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 !

Palestinian Refugees 1948-2024

Dear America,

So this past week Israel uses stealth to invade Iran, assassinate a human being, and BOOM America rewards Israel with 20 billion dollars for more weaponry...

TAX PAYER PRIORITIES: That 20 billion dollars should be invested here in America, on infrastructure and jobs with good salaries, on healthcare, and on refunding the social security funds that Congress pilfered and never paid back.

JUSTICE PRIORITIES- the rule of fair and just laws and respect for sovereign borders, international law, and basic human rights.

HYPOCRISY: Modern man made Israel uses religion to determine citizenship rights and freedoms, and to raise funds & support in order to more cruelly impoverish and displace countless Arab Christians and Muslims in a place that is known as historic Palestine. 

Racist hate hides in plain sight and America is foolishly funding and arming Israeli injustice and war. 

We are also foolishly financing Israel's propaganda war on the West, fueling the rampant corruption of politicians and businessmen who should know better. AIPAC and other such Israeli organizations operating in America should be registered as agents of a foreign country. Israeli charities should not get public money or tax breaks.

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 people.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

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

 

1948:"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

Tisha B’Av is a day of immense Jewish sorrow... WE MOURN the 76-year ongoing NAKBA- the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, driven from their homes by violence

Palestinian Presidency holds the United States responsible for Israel’s massacre at Al-Tabi’in school 10 August 2024

 

Christian Zionism IS ANTISEMITISM

Last week, dozens of interfaith leaders and activists gathered in Washington DC to disrupt a Capitol Hill visit by Christians United for Israel (CUFI). CUFI, which claims to be the largest pro-Israel and Zionist group in the United States with around 10 million members, funds and hosts trips to Israel for US Congress members. 

God of inclusivity, it is heartbreaking that your name is used to justify violence and supremacy. Illuminate how these theologies of supremacy kill, and forgive those who subscribe to Christian Zionism, unaware of its consequences: “‘…for they do not know what they are doing…’” (Luke 23:34). Lord, as we call upon those who justify violence through the Christian faith, to repent, help us guard ourselves against the temptation of self-righteousness. 

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer  

Elsewhere

 

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

 "An estimated 60,000 US citizens live in settlements in the West Bank. Many are deeply ideological, inspired by extremist figures like Brooklyn-born Baruch Goldstein, who massacred 29 Palestinians in Hebron in 1994, and Rabbi Meir Kahane, whose party was designated a terror group in both the US and Israel. The justice department did not answer questions about whether it is considering any action against settlers who are US citizens.

Americans in the IDF

An estimated 23,380 US citizens serve in Israel’s armed forces, according to the Washington Post – a figure the IDF did not confirm but probably includes both Americans traveling to Israel for the purpose of service and Israeli-raised soldiers holding dual citizenship." ... READ MORE            https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/03/american-israeli-soldier-videos-detonation-homes-mosque-gaza

"The Guardian ends its report by quoting Oona Hathaway, an academic at Yale Law School: "The US government could prosecute these US citizens if they participate in war crimes. Politically, however, that’s unlikely, for all the obvious reasons.” "For all the obvious reasons." That's how the article ends. Wouldn't you just love to see the Guardian and Prof Hathaway explain exactly what those reasons are? But apparently they are so "obvious" the Guardian and an academic at a prestige university feel, as ever, there is no need to put them into words." 

Jonathan Cook

@Jonathan_K_Cook  

 

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

James J. Zogby: "Israel assassinates Hizbollah & Hamas leaders sabotaging ceasefire talks & goading Iran to retaliate...

What does US do? 

We send our troops, a warship, & other military assets, risking involvement in Israel’s war & telling Netanyahu he can do whatever he wants & we’ll back him up" 

@jjz1600

 "The bad: I work at a school where I witnessed and participated in the freedom of speech being quashed by a small group of vocal and powerful parents. I teach Elie Wiesel’s “Night,” Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” and George Orwell’s “1984” and guide students to connect literature to current events. Last year, it was Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. This year, Israel and what continues to happen in Gaza. I asked: What qualifies as genocide? I said: Consider your tax dollars and your parents’ tax dollars and your teacher’s tax dollars that contribute to bombs falling from the sky on women and children and babies in Gaza. Not to think about that, I said, was bad." 

Adam Patric Miller: Looking at the good, the bad and the ugly of last school year 

A man wears a keffiyeh near the U.S. Capitol during a pro-Palestinian rally May 18, 2024, on the National Mall in Washington.(Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

July 19, 2024

This is the part of summer break when I check my blood pressure at the community center and find out it has dropped enough so the machine no longer recommends that I consult my doctor Immediately. I have space and time to reflect. This last school year has provided me with three things to consider: the good, the bad and the ugly.

The good: My students showed up to classes with energy; they worked to achieve, with some joy, what their teacher required of them; and, by year’s end, each demonstrated they can read and write better, whether the topic is a boating accident that almost killed a person or a graphic novel about a girl growing up during the time of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. One of my students, a boy with dark curly hair and an offbeat sense of humor, stopped by my office to say, “Hey, Mr. Miller. I just want you to know I’m sorry about what’s been happening.” That relates to the ugly but is still part of the good — he showed care for his teacher and thought about complicated events for himself.... READ MORE  https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/07/19/opinion-school-break-teaching-gaza-war/

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

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

Dear Elected Leaders,

Our taxes should not be funding any religion, bigotry, injustice, and/or escalating extremism of any type. 

Please step away from your AIPAC advisors and start noticing the very real plight and suffering of the Palestinian people.  

Israel's war on Palestinians did not start in response to Hamas' barbaric attack on an Israeli music festival last year.  It started decades ago, way back when worldwide obviously racist nations conspired with Zionist ideologues to push Jewish people into Palestine, as if a person's religion should dictate citizenship rights.

Since its founding in 1948 after the Nazi Holocaust, Israel has been systematically oppressing and displacing the native non-Jewish people of historic Palestine.

Hitler was not the only elected leader who believed in segregation and subjugation, America back then was very racist and unfair too.  We know better now- America woke up and changed our laws and attitudes thanks to the Civil Rights Movement helping shape the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968.  

America should not be ignoring Israel's brutality and blatant violations of international law and basic human rights.

If you want to empower non-violence and a more fair and just political system anywhere you have to start with the rule of fair and just laws, and you have to include respect for all sorts of people and opinions.

Accusing peaceful pro-Palestine protesters here and there of being "antisemitic" pleases Israel but it does not make any Jews any safer anywhere.  Not does it stop the escalating poverty and suffering in The Holy Land.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

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

UN court orders Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories International court of justice says it should leave ‘as rapidly as possible’ and make full reparations for ‘wrongful acts’

The ICJ Ruling Confirms What Palestinians Have Been Saying for 57 Years

Items Israel Forbids from Entering Gaza 2024

Schools should never be used for fighting or military purposes by any party to the [any] conflict..

Hanan Ashrawi sums up some of the many ways Israel violates international law in its quest to torment and destroy Palestinians

People need and lack everything #CeasefireNow

“Every lesson I’ve learned about the Holocaust compels me to stand up for Palestinians now,” said Brian Keisling, one of the leaders of Sunday’s protest, who is Jewish.

American Money for Schools not Israeli Apartheid ... recent protest in Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA 07-2024

To enjoy fireworks... No Explosions poem by Naomi Shihab Nye

Dear Elected Leaders... Happy 4th of July!

Report: Israel demolished 318 facilities + uprooted 10,000 olive trees in West Bank this year

Forced displacement is once again pushing people to look for safety where there is none in #Gaza Palestine

Twelve former Biden administration officials who resigned over policy on Israel and the Gaza war say the government’s actions have endangered US national security... The US is by far the biggest supplier of arms to Israel, having helped it build one of the most technologically sophisticated militaries in the world.

The Arabic word for God is “Allah” whether you are A CHRISTIAN or a MUSLIM ... Inshaa Allah

Gaza now has the largest population of child amputees in the world.

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.

The RED LINE happened way back in 1948 when Zionist terrorists murdered Palestinians, destroyed Palestinian homes and villages, and pushed countless Palestinians into poverty and forced exile.

Connect The Dots

Please stop aiding and abetting Israeli insanity. Full Stop.

Will our own democracy and established Fourth Estate survive the decades old insidious invasion of a very foreign country that pretends to be our friend, but really is no one's friend, including its own Apartheid building citizens?

Americans should not be helping racist Israel maim, wound and kill the children of Palestine.

Part of Israel's nefarious Ethnic Cleansing campaign is stealing the story- pressuring newspapers and politicians worldwide to favor "The Jewish State" above and beyond all else. Israel Uber Alis.

Arresting students and banning Tiktok will not stifle the truth about Israeli crimes against humanity.

There are enough weapons of war and destruction already on planet earth.

Stop wasting America's time and resources playing word games for racist Israel

Please no more funds, weaponry, and support for war mongering Israel

American taxpayers should not be forced to fund Israeli crimes against humanity

Hate is evil and leads to evil things. Please no more wars and weaponry for Israel.

Where, after all, do universal human rights begin?

The UN Mediator for Palestine, Count Folke Bernadotte, believed that the Palestinians displaced had a right to return to their homes and wrote several UN reports to that effect.

"It would be an offence against the principles of elemental justice if these innocent victims of the conflict were denied the right to return to their homes while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine, and, indeed, at least offer the threat of permanent replacement of the Arab refugees who have been rooted in the land for centuries."

Bernadotte was assassinated on Friday 17 September 1948 by members of the group Lehi, a Zionist terrorist organization, commonly known in the West as the Stern Gang 

 PALESTINE REMEMBERED

 

"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

 

UN court orders Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories International court of justice says it should leave ‘as rapidly as possible’ and make full reparations for ‘wrongful acts’

 The UN’s international court of justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories “as rapidly as possible” and make full reparations for its “internationally wrongful acts” in a sweeping and damning advisory opinion that says the occupation violates international law.

In a historic, albeit non-binding, opinion, the court found multiple breaches of international law by Israel including activities that amounted to apartheid.

It will make sobering reading for Israel’s allies, with the court advising that other states are under an obligation not to recognise the occupation as lawful nor to aid or assist it.

Reading the court’s opinion on Friday, the president of the ICJ, Nawaf Salam, said: “The court considers that the violations by Israel of the prohibition of the acquisition of territory by force and of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination have a direct impact on the legality of the continued presence of Israel, as an occupying power, in the occupied Palestinian territory.

“The sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying power, through annexation and an assertion of permanent control over the occupied Palestinian territory and continued frustration of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, violates fundamental principles of international law and renders Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful.”

The opinion was provided in response to a request from the UN general assembly in 2022. It precedes the Gaza conflict and is not directly linked to it but will add to the pressure on Israel – and its allies – to bring an end to its military offensive, in which it has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry.... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/19/israels-settlement-policies-break-international-law-court-finds?CMP=share_btn_url 

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

The ICJ Ruling Confirms What Palestinians Have Been Saying for 57 Years

Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, a form of apartheid, and must end, says the U.N.’s high court at The Hague. 

Jonah Valdez

July 19 2024, 5:02 p.m.

The United Nation’s top court filed a ruling Friday that echoed what Palestinian advocates have been saying for decades: Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land, including its settlements in the West Bank, is illegal and must end.

The International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion also called for reparations for Palestinians who have lived under Israel’s occupation since it began in 1967, an unprecedented step for the court. The court also notably declared Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians to be a form of segregation and apartheid. It further ruled that nations cannot offer aid in support of the illegal occupation without violating international law, and upheld the Palestinians’ right to self-determination.

Advisory opinions from the ICJ are not legally binding and cannot, in itself, force a country to act. But their legal and moral weight can have significant influence on countries’ decisions and foreign policy.... READ MORE  https://theintercept.com/2024/07/19/icj-ruling-palestine-israel-occupation-settlements/

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

Items Israel Forbids from Entering Gaza 2024

Schools should never be used for fighting or military purposes by any party to the [any] conflict..

UNRWA

@UNRWA

At least eight schools have been hit in the last ten days in #Gaza, including six

@UNRWA

schools, where hundreds of people were sheltering under the

@UN

flag. Schools are not a target, and they should never be used for fighting or military purposes by any party to the conflict.

Hanan Ashrawi sums up some of the many ways Israel violates international law in its quest to torment and destroy Palestinians

 Hanan Ashrawi

@DrHananAshrawi

 

-The Israeli Knesset has passed a bill rejecting the 2-state solution as if they have the right to reject Palestinian statehood or self-determination even when Israel itself was created on Palestinian land. 

 

-Netanyahu persists in manipulating Israel’s political system & his Western allies as he sabotages all ceasefire talks. 

 

-The Israeli occupation has extended its control/annexation of areas “B”. 

 

-Israeli settlers are still wreaking havoc in the West Bank. -Israel has declared the building of more settlements & the “legalisation “ of outposts. 

 

-The Israeli occupation moves to extend its control over all Palestinian archaeological & heritage sites throughout the West Bank—hence annexation . 

 

-polio has been detected in Gaza as a result of the destruction of all health requirements & services. 

 

-Starvation is on the rise in the north of Gaza while Israel’s siege deprives all of Gaza of all basic needs. 

 

-Relentless shelling & bombing massacre & severely injure scores of civilians daily. 

 

-UN schools & centers in which displaced & traumatised Palestinian families sought shelter have been bombed causing enormous destruction & casualties. -Genocide as usual.