Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love you. Psalm 122:6
Those of us who spend time thinking about the connection between justice and peace, thinking about ways to make peace– personal and political, local and global – can learn very much from the speeches of world leaders at the opening of the UN General Assembly. Since the question of whether or not Iran will develop a nuclear weapon is an issue in the presidential campaign, the remarks of President Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Iranian President Ahmadinejad received the lion’s share of media attention around this year’s opening.
However, one speech that we ought to consider carefully is that of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He painted a disturbing portrait of the state of the relationship between the Government of Israel (GOI) and the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Abbas spoke of attacks upon Palestinians by Israeli settlers, the continuation of discriminatory laws, the continued building of settlements on occupied land, the continued blockade of Gaza and the incarceration of “nearly five thousand Palestinians.” Abbas said:
“It is a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people via the demolition of their homes and the prevention of their construction; the evocation of residency rights; the denial of basic services, especially in regard to construction of schools; the closure of institutions; and the impoverishment of Jerusalem’s community via a siege of walls and checkpoints that are choking the city and preventing millions of Palestinians from freely accessing its mosques, churches, schools, hospitals, and markets.”
(http://gadebate.un.org/sites/default/files/gastatements/67/PS_en.pdf)
He went on to say that Israeli policies have hindered economic development on the West Bank and in Gaza, and the result is “the weakening of the Palestinian National Authority.” If the PA is weak, then Israel will not have a credible negotiating partner with whom to forge a two-state solution. In his remarks, Abbas said that international institutions confirm his claim that GOI policies are hurting Palestinian economic development.
According to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee– an international committee sponsored by the European Union and the United States to coordinate development assistance to Palestinians and “to promote dialogue between donors, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Government of Israel”, (http://www.lacs.ps/article.aspx?id=6 )– one reason for the economic difficulties of Palestinians is restrictions by GOI. The Chair’s Summary of a September 23, 2012 meeting says in part:
“Ultimately, sustainable economic growth and an end to the fiscal crisis will require greater realization of the Palestinian private sector’s potential. This can be achieved by relaxing Israeli restrictions on access to land, water, a range of raw materials, and export markets, and by further improvements by the Palestinian Authority in its business environment and ability to attract needed investment. Donors expressed their concern about access to economic activity in Area C, which constitutes the major land area for the Palestinians, and emphasized that greater economic potential will be achieved when access is assured.” (http://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/47d4e277b48d9d3685256ddc00612265/18bd26545705093f85257a8300623709?OpenDocument)
Area C is the 60 per cent of the West Bank where Israel maintains control and where Israeli settlements continue to be built. Without this area, any talk of a Palestinian state is unrealistic. (http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_Area_C_Fact_Sheet_July_2011.pdf)
Netanyahu’s remarks were primarily about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but he referred briefly to Abbas’ remarks saying in part: “We won’t solve our conflict with libelous speeches at the UN. That’s not the way to solve it.” (http://www.jewishpress.com/news/un/pm-netanyahus-speech-to-the-united-nations-general-assembly-in-new-york/2012/09/27/)
I say that Netanyahu ought to be more specific about what is “libelous” about Abbas’ remarks. Just peace theory holds that without truth, respect and security there can be no real peace. No justice, no peace. And there are those of us who still regularly pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We need to know the truth.
Valery
“It is a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people via the demolition of their homes and the prevention of their construction; the evocation of residency rights; the denial of basic services, especially in regard to construction of schools; the closure of institutions; and the impoverishment of Jerusalem’s community via a siege of walls and checkpoints that are choking the city and preventing millions of Palestinians from freely accessing its mosques, churches, schools, hospitals, and markets.”
(http://gadebate.un.org/sites/default/files/gastatements/67/PS_en.pdf)”
Funny how the Palestinian population keeps growing at healthy rate in the WB and Gaza. Ramalla and Jenin are examples f Palestinians cities that are thriving
“the continued blockade of Gaza ”
Gaza is not blockaded. The border with Egypt is open. Israel has no intention of letting Iranian weapons into Gaza.
Valery, Perhaps ask Abbas if he would recognize Israel as a Jewish state, his answer would be no. Ask him about the right of return for Palestinian refugees. He would insist on it, even though Israel absorbed hundreds of thousand of Jewish refugees forced out of Arab League states.I would gladly see the WB given back, but something more that pretending to want to coexist shod come form the other side. In the mean time Iran is trying to build a weapon that will help Palestinians reach the ultimate goal. i’m sure it does bit matter to you, as long as Palestinian victim industry is firmly set inside your head.
Free Tibet!
Free Nagorno Karabakh!
Free Turkish controlled Cyprus!
Free Kurdistan!
Free Malvinas!
Fre South Ossetia!
All trash. But I get ahead of myself.
1. You must mean that the population grows DESPITE the closure of instituions, the denial of services, demolitions of homes and impoverishment of Palestinian life. Yes, life is remarkable. Cultural events were conducted in the Warsaw ghetto right up to its liquidation.
2. Gaza is in fact blockaded and the blockade is not about guns, it is about keeping Gaza at a subsistence level and controlled, as an Israeli General recently admitted. If it were about guns, then why are Freedom Flotillas boarded, turned back, seized and, in one case, passengers murdered by Israel (including an American citizen) when the boats transport only medical aid and humanitarian stuff?? Why?
3. If Abbas recognize Israel as a “Jewish” state, he would be unfaithful to the 20% of Israeli citizens who are not Jewish. Pals are not going to recognize that state, in any case, without getting something in return, like land, the West Bank, as a Pal state. Israel could have done this, could still, but it won’t because it wants ALL of the Palestinian patrimony, 100% and it wants Palestinians (or whatever you want to call the people who lived in Palestine for more generations than any ASZKENASY Jew could dream of tracing their own. As always, Israel defines peace as Israel gets everything, land, rights, resources, etc. and the natives get nothing. There’s Israeli “peace.”
4. Jews lived in Arab states for many generations. They were not “forced out” until Israel dispossessed the Palestinians of their land. Israel wanted these people “forced” to settle in Israel. Iranian Jews have held out in Iran where the community dates back to BCE time. Israel has tried to bribe these people to relocate, just as the state pays to get Jews to settle on Palestinian land.
5. Israel, not Iran, is the nuclear demon and source of all instability in the region. Israel’s nuclear program is completely ungoverned by treaties and conventions, unlike Iran. Nobody can say anything about this, however, because what could be more “anti-semitic” than to require Israel to abide by the same rules as other states. Shame on me! Of course, Israel does not want any balance of power in the region, but rather wishes to continue to extort and bully neighbors without interference. A nuclear Iran would constitute an offset to Israel’s desire for complete hegemony in the region and that is why THE US HAS TO GO TO WAR WITH IRAN — to do Israel’s bidding yet again, even in light of the failure of that bidding in Iraq.
6. No “victim industry” has been so industrialized and proselytized as the Holocaust. This true historical disaster has been turned into both a money industry for extorting funds from some parties, but not others, and a propaganda tool. It does disservice to the true memory of the victims that they have been so completely abused by politicians and greedy lawyers. The Jewish Lobby has seen to it that there are laws in a good many countries about what you can say AND CANNOT SAY about the Holocaust. So much for free speech, even “hate” speech.
I really feel bad for Davey, He is unaware that he see a Jewish conspiracy to manipulate works opinion. He is just another sad….well you know what
Nice info………
1. Comparing Gaza to with Warsaw Ghetto make you sounds like a blustering anti Semitic ass.
2. Gaza s blockaded for guns and other weapons. A splinted out by a New Zealand, Israel’s’ blockades legs while in as tae ofd war. The freedom flotillas is meath to break the blockade, allowing a flow of Iranian arms. But Gaza is not, in fit blockaded in total. The border with Egypt is open. The Flotillas scum on the boat tried to kidnap Israeli soldiers and they had every right to defend themselves. Other nations would have torpedoed the boats.
3. If the Palestinians want a PALESTINIAN STATE, they are going to have to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. If Arabs do not like living a Jewish state, they will have an option f moving to a Palestinian state. It is plan and simple
4.Jews were expelled by the Arab states, as acknowledged recently by the UN. As for Iranin Jews, 90% left and here are only a few holdouts.
5. Ahmadinejad threatened to annihilate Israel countless times. They use Hezbollah as tier proxy army against Israel Israel is not the only country in the region concerned with a nuclear Iran. Saudi has threaded to acquire a nuclear weapon in the even Ian gets one. If you think that there is hatred between Israel and Iran, you ought to examine the relations between Sunni Saudi and Shia Iran. But that concept may be a little to nuanced for you
6. I read the words you write and I understand the need for a Jewish state. No one is preventing you from denying the Holocaust, and I know you just want to. Come one out with it, you piece of filth. I’d much rather see you deny it so you can be hung out to dry like a pick of wet dung that you are..