Promote economic stability and joint Israeli-Palestinian business ventures.

Having been to Israel and occupied Palestine 6 times since June 2005, I have not quit speaking out for a day about what we the people of the USA do NOT know about what goes down in the Holy Land-which is in pieces:
Bantustans.

"We'll make a pastrami sandwich of them. We'll insert a strip of Jewish settlement, right across the West Bank, so that in 25 years time, neither the United Nations, nor the United States, nobody, will be able to tear it apart." -Ariel Sharon to Winston Churchill III in 1973   Palestinian Loss of Land 1946 to 2005

Palestinian Loss of Land 1946 to 2005 



Eye Witness Reports and More:

http://www.wearewideawake.org/

Ah-the map of Palestinian Loss of Land 1946 to 2005 , did not show up here, but is clearly visible on homepage WAWA:

http://www.wearewideawake.org/

As an Israeli-American who has lived in the Upper Galilee for many years, I wish to encourage all who read newspapers to be aware that only a very small part of the issues are ever publicized by international news media.  IE:  70 rockets fell on Israel from Gaza this past week.  The only news report of injuries talks of ONE HAMAS militant who was injured. (he is a compatent not a civilian)   What about the children on the Israeli playground who were injured? What about the Israeli children in Israel who are back in bunkers again ?  And these are NOT on disputed territories - we are speaking of Ashdod!!

I am sympathetic to the needs of Israel. Here is a short personal anecdote: About 1977 while visiting Israel I wanted to volunteer in a educational institution. Then I read that one institution regularly too German volunteers seeking reconciliation for the Nazi past. That week a male and female volunteer were killed during a bus trip to Jerusalem. A terrorist bomb blew up in the bus.
    Hamas is quite happy targeting public buses. (They may have not been active back in 75) but groups believing in terror have long existed in the Muslim world.
    Nobody is perfect but I have to vote with the Jewish majority right now. The more terror perpetrated against Israel the less likely I believe any two state (Israel-Palestine) solutiion will exist.  In 2000, when Israel peace seemed imminent to some before the second Intifada, newspapers were full of good will articles in Hebrew about hiring, employing thousands of more Palestinians to stabilized the region. No longer is this possible.
                  Neil Blonstein

Fellow Peacebuilders-

Unfortunately, with just over 200 votes, it doesn't appear as if this idea will make it into the top 10 issues that will be presented to the Obama administration. The closest idea that has a chance of making it is the Secretary of Peace, which will be responsible for proactively addressing issues of violence and humanitarian crisis domestically and internationally. If you have any votes left, please vote for the Department of Peace at:
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/appoint_secretary_of_peace_in_department_of_peace_and_non-violence

How did Esperanto get on this page?
As a long time advocate (since the 1967 war) for peace with justice in the Middle East, I believe the issue of the US's credibility in the Arab world and the developing countries around the world is tied into over 50 years of unquestioning support of the State of Israel no matter what it does.  While I believe the Jews of the world need to be safe from harm I feel that Israel is in danger of losing everything through its own actions.  If their latest cruel and entirely over the top actions in Gaza don't force the US to make REAL efforts to achieve peace in this conflict I don't know what will. We provide Israel with 3 billion dollars in aid every year.  We must use our influence to force it to redress the valid grievances of the Palestinian people.  They must dismantle the walls in the west bank and sincerely negotiate with EVERYONE with the aim of achieving a two state solution.

Esperanto is a language for peace. Jews and arabs can communicate in esperanto. Vote for Esperanto as a normal issue in the schools of USA and Israel and other countries will follow....Carola Antskog