21, 675 signatures and counting! That's almost 22,000 people who believe that, at last, there is hope for Peace talks in the Middle East.
Sometimes when things look bleak, you gotta hold on to small things, put all your eggs in the flimsiest of baskets. For the first time, in a what seems like an eternity, there is a small glimmer of hope for real peace talks in the Middle East, and it's OUR responsibility, as concerned global citizens, to RAISE OUR VOICES NOW to make sure this is not another wasted opportunity.
For the first time since 2000, the top Israeli and Palestinian leaders are meeting with an international moderator. It'd be nice to be able to lock them in a room ant take the key away, let them air things out till Condy's perfect hair sticks out and is held together with a chewed up pencil. But their meeting will be brief, and, unless international leaders seize this opportunity to restart serious peace talks, little more than a photo-op.
Sign the petition now and tell Israeli, Palestinian, and International leaders, that the world will not stand for more delays.
Monday is the time to start talking. Who knows, the time to start listening may not be as far as we think.
With hope,
Galit
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Comments (2)
Your petition is well-intentioned but unhelpful. What does "real Middle East peace talks" actually mean? All things to all people. If you want to make a difference, then get specific.
There are two kinds of peace to be had in the Middle East - peace founded on justice, and the peace of the grave. Talks in the current climate will only achieve the latter, since they are predicated on Palestinian surrender.
Demand that the West stops trying to starve the Palestinians into submission. Demand that they rein in the thuggery of Israeli troops and settlers. Demand that all illegal settlements are dismantled and that compensation is made to Palestinian refugees. This would be justice - without it there is only the gun.
Posted by Kenneth Fryde | 03/ 1/07
Posted on 03/ 1/07
Thanks for your comment, Kenneth! I'm a recovering Middle East policy guy, so I know what you're getting at. But I disagree. In the latest polls, 62% of Palestinians say they want peace talks - would you deny them?
The word REAL does a lot of work in this demand. And we'll be watching closely, and judging carefully.
We still haven't seen REAL talks in the last seven years, and you can legitimately ask questions about Camp David and Taba as well. Still, we're clear: peace, security and justice are all important, and the international community needs to be involved for any of them to be achievable.
It would be hubris for Avaaz to set terms now. Getting too specific can sometimes block you from starting to make a difference. Real talks are the first step, that's all. And we're demanding them at a time when everyone is still dancing around whether to talk to the Palestinian government, though 67% of Israelis say they would even be willing to negotiate with Hamas. That should tell you something.
It's amazing, isn't it, how much of an allergy some leaders seem to have today to just sitting down and talking? We need to make peace with our enemies, not our friends... and every peace starts with a first step.
Posted by Paul H | 03/ 2/07
Posted on 03/ 2/07