the native non-Jewish people of historic Palestine. You should.

Israel, heavily armed with American weaponry, freely bombs humanitarian safe zones in Gaza, obliterating refugee tents, leaving huge craters in the sand. 

I remember 9-11 here- and the horror of what happened, and I remember Israeli leadership on our TV authoritatively telling America what to think, exasperating racism and hate on every "side." 

23 years later American puppets and pawns are busy legislating that protest against Israel is "antisemitism".  It isn't. 

Protest and awareness are crucial tools against dangerous Zionist lies and racist cruelty.

Today's modern man made Israel is a dangerous entity with tentacles everywhere as it grows & grows & grows: The Israel Empire ignores borders, international law, human rights, and basic logic.

Please don't let America and all we have achieved be totally corrupted and destroyed:  Arabs and Muslims (and Jews and Christians) are human beings, just like us, and just like us they can be good and bad and everything in between. Don't let Israel drive a wedge between you and the truth.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

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

Palestine is the most well-documented genocide in history, yet the most denied by American leadership & mainstream news.... September 2024

American killed in West Bank was longtime activist ‘bearing witness to oppression’, friends say

“Depth of Kinship”: Zeina Azzam’s Some Things Never Leave You BOOK REVIEW by Deema K. Shehabi

Escalations ... a poem by Anne Selden Annab

‘If I would speak, I would start crying’: Our reporters grapple with loss in Gaza war

Omar Badder on America's mainstream media coverage of #Israel VS #Palestine "As you reflect on why only one of these stories is dominating the headlines, there are 5 more things to keep in mind..."

Palestinian journalist Hind Al-Khoudary on her nomination for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.

"My grandfather kept the key to his house in Yaffa in 1948. He thought they would return in a few days. His name was Hasan. The house was destroyed. Others built a new one in its place. Hasan died in Gaza in 1986. The key has rusted but still exists somewhere, longing for the old wooden door." Mosab Abu Toha ... From Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear

"Gaza has taught me that a lot of people who claim to be human rights activists are only active when it applies to people of a specific background or ethnicity." Mohamad Safa

Israel is committing genocide and Western media is helping hide the bodies

Ending Discrimination #fightracism #StandUp4HumanRights #NoToHate #UNGA #UnitedNations #HumanRights #HumanBeings #Compassion #GoldenRuleThinking #Kindness

Nelson Mandela grandson Zwelivelile comes out in support of South Africa coal embargo on Israel

The Government of Israel has been running a smear campaign against Palestinians & UNWRA by buying ads on Google

More Than 65 Palestinian Filmmakers, Including Hany Abu Assad, Elia Suleiman and Farah Nabulsi, Sign Letter Accusing Hollywood of ‘Dehumanizing’ Palestinians

August 28 2024: Since last night, the Israeli army has conducted a large-scale military operation in various parts of the West Bank, particularly in the northern regions.

Scholasticide: As the new school year begins, Palestinian students in Gaza cannot access education due to Israel’s systemic attacks on the education system

Dear America, Please Help Stop Institutionalized Bigotry & Injustice

Accusing peaceful pro-Palestine protesters of being "antisemitic" pleases Israel but it does not make any Jews any safer anywhere.

A Guardian report reveals that there are 60,000 Americans living in illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank, as well as some 23,400 Americans serving in the Israeli army.

Send an honorable message far and wide- we believe in freedom of and from religion... and we believe in real justice, peace, and security for ALL !

 

"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

 

Revealed: Israeli spy chief ‘threatened’ ICC prosecutor over war crimes inquiry

Mossad director Yossi Cohen personally involved in secret plot to pressure Fatou Bensouda to drop Palestine investigation, sources say

• Spying, hacking and intimidation: Israel’s nine-year ‘war’ on the ICC exposed

Harry Davies in Jerusalem

Tue 28 May 2024 02.30 EDT

Last modified on Tue 28 May 2024 21.31 EDT

The former head of the Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, allegedly threatened a chief prosecutor of the international criminal court in a series of secret meetings in which he tried to pressure her into abandoning a war crimes investigation, the Guardian can reveal.

Yossi Cohen’s covert contacts with the ICC’s then prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, took place in the years leading up to her decision to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in occupied Palestinian territories.

That investigation, launched in 2021, culminated last week when Bensouda’s successor, Karim Khan, announced that he was seeking an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, over the country’s conduct in its war in Gaza.

The prosecutor’s decision to apply to the ICC’s pre-trial chamber for arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, alongside three Hamas leaders, is an outcome Israel’s military and political establishment has long feared... READ MORE  https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/28/israeli-spy-chief-icc-prosecutor-war-crimes-inquiry

~~~ 

The ICC case dates back to 2015, when Fatou Bensouda decided to open a preliminary examination into the situation in Palestine

ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda

 

Academic freedom and free speech are essential. Universities must protect them. - ACLU's Open Letter to College and University Presidents on Student Protests

five basic guardrails to ensure freedom of speech and academic freedom while protecting against discriminatory harassment and disruptive conduct:

Schools must not single out particular viewpoints for censorship, discipline, or disproportionate punishment

Schools must protect students from targeted discriminatory harassment and violence, but may not penalize people for taking sides on the war in Gaza, even if expressed in deeply offensive terms

Schools can announce and enforce reasonable content-neutral protest policies, but they must leave ample room for students to express themselves

Schools must recognize that armed police on campus can endanger students and are a measure of last resort

Schools must resist the pressures placed on them by politicians seeking to exploit campus tensions

 

Open Letter to College and University Presidents on Student Protests

Academic freedom and free speech are essential. Universities must protect them.

 

April 26, 2024

 

Anthony D. Romero,
ACLU Executive Director

David Cole,
ACLU Legal Director

Dear College and University Presidents:

We write in response to the recent protests that have spread across our nation’s university and college campuses, and the disturbing arrests that have followed. We understand that as leaders of your campus communities, it can be extraordinarily difficult to navigate the pressures you face from politicians, donors, and faculty and students alike. You also have legal obligations to combat discrimination and a responsibility to maintain order. But as you fashion responses to the activism of your students (and faculty and staff), it is essential that you not sacrifice principles of academic freedom and free speech that are core to the educational mission of your respected institution.

The ACLU helped establish the right to protest as a central pillar of the First Amendment. We have defended those principles for more than a century. The First Amendment compels public universities and colleges to respect free speech rights. And while the Constitution does not apply directly to private institutions, academic freedom and free inquiry require that similar principles guide private universities. We approach this moment with appreciation for the challenges you confront. In the spirit of offering constructive solutions for a way forward, we offer five basic guardrails to ensure freedom of speech and academic freedom while protecting against discriminatory harassment and disruptive conduct.

Schools must not single out particular viewpoints for censorship, discipline, or disproportionate punishment

First, university administrators must not single out particular viewpoints — however offensive they may be to some members of the community — for censorship, discipline, or disproportionate punishment. Viewpoint neutrality is essential. Harassment directed at individuals because of their race, ethnicity, or religion is not, of course, permissible. But general calls for a Palestinian state “from the river to the sea,” or defenses of Israel’s assault on Gaza, even if many listeners find these messages deeply offensive, cannot be prohibited or punished by a university that respects free speech principles.

These protections extend to both students and faculty, and to speech that supports either side of the conflict. Outside the classroom, including on social media, students and professors must be free to express even the most controversial political opinions without fear of discipline or censure. Inside the classroom, speech can be and always has been subject to more restrictive rules to ensure civil dialogue and a robust learning environment. But such rules have no place in a public forum like a campus green. Preserving physical safety on campuses is paramount; but “safety” from ideas or views that one finds offensive is anathema to the very enterprise of the university.

Schools must protect students from discriminatory harassment and violence

Second, both public and private universities are bound by civil rights laws that guarantee all students equal access to education, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. This means that schools can, and indeed must, protect students from discriminatory harassment on the basis of race or national origin, which has been interpreted to include discrimination on the basis of “shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics,” or “citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity.”

So, while offensive and even racist speech is constitutionally protected, shouting an epithet at a particular student or pinning an offensive sign to their dorm room door can constitute impermissible harassment, not free speech. Antisemitic or anti-Palestinian speech targeted at individuals because of their ethnicity or national origin constitutes invidious discrimination, and cannot be tolerated. Physically intimidating students by blocking their movements or pursuing them aggressively is unprotected conduct, not protected speech. It should go without saying that violence is never an acceptable protest tactic.

Speech that is not targeted at an individual or individuals because of their ethnicity or national origin but merely expresses impassioned views about Israel or Palestine is not discrimination and should be protected. The only exception for such untargeted speech is where it is so severe or pervasive that it denies students equal access to an education — an extremely demanding standard that has almost never been met by pure speech. One can criticize Israel’s actions, even in vituperative terms, without being antisemitic. And by the same token, one can support Israel’s actions in Gaza and condemn Hamas without being anti-Muslim. Administrators must resist the tendency to equate criticism with discrimination. Speech condoning violence can be condemned, to be sure. But it cannot be the basis for punishment, without more.

Schools can announce and enforce reasonable content-neutral protest policies but they must leave ample room for students to express themselves

Third, universities can announce and enforce reasonable time, place, or manner restrictions on protest activity to ensure that essential college functions can continue. Such restrictions must be content neutral, meaning that they do not depend on the substance of what is being communicated, but rather where, when, or how it is being communicated. Protests can be limited to certain areas of campus and certain times of the day, for example. These policies must, however, leave ample room for students to speak to and to be heard by other members of the community. And the rules must not only be content neutral on their face; they must also be applied in a content-neutral manner. If a university has routinely tolerated violations of its rules, and suddenly enforces them harshly in a specific context, singling out particular views for punishment, the fact that the policy is formally neutral on its face does not make viewpoint-based enforcement permissible.

Schools must recognize that armed police on campus can endanger students and are a measure of last resort

Fourth, when enforcement of content-neutral rules may be warranted, college administrators should involve police only as a last resort, after all other efforts have been exhausted. Inviting armed police into a campus protest environment, even a volatile one, can create unacceptable risks for all students and staff. University officials must also be cognizant of the history of law enforcement using inappropriate and excessive force on communities of color, including Black, Brown, and immigrant students. Moreover, arresting peaceful protestors is also likely to escalate, not calm, the tensions on campus — as events of the past week have made abundantly clear.

Schools must resist the pressures placed on them by politicians seeking to exploit campus tensions

Finally, campus leaders must resist the pressures placed on them by politicians seeking to exploit campus tensions to advance their own notoriety or partisan agendas. Recent congressional hearings have featured disgraceful attacks by members of Congress on academic freedom and freedom of speech. Universities must stand up to such intimidation, and defend the principles of academic freedom so essential to their integrity and mission.

The Supreme Court has forcefully rejected the premise that, “because of the acknowledged need for order, First Amendment protections should apply with less force on college campuses than in the community at large.”

“Quite to the contrary,” the court stated, “the vigilant protection of constitutional freedoms is nowhere more vital than in the community of American schools.” In keeping with these values, we urge you to resist the temptation to silence students or faculty members because powerful voices deem their views offensive. Instead, we urge you to defend the university’s core mission of encouraging debate, fostering dissent, and preparing the future leaders of our pluralistic society to tolerate even profound differences of opinion.