http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101222/wl_nm/us_israel_gaza_un

U.N. condemns Gaza militants over rocket attacks

By Douglas Hamilton Douglas Hamilton – Wed Dec 22, 12:09 pm ET

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The United Nations on Wednesday sharply condemned a rise in cross-border attacks by Palestinian militants in Gaza, a day after a rocket exploded close to an Israeli kindergarten.

The U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, said rocket strikes from Gaza at Israel, which had escalated in recent days, were "in clear violation of international humanitarian law" and endangered civilians.

The criticism drew a strong response from Hamas, the militant Islamist group which controls the enclave under Israeli blockade, which said Serry's remarks reflected "double standards."

In two days this week at least 14 rockets and mortars were fired at southern Israeli territory.

Israel has launched air strikes in response, including one which killed five Palestinian militants at the weekend, the highest single toll since a three-week Israel offensive in Gaza two years ago in which 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis died.

The U.N. envoy noted the Israeli air strikes, saying Israel had "a right to self-defense consistent with international humanitarian law." He urged maximum restraint and "every precaution to ensure Israeli forces do not endanger civilians in Gaza."

Israel says Hamas bears responsibility for the increase in missile strikes and has not done enough to stop smaller militant groups firing across the frontier.

Hamas says Israel is the principle aggressor. Hamas government spokesman Taher al-Nono said the United Nations should "correct the position expressed by Serry" who was justifying "the aggressive actions of the Israeli occupation."

"The United Nations is required to ... respect the rights of the Palestinian people as stated in international law and in the relevant United Nations resolutions, and not use a policy of double standards," he said.

RESTRAINT

Military analysts believe a second major Gaza offensive by Israel is not imminent, though it may be inevitable in the long run. They said Tuesday's rocket attack, which caused no injuries in the kindergarten, could have triggered a powerful Israeli response had children been hurt or killed.

Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor, speaking on Israel Radio, said: "We have no interest in a development of hostilities. And if the other side will maintain total quiet there is no reason that such actions will develop."

Hamas, he said, "has not done enough" to stop rockets.

Serry said daily life for Gaza's 1.5 million Palestinians had improved following Israel's relaxation of restrictions on imports and work to expand trade potential at a logistics hub.

Calm was essential to the success of the measures, he said.

More than 200 rockets and mortars have been fired from Gaza into southern Israel this year. Only one attack was fatal, when a Thai farm laborer was killed by a mortar in March.

Israel's air strikes targeting armed militants and rocket squads inside Gaza are often lethal.

(Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza, Ali Sawafta in Ramallah and Jeffrey Heller in Jerusalem; Editing by Peter Graff)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101223/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq

Iraqi churches cancel Christmas festivities

By YAHYA BARZANJI and SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Yahya Barzanji And Sameer N. Yacoub, Associated Press – Wed Dec 22, 9:24 pm ET

KIRKUK, Iraq – No decorations, no midnight Mass. Even an appearance by Santa Claus has been nixed after Iraq's Christian leaders called off Christmas celebrations amid new al-Qaida threats on the tiny community still terrified from a bloody siege on a Baghdad church.

Christians across Iraq have been living in fear since the assault on Our Lady of Salvation Church as its Catholic congregation was celebrating Sunday Mass. Sixty-eight people were killed. Days later Islamic insurgents bombed Christian homes and neighborhoods across the capital.

On Tuesday, al-Qaida insurgents threatened more attacks on Iraq's beleaguered Christians, many of whom have fled their homes or the country since the church attack. A council representing Christian denominations across Iraq advised its followers to cancel public celebrations of Christmas out of concern for their lives and as a show of mourning for the victims.

"Nobody can ignore the threats of al-Qaida against Iraqi Christians," said Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako in Kirkuk. "We cannot find a single source of joy that makes us celebrate. The situation of the Christians is bleak."

Church officials in Baghdad, as well as in the northern cities of Kirkuk and Mosul and the southern city of Basra, said they will not put up Christmas decorations or celebrate midnight Mass. They urged worshippers not to decorate their homes. Even an appearance by Santa Claus was called off.

"It's to avoid any attacks, but also to show that people are sad, not happy," said Younadim Kanna, a Christian lawmaker from Baghdad.

Even before the Oct. 31 church attack, thousands of Christians were fleeing Iraq. They make up more than a third of the 53,700 Iraqis resettled in the United States since 2007, according to State Department statistics.

Since the church attack, some 1,000 families have fled to Iraq's safer Kurdish-ruled north, according to the United Nations, which recently warned of a steady exodus of Iraqi Christians.

The latest threats were posted late Tuesday by the Islamic State of Iraq, an al-Qaida front group, on a website frequented by Islamic extremists. The group said it wants the release of two women it claims are being held captive by Egypt's Coptic Church.

Muslim extremists in Egypt accuse the Coptic Church of detaining the women for allegedly converting to Islam, an accusation the church denies. The message posted Tuesday was addressed to Iraq's Christian community and said it was designed to "pressure" Egypt.

Few reliable statistics exist on the number of Christians remaining in this nation of 29 million. A recent State Department report says Christian leaders estimate there are 400,000 to 600,000, down from a prewar level of some 1.4 million.

For those who remain, Christmas will be a somber affair.

In the northern city of Kirkuk, 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of Baghdad, Sako said there will be no Christmas decorations outside churches and a traditional visit by Santa Claus has also been called off. Money usually used on celebrations or gifts will instead go to help Christian refugees.

Ashour Binyamin, a 55-year-old Christian from Kirkuk said he and his family would not go to church on Christmas and would celebrate at home.

At Baghdad's Our Lady of Salvation Church, where more than 120 parishioners were held hostage by gunmen during the four-hour siege, all Christmas Masses have been canceled. Only a modest manger display will mark the occasion.

"We have canceled all celebrations in the church," said Father Mukhlis. "We are still in deep sorrow over the innocent victims who fell during the evil attack."

In Baghdad's Karradah neighborhood, where many of the city's remaining Christians live, churches were guarded by security forces Wednesday and surrounded by razor wire....READ MORE

The destruction of this home and the displacement of these people raises serious concerns with regard to Israel's obligations under international law

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MCOI-8CEBQG?OpenDocument&rc=3&emid=ACOS-635PFR

Statement on the increase in house demolitions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem by Mr Maxwell Gaylard, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory

Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Date: 22 Dec 2010

Earlier today Maxwell Gaylard, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, visited the site of a Palestinian home which had been demolished just twenty four hours earlier, following an order by the relevant authorities of the Government of Israel.

Mr Gaylard visited and spoke with the families affected in the Ras Al Amud neighbourhood of East Jerusalem. This particular demolition resulted in the displacement of thirteen people, all registered refugees, including four children.

In a statement Mr Gaylard said, "the destruction of this home and the displacement of these people raises serious concerns with regard to Israel's obligations under international law."

Along with this incident in Ras Al Amud there have been two further demolitions, in Sur Baher in East Jerusalem, and the village of Nu'man near Jerusalem. These incidents are a manifestation of the increase in such demolitions in 2010, during which 396 Palestinian structures were demolished in East Jerusalem and other areas under full Israeli control in the West Bank. This compares to 275 in the previous year – an increase of almost 45 %. As a result this year, 561 people have been displaced, including 280 children, and the livelihoods of over 3,000 people have also been affected.

"These actions have a severe social and economic impact on the lives and welfare of Palestinians and increase their dependence on humanitarian assistance. The position of the United Nations remains that the Government of Israel must take immediate steps to cease demolitions and evictions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem," Mr. Gaylard said.

Ends.

For further details please contact:

Richard Miron

Mobile: 0545627825

Email: mironr@un.org

Video: The art of Arabic calligraphy | Art and design | guardian.co.uk

Video: The art of Arabic calligraphy | Art and design | guardian.co.uk

My letter to the LATimes RE The U.S. needs to get tough with Israel

Under the Strawberry Tree by Ismail Shammout

RE: The U.S. needs to get tough with Israel
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-munayyer-mideast-20101222,0,3454024.story

Dear Editor,

I very much hope that Palestine can emerge as a real state, a sovereign state and a viable stable state living in peace alongside Israel, creating a secular two state solution to once and for all end the Israel/Palestine conflict.... for everyone's sake.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

"Slowly but surely, the world is adding Palestine to the roster of fully recognized countries and laying the groundwork for its future admission as a member state of the United Nations. If the Americans are annoyed by this, they’re not saying so publicly. It’s not clear why they should be. Since Washington views Palestinian statehood as “inevitable,” and in the end this can only be achieved with Israeli acquiescence and through negotiations, the US role as primary midwife in the birth of this new state is unchallengeable." Hussein Ibish Palestinians are pursuing bilateralism, not unilateralism

NOTES

December 2010: [Israeli] Settlers [for the umpteenth time] attack [Palestinian] shepherd

Towards a two-state solution and regional peace

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

Growing Gardens for Palestine

Core Issues

• The returning issue of Palestine's refugees
• Palestine

Refugees, Borders & Jerusalem...

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

PLO official: any deal with Israel won't succeed without refugees

The Arab Peace Initiative

ATFP Resources on Palestinian State and Institution Building
ATFP's unique collection of online resources on Palestinian state and institution building, including hundreds of relevant documents

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

Journalists and tourists gather FILE - In this Tuesday, May 8, 2007 file photo, journalists and tourists gather around the the podium, or base, of what Israeli archaeologists say is King Herod's tomb, at the mountain fortress of Herodium, near Jerusalem. Israel has approved a multimillion dollar plan on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010, to renovate a key historical site in the West Bank, the winter palace of King Herod, sparking Palestinian objections. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File)

A Palestinian man walks next to belongings salvaged after Israeli authorities came to demolish a converted storage area used by his family for housing, in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras al-Amud, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. A Palestinian family chose to pull their housing unit apart themselves, after the Israeli authority came to demolish it, in order to salvage the materials. (AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill)

A Palestinian man pushes a cart past Christmas merchandise displayed outside a shop in Jerusalem's Old City December 21, 2010 REUTERS/Baz Ratner (JERUSALEM - Tags: RELIGION)

A Palestinian man poses for a photograph next to a model of the Dome of the Rock in Gaza City December 21, 2010. Palestinians in the Gaza strip, prevented by Israel from making the short journey to visit the Dome of the Rock, are flocking to have their photos taken with the model of the shrine, Islam's third holiest site, set against a banner depicting Jerusalem's skyline. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS SOCIETY RELIGION)

Palestinians visit a model of the Dome of the Rock in Gaza City December 21, 2010. Palestinians in the Gaza strip, prevented by Israel from making the short journey to visit the Dome of the Rock, are flocking to have their photos taken with the model of the shrine, Islam's third holiest site, set against a banner depicting Jerusalem's skyline. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS SOCIETY IMAGES OF THE DAY)

A Palestinian school-girl places a baby Jesus doll in a Nativity scene at the Latin Church of Visitation in the northern West Bank village of Al-Zababdeh, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. (AP Photo/Mohammed Ballas)

A Christian Palestinian nun prays in front of a Nativity scene at the Latin Church of Visitation in the northern West Bank village of Al-Zababdeh, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010
(AP Photo/Mohammed Ballas)

Israeli policemen examine a rocket, fired by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip, after it landed in a kibbutz south of Ashkelon, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. Violence is escalating along the Israeli-Gaza border, with the Israeli air force striking seven suspected militant sites in Gaza and Palestinian militants sending a rocket into southern Israel.(AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Palestinians remove rubble after an Israeli air strike in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip December 21, 2010. Israel carried out a series of air strikes in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Palestinian officials and witnesses said, after militants from the Hamas-ruled territory fired rockets into southern Israel. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

A Palestinian man dressed as Santa Claus stands near a car as he hands out Christmas presents to children in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, ahead of Christmas December 20, 2010. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (WEST BANK - Tags: SOCIETY)

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad speaks during a Christmas event in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Monday, Dec. 20, 2010 (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Palestinians light candles as they stand near a large lit Christmas tree in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Monday, Dec. 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Palestinian children hold candles as they stand near a large lit Christmas tree in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Monday, Dec. 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

From right, Yasser Abed-Rabbo, a top official of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, Hanan Ashrawi, a senior PLO member and Israeli former general and ex-Labor party leader Amram Mitzna talk as they attend a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2010. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hosted dozens of Israeli legislators and peace activists in a rare meeting at his headquarters Sunday and urged them to relay a simple message to the Israeli public, that he is serious about negotiating a peace deal and that the Palestinians will never again resort to violence.(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Palestinian dancers of the Hanouneh troupe perform a dance entitled "Guardians of Memory" as part of activities to commemorate the division of the Palestinian state in Amman December 18, 2010. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (JORDAN - Tags: SOCIETY POLITICS)

A Palestinian farmer uses a horse to plough his field before planting in the West Bank village of Borin near Nablus December 18, 2010. REUTERS/Abed Omar Qusini

A Palestinian farmer uses a horse to plough his field in the West Bank village of Borin near Nablus December December 18, 2010. REUTERS/Abed Omar Qusini

A Palestinian farmer sows wheat seeds in his field after ploughing it in the West Bank village of Borin near Nablus December 18, 2010. REUTERS/Abed Omar Qusini (WEST BANK - Tags: AGRICULTURE EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS SOCIETY)

Aid groups say they, not Hamas, are thwarted by Israeli restrictions on Gaza

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/20/AR2010122004661.html

By Janine Zacharia Washington Post Staff Writer

Monday, December 20, 2010; 10:42 PM

GAZA CITY - Despite recent moves by Israel to ease construction in the Gaza Strip, restrictions on building materials are hampering international humanitarian efforts while doing little to impede the Hamas-led government they are designed to weaken, aid and nongovernmental groups say.

Israel says the limits on cement and other imports are intended to prevent misuse by Hamas. But the Islamist militant group has ready access to construction materials through smuggling tunnels along the border with Egypt.

Instead, aid groups say, Israeli bureaucracy and bottlenecks at border crossings are snarling the delivery of materials to international relief organizations struggling to build much-needed housing, schools and infrastructure projects.

"The United Nations, who have a responsibility to help, we're the ones that are held up," John Ging, director of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency's Gaza operations, said in an interview. "We're held up from building schools. We're held up from our other infrastructure projects, from the housing people need. And, yet, for the other parts of society here - be that either those with ulterior agendas or people who just have money - they can get on with it."...READ MORE

» LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY

IBISH: Palestinians are pursuing bilateralism, not unilateralism

Palestinians are pursuing bilateralism, not unilateralism

December 21, 2010 - 12:00am

Last week the US House of Representatives adopted a resolution threatening a potential cutoff of aid to the Palestinians if they unilaterally declared statehood. It was essentially meaningless bluster, taking a strong stance against something the Palestinians aren’t currently pursuing or even seriously considering.

The real context of resolution is not Palestinian unilateralism, but multilateralism and, especially, bilateralism, and there’s a big difference between the three. Most Palestinian officials acknowledge that as an occupied people with the deck stacked against them, they haven’t got the power to do very much unilaterally.

In 1988, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) unilaterally declared an independent Palestinian state in the pre-June 1967 borders. Many developing countries recognized that state. But nothing happened. The only real consequence was to make any future unilateral Palestinian declaration of independence possibly look like a repetition of this embarrassing failure.

The Palestinians are also aware that the physical presence of the formidable Israeli military in the occupied territories means that, as a practical matter, Palestinian independence ultimately depends on Israeli acquiescence, however reluctant; on their own, the Palestinians are unlikely to be able to achieve it. So it’s always been obvious that third-party intervention is essential. During most of the past two decades, both Palestinians and Israelis have looked mainly to the United States, and there is no doubt that in the final analysis an American role as broker and more, is simply indispensable.

However, in the past couple of years, faced with diplomatic impasses, Palestinians have been developing a creative set of new strategies to augment these indispensable negotiations – notably state-building, nonviolent protests and settlement boycotts. They have also been pursuing multilateral and bilateral recognition, but not the unilateralism denounced by the US Congress.

The first efforts, aimed at upgrading the status of Palestinian representation in various UN bodies, were largely blocked by the United States on the grounds that they bypassed the negotiating process. Indeed, US Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton recently warned Palestinians that “unilateral efforts at the United Nations are not helpful and undermine trust.”

Actually, such efforts aren’t unilateral at all, they are multilateral. It’s not surprising that Washington would view such efforts as a kind of end-run around the negotiating process it oversees, but it clearly makes sense for Palestinians to try to enhance their global diplomatic status in preparation for what Clinton has described as “inevitable” Palestinian statehood.

Importantly, the secretary didn’t say anything about the main effort currently being pursued by Palestinian diplomats, which is a series of upgrades to bilateral diplomatic relations. This has most spectacularly borne fruit in Latin America, with Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Bolivia all having recognized Palestine within its 1967 borders in recent weeks. More recognitions are expected to follow shortly. In addition, Norway, France and other European countries had been quietly upgrading the diplomatic status of the PLO missions in their countries.

Slowly but surely, the world is adding Palestine to the roster of fully recognized countries and laying the groundwork for its future admission as a member state of the United Nations. If the Americans are annoyed by this, they’re not saying so publicly. It’s not clear why they should be. Since Washington views Palestinian statehood as “inevitable,” and in the end this can only be achieved with Israeli acquiescence and through negotiations, the US role as primary midwife in the birth of this new state is unchallengeable.

Palestinian unilateralism on independence has already proven its pointlessness back in the 1980s, and the Kosovo model – unilaterally declared independence immediately recognized and supported by most of the world’s most powerful countries – isn’t really available to them, at least at this stage. However, this diplomatic offensive for recognition is not only purposive and meaningful; it dovetails perfectly with state-building and, indeed, with American-brokered negotiations with Israel.

The Israelis may be annoyed, but as they continue settlement construction in violation of international law, the “road map” and clearly stated American and international opposition, they’re not in any position to be wagging fingers at anybody about complicating delicate diplomacy.

Palestinians obviously have to pursue negotiations aimed at an agreement with Israel that secures its acquiescence to Palestinian independence. But at the same time, it is vital for the Palestinians to pour as much energy as possible into state-building that prepares them for that independence; to continue pursuing measures that challenge the abusive practices of the occupation; and to seek to upgrade their diplomatic status multilaterally and bilaterally.

Palestinian statehood is becoming inevitable as Clinton says. Diplomatic recognition of that necessary, indispensable state-in-the-making from countries in Latin America and elsewhere, no matter how much it might annoy the Israelis, is simply another recognition of that fact and an important step in the right direction.

Have a Question for Ibish?

Please submit a question that you would like Hussein to answer. ALL QUESTIONS WILL BE KEPT STRICTLY ANONYMOUS Submit a Question to Hussein Ibish

My letter to USAToday RE Tutu, Carter: Time to move on Mideast peace

RE: Tutu, Carter: Time to move on Mideast peace
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-12-21-column21_ST_N.htm

Dear Editor,

Thrilled to see the column by The Elders- Tutu, Carter: Time to move on Mideast peace. I totally agree with their approach and very much believe theirs is a crucially important message for "each of us as concerned global citizens."

Palestine and peace- and a two state solution- are worth believing in and supporting in positive ways. A secular two state solution that ends the Israel/Palestine conflict by honoring international law and human rights will help curb religious extremism and bigotry world wide: Hussein Ibish of The American Task Force on Palestine wisely points out “You’ve got both models out there — confrontation and cooperation... It’s crucial for pro-Palestinian activists to be pro-Palestinian rather than anti-Israel” I agree.

Ziad Asali (also of The American Task Force on Palestine (I like their work :-) )) wrote recently in a column for a global audience that "The United States, and the whole world, are helping the Palestinians build their state...The Palestinian state that will end the conflict is already on its way." I agree.

Agree to peace- a just and lasting peace and one by one we global citizens gently shift the balance away from the cynics and the hate mongers and the criminals who profit from the very real plight of the Palestinians.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES

December 2010: [Israeli] Settlers [for the umpteenth time] attack [Palestinian] shepherd

Towards a two-state solution and regional peace

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

Growing Gardens for Palestine

Core Issues

• The returning issue of Palestine's refugees
• Palestine

Refugees, Borders & Jerusalem...

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

PLO official: any deal with Israel won't succeed without refugees

The Arab Peace Initiative

A Palestinian Christian man stands in front of a mural depicting the Virgin Mary in the West Bank village of Aboud near Ramallah December 16, 2010. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman

Tutu, Carter: Time to move on Mideast peace

As always- PLEASE go to the original link to read the story in full- and help make it more popular...

The Elders: Standing around Nelson Mandela are, from left, his wife, Graca Machel, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, Mary Robinson, Kofi Annan, Gro Brundtland, Martti Ahtisaari, Ela Bhatt and Lakhdar Brahimi.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-12-21-column21_ST_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Tutu, Carter: Time to move on Mideast peace

By Desmond Tutu and Jimmy Carter

For nearly two decades, there have been peace processes in the Middle East but no peace. In recent visits to the region — including Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory — we have heard a consistent message: People want peace but are skeptical about the process and have little faith in the international community to deliver.

There is now an opportunity to reassess the entire approach to the negotiations. The U.S. effort to secure from Israel another partial freeze on settlement-building as a way of resuming direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders has failed.

We urge a renewed effort, firmly based in international law and respect for human rights that first aims to define boundaries between Israel and a new Palestinian state and address security issues. Without such focus, we will see the possibility of a two-state solution slipping even further away.

This approach sets challenges for Israelis and Palestinians, for their regional neighbors, for the international community — especially the U.S. government — and for each of us as concerned global citizens.

Applying international law and human rights principles means that the occupation must end, and the focus of negotiations should be on the boundaries of a future Palestinian state based on 1967 borders,with its capital in East Jerusalem. Such an accord could entail, if agreed, a one-to-one land swap to allow for minor adjustments. Initial negotiations should also aim at security arrangements in which both Israelis and Palestinians have confidence.

Change is needed

Israeli settlement activity must stop throughout the occupied territories, which include East Jerusalem. These settlements are illegal under international law. So, too, is the inhumane blockade of Gaza. It must be lifted fully except for armaments. The demolition and seizure of Palestinian homes must also end.

In ensuring the rights of all are respected, we call on leaders and citizens to ensure that Israel's right to exist is not denied. Incitement and calls for the destruction of Israel must not be tolerated.

The upholding of human rights and the rule of law also places demands on the Palestinian authorities of the West Bank and Gaza. They must end all human rights violations against political critics and rivals.

Across the region, we believe that the Arab peace initiative should serve as the basis for normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab world.

It is clear, of course, that Israelis and Palestinians must ultimately agree to a solution, but they cannot do it alone. The international community must help them through fair and robust mediation and by reconfirming prior agreements, United Nations Security Council resolutions, the Geneva Conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all of which are being violated.

Nor can we, as citizens, leave such a vital issue to our governments. Each of us has to keep up pressure on our leaders to show the importance we attach to achieving peace in the Middle East.

As Elders— a group of global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela to promote peace— we will continue to do all we can to persuade governments around the world to apply a rights-based approach to this terrible conflict and to turn the focus of initial negotiations to border and security issues.

Waiting too long

We have already given our support to non-violent protest and creative civil action for peace. We will continue to do so, both morally and in person whenever we can. This is too important an issue to be left to politicians alone.

Without a strategy that can deliver a peace agreement based on a two-state solution, Palestinians will continue to live under Israeli occupation, millions of Palestinian refugees will continue to live without hope, and Israel's survival and security remain under threat. If there is no real progress, more violence is the likely outcome.

The world has lived far too long with this conflict. The obstacles to peace are daunting. But one of the advantages of observing public events over many years is that we have seen how apparently irreconcilable divisions can be bridged with courage, commitment and humanity. We desperately need to see these qualities now.

Former president Jimmy Carter and Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town Desmond Tutu are members of The Elders (www.theElders.org).

Growing Up Palestinian in the Age of the Wall

Growing Up Palestinian in the Age of the Wall