Dear President Biden- Please stop forcing American taxpayers to fund and arm Jews-preferred Israel

Lady Justice

 

Dear President Biden,

A foreign country claiming to be our friend has calmly invaded these United States of America and is actively undermining every ideal we are supposed to uphold.

These are terrifying times: Democracy is supposed to support the rule of fair and just laws- and the truth.  But when it comes to Israel our politicians and news media do all they can to promote and distribute Zionist propaganda and anti-Arab spin.  

PLEASE, I beg you to think more clearly, do not trust Israel.  Start exploring the real facts beyond the pervasive Zionist spin!!   

Please stop forcing American taxpayers to fund and arm Jews-preferred Israel. 

People should not be divided up by religion (or race or gender) and only given respect, good jobs, and security when they are the "right" religion (or race or gender)...  All people regardless of supposed religion, or lack thereof, should be free and equal. Every one's human rights must fully respected! 

In this age of cell phones and the internet, I do not want vulnerable human beings anywhere on planet earth watching and learning that arming religion with lethal weaponry and racist hate is the best way for people to grab power and money and support- because that is exactly what Zionists have been doing in historic Palestine.  HAMAS is merely following Israel's lead.

We are not and should not be like Israel: The Indigenous people of historic Palestine are trapped by racist Israeli laws and policies- trapped and tormented and demonized because the indigenous Palestinians dare read, comprehend and respect The United Nations 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and they want to be free and equal- and respected.

Justice and peace go hand in hand, you can not have one with out the other.  Please send the right message to all the world. We stand with Justice and Peace- and Secular Democracy.  Religion must be a personal private choice, not a state sponsored endeavor or a reason to wage war.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

 

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

Dear President Biden - Israel is constantly looking for excuses to harass, demonize & destroy Palestinians.

Dear President Biden, 

As President you have declared our "Columbus Day" to now be "Indigenous Peoples Day" while at the same time you are clueless & cruel towards the indigenous people of historic Palestine.

I do not support Hamas, I think they have done a huge amount of harm to the Palestinians' quest for freedom & justice, but I do, sadly, see why so many native non-Jewish people of Palestine trapped in the open air prison camp called Gaza believe they have no choice but to use violence to fight for their freedom from Zionist Israel's extensive state sponsored terrorism.

I also know that our elected leaders here in America pander to Israel and AIPAC, and that our mainstream news does not fairly cover the story in context so that most American's have no clue about what is really going on... and has been for decades.

Many of the Palestinians in Gaza are refugees ethnically cleansed from their ancestral homeland by Zionists who want the land but not the native people of that land.

Every day, day after day, year after year, Israel's Zionist settlers, armed Jewish settlers protected by the IDF, steal land & peace from Palestinians in the occupied West Bank territories. Zionists needle, needle, poke & prod, destroying Palestinian homes, schools, farms, orchards, and jobs.

Israel is constantly looking for excuses to harass & demonize Palestinians.  Israel's IDF intentionally maims instead of kills- as of Sept 19th, 227 Palestinians have been killed and 1600 Palestinians have been wounded by Israeli troops and settlers this year alone according to the U.N.    And what does America do- we give Israel the green light to continue harshly oppressing & persecuting Palestinians by now allowing Israelis to travel to the US with no Visa- while Israel keeps the Palestinians trapped, harassed, & demonized at every turn, even if they hold American passports!

Clearly Hamas did not start the violence- they are responding to Israel's extensive ongoing violence and injustice.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

In 1948, after the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust, the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Right States: "Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law"  https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

How can Americans be so concerned about Russia invading Ukraine, and yet so oblivious and clueless about the very real plight and suffering of the Palestinian men, women, and children persecuted, impoverished and displaced by Zionist Israel. Full Stop. 

 

Palestine Writes [in America] 2023!

 "Palestinians are an ancient indigenous people from a fabled and tortured land. No matter who holds the guns and power over our homeland, our nation is deeply rooted in its soil, which cradles our collective memory, as it does the bones of our ancestors. All of our traditions, our stories, folklore, poetry, culinary forms, superstitions, traditional clothing, architecture, art, and cultural habits were born in that singular patch of earth over the span of millennia. Palestine Writes exists as an artistic and literary space to hold dear and celebrate and share the magnificence of Palestine’s indigenous heritage, particularly as powerful forces work tirelessly to erase us."    https://palestinewrites.org/

Palestine Writes: On circles, keys, and joy as resistance

As a former political prisoner in Egypt, and dissident writer in exile, Palestinian culture and literature have inspired and shaped my work. When I attended the Palestine Writes Literature Festival, my heart came full circle.... READ MORE  

 

Worldmaking in action at Palestine Writes festival

Despite the incessant efforts of the pro-Israel lobby to censor Palestinians and their allies, the festival was a testament to the strength of transnational solidarity between those fighting for liberation around the world, writes Randa Abdel-Fattah... READ MORE

 

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Palestine Writes Was An Immense Moment of Indigenous Agency and Togetherness

 

The 2023 Palestine Writes Literature Festival wrapped up on Sunday, September 24 following five joyful days of Palestinian heritage, stories, art, music, dance, crafts, books, scholarship, food, photography, 123 speakers,  sessions, and a sold out crowd of over 1500 registered in-person attendees, as well as 4890 virtual attendees on Friday....  READ MORE

 

International Day of Democracy

Right to choose. 

 

Right to speak up. 

 

Right to build together the world we want. 

 

This is what democracy is about. 

 

15 September is #DemocracyDay #UNESCO

BBC News August 2023: Palestinian fears grow amid rising Israeli settler attacks

Farmer Ammar Abu Alia is one of many Palestinians forced to abandon his home

By Yolande Knell

BBC News, Ramallah

There's been a dramatic rise in violence carried out by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank this year, with more than 100 incidents reported a month according to the UN. It warns that some 400 people have been driven from their land since the start of 2022.

Smashed cars and homes and shops set ablaze. Recent months have seen some of the worst ever scenes of settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

Some have turned deadly.

Posters in remembrance of 19-year-old Qusai Maatan, showing him astride his white Arabian horse, now surround a small roundabout in the village of Burqa, set among olive trees in the rolling hills north-east of Ramallah.

"He had a deeply caring nature. He'd always greet me warmly and check on me in a thoughtful way," says his grandfather, Abdul Moneim Maatan, his voice cracking. "His absence leaves a huge void."

On the evening Qusai was shot dead by an armed settler, his family say he had gone for a picnic with friends at the edge of the village. Locals describe how a confrontation with radical Israelis living nearby escalated quickly. Stones were thrown and at least one settler opened fire. In an unusually strong rebuke, Israel's closest ally, the US, described what happened here as "Jewish terrorism".

....READ MORE

Palestinian fears grow amid rising Israeli settler attacks

BBC News Photo & caption: Nida, a mother of nine, says the world seems unaware of the displacement of Palestinians

 [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]    

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-66620250

“No more silence. The time to act is now.” US Jews urged to condemn Israeli occupation amid Netanyahu censure

 "Another group of Israelis, including two former military chiefs of staff, an ex-director of military intelligence and a former member of parliament, placed an advertisement in the New York Times on Sunday warning the US-based World Jewish Congress that it is being “misled” by Netanyahu."

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/15/us-jewish-groups-statement-occupation-israel-palestine-netanyahu

 [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]   

“No more silence. The time to act is now.”

Cartoon that appeared with a letter to the American Jewish community signed by academics and other public figures from Israel/Palestine and abroad calling on U.S. Jews to address the “elephant in the room”: Israeli apartheid.

Cartoon that appeared with letter signed by 750 academics and other public figures from Israel/Palestine and abroad, calling on U.S. Jews to address the “elephant in the room”: Israeli apartheid. The letter calls on U.S. Jews “to embrace equality for Jews and Palestinians” inside Israel and in the occupied territories.

"American Jews have long been at the forefront of social justice causes, from racial equality to abortion rights, but have paid insufficient attention to the elephant in the room: Israel’s long-standing occupation that, we repeat, has yielded a regime of apartheid. As Israel has grown more right-wing and come under the spell of the current government’s messianic, homophobic, and misogynistic agenda, young American Jews have grown more and more alienated from it. Meanwhile, American Jewish billionaire funders help support the Israeli far right."   The Elephant in the Room

This is Palestine... as seen by the heart (2 online memes the summer of 2023)

 

This is Palestine, A place where brave people are born

Palestine as seen by the heart

My Letter Published online in my local paper. Their title: Our nation’s founding mothers and fathers envisioned equality and justice for all -- not just for some

 

Our nation’s founding mothers and fathers envisioned equality and justice for all -- not just for some

I very much appreciated your inspiring 4th of July editorial. In my opinion, our American founding fathers (and mothers) were not totally perfect, but in seeing the big picture more than 200 years later I’d much rather focus in on the gift of great hope they gave all of us.

They painstakingly established a solid foundation to build real freedom, justice and equality for what is now all people, not just a chosen few white males.

Democracy is most certainly an ongoing process and project.

In light of that, this past week it was good to see the revealing letter by Suhail Shafi “Palestinians deserve human rights, too” in our Patriot newspaper July 27. Respect for the rule of fair and just laws matters immensely, for all our sakes, and a crucial part of that equation worldwide is freedom of religion, as well as freedom from religion.

We need to set the right example with what we say and what we do: American taxpayers should not be forced to fund religious schools or Israel’s supposed Jewishness and the cruel Zionist war on the native non-Jewish men, women and children of historic Palestine.

Religion should be a personal, private choice, not a local, state or federally funded program.

Anne Selden Annab, Mechanicsburg Pa.

https://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2023/07/our-nations-founding-mothers-and-fathers-envisioned-equality-and-justice-for-all-not-just-for-some-pennlive-letters.html

 [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]  

Artist Fayez Elhasani of Palestine... full of hope

Painted by Artist Fayez Elhasani of Palestine

  

I painted this work “Return to Palestine 2” while I was in my besieged city #غزة , but I am full of hope and certainty that I will restore the lines and colors of the work again in the heart of the city #القدس , which was liberated from occupation and colonialism. . Artist Fayez Elhasani

Centuries-old Jerusalem soup kitchen serves up ‘food with dignity’

The entrance to the courtyard of the Tikiya Khaski al-Sultan soup kitchen, a compound of 25 rooms, kitchen, and a school at the heart of Jerusalem's Old City, April 3, 2023.  Taylor Luck

Rana steps off Al Wad Street onto a winding narrow stairway, following an almost-hidden passage in the labyrinthine Old City that has led to generosity for nearly 500 years.

Carrying two bucket pails and a shopping bag packed with empty Tupperware, she passes Mameluke-era architecture as part of her daily route – a journey to feed her family.

“This is where we get food with dignity,” says the mother of three. “This is where the Holy City’s generosity is always kept warm.”

Tikiya Khaski al-Sultan, a soup kitchen that has been serving up meals since the height of the Ottoman Empire, is a lifeline for modern-day Jerusalemites who face rising costs and unemployment and are in need of “support without judgment.”

Yet the centuries-old charity also serves up some “good cooking.”

“This isn’t canned food or handouts,” Rana says. “This is a meal for all.”

A woman of influence

The Tikiya soup kitchen and sprawling complex were built on a hill facing the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Temple Mount in 1552 on the order of Roxelana, wife of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman II... READ MORE https://www.csmonitor.com/Daily/2023/20230726?cmpid=ema:bundle:20230726:1164731:toc&sfmc_sub=62874446#1164731

[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]  

“Crises and wars come and go, but the desire to give charity remains, good deeds remain, and generosity remains,” Mr. Jaber says as he closes up the kitchen at the end of the day.

Help achieve a world of freedom, equality & justice for all ... Celebrate and Elevate The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

"In 2023, we reinvigorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, showing the ways it meets the needs of our time, and advancing its promise of freedom, equality, and justice for all."

2023 marks 75 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

 

Help achieve a world of freedom, equality & justice for all

What Are Human Rights? 

Human rights are inherent to us all, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status...

Human rights are rights we have simply because we exist as human beings - they are not granted by any state. These universal rights are inherent to us all, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. They range from the most fundamental - the right to life - to those that make life worth living, such as the rights to food, education, work, health, and liberty.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, was the first legal document to set out the fundamental human rights to be universally protected. The UDHR, which turned 70 in 2018, continues to be the foundation of all international human rights law. Its 30 articles provide the principles and building blocks of current and future human rights conventions, treaties and other legal instruments.

The UDHR, together with the 2 covenants - the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - make up the International Bill of Rights.

Universal and inalienable

The principle of universality of human rights is the cornerstone of international human rights law. This means that we are all equally entitled to our human rights. This principle, as first emphasized in the UDHR, is repeated in many international human rights conventions, declarations, and resolutions.

Human rights are inalienable. They should not be taken away, except in specific situations and according to due process. For example, the right to liberty may be restricted if a person is found guilty of a crime by a court of law.

Indivisible and interdependent

All human rights are indivisible and interdependent.  This means that one set of rights cannot be enjoyed fully without the other. For example, making progress in civil and political rights makes it easier to exercise economic, social and cultural rights. Similarly, violating economic, social and cultural rights can negatively affect many other rights.

Equal and non-discriminatory

Article 1 of the UDHR states: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Freedom from discrimination, set out in Article 2, is what ensures this equality.

Non-discrimination cuts across all international human rights law. This principle is present in all major human rights treaties. It also provides the central theme of 2 core instruments: the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Both rights and obligations

All States have ratified at least 1 of the 9 core human rights treaties, as well as 1 of the 9 optional protocols. Eighty per cent of States have ratified 4 or more. This means that States have obligations and duties under international law to respect, protect and fulfill human rights.

• The obligation to respect means that States must refrain from interfering with or curtailing the enjoyment of human rights.
• The obligation to protect requires States to protect individuals and groups against human rights abuses.
• The obligation to fulfill means that States must take positive action to facilitate the enjoyment of basic human rights.

Meanwhile, as individuals, while we are entitled to our human rights – but, we should also respect and stand up for the human rights of others.

Get Inspired 

https://www.ohchr.org/en/get-involved/campaign/udhr-75/get-inspired

AND don't forget Palestinians & the very real plight of the native non-Jewish men, women, & children of historic Palestine