Jordan's King Abdullah II said Saturday extremism has "grown fat" off of the longstanding conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

Also speaking at the World Economic Forum, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appealed to Israel in a separate speech to "make peace a reality."

"There remains a window of opportunity for peace," he said. "I invite the Israelis to make peace a reality on the ground."

Associated Press/Mohammad Hannon - King Abdullah II of Jordan gives the opening speech at the World Economic Forum, held at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention center, in Southern Shuneh, 34 miles (55 kilometers) southeast of Amman, Jordan, Saturday, May 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Mohammad Hannon)

SOUTHERN SHUNEH, Jordan (AP)  — Jordan's King Abdullah II said Saturday extremism has "grown fat" off of the longstanding conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

"Good faith talks must get going," Abdullah told the opening of a two-day meeting of the Geneva-based World Economic Forum on the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth.

He pointed to an Arab peace initiative that offers Arab recognition to Israel in exchange for land to Palestinians based on the 1967 borders.

Abdullah, who maintains cordial ties with Israel under a peace treaty signed in 1994, demanded a halt to Jewish settlement construction in territories claimed by the Palestinians for a future state...READ MORE

My letter to the Washington Post RE Kerry: ‘Peace is actually possible’...‘Stay focused on the prize’

US Secretary of State John Kerry (R), seen with Palestinian negotiator
Saeb Erekat in Ramallah on May 23, 2013. (AFP/Fadi Arouri)

RE: Kerry: ‘Peace is actually possible’...‘Stay focused on the prize’
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/kerry-to-israelis-palestinians-stay-focused-on-the-prize/2013/05/24/b77c8ebc-c464-11e2-8c3b-0b5e9247e8ca_story.html

Dear Editor,

Kerry, firmly insisting that peace is actually possible, did not just call on Israelis and Palestinians to refrain from “provocative” actions in hopes of relaunching peace talks, he also advised everyone to refrain from provocative rhetoric.

"I made clear in my discussions that the parties should be focused on making progress toward...direct negotiations," he [Kerry] said on Friday, adding that each side needed to "refrain from provocative rhetoric or actions ... that take us backwards."  Reuters: Kerry says Israelis, Palestinians must make tough decisions http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-says-talks-israel-palestinians-very-productive-105509993.html

Angry Rhetoric and insults only alienate those who have the power to actually help end the Israel-Palestine conflict. 

Too many people worldwide have made hobbies & careers out of exasperating the Israel-Palestine conflict, inspiring rage and scorn and cynicism rather than reasonable arguments, the rule of fair and just laws, and full respect for universal basic human rights.

Israelis and Palestinians are not the only ones who need to focus in on actually ending the Israel-Palestine conflict- we all do. 

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
From Palestinians' point of view, the law [Israel's Absentee Property Law] has always been controversial. The rights of refugees are a core issue in their conflict with Israel.

John Kerry makes unscheduled shawarma sandwich stop in West Bank ...Kerry is urging an economic package to boost the Palestinian economy. Perhaps as a signal of his commitment, he insisted on paying for his food.

Kairos Palestine condemns the kidnapping of two bishops in Syria - and calls for all conflicts and violence and proxy battles to be stopped.

In Israel, a modern wall is halted by ancient terraces

AP PHOTOS: Palestinians in Egypt village exhibit consequences of 65 years of mass displacement

Time Magazine Pictures of the Week: May 10 – May 17... Palestinian refugee children play in front of their family house in Jabaliya Refugee camp, in the Gaza Strip.

"In 1949, the international community accepted Israel's UN membership upon two conditions: That they respect resolutions 181 (two states) and 194 (refugee rights). Neither has been honored. In fact, 65 years later, Israel has not even acknowledged what it did in 1948." Saeb Erekat

Arab and Islamic countries and organizations pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to support Jerusalem during conferences and summits, but that only a small portion of the pledged money was sent.

Repercussions... a poem

Why Ending the Occupation and Peace with Israel is Still the Palestinian National Goal...

“Were you really shot in a fight over water?” He winces out his answer: “It wasn’t about politics. It wasn’t about the Muslim Brotherhood. It was about water.”

Former Palestinian fighter now battles for a middle path: Palestinian Mohammed Dajani, from a prominent Jerusalem family, has become a vocal advocate for pragmatism and peace.

Songs and Pictures from Palestine

Palestine now recognised by greater power than US or Israel – Google

Fayyad Steps Down, Not Out


This Week in Palestine: Palestinian Institutions A Story of Perseverance ... Salam Fayyad "This was not about roads, buildings, or infrastructure, despite their importance. This plan was about statehood, citizen participation, and enfranchisement. It was based on the vision of establishing a functional framework where government is accountable and citizens participate in the widest and most effective way possible in decision-making and governance."

CNN online Dean Obeidallah: I'm Muslim, and I hate terrorism

Hussein Ibish: Fate of Christians will define the Arab future

"I come from there and I have memories... "

******

The Balfour Declaration of 1917

".... it being clearly understood that nothing
          shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious
          rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine..."

"The only way to honor our tragic histories is to create a future for our children free of man-made tragedy. This means making peace fully, completely and without reservation, between Israel and Palestine." ATFP's Ziad Asali: To honor a tragic history, we must work for peace

"Legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Thomas Jefferson

The Office of International Religious Freedom ( http://www.state.gov/j/drl/irf/)   Given the U.S. commitment to religious freedom, and to the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right of every human being, the United States seeks to:

Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries

Palestinian Refugees(1948-NOW) refused their right to return... and their right to live in peace free from religious bigotry and injustice.

The Golden Rule... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

Empowering Peace & Palestine

Refugees and the Right of Return

Palestinian refugees must be given the option to exercise their right of return (as well as receive compensation for their losses arising from their dispossession and displacement) though refugees may prefer other options such as: (i) resettlement in third countries, (ii) resettlement in a newly independent Palestine (even though they originate from that part of Palestine which became Israel) or (iii) normalization of their legal status in the host country where they currently reside.  What is important is that individual refugees decide for themselves which option they prefer – a decision must not be imposed upon them.

UN Resolution 194 from 1948  : The refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.

"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world." Eleanor Roosevelt

My letter to CSM RE Defying naysayers on all sides, Kerry keeps pushing Israelis, Palestinians to table

Kerry calls Israeli envoy to protest legalization of West Bank outposts ATFP News Headlines

RE Defying naysayers on all sides, Kerry keeps pushing Israelis, Palestinians to table
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2013/0523/Defying-naysayers-on-all-sides-Kerry-keeps-pushing-Israelis-Palestinians-to-table?nav=87-frontpage-entryNineItem

Dear Editor,

Pundits, cynics, bigots and bullies on both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict are indeed farther apart than they have ever been... but their basic goals are identical as they do all they can to sabotage an actual end to the conflict.

Abolitionists in America seeking to end slavery were far outnumbered and very much harassed and maligned by a majority of citizens convinced that slavery was a necessary part of survival. Looking back it seems blatantly obvious that slavery was totally evil and wrong, but at the time that was not so obvious.

Today's Israel-Palestine conflict is totally evil and wrong- it has been driving people crazy and destroying the lives and communities of countless increasingly vulnerable men, women and children in many different ways.  That fact is not so obvious to all involved right now, but with a just and lasting peace- a negotiated peace to actually end the conflict with two sovereign and secure fully secular states it will be.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
From Palestinians' point of view, the law [Israel's Absentee Property Law] has always been controversial. The rights of refugees are a core issue in their conflict with Israel.

John Kerry makes unscheduled shawarma sandwich stop in West Bank ...Kerry is urging an economic package to boost the Palestinian economy. Perhaps as a signal of his commitment, he insisted on paying for his food.

Kairos Palestine condemns the kidnapping of two bishops in Syria - and calls for all conflicts and violence and proxy battles to be stopped.

In Israel, a modern wall is halted by ancient terraces

AP PHOTOS: Palestinians in Egypt village exhibit consequences of 65 years of mass displacement

Time Magazine Pictures of the Week: May 10 – May 17... Palestinian refugee children play in front of their family house in Jabaliya Refugee camp, in the Gaza Strip.

"In 1949, the international community accepted Israel's UN membership upon two conditions: That they respect resolutions 181 (two states) and 194 (refugee rights). Neither has been honored. In fact, 65 years later, Israel has not even acknowledged what it did in 1948." Saeb Erekat

Arab and Islamic countries and organizations pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to support Jerusalem during conferences and summits, but that only a small portion of the pledged money was sent.

Repercussions... a poem

Why Ending the Occupation and Peace with Israel is Still the Palestinian National Goal...

“Were you really shot in a fight over water?” He winces out his answer: “It wasn’t about politics. It wasn’t about the Muslim Brotherhood. It was about water.”

Former Palestinian fighter now battles for a middle path: Palestinian Mohammed Dajani, from a prominent Jerusalem family, has become a vocal advocate for pragmatism and peace.

Songs and Pictures from Palestine

Palestine now recognised by greater power than US or Israel – Google

Fayyad Steps Down, Not Out

This Week in Palestine: Palestinian Institutions A Story of Perseverance ... Salam Fayyad "This was not about roads, buildings, or infrastructure, despite their importance. This plan was about statehood, citizen participation, and enfranchisement. It was based on the vision of establishing a functional framework where government is accountable and citizens participate in the widest and most effective way possible in decision-making and governance."

CNN online Dean Obeidallah: I'm Muslim, and I hate terrorism

Hussein Ibish: Fate of Christians will define the Arab future

"I come from there and I have memories... "

******

The Balfour Declaration of 1917

".... it being clearly understood that nothing
          shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious
          rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine..."

"The only way to honor our tragic histories is to create a future for our children free of man-made tragedy. This means making peace fully, completely and without reservation, between Israel and Palestine." ATFP's Ziad Asali: To honor a tragic history, we must work for peace

"Legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Thomas Jefferson

The Office of International Religious Freedom ( http://www.state.gov/j/drl/irf/)   Given the U.S. commitment to religious freedom, and to the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right of every human being, the United States seeks to:

Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries

Palestinian Refugees(1948-NOW) refused their right to return... and their right to live in peace free from religious bigotry and injustice.

The Golden Rule... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world." Eleanor Roosevelt

Empowering Peace & Palestine

Refugees and the Right of Return

Palestinian refugees must be given the option to exercise their right of return (as well as receive compensation for their losses arising from their dispossession and displacement) though refugees may prefer other options such as: (i) resettlement in third countries, (ii) resettlement in a newly independent Palestine (even though they originate from that part of Palestine which became Israel) or (iii) normalization of their legal status in the host country where they currently reside.  What is important is that individual refugees decide for themselves which option they prefer – a decision must not be imposed upon them.

UN Resolution 194 from 1948  : The refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.

From Palestinians' point of view, the law [Israel's Absentee Property Law] has always been controversial. The rights of refugees are a core issue in their conflict with Israel.

Refugees' assets
 
Israel's Absentee Property Law was passed in 1950.

After the war that followed the creation of the state, it was the main legal mechanism used to take over homes and land that belonged to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who had fled or were displaced.

"It was very important. It was the first step to take control of the assets of the Palestinian refugees after the 1948 war," says Professor Haim Sandberg, a land law expert at Israel's College of Management.

"When some years passed, the assets were sold to the Israel Development Authority and Jewish National Fund. Money was paid to the Ministry of Finance and they are holding the money maybe to one day compensate the former Palestinian refugees."

From Palestinians' point of view, the law has always been controversial. The rights of refugees are a core issue in their conflict with Israel.

However, thousands more Palestinians who live in the West Bank but own property in East Jerusalem could be affected by a Supreme Court decision expected after a hearing on Tuesday.

The court is considering appeals in four cases, including that of the Cliff Hotel, where the Absentee Property Law has been applied. This may set a new precedent for its continued use.

Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 war. Its annexation of the area is not recognised under international law.

Many of the Palestinians recently labelled as "absentees" have been cut off from their land by new structures like roads to Jewish settlements and Israel's separation barrier in and around the West Bank...

BBC NEWS: Israeli court considers landmark property law cases

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22608104

The Cliff Hotel is on a hill in a strategic location in Abu Dis, on the outskirts of Jerusalem

An Israeli border guard gives a warning shout as we approach the Cliff Hotel at Abu Dis, on the edge of Jerusalem.

"We're too close now. I'm not comfortable. They are monitoring us from the roof and I don't want to provoke anyone," Ali Ayyad tells me.

The large building, erected by his father in 1954, was originally for residential use. It was converted into a hotel in the 1960s, and for many years Mr Ayyad was the manager.

"This is where I met my wife and many of my long-time friends. My daughters came here after they were born. We lived on the third floor. It was not just a home, it was a way of life," he recalls.

"It's got one of the most gorgeous views of Jerusalem you can imagine. We had 36 bedrooms and bathrooms and guests came from all across Europe. We had a beautiful garden with olive trees. Now that's destroyed."

In 1996, as the hotel was being renovated in a period of optimism following the Oslo Peace Accord, the Israeli army took it over citing a security need. However, it later withdrew after legal challenges.

Since 2003, the owners have faced several further attempts by Israeli authorities to seize the building. They are currently classed as "absentees" and the Custodian of Absentee Property controls the hotel. ...READ MORE 

[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]

John Kerry makes unscheduled shawarma sandwich stop in West Bank ...Kerry is urging an economic package to boost the Palestinian economy. Perhaps as a signal of his commitment, he insisted on paying for his food.

John Kerry shows delight at his shawarma sandwich in Ramallah. Photograph: Fadi Arouri /Xinhua

US secretary of state darted into fast-food restaurant Samer's in Ramallah for a shawarma sandwich and [knafeh] dessert

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/23/john-kerry-west-bank-shawarma 

 [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]

Kairos Palestine condemns the kidnapping of two bishops in Syria - and calls for all conflicts and violence and proxy battles to be stopped.

"Built into the terraced hillside, Batir’s vine-wrapped stone alleyways give way to the ancient Roman-era pools and tiny canals that run along pathways down to flood small earthen plots where eggplants grow. The villagers use stones to control the year-round flow of water, which is rotated daily among Batir’s eight main clans. The ancient method is far less lucrative that modern day drip agriculture, but villagers have stuck with tradition.

"We have learned to appreciate this cultural landscape. We have an interest in preserving these locations," says Yuval Peled, director of the park’s authority planning and development department.....

.......The tens of thousands of acres of ancient terraces straddling the Green Line border in the Jerusalem hills stand as one of many reminders that the West Bank as a separate entity is a recent creation of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Indeed, when Israeli and Jordanian military officers first drew the Green Line in 1949, Israel’s Moshe Dayan sought to preserve Batir’s unique tradition by leaving the frontier open and allowing Palestinian villagers access to lands within the newly formed Israeli state.

That 64-year-old recognition and the fact that villagers have refrained from attacks on Israelis despite Batir’s perch above a rail line connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv likely helped the village. Still, the case still isn’t settled."

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2013/0519/In-Israel-a-modern-wall-is-halted-by-ancient-terraces?nav=87-frontpage-entryNineItem

In Israel, a modern wall is halted by ancient terraces

Israel’s high court has issued an injunction against extending the separation barrier through the Palestinian village of Batir, famed for its 2,500-year-old terraces and aqueducts.

 ***

Battir

Palestine Remembered Battir - بتّير : الغزال في بتير ربيع 2013

Palestine Remembered Battir - بتّير : الغزال الفلسطيني في بتير ربيع 2013

Battir - بتّير : General View of the Jinan of Battir منظر عام لـ جنان بتير Palestine Remembered

Battir - بتّير : Battir spring and water pool Palestine Remembered

Battir - بتّير : Battir's Roman Arch Palestine Remembered

Battir - بتّير : beutiful pic...beutiful memories...from abubutma Palestine Remembered

 

Battir - بتّير : Image from the Past Palestine Remembered

Palestine Remembered Battir - بتّير : A constellation of Students of Battir Girls؟ School in 1952 كوكبة من طالبات مدرسة إناث بتير عام

Palestine Remembered Battir - بتّير : عين البلد

Palestine Remembered Battir - بتّير : Half of which were common in Battir  Palestineنصفها كان سائداً في بتير

Battir - بتّير : General view #7 Palestine Remembered

Battir - بتّير : Lands around the village Palestine Remembered

Battir - بتّير : Agriculture area Palestine Remembered

Battir - بتّير : The apples Palestine Remembered

Battir - بتّير : The Roman pool #2 Palestine Remembered

Battir - بتّير : The stairs to the pool Palestine Remembered

Battir - بتّير : The western lands Palestine Remembered

Battir - بتّير : Battir's Old Days Palestine Remembered

Battir - بتّير : Ain Battir from the Matson Collection 1900-1926 Palestine Remembered

Battir - بتّير : 2008 spring Palestine Remembered

Battir - بتّير : Spring in Battir 2011 Palestine Remembered

Battir - بتّير : Battir's Poppies Palestine Remembered