Statement Arab Educational Institute (Bethlehem) : January 20, 2005
on the political future after the
Palestinian elections
On 9 January 2005, the Palestinian people practiced their right to cast their
votes. They elected Mr Mahmoud Abbas (Abou Mazen) as the new president of the
Palestinian National Authority to replace the late Mr Yasser Arafat. Abou Mazen
was elected by a majority of 62% of the number of the ballots cast. According to
local, regional and international observers the elections were fair and
democratic. The Palestinians showed a remarkably good standard of organization,
discipline, respect, and political awareness - the more so since the context of
a harsh occupation; the obstacles the Jerusalemites faced in voting, and the
various limitations on the freedom of movement even during election day, hardly
provided a conducive setting for an exercise in democracy.
The choice of Abu Mazen is proof that the Palestinians are longing for a just
peace, an end to occupation, and an end to violence and bloodshed. They are
ready and determined to give the peace process another chance. The elections,
moreover, showed the emergence of a significant democratic opposition, which may
help to reshape political decision-making in Palestinian society. Under the new
circumstances it is expected that the role and position of the civil society
organizations, by themselves an essential indicator of democratic health, will
expand. The new democratic experience helps the Palestinian people to give
themselves another period for evaluation, calm and re-planning for an internal
reform on all levels and to strengthen national unity and formulate a unified
national program. In doing so, our democratic experience under the most
difficult of circumstances may well constitute a working model for the political
regimes in the region.
After Abu Mazen’s election there is now an opportunity to resume the peace
process on the Palestinian-Israeli track. This possibility requires intensive
and very hard work from both Palestinians, Israelis, and concerned citizens and
governments abroad. It requires not only a strong and focused diplomatic effort
in the service of peace, justice and security to both peoples - an effort which
should not be limited to a withdrawal from Gaza but address the occupation as a
whole - but also a non-violent grassroots, pro-active struggle against
occupation in which civil society organizations must play an important role. It
furthermore requires the active participation of the international civil
community and concerned governments in asking an immediate and unconditional
cessation by Israel of all forms of violence, incursions, expropriations and
Wall-building inside the Palestinian Occupied Territories. This demand, which is
in accordance with international law, is now all the more justified after Abu
Mazen’s courageous and unambiguous declarations, both before and after the
elections, to bring the militarization of the Intifada to an end.
Against this background, we make an appeal to peace movements worldwide to
support us in giving peace a real chance, and to help us all in preventing that
the ray of hope provided by the Palestinian elections once again turns into the
sting of disillusion.
archives
AEI Organizes Cultural Courses with
Bethlehem Hebron and Ramallah Areas
Al-Quds / Jerusalem Newspaper- Report Friday 31st October 2003
The Arab Educational Institute in Bethlehem (an affiliated section of Pax Christi International) has started to organize and implement several cultural and educational courses and a variety of activities for the three Palestinian regions: Bethlehem, Hebron and Ramallah.
The first programmes: Christian, Muslim Living Together aim at deepening and strengthening the Christian and Muslim relations.
The second one: Living In The Holy Land: Respecting Differences aim at presenting the three monotheistic religions, their characteristics, justice and compassion and their outlook towards the Holy Land.
The AEI prepared in this framework a plan which includes a series of lectures, training sessions, workshops and activities which will be presented by a group of educators in front of teachers and students from the three types of schools of Bethlehem, Hebron and Ramallah governorates.
The first two lectures were given by Mr. Yousif Al Hiremi a lecturer at Bethlehem and Al Quds Universities.
The topics of the lectures were about the main characteristics, compassion and justice and the meaning of the Land from an Islamic point of view.
Father Jack Ayid – the parish priest of Greek Catholic Church in Ramallah gave a presentation on the essence of Christianity its main dogmas and the way Christianity looks to the land. The lecture was held at the Evangelic Lutheran School in Ramallah.
The following activities at the AEI includes also teachers training sessions for the use of computer internet and communication skills which contribute to the development of the information technology of our teachers and students participating in these courses and programs.
The AEI has also launched a computer school exchange between our Palestinian school network and a number of Dutch schools which aim at reaching better understanding and developing students and teachers’ communication skills.
The theme of the school exchange focuses on the Palestinian Identity and at communicating and presenting our just Palestinian cause and winning new friends on the path to achieving better understanding, peace and justice.
The AEI has also distributed a number of invitations to tens of educators and youths, local institutions, representatives and AEI groups to celebrate Ramadan Iftar Meal after a fasting day.
STATEMENT
From
The ARAB EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE-Bethlehem
(an affiliated Branch of PAX CHRISTI International)
WIAM Centre-Bethlehem
The HOLY LAND TRUST-Palestine
The Bethlehem BIBLE COLLEGE
On the occasion of the UN International Day for Peace, 21 September, 2003
The International Day for Peace, for the first time celebrated on September 21,
2003, has been designed to contribute to strengthening the ideals of peace and
alleviating tensions and causes of conflict. We, the above mentioned
institutions, wholeheartedly commit ourselves to the principles of non-violence
and to this important day of global ceasefire announced by the United Nations.
To that purpose we will hold on Sunday September 21 a prayer service at
St.Catherine Church near the Nativity in Bethlehem where the Prince of Peace was
born.
However, we feel that on this day it is also our task to keep the United Nations
accountable for not implementing the many UN General Assembly and Security
Council resolutions on the question of Palestine which were issued in order to
enable the solution of conflicts between the Palestinians and Israel in a
peaceful manner. It has been noted that Israel, by even the most conservative
interpretation, is in violation of no less than thirty-five binding UN Security
Council resolutions, more than any other nation. Apart from the famous "land for
peace" resolutions 242 and 338, we should mention resolutions 446, 452, and 465,
which require Israel to cease its colonization of the occupied territories
through the establishment of Jewish settlements contradicting the Conventions of
Geneva; Security Council resolutions 262, 267, 476, and 478 which call upon
Israel to rescind its annexation of Arab East Jerusalem and surrounding areas
seized in the early days of the 1967 war, and to cease other activities which
attempt to change the city's status; and resolutions 1402, 1403, and 1405 which
require Israel to withdraw from occupied Palestinian cities on the West Bank.
There are also over a dozen resolutions currently being violated which insist
that Israel abide by the Fourth Geneva Conventions regarding its deportations
and assassinations of Palestinians - resolutions all the more relevant given the
latest Israeli cabinet decision about the fate of our elected Palestinian
president, Yasser Arafat - as well as the demolitions of Palestinian homes,
other forms of collective punishment and the violence by settlers against the
Palestinian population.
It is the duty of the UN and its member states to ensure that, in order to
prevent violence and alleviate the causes of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,
all parties in the conflict take action to implement these resolutions, none of
which have been rescinded up until this day.
بيان صادر عن
مركز المؤسسة التعليمية العربية (فرع لحركة سلام المسيح الدولية باكس كريستي) ومركز وئام – وهولي لاند ترست – وكلية الكتاب المقدس
بيــــــــت لحـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــم
بمناسبة اليوم العالمي للسلام الذي تحييه الأمم المتحدة، 21/ أيلول
" إن اليوم العالمي للسلام" والذي نحتفل به للمرة الأولى في هذا اليوم الأحد الموافق 21 أيلول 2003 قد حددت له الأمم المتحدة الأهداف التالية: المساهمة في تقوية وتعزيز قيم السلام والتخفيف من التوترات وأسباب الصراع في العالم.
نحن نلتزم التزاما كاملا بهذه الأهداف السامية التي أعلنتها الأمم المتحدة. كما ونتبنى خيار السلام واستراتيجية وأسلوب اللاعنف في تحقيق السلام العادل.
ومن أجل هذا الغرض فإننا نحتفل في هذا اليوم الموافق 21 أيلول 2003 بإقامة الصلوات في كنيسة القديسة كترينا بجوار المهد حيث ولد السيد المسيح – أمير السلام.
ولكننا نشعر في هذا اليوم أنه من واجبنا أن نذكّر الأمم المتحدة بمسؤولياتها في عدم تطبيق العديد من القرارات التي أصدرتها الجمعية العمومية ومجلس الأمن التابع لها بخصوص القضية الفلسطينية والتي تتعلق بإمكانية إيجاد حل للصراع بين الفلسطينيين وإسرائيل بطريقة سلمية.
ومن الجدير بالذكر - وكما صرّح به الباحثون والمحللون - بأن إسرائيل انتهكت وخالفت أكثر من أي دولة في العالم ما لا يقل عن خمسة وثلاثين من قرارات مجلس الأمن الملزمة.
وبالإضافة إلى القرارات المشهورة 242 و 338 "الأرض مقابل السلام" يجب أن نذكر بالقرارات الأخرى مثل 446 و 452 و 465 والني تطلب من إسرائيل وقف عمليات الاستيطان في الأراضي المحتلّة من خلال بناء المستوطنات اليهودية التي تتعارض مع أعراف ومواثيق جنيف.
كما ونذكر بقرارات مجلس الأمن الدولي 262 و 267 و 476 و 478 والني تدعو جميعها إسرائيل بإلغاء ضم القدس العربية والأراضي المحيطة بها والتي احتلتها في الأيام الأولى من حرب 1967 كما تطالب هذه القرارات إسرائيل بوقف جميع النشاطات التي تحاول تغيير الطابع العربي الفلسطيني لهذه المدينة المقدسة. وأخيرا نرغب في تذكير الأمم المتحدة بالقرارات التي أصدرتها مؤخرا مثل 1402 و 1403 و 1405 والتي تطلب من إسرائيل الانسحاب من المدن الفلسطينية المحتلة في الضفة الغربية.
وهناك أيضا أكثر من اثني عشر قرارا جديدا يلح على إسرائيل الرضوخ والإذعان للمادة الرابعة من قوانين وأعراف اتفاقية جنيف بخصوص الإبعاد والاغتيالات للفلسطينيين وخاصة تلك التي أصدرها المجلس المصغّر لحكومة إسرائيل حول إبعاد رئيسنا المنتخب ياسر عرفات وقرارات هدم البيوت والأشكال الأخرى من العقوبات الجماعية والعنف الذي يمارسه المستوطنون ضد أبناء شعبنا الفلسطيني.
نحن نرى أنه من واجب الأمم المتحدة والدول الأعضاء فيها - ومن أجل منع إراقة المزيد من الدماء ووقف موجة العنف والعنف المضاد ومن أجل إنهاء أسباب الصراع الفلسطيني الإسرائيلي وتحقيق الحريّة والأمن والسلام العادل للجميع – نرى أنه من الضروري العمل بجد لتنفيذ قرارات الشرعية الدولية التي لم يتم إلغاء أي واحد منها لحد الآن.