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Friends International Center in Ramallah
September-October 2009 Newsletter
(Vol. III No. 7)
From the Program Coordinator
Until this week some Palestinians had some hope in President Barak Obama in being able to move forward negotiations towards a just and lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis. After all, he was asking the Israeli government to freeze all settlement building, a precondition the Palestinians had hoped for in order to restart negotiations with the Israeli government. The Palestinian negotiating team even accepted Barak Obama’s invitation for a three-way meeting after Binyamin Netanyahu declared that Israel would not stop all building of settlements. They did not want to be seen as a stumbling block in what they thought President wanted to achieve. However, for many the meeting between President Abbas, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and President Obama proved what they had suspected all along—President Obama does not have the political will or the courage or both to stand up to the Israeli government and therefore Barak Obama cannot be an honest broker for peace. “Paper tiger” some now call him. This tri-lateral meeting has also proved to be a blow to the Israeli peace camp.
I would like to share with you a few articles that express a variety of opinions about the events of the past week – some present a very gloomy and pessimistic view, while others try to see a silver lining in the clouds of the past week.
Click here to read “Obama’s peace efforts have failed but our struggle continues” by Ali Abunimah
Click here to read “Settling for Failure in the Middle East” by Stephen Walt
Click here to read “What Obama Needs to do for Mideast Peace” by Aluf Benn
Click here to read “The Drama and the Farce” by Uri Avnery
Click here to read "More than Just a Photo-Op" by Daniel Levy http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/09/22/more_than_just_a_photo_op
In the meantime, the report of Judge Richard Goldstone Report has been issued. The report is a study of the War on Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009.
Click here to read “Justice in Gaza” by Judge Richard Goldstone
The question remains: What will be done with the report? You can read what others are saying about the report and their assessment of how it may be used:
Click here to read ”Sinking the Goldstone Report” by Nadia Hijab
Click here to read the Press Release
Click here to read “UM-Shmum, UM-Boom” by Uri Avnery
Click here to read an article by Gideon Spiro http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=35808
As a follow-up to the water issues spoken about in the August FICR Newsletter is would like to share with you and activity that is taking place September 26.
Click here to read about this activity -- sent out by Gush Shalom.
From the Friends International Center in Ramallah
The Friends Center has been a very busy place this past month. We held a few potluck dinners in order to bring people back together and reconnect after a long summer. We have had many visitors at the Center and continue to welcome people from Palestine and abroad.
On Wednesday, September 15, we organized an Iftar at the Friends Center and invited staff working in Quakers organizations and institutions and those who are working in committees that further the work of Quakers in Ramallah. Iftar (literally meaning breakfast or breaking the fast) is the time at sundown when all Muslims who are fasting during the Holy Month of Ramadan break the fast of the day. Not all of us had been fasting but all of us enjoyed the food and fellowship.
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Staff from Quaker organizations/institutions attending Iftar. |
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Jenna attending Iftar with her parents, Sonia Maayeh (FICR part-time Administrative Assistant) and Sonia's husband, Luay Radad. |
| Please check the “Events-New” page of the FICR website for activities. |
From the Ramallah Friends Meeting
Next year, during 2010, the Ramallah Friends Meeting will celebrate its 100th of worship in the Ramallah Friends Meetinghouse. The Meetinghouse was dedicated on March 6, 1910 and rededicated on March 6, 2005, after a renovation of the Meetinghouse and Annex. It was during March, 2005 that the Friends International Center in Ramallah (FICR) was founded as a ministry of the Ramallah Friends Meeting.
During the year of 2010, many activities are being planned by the Ramallah Friends Centennial Committee. Some of the details are being worked out and events and activities are being finalized. We will keep you informed of developments through the future FICR newsletters. Stand by!
From the Occupation: Monthly Action Focus:
The Right to Enter (RTE) Campaign continues its focus on the responsibility of third states concerning the matter of Right to Enter/Re-Enter the oPt (occupied Palestinian territory) via one of the entry ports Israel controls. The Campaign continues to call on third states to assume their responsibility in enforcing human rights and international law in a situation of military occupation. A meeting of diplomats is being organized by the Right to Enter Campaign in order to discuss some of the current issues facing all who want to enter the oPt.
The Campaign continues to collect the names of persons - Palestinians and Internationals who have been denied entry at one of the ports Israel controls (Ben Gurion airport or one of the bridges across the Jordan River from Amman). If you are a person who has been denied entry or know of someone who has been denied entry, please contact Anita Abdullah at anita_abdullah@hotmail.com
Due to the fact that there is no clear policy for denial of entry, a person is allowed to enter via one of the ports controlled by Israel at the discretion of the Israeli immigration official. The denial of entry is random. People continue to be given a one-week visa, a new trend and alternative to being denied entry completely.
For more information on "Right to Enter/Re-enter" go to www.righttoenter.ps
NOTE: Please click on the FICR Newsletter Archive below to read previous newsletters that you may not have received and would like to read.
Kathy Bergen
Program Coordinator
www.ramallahquakers.org
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