Mary consoles Eve- art by Sister Grace Remington, a Cistercian nun at Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Iowa

Mary consoles Eve- art by Sister Grace Remington, a Cistercian nun at Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Iowa

 "I am a Cistercian sister at Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Iowa. We live a simple life here. We are contemplative nuns, so we do not teach or work in parishes. We pray together seven times a day. Each service centers on the chanting of the psalms, the reading of scriptures, and the singing of hymns. We make candy to support ourselves, and I help with that work. I also tend our grounds, take care of the chickens, and am the community librarian. We are out in the country, so when there is a little extra time, I like to go out for long walks. Our days start early, at 3:30 a.m., and end early, with everyone in their rooms by 8:00 p.m. We have a lot of silence in our days, but we also enjoy each other a lot. We hope to live a life of praise and prayer, dedicating ourselves and this place to God, pointing to the One who holds all things together."  Mary Consoles Eve: Advent seems the perfect time to reflect on Mary and Eve, these two “mothers of all the living.” By Sr. Grace Remington and  Joy Marie Clarkson https://www.plough.com/en/topics/culture/holidays/christmas-readings/mary-consoles-eve

Palestinian women wearing traditional dresses (thobe), each different design represent different Palestinian villages and cities.

Palestinian women wearing traditional dresses (thobe), each different design represent different Palestinian villages and cities. This photo was taken in 2007 and was selected as the winner of a photo competition - ALECSO

 

Palestine Remembered - Traditional Costumes Map

Israel/OPT/Palestine: Law to ban UNRWA amounts to criminalization of humanitarian aid

© EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images

 

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https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/10/israel-opt-law-to-ban-unrwa-amounts-to-criminalization-of-humanitarian-aid/

Reacting to the news that the Israeli parliament has passed a law to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating inside Israel, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, said:  

“This unconscionable law is an outright attack on the rights of Palestinian refugees. It is clearly designed to make it impossible for the agency to operate in the Occupied Palestinian Territory by forcing the closure of the UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem and ending visas for its staff. It amounts to the criminalization of humanitarian aid and will worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

“UNRWA has played an indispensable role in offering, food, water, medical aid, education and shelter to the nearly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza who have been forcibly displaced, subjected to an engineered famine, and stand at serious risk of genocide as a result of Israel’s relentless offensive in the last 12 months. This law flies in the face of the International Court of Justice order to Israel to ensure sufficient humanitarian assistance and facilitate basic services.

“UNRWA has been a lifeline for Palestinian refugees in the occupied Gaza Strip and the West Bank and in neighbouring countries throughout the 75 years since its foundation. The plight of the Palestinian people would be even more severe if not for UNRWA’s tireless work over the last three quarters of a century.

“This appalling, inhumane law will only exacerbate the suffering of Palestinians, who have endured unimaginable hardship and whose need for global support is greater than ever. The international community must be quick to condemn it in the strongest possible terms and exert any influence they have on the Israeli government to repeal it.”

Background

Founded in 1949, the UNRWA is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. It is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States.  

UNRWA has defined Palestine refugees as “persons whose regular place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict.”

At a time when Israel, the occupying power, continues to flagrantly violate its obligations vis-à-vis Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, UNRWA has long served as a sole lifeline, offering indispensable humanitarian aid, education and shelter. The agency also provides desperately needed aid for millions of other Palestinian refugees living in neighbouring Arab countries.

In January 2024 over a dozen states and the European Union announced the suspension of funding to UNRWA, following allegations that individual staff members were involved in the 7 October attacks carried out by Hamas and other armed groups in southern Israel. UNRWA immediately dismissed nine employees over the allegations at the time.

Almost all of the states that had previously suspended funding for UNRWA have since reinstated their financial support, aside from the United States, where funding remains frozen until at least March 2025.

Amnesty International investigation concludes Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza

Amnesty International’s research has found sufficient basis to conclude that Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, the organization said in a landmark new report published today.  

The report, ‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza, documents how, during its military offensive launched in the wake of the deadly Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, Israel has unleashed hell and destruction on Palestinians in Gaza brazenly, continuously and with total impunity.  

“Amnesty International’s report demonstrates that Israel has carried out acts prohibited under the Genocide Convention, with the specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza. These acts include killings, causing serious bodily or mental harm and deliberately inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction. Month after month, Israel has treated Palestinians in Gaza as a subhuman group unworthy of human rights and dignity, demonstrating its intent to physically destroy them,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.  

“Our damning findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide. It must stop now. 

“States that continue to transfer arms to Israel at this time must know they are violating their obligation to prevent genocide and are at risk of becoming complicit in genocide. All states with influence over Israel, particularly key arms suppliers like the USA and Germany, but also other EU member states, the UK and others, must act now to bring Israel’s atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza to an immediate end.” 

Over the past two months the crisis has grown particularly acute... READ MORE  https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/12/amnesty-international-concludes-israel-is-committing-genocide-against-palestinians-in-gaza/

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Soha Abdul Salam Saqallah, 13 years old, was killed by Israel today along with her entire family.

 

Soha Abdul Salam Saqallah, 13 years old, was killed by Israel today along with her entire family.

 

 Soha dreamed of becoming a world-renowned artist. She loved drawing with vibrant colors and aspired to hold international exhibitions to raise money for the sick. #GazaGenocide

Americans should focus on building peace - My letter published online in my local newspaper The Patriot News: "Our domestic and foreign policies should align to shape true justice, peace, and prosperity for all people, regardless of race or religion."

Americans should focus on building peace | PennLive Letters

https://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2024/11/americans-should-focus-on-building-peace-pennlive-letters.html

Published: Nov. 29, 2024

Thank you for publishing William Lambers’ 11/11 opinion “The silence heard around the world brought peace.”

Lambers sagely reminds us that the true spirit of Armistice Day, is “to keep up the mission for a world free from the horror of war.”

We must make it a priority to invest in goodness, not war: We need to disarm and dismantle the military-industrial complex that our tax dollars have helped build.

Fully respecting basic human rights and the rule of fair and just laws is a good first step in building peace.

Our domestic and foreign policies should align to shape true justice, peace, and prosperity for all people, regardless of race or religion.

Anne Selden Annab, Mechanicsburg Pa.

The Holy Family in Gaza

Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza is named in honor of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, who journeyed through Gaza during their flight to Egypt.

UNRWA upholds a “zero tolerance” policy toward breaches of neutrality, emphasizing that the agency is a “soft target” for anyone which perceives its presence or activities as a threat.

UNRWA chief: Agency enduring ‘darkest moment’, as Israeli laws threaten operations

13 November 2024 Peace and Security

The UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, is living through the “darkest moment” of its 75 year history, Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Wednesday, pointing to a trifecta of legislative, operational and security challenges.

Speaking at a press conference at UN Headquarters in New York, he detailed the implications of the recent laws passed by the Israeli Knesset, which aim to dismantle UNRWA activities across the occupied Palestinian territory, including Gaza and the West Bank.

“The intention is to undermine the agency,” he said, emphasizing that these measures are politically motivated.

Since the onset of the war in Gaza on 7 October 2023, 243 UNRWA staff members have lost their lives. Around 190 buildings and installations have been damaged or destroyed, and lifesaving aid operations severely restricted.

Disinformation campaign

“In addition to that there has been [an] intense and aggressive disinformation campaign, [including] reaching out to donor capitals to delegitimize the agency,” Mr. Lazzarini said.

He reiterated that despite operating in an environment fraught with risk, UNRWA upholds a “zero tolerance” policy toward breaches of neutrality, emphasizing that the agency is a “soft target” for anyone which perceives its presence or activities as a threat.

This includes Hamas, which over many years has accused the agency of “colluding” with Israel, given UNRWA’s programmes on education, gender equality, or arts, culture and sport. At the same time, Israel has accused UNRWA of colluding with and being infiltrated by Hamas.

“So, this morning [at the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly] I also wanted also to clean the record on this,” Mr. Lazzarini said, refuting the allegations and referring to his annual briefing to UN Member States at the General Assembly’s main Special Political and Decolonization Committee.... READ MORE  https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1156941

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Calling on EVERYONE to utilize all legal and political tools to uphold the international rules-based order.

Founded in 1945, after the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust, the United Nations valiantly and wisely promotes peace, cooperation, and international diplomacy.

 

 Philippe Lazzarini-  Commissioner-General of

@UNRWA

@UNLazzarini

Nov 13 2024

Highlights from Philippe Lazzarini's address to the UN  General Assembly today:  

- The risk of the Agency’s collapse threatens the lives and futures of people and communities, the region’s stability, and the integrity of our multilateral system.  

- UNRWA is mandated to directly provide basic services, including education for more than half a million boys and girls.  

- In Gaza UNRWA has become a casualty of war: at least 243 UNRWA personnel have been killed, others have been detained and report being tortured. More than 2/3 of UNRWA premises have been damaged or destroyed.  

- Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, and Israeli forces have allegedly used UNRWA premises for military purposes. I strongly condemned the use of our premises.  

- I continue to call for accountability for the attacks on UN personnel, premises and operations through an independent investigation into these violations. 

I have put forward several requests to the General Assembly:

     - Safeguard UNRWA and the rights of Palestine Refugees including for basic services. 

     - The protection of our multilateral system and the UN – of which UNRWA is an integral part.

     - Called on Member States to utilize all legal and political tools to uphold the international rules-based order.

Read the full statement here

https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/remarks-unrwa-commissioner-general-philippe-lazzarini-united-nations-general-assembly-fourth-committee

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Dear Elected Officials- Stop poisoning the land, and undermining international law.

Statue of Liberty Weeps

 Dear Elected Officials,

I have respect for the rule of fair and just laws, and I have respect for good and decent people who live their lives making the world a better place (for everyone)... but I have zero respect for all our many Republican and Democratic politicians and our myopic mainstream Fourth Estate as our tax money is used to create crimes against humanity in The Holy Land.

Stop poisoning the land, and undermining international law. 

I don't care what your religion is- keep it private and personal and do not keep using our tax money to fund bigotry, injustice, weapons manufacturing and escalating violence here or there or anywhere please! 

Modern times call for modern approaches- specifically we should be investing in a just and lasting peace which starts with full and equal rights for all people: One state or two for the people of historic Palestine and Israel- start with the demand for and fair expectation of full respect for basic human rights and the rule of fair and just laws for ALL.

And stop buying into Zionist propaganda.  

Start noticing the very real plight and suffering of the native non-Jewish men, women and children of historic Palestine.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

"The United Nations was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell." ~Dag Hammarskjöld, second Secretary-General of the United Nations

NOTES  https://x.com/AnnieAnnab

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

The MATH of modern GENOCIDE & the US weapons industry.

Protect Humanity

Thirty Jewish organisations have issued a powerful joint statement defending Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian Territories, denouncing what they describe as coordinated attempts to undermine her mandate through false accusations of anti-Semitism.

We are witnessing the final stage of genocide in Gaza- Arwa Mahdawi in The Guardian: Omer Bartov is an Israeli-American professor of Holocaust and genocide studies. He has issued a grim warning on Gaza

+13,319 children killed in Gaza [PALESTINE] +35,055 children lost one/both parents in past year +1M children deeply traumatized .... End this war on innocent children

Human Rights Are Not White Privilege #PalestineLivesMatter

Why is Germany supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza? In 1953, Germany started paying reparations – not to individual survivors of the Holocaust, but the state of Israel in the form of industrial goods, including weaponry.

Israel passes law allowing Palestinian children under 14 to be jailed: More than 270 Palestinian minors are currently held in Israeli detention, despite UN resolutions and international treaties prohibiting the imprisonment of children, according to Palestinian right groups.

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.

Jordan's former foreign minister, Marwan Muasher, tells MEE that Jordan is worried Palestinians will be displaced en masse: “What we have seen in Gaza is an example not just of killing Palestinians but of making Gaza uninhabitable and trying to affect a mass transfer of Palestinians into Egypt."

In Forest of Noise, renowned Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha explores the pain, loss, and struggle of life in Gaza, while holding onto his connection to home

Earth after Israel is done defending itself:

2024 Snoopy & Handala & the Statue of Liberty

The greatest challenge to being alive: To witness the injustice of this world, and not allow it to consume our light.

Love to all, Ibtisam the Palestinian author

70% of the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza is funded by the American government: Consecutive American governments have been diverting taxpayer money to finance the Israeli genocide against Palestinians, resulting in the killing of Americans too, instead of spending it on education and infrastructure for its own citizens.

Statement from the bishop of the ELCJHL about Israel’s decision to close UNRWA: “We ask you to join us in condemning this action in the strongest possible terms”

Israeli settlements and outposts are used to take over Palestinian land and enable Israeli settlers to torment and terrorize Palestinians, transferring the protected population by force in violation of international law.

The brutality in Gaza must stop: We cannot afford to remain silent or complacent in the face of such brutality. Now more than ever, the American people must advocate for the rights and dignity of the Palestinians.

"The United Nations was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell." ~Dag Hammarskjöld, second Secretary-General of the United Nations

‘Death is everywhere’: fears grow that Israel plans to seize land in Gaza Increasingly violent siege of north raises suspicions about Netanyahu’s war aims

Philippe Lazzarini: Children & their education are not featured in any discussions when “experts “ or politicians talk about replacing UNWRA. Why? Because in the absence of a functioning state, there is no alternative.

Israel kills the journalists. Western media kills the truth of genocide in Gaza: Western publics are being subjected to a campaign of psychological warfare, where genocide is classed as ‘self-defence’ and opposition to it ‘terrorism’

It's been 107 years since the Balfour Declaration and Britain has not yet atoned for its grave historic mistake. It is time to make amends with the Palestinian people.

BBC: What happened to the young girl captured in a photograph of Gaza detainees

Israeli assault has caused ‘apocalyptic’ situation in northern Gaza, UN warns: Key officials say entire population of northern Gaza ‘at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence’

Author Arundhati Roy lambasts ‘US and Israel’s genocide in Gaza and Lebanon' in her acceptance speech for the PEN Pinter Prize at a ceremony in London earlier this month #Palestine

United Nations Security Council today underscored that UNRWA remains the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza & affirmed that no organization can replace or substitute its capacity and mandate to serve Palestinian refugees and civilians in urgent need of life-saving assistance.

‘I couldn’t cry over my children like everyone else’: the tragedy of Palestinian journalist Wael al-Dahdouh. After his wife and two of his children were killed in Gaza, Al Jazeera journalist Wael al-Dahdouh became famous around the world for his decision to keep reporting. But this was just the start of his heartbreaking journey By Nesrine Malik

Concern for Lebanon's heritage grows as Israel intensifies destruction of historic landmarks: Israeli attacks in Lebanon have devastated historic sites, fueling widespread condemnation and highlighting the urgent threat to the country's cultural heritage #urbicide

“I disagree with Kamala’s position on the war in Gaza. How can I vote for her?” ... Here is Bernie Sanders well thought out answer

The rights of Palestine Refugees exist separate to UNRWA, including the right of return, which was set out in resolution 194, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, and predates the creation of UNRWA in 1949. Besides the right to return, the right to family unity and the right to reparations would also remain in UNRWA’s absence, as would the refugee camps of Gaza and the West Bank.

UNRWA was created by the UN Member States. Today’s decision by the Israeli parliament barring UNRWA from its life-saving and health-protecting work on behalf of millions of Palestinians will have devastating consequences.

All the way back to 1948...

Silence is Complicity... and silence turns voters off, ensuring that Democracy dies in the darkness.

ELECTIONS: Our tax money should go to the people's needs- not war mongering and weapons manufacturing for foreign countries that use bigotry and injustice to determine who gets security and who gets their home demolished.

Dear America- We are in this collectively- no exceptions... Stop the hate- and the pollution of war.

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

Dear America, Please Help Stop Institutionalized Bigotry & Injustice

Dear America- Israel can not be trusted, and should not be subsidized

Don't give Israel the power to destroy the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, International Law, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights... and America.

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

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

The MATH of modern GENOCIDE & the US weapons industry.

 

Protect Humanity

 

The Geneva Conventions, adopted in 1949 and ratified worldwide, are the backbone of international humanitarian law. They:  

 

Protect those who are not or no longer fighting.  

 

Save lives and reduce suffering. 

 

Even in armed conflicts, humanity must prevail. #GC75

 

 

The 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols are international treaties that contain the most important rules limiting the barbarity of war. They protect people who do not take part in the fighting (civilians, medics, aid workers) and those who can no longer fight (wounded, sick and shipwrecked troops, prisoners of war).

We take
action,
not sides

Because we are neutral, impartial and independent, we can reach those who need us when others cannot, providing humanitarian assistance, protecting lives, upholding rights, and relieving the suffering of people around the world whose lives have been torn apart by armed conflict and violence.

About the ICRC

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.

 

Proclamation

The XXth International Conference of the Red Cross proclaims the following fundamental principles on which Red Cross action is based:

HUMANITY  

The Red Cross, born of a desire to bring assistance without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield, endeavours – in its international and national capacity – to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found. Its purpose is to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the human being. It promotes mutual understanding, friendship, co-operation and lasting peace amongst all peoples.

IMPARTIALITY  

It makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. It endeavours only to relieve suffering, giving priority to the most urgent cases of distress.

NEUTRALITY  

In order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all, the Red Cross may not take sides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature.

INDEPENDENCE  

The Red Cross is independent. The National Societies, while auxiliaries in the humanitarian services of t heir Governments and subject to the laws of their respective countries, must always maintain their autonomy so that they may be able at all times to act in accordance with Red Cross principles.

VOLUNTARY SERVICE  

The Red Cross is a voluntary relief organization not prompted in any manner by desire for gain.

UNITY  

There can be only one Red Cross Society in any one country. It must be open to all. It must carry on its humanitarian work throughout its territory.

UNIVERSALITY  

The Red Cross is a world-wide institution in which all Societies have equal status and share equal responsibilities and duties in helping each other.