Daoud Kuttab: Pope Francis exceeds expectations for Palestinians

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http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/05/pope-francis-palestine-visit-bethlehem-israel-occupation.html#

Pope Francis touches the wall that divides Israel from the West Bank in Bethlehem, May 25, 2014. (photo by REUTERS/Mheisen Amareen)

SUMMARY Pope Francis' visit to Palestine was full of pleasant surprises for the Palestinians.

 

Author Daoud Kuttab  

Posted May 26, 2014

Pope Francis exceeds expectations for Palestinians

It is normal for popes to be loved and followed by Catholics. But the visit of Pope Francis to Jordan and Palestine has shown a Christian leader who is extremely popular in two countries where the Christian populations are quite small. Pope Francis’ visit to the Holy Land began in Jordan where a mass was attended by 30,000 believers, including many coming from nearby Lebanon, followed by a visit in the company of King Abdullah to the baptismal site of Bethany beyond the Jordan.

 

Jordan was instrumental in helping the pontiff avoid entering Palestine through the controversial Israeli-controlled Jordan River bridge. Taking advantage of the peace treaty with Israel, Jordanians facilitated the wish of the Vatican for the pope and his entourage not to cross any Israeli military checkpoints, by providing military helicopters for transportation to Bethlehem.

The official welcome by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Pope Francis paled in importance to what would happen next as the pope traveled through the streets of Bethlehem and drove by the Aida refugee camp, which is adjacent to the 10-meter (33-foot) wall that Israel has erected, encircling Rachel’s Tomb deep inside Palestinian areas. For days before the visit, Palestinian youth and Israeli soldiers have been in constant battle. Two days prior to the visit, Israeli troops entered the Palestinian area and whitewashed the entire wall to prevent the pope from seeing the graffiti that has been filling it up. The night before the arrival of the pope, however, youth spray-painted new slogans, this time in English with the hope that as he drove by, the pope would learn about the aspirations of Palestinians to live in freedom.

Pope Francis not only read the graffiti, but ordered his driver to stop and, in an unplanned move, walked up to the wall, touched it and laid his head on it for a moment of prayer. The image of Pope Francis’ head on the wall soon went viral on social media and no doubt adorned front pages of newspapers around the world. Some social media sites compared this image to that of Pope John Paul II's prayer at the Jewish Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Not far from where the pope stopped was a yet untouched graffiti by the world famous British artist Banksy of a role reversal, a Palestinian girl frisking an Israeli soldier.

If the pope’s unscheduled stop at the wall provided the most dramatic image of the day, the pontiff’s speech at Manger Square in Bethlehem provided the media with a tangible news item. Standing in front of a mural of the nativity scene and a baby Jesus wrapped in a Palestinian keffiyeh, the pope called on all believers to pray for peace and justice, then turned to the politicians. Addressing Abbas, who attended along with Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, the mayor of Bethlehem Vera Baboon and chief negotiator Saeb Erekat, the pope made a special plea. “I wish to invite you, President Mahmoud Abbas, together with [Israeli] President Shimon Peres, to join me in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace. I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer," he said.

While the call was made to two individuals with similar titles, Peres is not an executive president.
Peres, whose second and final term in office is about to expire, will be replaced by a new president to be chosen on June 10. Opting for Peres rather than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reflects the expectation that the pope did not want his plea to be rejected by the Israelis. Palestinian sources told Al-Monitor that the offer was discussed beforehand with Abbas and most likely with Peres. Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin had written an article a week earlier saying that he tried as late as April 2014 to organize a direct meeting between Abbas and Netanyahu, but that the latter refused.

Both Abbas and Peres agreed to travel to Rome. Erekat said that Abbas was willing to go to the Vatican on June 6.

Following a warm welcome in Manger Square by thousands of Palestinian Christians, which included some who were allowed to travel from the Gaza Strip and many from the Galilee, the pope was invited to have lunch with five families each representing a different region. Those in attendance say that the story of a Palestinian woman from Beit Jala, whose land is threatened with confiscation by the Israelis, moved the pontiff.

The pope’s final visit before leaving was with children of Palestinian refugees held at the largest Bethlehem refugee camp, Dheisheh. The children spoke in Arabic and Italian, sang and held signs in many languages reflecting their aspirations and those of all Palestinians. They gave the pope a replica of a refugee ration card and a key representing the right of Palestinians to return. The pope listened, smiled and shook hands with every one of the Palestinian children to the surprise of many. Afterward, Abbas and Hamdallah, who watched the visit live on TV, made an unexpected visit to the same refugee camp center to thank the children for such a warm and genuine plea for peace.

After 20 hours in Jordan and Palestine, the pope left on the same Jordanian military helicopter that brought him to Bethlehem, this time going to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, where he was given an official Israeli welcome.

Palestinians and Jordanians were ecstatic with the visit. It had exceeded their expectations and no incidents took place. Pope Francis' pilgrimage, like that of the three previous pontiffs, will stay in the memory of the local community for years. His words, actions and smiles, his homily about the rights of all children, his angry moment about arms traders and the war in Syria, and his plea for peace and justice in Palestine will continue to be talked about. The dwindling Arab Christian community in the countries of the Levant, which is far from good news, had for these few hours a smile on their faces as they felt empowered and invigorated by the pope's visit. One Jordanian Christian carried away with the emotion of Pope Francis’ visit told Al-Monitor that every Arab Christian living abroad must return. This no doubt was the hope of the visiting pontiff and the church leaders who helped organize his visit to the Holy Land.

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"Words matter, and words of support are crucial to the success of any international and diplomatic project. Palestinians just got an enormous boost from Pope Francis, who underlined – particularly for the Israelis – the strong international expectation that there will indeed be a state of Palestine in the foreseeable future." Hussein Ibish of ATFP

Pope Francis gets warm welcome from Palestinians

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https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commentaryanalysis/548989-dont-squander-the-popes-pro-palestinian-message

Hussein Ibish

Don't squander the Pope's pro-Palestinian message

Palestinians should ensure the world long remembers images of Pope Francis's recent visit

Cynics have dismissed Pope Francis's visit to the Holy Land as a largely meaningless gesture by a religious figure that will change nothing on the ground and therefore has little, if any, significance. Idealists, on the other hand, have celebrated some of the implicit messaging as a turning point for peace, especially from a Palestinian point of view
The truth lies somewhere in the middle. The Pope's trip doesn't actually transform the basic situation on the ground. But Pope Francis has, in a message aimed directly at the Israeli government and public, rather dramatically underscored the international expectation that there must and will be a Palestinian state.

His trip was characterized by competing images and recognitions of the iconography of the national narratives of both sides. But, because there isn't a balance between the parties, there also wasn't a balance in the significance of the images that will linger from his trip.

The Pope dutifully laid a wreath at the tomb of the founder of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, and visited Israel's Holocaust Memorial and a memorial for victims of terrorism. These are fairly standard diplomatic gestures, though of course they take on new significance when done by the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet none of them should cause Palestinians any particular discomfort.

The same cannot be said for Francis's gestures toward Palestinians. He called explicitly for recognition of what he described as "the State of Palestine." He singled out the issue of Palestinian prisoners, which is not only dear to the heart of virtually every Palestinian family, but was also a major factor in the breakdown of recent Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.

And, most dramatically, the Pope made an unscheduled prayer stop at Israel's separation barrier, the hideous, gigantic wall that snakes through the occupied West Bank. The most lingering image of his trip will undoubtedly be Pope Francis quietly pressing his head against one of the ugliest monuments to conflict in the world and silently praying. He did not say what he was praying for or about, but the imagery was powerful and unmistakable.

This was not lost on Israelis. There was an outcry from many on the Israeli right, and the Israeli government said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had tried to explain to the Pope that Israel believes the wall has been a great deterrent to Palestinian terrorism. That argument is belied by numerous revelations that the route of the wall has been "political" as well as strategic, and it begs the question of why Israel, if it wants a wall, doesn't build it on its own territory but instead in areas under its occupation.

Many Israelis and their allies were reduced to blustering about aspects of the graffiti near that part of the wall where Pope Francis stopped, so dramatically, to pray. This, of course, is another effort to change the subject, which will be essential for Israel and its friends every time international attention focuses on the wall. But no one is going to remember the graffiti that the Pope almost certainly neither knew nor cared about. Everyone is going to remember the image of him stopping and praying at a structure that the Israeli government hopes all outsiders will simply pretend either doesn't exist or somehow isn't a gigantic monument to the cruelty of occupation.

There was a final message on the Pope's parting. Francis invited Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres to come to Rome to pray with him for peace in coming weeks. He did not invite Mr. Netanyahu. This was not a "snub," the Vatican was quick to claim, it's just that the Pope has a particular regard for Mr. Peres, and so he invited him.

Maybe. But, again, the optics send a fairly clear message, and not one that endorses the current policies of the present Israeli government. Indeed, the implicit critique is unmistakable.

Nobody expects that prayer meeting to produce any diplomatic progress, let alone a breakthrough, particularly without Mr. Netanyahu's presence. And the criticism that Pope Francis's Middle East trip won't change any realities on the ground is true, despite its numerous striking gestures in favor of Palestinian claims and aspirations.

But the "all or nothing" attitude that many Palestinians and their supporters take toward international diplomacy and politics has been, and remains, debilitating. Francis' gestures were highly significant and meaningful. They should be pocketed, and referred to time and again.

Too often Palestinians and their allies squander diplomatic gains by dismissing important rhetorical or symbolic gestures in their direction as insufficient because they do not immediately or independently resolve any of the determinative realities on the ground. "Empty words" is a typical response. At the same time, they are quick to assign enormous significance to, and raise a hue and cry about, words that undermine their basic interests, according them even more importance than they often deserve.

Words matter, and words of support are crucial to the success of any international and diplomatic project. Palestinians just got an enormous boost from Pope Francis, who underlined – particularly for the Israelis – the strong international expectation that there will indeed be a state of Palestine in the foreseeable future. Palestinians would be well advised to embrace that message and not to allow the Pope's visit, and its striking iconography of peace and an end to occupation, to be forgotten soon.

My letter to USA Today RE Pope Francis Visits the Middle East photo gallery

"This land means the future of ourselves and our children. Our story is one of tens of thousands of stories of Palestinians who have been suffering from the separation wall and the settlements," Juliet Abu Muhr told Ma'an News. Bethlehem families to meet Pope Francis

Pope Francis in Bethlehem, Palestine

 ***********************************************

USAToday photo gallery ... "Pope Francis touches the wall that divides Israel from the West Bank on his way to celebrate a Mass in Manger Square next to the Church of the Nativity, believed by many to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.  Pool photo by Osservatore Romano"

 RE Pope Francis Visits the Middle East photo gallery
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/

Dear Editor,

I was deeply disappointed by your 5-26-2014 Pope Francis Visits the Middle East photo gallery.  I really liked the photos from Amman Jordan, and I can understand why you feel compelled to feature Israel... but in my eyes Palestine was the star of this historic trip, and you only had one photo of that.

Furthermore that one photo you did feature "Pope Francis touches the wall that divides Israel from the West Bank on his way to celebrate a Mass in Manger Square next to the Church of the Nativity, believed by many to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.  Pool photo by Osservatore Romano" was okay, but certainly not as good as some taken at the same scene, with a little Palestinian girl holding a flag. Or the ones showing the words on that wall "Free Palestine".

Why weren't there more photos in Bethlehem?  There are numerous good ones to chose from- and many positive pictures of Palestinians. Why not feature those too....  Pope Francis in Bethlehem: How the day unfolded http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=699742      PNN News http://www.wafaimages.ps/e_album.aspx?id=12519    http://www.wafaimages.ps/e_album.aspx?id=12522

Why no photos showing how  Bethlehem walls transformed in the presence of the Holy See   http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=699704

Why no photos of the Pope's visit to Palestinian refugee camps and all those beautiful Palestinian children who presented His Holiness with a key symbolizing the desire to return of 750,000 Palestinian refugees and their descendants who were expelled from what became Israel in 1948 and were never allowed to go back to their homes..." 

"The children also presented Pope Francis with a large card made in the style of those given out by the UN's refugee agency UNRWA in the name of Jesus Christ, who the children referred to as "the first refugee."

Why no photos of the Palestinian families who meet with the Pope, presenting a wide variety of the concerns and issues facing Palestinian Christians today, including the occupation, land confiscation, and the siege on Gaza.

According to the New York Times Pope "Francis took the unexpected step in Bethlehem, where he became the first pontiff ever to fly directly into the West Bank and to refer to the Israeli-occupied territory as the “State of Palestine.”"

Surely you could have found and featured at least some photos honoring Palestinian beauty and dignity.

And why not a photo of the main reason for the Pope's trip, and the motto created for the pilgrimage “So that they may be one” http://www.news.va/en/sites/pilgrimage-holy-land   commemorating the historic rapprochement between both branches of the Christian church 50 years ago, when Pope Paul VI met and embraced Patriarch Athenagoras -- the first easing of tensions between the Churches since the Great Schism in the 11th century...

Pope, Orthodox patriarch in historic unity meet in Jerusalem
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=699939

Those are just a few of the many fascinating and highly relevant photos you really should have included in your photo essay on the Pope's visit to The Holy Land.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES

"We were trying to take the Christian message and teachings and juxtapose them with the current situation, to help us think through what has happened over the last 66 years," Museum director John Persekian

POPE FRANCIS Pilgrimage.... So That They May Be One: The unity of Christians is a message of unity for all humanity, called to overcome the divisions of the past and march forward together towards a future of justice, peace, reconciliation, pardon and fraternal love.

Israeli and Palestinian Leaders [invited] to Meet With Pope at Vatican... Francis took the unexpected step in Bethlehem, where he became the first pontiff ever to fly directly into the West Bank and to refer to the Israeli-occupied territory as the “State of Palestine.”

"It is critically important to have a broad strategic vision of the future that embodies the values and aspirations of your people. And it is equally important to be able to project how you can see that vision being implemented in the short term. " James Zogby of AAI...

"Thinking about the future means we do not create "false idols" of the past or present. It means that we understand that we are human, subject to God's laws, and that we do not allow ourselves become so arrogant as to subject God to our own whims and fancy. It also requires that we reject the temptation to use means that contradict the very ends we seek to accomplish."

Connecting the dots: How We Stop the Next Boko Haram... Attacks on dissenting journalists show how scared Hezbollah really is... Maronite patriarch's Israel trip raises Hezbollah ire... Experts Outline Challenges, Propose Solutions for Gaza at ATFP-UNRWA Briefing

Christian exodus shadows papal visit to Holy Land

Pope Francis to visit The Holy Land: JORDAN hopes the visit will "push for achieving peace and stability in the region, including the Israeli-Palestinian peace process"

How do we want to define feminism in 2014?

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Visual map of how the Israeli ID system is stratified to limit democratic access to home ownership, security, services & participation in the polical system which creates and sustains the Israeli ID system

STAY CONNECTED... Given the U.S. commitment to religious freedom, and to the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right of every human being, the United States seeks to: Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries

UNITED NATIONS: International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 2014

Reasonable voices & helpful resources ...America for Palestine MAY 2014

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Peace Building ... civic muscle

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

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

"The only way to honor our tragic histories is to create a future for our children free of man-made tragedy. This means making peace fully, completely and without reservation, between Israel and Palestine." American Task Force on Palestine's born in Jerusalem Dr. Ziad Asali: To honor a tragic history, we must work for peace 

"We were trying to take the Christian message and teachings and juxtapose them with the current situation, to help us think through what has happened over the last 66 years," Museum director John Persekian

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

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=699704

Bethlehem walls transformed in the presence of the Holy See

By Alex Shams

 

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- In advance of Pope Francis' visit to the Holy Land on Sunday, Bethlehem residents and officials have been busy covering the city in posters to celebrate his first official visit.

Large banners depicting His Holiness beside President Mahmoud Abbas cover major intersections, while more humble posters hang from shops and homes welcoming him on behalf of individual Bethlehem families.

In Bethlehem’s historic Manger Square, however, the Pope will be greeted by a dramatically different scene: huge renderings of classical European paintings of Biblical suffering, juxtaposed against contemporary photographs of Palestinian life.

The startling images are part of a project entitled "In the presence of the Holy See" by the Palestinian Museum to welcome the Pope in an altogether unique way by examining the Palestinian experience in relationship to one of the land's most famous martyrs, Jesus Christ.

The banners include scenes of the lamentation of Christ beside a woman sifting through possessions after an Israeli attack on Jenin refugee camp and a man carrying away a body that is simultaneously a Palestinian killed by Israeli fire and the martyred Christ, among others.

Museum director John Persekian told Ma'an that the images are meant to help viewers, including the Pope, reframe the Palestinian issue and understand it through a more "humane" lens while also exploring the relevance of Christian teachings today.

"We were trying to take the Christian message and teachings and juxtapose them with the current situation, to help us think through what has happened over the last 66 years," he said.

"How do we understand these experiences in relationship to messages of faith, peace, love, forgiveness, and the existence of a just God?" he added.

The banners are being hosted not only in Manger Square but also in nearby Duheisha refugee camp, home to nearly 15,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes by Zionist militias in the 1948 war that led to the creation of the state of Israel.

In Jordan on Saturday, the pope met with Syrian refugee children, and on Sunday he plans to meet with children in Duheishawhere he will see the banners. As the Syrian conflict has driven a massive exodus from the country in recent years, the situation of Palestinian refugees -- who have been denied the right of return to their homes by Israel for 66 years -- looms large in the background.

"What does it mean to be humiliated for so long?" Persekian asks. "What does it tell us about faith of the dispossessed people?"

The juxtaposition of classical paintings beside black-and-white photographs creates a powerful parallel that highlights the universality of suffering even as it draws upon specific historical examples.

At the same time, Persekian says that the works hold a mirror up to the Western world and the disparate responses it has had to the suffering of the most famous Palestinian martyr Jesus and the suffering of his ancestors, the contemporary Palestinians.

"How has the world looked at and treated the Palestinians, especially the Western world where the majority is Christian? How have they applied these values?" he asked.

These questions will be at the forefront of many minds on Sunday, as the pope -- who is the head of a church of more than 1 billion people worldwide -- comes to visit the little town of Bethlehem.

http://www.palmuseum.org/exhibitions-news/news/in-the-presence-of-the-holy-see-project

In the Presence of the Holy See Project

The Palestinian Museum is launching a new project in honour of Pope Francis's trip to Palestine. Banners combining recent media photographs of the Palestinian landscape and its people with Western baroque paintings of biblical scenes will decorate Manger Square in Bethlehem, highlighting the tension between the popular image of the Holy Land and Palestine's ongoing history of suffering under occupation and oppression.

  The Palestinian Museum is dedicated to the exploration and understanding of the culture, history and society of Palestine and its people. As a space that brings together an innovative mix of exhibitions, research, and education programmes, the Museum is a place for inspiration, dialogue, and reflection. Through its digital platforms and international partners it aims to connect with Palestinians wherever they are in the world and with all those interested in Palestine.

POPE FRANCIS Pilgrimage.... So That They May Be One: The unity of Christians is a message of unity for all humanity, called to overcome the divisions of the past and march forward together towards a future of justice, peace, reconciliation, pardon and fraternal love.

http://www.news.va/en/sites/pilgrimage-holy-land

HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE OF POPE FRANCIS24-26 MAY 2014

 

The motto for the pilgrimage is “So that they may be one”. The Holy Father has insisted that at the center of his pilgrimage will be the meeting with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and the heads of the Churches in Jerusalem. This is to commemorate and renew the commitment to unity expressed by Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople 50 years ago in Jerusalem.

This gives expression to the desire of the Lord at the Last Supper: “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:20-23).

The logo also expresses this desire for unity, representing the embrace of Saint Peter and Saint Andrew, the first two disciples called by Jesus in Galilee. Saint Peter is the patron of the Church in Rome and Saint Andrew is the patron of the Church in Constantinople. In Jerusalem, in the Mother Church, they embrace. The two apostles are in a boat that represents the Church, whose mast is the Cross of the Lord. The sails of the boat are full of wind, the Holy Spirit, which directs the boat as it sails across the waters of this world.

The unity of Christians is a message of unity for all humanity, called to overcome the divisions of the past and march forward together towards a future of justice, peace, reconciliation, pardon and fraternal love.

Text from the official website on " Pope Francis in the Holy Land 2014" by the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land.

Click here for the full program of the Pope's Holy Land journey.

• May 25, 2014

  POPE FRANCIS SPEAKS AT ECUMENICAL CELEBRATION IN JERUSALEM

  (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis lamented the “tragic” divisions between Christians and said our disagreements must not frighten us and paralyse our progress towards unity. His ...
  
• May 25, 2014

  COMMON DECLARATION SIGNED BY POPE FRANCIS AND THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW

  (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I, on Sunday held private talks in Jerusalem and signed a Common Declaration in which they ...
  
• May 25, 2014

  POPE TO PALESTINIAN AUTHORITIES

  (Vatican Radio) Upon Pope Francis' arrival in Jerusalem on Sunday morning he met with the President of the Palestinian State, Mahmoud Abbas, and with other ...
  
• May 25, 2014

  POPE'S HOMILY AT BETHLEHEM'S CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY

  (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Mass in Bethlehem's Manger Square on Sunday, beside the Church of the Nativity which is dedicated to the Child Jesus. ...
  
• May 25, 2014

  POPE FRANCIS CELEBRATES MASS IN AMMAN'S INTERNATIONAL STADIUM

  (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has called for peace and unity among different people, saying variety always enriches. His appeal came during his homily at the ...

Israeli and Palestinian Leaders [invited] to Meet With Pope at Vatican... Francis took the unexpected step in Bethlehem, where he became the first pontiff ever to fly directly into the West Bank and to refer to the Israeli-occupied territory as the “State of Palestine.”

Pope Francis led a papal Mass on Sunday in Manger Square in Bethlehem. Credit Pool photo by Fadi Arouri

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

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/26/world/middleeast/pope-francis-west-bank.html?hp

By JODI RUDOREN, JIM YARDLEY and ISABEL KERSHNERMAY 25, 2014

JERUSALEM — Pope Francis inserted himself directly into the collapsed Middle East peace process on Sunday, issuing an invitation to host the Israeli and Palestinian presidents for a prayer summit at his apartment in the Vatican, in an overture that has again underscored the broad ambitions of his papacy.

Francis took the unexpected step in Bethlehem, where he became the first pontiff ever to fly directly into the West Bank and to refer to the Israeli-occupied territory as the “State of Palestine.”

After decrying the overall situation between Israel and the Palestinians as “increasingly unacceptable,” the pope made a dramatic, unscheduled stop at Israel’s contentious concrete barrier separating Bethlehem from Jerusalem, where he prayed and touched his head against the graffiti-covered wall.

“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 rights for every individual, and on mutual security,” Francis said. Peace “must resolutely be pursued...READ MORE

VIEW SLIDE SHOW

Francis’ reputation for humility as a pope of the people and the poor has resonated with many Palestinians — Christian and Muslim alike. Photo credit Andrew Medichini/Associated Press

My letter to the NYTimes RE "The Brotherhood Will Be Back" By Shadi Hamidmay

Rachel Daniel holds up a picture of her abducted daughter Rose Daniel as her son Bukar sits beside her at their home in Maiduguri. Rose, along with more than 200 of her classmates, was one of those abducted by Boko Haram militants from a secondary school in Chibok, Nigeria. Photograph: Joe Penney/Reuters

RE  The Brotherhood Will Be Back By Shadi Hamidmay
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/24/opinion/more-democratic-less-liberal.html?ref=opinion

Dear Editor,

Shadi Hamidmay's essay "The Brotherhood Will Be Back" sounds like an Islamic version of modern Zionism and Israel, with the potential to make life quite nice for a select few who benefit from having a podium, tax payers' funds and state power "defending" their idea of religion, providing better job opportunities for coreligionists plus a heavily armed modern military making life totally miserable for those who are classified as the "wrong" religion. 

States and states-within-states that advocate arming religion and favoritism tend to quickly impoverish and imperil the local people, generating injustice, sectarian strife, disenfranchisement, disaster, and escalating refugee crises. Empowering Golden Rule thinking and true respect for the rule of fair and just laws and universal human rights is a much better option- for everyone's sake.

Hussein Ibish, of The American Task Force on Palestine, rising up this week to valiantly defend the nationally- and internationally-noted Lebanese journalist Hanin Ghaddar (who is being bullied and threatened by some very obtuse and nasty people) points out that "Ostensibly Hezbollah's state-within-a-state is for "resistance" and to protect Lebanon from Israel. In reality, of course, its weapons are used mainly to enforce its domestic political agenda on other Lebanese, and in the service of its Iranian and Syrian patrons, most notably through the intervention in the Syrian conflict."

And as the very wise and witty Dean Obeidallah explains in his most recent column How We Stop the Next Boko Haram : "I’m not saying Boko Haram’s actions are based on Islamic principles. I believe the opposite, and in fact, I made that very point in my article last week. Of course, the anti-Muslim crowd denounced my article as inaccurate. Having those people explain Islam is like having Mel Gibson explain Judaism."

Conservative or liberal, there is a huge difference between electing a candidate who happens to be Muslim (or Christan or Jewish or whatever) who understands and practices Golden Rule thinking which includes respect for people who would rather not be religious, and electing a candidate who seeks political power because he wants a podium and preferential treatment for his religion. 

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
   "Given the U.S. commitment to religious freedom, and to the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right of every human being, the United States seeks to: Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries" US State Department. 

"It is critically important to have a broad strategic vision of the future that embodies the values and aspirations of your people. And it is equally important to be able to project how you can see that vision being implemented in the short term. " James Zogby of AAI...

"Thinking about the future means we do not create "false idols" of the past or present. It means that we understand that we are human, subject to God's laws, and that we do not allow ourselves become so arrogant as to subject God to our own whims and fancy. It also requires that we reject the temptation to use means that contradict the very ends we seek to accomplish."

Connecting the dots: How We Stop the Next Boko Haram... Attacks on dissenting journalists show how scared Hezbollah really is... Maronite patriarch's Israel trip raises Hezbollah ire... Experts Outline Challenges, Propose Solutions for Gaza at ATFP-UNRWA Briefing

My letter PUBLISHED CSM May 19, 2014 The 'big-ticket questions, such as Palestinian sovereignty, claims to Jerusalem, and the "right of return" ' are very relevant to the day-to-day lives of Palestinians.

Christian exodus shadows papal visit to Holy Land

Pope Francis to visit The Holy Land: JORDAN hopes the visit will "push for achieving peace and stability in the region, including the Israeli-Palestinian peace process"

How do we want to define feminism in 2014?   In the first panel discussion at the second annual FORBES Women’s Summit this morning, a four-woman slate moderated by former Hewlett-Packard HPQ CEO Carly Fiorina, gave personal answers to Fiorina’s thoughtful questions. The conclusions: Women should reclaim the term and think of it as the struggle for gender equality, while looking to their own personal experience for strength....READ MORE

Miriam Awadallah, Intern at the American Task Force on Palestine: Assaf is Now My Idol: Sorry, Kanye West

Hussein Ibish: ADL Anti-Semitism survey has the potential to mislead

Religious Fact ... a poem in Growing Gardens for Palestine

"Laws are necessary but not sufficient for countering intolerance in individual attitudes. Intolerance is very often rooted in ignorance and fear: fear of the unknown, of the other, other cultures, nations, religions. Intolerance is also closely linked to an exaggerated sense of self-worth and pride, whether personal, national or religious. These notions are taught and learned at an early age. Therefore, greater emphasis needs to be placed on educating more and better. Greater efforts need to be made to teach children about tolerance and human rights, about other ways of life. Children should be encouraged at home and in school to be open-minded and curious."

"It is, of course, naïve to expect total reconciliation. Some grievances are so deep that the people who suffered them will never be satisfied. But the point is not satisfaction — the point is that the present is superior to the past, and it has to be cultivated as such."  Colum McCann  author of the novel “TransAtlantic” and a co-founder of Narrative 4, a global story exchange project

Visual map of how the Israeli ID system is stratified to limit democratic access to home ownership, security, services & participation in the polical system which creates and sustains the Israeli ID system

STAY CONNECTED... Given the U.S. commitment to religious freedom, and to the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right of every human being, the United States seeks to: Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries

UNITED NATIONS: International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 2014

American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) congratulates Arab America for the outstanding accomplishment in organizing a highly successful event that featured “Arab Idol” Mohammed Assaf and Lebanese vocalist Ziad Khoury on May 11 2014 ... in Growing Gardens for Palestine

850 Guests Attend Arab America "Ya Hal Arab" Event with Mohammed Assaf and Ziad Khoury  "Tonight we celebrate the unwavering Palestinian unity and determination to see a Palestinian homeland after more than 66 years of occupation!"

UN photo archive tells story of Palestinian exodus

"We Refuse to Be Enemies" a briefing call with Daoud Nassar, a Palestinian farmer

Reasonable voices & helpful resources ...America for Palestine MAY 2014

The Arab villages lost since Israel's war of independence - Guardian Interactive: ...Pre 1948 ...March 1948 ... May 1948 ...June 1948 ...Oct 1948 ...July 1949 ...Now

Remembering the Nakba: Israeli group puts 1948 Palestine back on the map Zochrot aims to educate Israeli Jews – through tours and a new phone app – about a history obscured by enmity and denial

Growing Gardens for Palestine: "And it's up to all of us together"... a Spring poem for Palestine & peace

Peace Building ... civic muscle

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

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

"The only way to honor our tragic histories is to create a future for our children free of man-made tragedy. This means making peace fully, completely and without reservation, between Israel and Palestine." American Task Force on Palestine's born in Jerusalem Dr. Ziad Asali: To honor a tragic history, we must work for peace 

My letter to the NYTimes RE Open a Middle Road to Mideast Peace by Dennis B. Ross

American Task Force on Palestine NEWS Holy Land prepares for papal visit
Two days before Pope Francis arrives in the Holy Land, Israelis and Palestinians were putting the finishing touches Thursday on a flurry of festive preparations for the visit.

RE: Open a Middle Road to Mideast Peace by Dennis B. Ross
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/23/opinion/open-a-middle-road-to-mideast-peace.html?_r=0

Dear Editor,

Do we walk away from Mideast Peace?  Some always have, some always will- but many good and decent people world wide have been hoping for a just and lasting peace for both Israel and for Palestine, and doing all they can to help make that hope a reality. 

The proposal to end the Israel-Palestine conflict is already here, and has been.  It is a fully secular two state solution, shaping a fully sovereign Palestine living alongside an already sovereign Israel, with both Israel and Palestine respecting each other as well as fully respecting international law and universal human rights, including but not limited to true respect for the Palestinian refugees inalienable right to return to original homes and lands to live in peace.

Palestinian refugees must be free to return, but they should not be forced to return, nor should they be forced to hang in stateless limbo for yet another generation, with more and more native non-Jewish Palestinians pushed into poverty and forced exile by a Jews-preferred Israel controlling all the land and resources.

Palestinian families need justice and real freedom, including the freedom to make a new life where they want to live and work and pay their taxes and pledge allegiance.  Engaged citizenship where ever they might be has already helped formulate more inclusive and informative media coverage for Palestine and for peace here in America.

Jewish is a religion. Peace needs to be between Israel and Palestine: Tax payers (here and there) should not be forced to fund religious scholars and schemes. Dennis Ross might have good intentions, but American leadership should not be advising Palestinians or Israelis (or anyone one else who might be listening) to endorse and empower the idea that a person's religious identity is the best way to determine citizenship, entitlements, job opportunities, home ownership, security, and state subsidies.  Peace is and must be an ongoing project, with ALL people, ALL MEN, WOMEN and CHILDREN fully empowered to contribute regardless of their supposed race or religion.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
"It is critically important to have a broad strategic vision of the future that embodies the values and aspirations of your people. And it is equally important to be able to project how you can see that vision being implemented in the short term. " James Zogby of AAI...

"Thinking about the future means we do not create "false idols" of the past or present. It means that we understand that we are human, subject to God's laws, and that we do not allow ourselves become so arrogant as to subject God to our own whims and fancy. It also requires that we reject the temptation to use means that contradict the very ends we seek to accomplish."

Connecting the dots: How We Stop the Next Boko Haram... Attacks on dissenting journalists show how scared Hezbollah really is... Maronite patriarch's Israel trip raises Hezbollah ire... Experts Outline Challenges, Propose Solutions for Gaza at ATFP-UNRWA Briefing

My letter PUBLISHED CSM May 19, 2014 The 'big-ticket questions, such as Palestinian sovereignty, claims to Jerusalem, and the "right of return" ' are very relevant to the day-to-day lives of Palestinians.

Christian exodus shadows papal visit to Holy Land

Pope Francis to visit The Holy Land: JORDAN hopes the visit will "push for achieving peace and stability in the region, including the Israeli-Palestinian peace process"

How do we want to define feminism in 2014?   In the first panel discussion at the second annual FORBES Women’s Summit this morning, a four-woman slate moderated by former Hewlett-Packard HPQ CEO Carly Fiorina, gave personal answers to Fiorina’s thoughtful questions. The conclusions: Women should reclaim the term and think of it as the struggle for gender equality, while looking to their own personal experience for strength....READ MORE

Miriam Awadallah, Intern at the American Task Force on Palestine: Assaf is Now My Idol: Sorry, Kanye West

Hussein Ibish: ADL Anti-Semitism survey has the potential to mislead

Religious Fact ... a poem in Growing Gardens for Palestine

"Laws are necessary but not sufficient for countering intolerance in individual attitudes. Intolerance is very often rooted in ignorance and fear: fear of the unknown, of the other, other cultures, nations, religions. Intolerance is also closely linked to an exaggerated sense of self-worth and pride, whether personal, national or religious. These notions are taught and learned at an early age. Therefore, greater emphasis needs to be placed on educating more and better. Greater efforts need to be made to teach children about tolerance and human rights, about other ways of life. Children should be encouraged at home and in school to be open-minded and curious."

"It is, of course, naïve to expect total reconciliation. Some grievances are so deep that the people who suffered them will never be satisfied. But the point is not satisfaction — the point is that the present is superior to the past, and it has to be cultivated as such."  Colum McCann  author of the novel “TransAtlantic” and a co-founder of Narrative 4, a global story exchange project

Visual map of how the Israeli ID system is stratified to limit democratic access to home ownership, security, services & participation in the polical system which creates and sustains the Israeli ID system

STAY CONNECTED... Given the U.S. commitment to religious freedom, and to the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right of every human being, the United States seeks to: Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries

UNITED NATIONS: International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 2014

American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) congratulates Arab America for the outstanding accomplishment in organizing a highly successful event that featured “Arab Idol” Mohammed Assaf and Lebanese vocalist Ziad Khoury on May 11 2014 ... in Growing Gardens for Palestine

850 Guests Attend Arab America "Ya Hal Arab" Event with Mohammed Assaf and Ziad Khoury  "Tonight we celebrate the unwavering Palestinian unity and determination to see a Palestinian homeland after more than 66 years of occupation!"

UN photo archive tells story of Palestinian exodus

"We Refuse to Be Enemies" a briefing call with Daoud Nassar, a Palestinian farmer

Reasonable voices & helpful resources ...America for Palestine MAY 2014

The Arab villages lost since Israel's war of independence - Guardian Interactive: ...Pre 1948 ...March 1948 ... May 1948 ...June 1948 ...Oct 1948 ...July 1949 ...Now

Remembering the Nakba: Israeli group puts 1948 Palestine back on the map Zochrot aims to educate Israeli Jews – through tours and a new phone app – about a history obscured by enmity and denial

Growing Gardens for Palestine: "And it's up to all of us together"... a Spring poem for Palestine & peace

Peace Building ... civic muscle

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

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

"The only way to honor our tragic histories is to create a future for our children free of man-made tragedy. This means making peace fully, completely and without reservation, between Israel and Palestine." American Task Force on Palestine's born in Jerusalem Dr. Ziad Asali: To honor a tragic history, we must work for peace 

"It is critically important to have a broad strategic vision of the future that embodies the values and aspirations of your people. And it is equally important to be able to project how you can see that vision being implemented in the short term. " James Zogby of AAI...

"Thinking about the future means we do not create "false idols" of the past or present. It means that we understand that we are human, subject to God's laws, and that we do not allow ourselves become so arrogant as to subject God to our own whims and fancy. It also requires that we reject the temptation to use means that contradict the very ends we seek to accomplish."

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

http://www.aaiusa.org/dr-zogby/entry/the-importance-of-vision/

The Importance of Vision

Monday May 19, 2014

A few days ago, I spent an afternoon with members of the Syrian opposition delegation visiting Washington. They briefed me on their many meetings with the Obama Administration (including a lengthy session with the president) and with members of the Senate and Congress. We also discussed problems they are facing on the ground in Syria and issues with their messaging strategy.

At the very end of our wide-ranging conversation, a leader of the delegation surprised me with a few unexpected questions. He asked "What is your long-term vision for the region— from Iraq to Lebanon— how do you see it in the future? And what do you see for us in the next three years?"

I was surprised, but I was also delighted, because these are exactly the questions that should be asked and answered by leaders on all levels of government and civil society across the Middle East.

It is critically important to have a broad strategic vision of the future that embodies the values and aspirations of your people. And it is equally important to be able to project how you can see that vision being implemented in the short term.  

My initial response might have been a bit flippant, saying that looking 100 years down the road I can see an Arab boy from Amman marrying an Israeli girl from Tel Aviv and taking a job and settling down in the suburbs of Damascus. But I quickly added that what I meant was that I envisioned a region at peace with itself, with integrated societies, economies, and open borders (or no borders, at all) allowing for the free movement of people and commerce.

Given the bloody wars of the last several decades and continuing tumult and tension, such a vision might appear to some to be fanciful. There will be naysayers who will go so far as to argue that it is not in the genetic makeup of this or that side to ever accept such a peace or integration. But I am convinced that they are wrong. No group of people is uniquely indisposed to peace and integration and no people are immune from the inevitable pressures of history.

In this regard, the Middle East is not exceptional. It is true that the region is plagued by war and upheaval— but then what region of the world has not been so plagued. Much the same despair was once widespread across Europe. That continent had, for centuries, been the setting for bloody conflicts that pitted nations and sects against each other, culminating in the 20th century's two devastating world wars. Who, in the midst of the last century's horrors, could have imagined a Europe at peace with itself?

In the past few decades, Europe formed an economic union and then ended a Cold War that had divided the continent. Though still not a "perfect union," it is impossible to ignore the profound and positive transformations that have occurred and are still unfolding across that once tormented region. 

  

What is important is that, in the midst of conflict, people be given a vision of the future and the possibility of change, precisely so that they not surrender to despair. Projecting such vision can inspire and motivate societies to move forward, rejecting the paralysis that comes from feeling trapped by present day "realities". By projecting a progressive vision of the future, leaders are also able to present a stark contrast between the idea of the world they seek to create with notions advocated by those operating without such a vision.

When applied to the conflicts raging across the Levant, the matter becomes clearer.  

What, for example would be Bashar al Assad's vision of the future? And who would want to live in the future projected by ISIS or Jabhat al Nusra? Is there anyone who hopes that Lebanon one hundred years from now is still divided by sect, with power monopolized by the same families who have governed their clans or regions for the past century? And is there any future in the exclusivist, irredentist notions advocated by hard-line Israelis or their counterparts in the Palestinian camp? 

Having a progressive vision of the future allows one to challenge those who can't think beyond the dead-end constraints of the present. It rejects those who for reasons of power and personal privilege want to freeze current realities or elevate them to the status of the eternal, and those whose blasphemous distortions of religion cause them to envision the future as a return to an idealized past.

Thinking about the future means we do not create "false idols" of the past or present. It means that we understand that we are human, subject to God's laws, and that we do not allow ourselves become so arrogant as to subject God to our own whims and fancy. It also requires that we reject the temptation to use means that contradict the very ends we seek to accomplish.  

This leads me to consider my Syrian friend's second no less important question, which is to envision the Levant in three years’ time. In some ways, this is a more difficult challenge because it forces us to directly confront the constraints of the present day. While I believe that 100 years from now there will be no latter-day "al Assad" on the scene, no "religious" fanatics tormenting those who are "less pure", no clan leaders or ultra-nationalists— they are precisely the characters who define present day life. 

They must be defeated— but how they are defeated matters. That's why a future vision based on values is important. Fighting evil with evil, repression with repression, or fanaticism with fanaticism, is a no-win proposition. New ideas matter and so do new means by which to bring those ideas to life.    

I thank my Syrian friend for asking his thoughtful questions and for the discussion that followed. It provided us both an opportunity to reflect on means and ends and goals. The very fact that he asked these questions made me appreciate his leadership. I would love to hear this challenge put to other leaders, on all levels, across the Levant. Their answers would be revealing.