On the Ruwwad Youth Empowerment Project from The Common Language Project:

Many of the ideas for how the $25 million slated for the project would be spent were influenced by young Palestinians themselves who were brought together in Ruwwad’s Youth Forums. Omar Awartani and Zeina Amro, two 18 year old Ramallah natives, were both leaders of these forums and were heavily involved in the development of Ruwwad. Their faces light up with excitement when they talk about the potential they saw for the project.

“At the first meetings we talked about our ideas for Ruwwad, and the [American officials from USAID] all started taking notes. We were so surprised, like ‘you’re really taking us seriously!’” says Omar, who now seems almost embarrassed by the hopes he pinned to the project. “We didn’t think the project was political before the election happened – we thought it was about us.”

From PrismHouse Press:

Last week I received a phone call from a dear friend that put all this in perspective for me. She told me the story of one young man caught in the unreported swirls and eddies of this human tragedy. Some would argue that because he’s still alive and unhurt, he=s one of the lucky ones. I would say he=s part of the unheralded collateral damage.

His name is Omar Awartani, a Jordanian youngster who lives in Al-Bereh on the Palestinian West Bank, a town that has seen more than its share of warfare. He is a very intelligent and popular student. One of his teachers described him as, “…a brilliant student with a great passion for science and mathematics. He always asks unexpected questions and gives unexpected solutions. His leadership qualities are quite obvious. Omar is inquisitive, imaginative, and creative. I truly believe that Omar will be a great scientist.”

In his evaluation, Omar was rated either “Outstanding” or “One of the Top Few Encountered in My Career.” Omar’s College Board SAT math scores were in the top nine percent of those taking the exam. He wanted to become an aerospace engineer and was scheduled to attend Beirut University before the current hostilities made that impossible. When asked to discuss any obstacles and/or hardships you have encountered and how you dealt with them on one college application form, this is what Omar wrote:

“Living and growing under the conditions of the Intifada (Arabic term for uprising) with so much violence, fear, and risk, has been quite a difficult experience. Most of my adolescence has been under adverse conditions. It was so difficult, in this highly politicized and turbulent environment, to retain my focus on science and my passion for it. The rough conditions of the Intifada made me stronger and more resilient. The greatest contribution I can make to the future Palestine is to get the best education I can afford.”

Perhaps there is a school somewhere in the free world that has a scholarship for Omar? His present situation doesn’t permit him the luxury of paying his own way. The dividends of providing such an opportunity are massive; a brilliant mind would be given the opportunity to contribute (as have so many Arabs before him) to the knowledge of the world, his success would open the way for other West Bank and Gaza children to perceive a solution other than war, and the school welcoming him would be seen as compassionate, forward looking, and making a real contribution to bringing peace to this beleaguered part of the world.

Here’s his Model Mayhem website.

He’s a model alright:

Last year, Osama Sabbah and Rasha Ali, 12th grade students from the Ramallah Friends School, proposed to the school administration that they be sent to Amman, Jordan as school representatives at the yearly Model United Nations (MUN) conference. It was approved as a pilot project with the understanding that if the trip proved beneficial, the school would opt to participate each semester.

Osama and Rasha were the only students from Palestine at a conference of more than 300 students. Osama represented Australia in Economic and Social Council and Rasha represented the United Kingdom in General Assembly B.

Ruth Tenne of The Palestinian Chronicle:

Western governments have so far refused to recognize the Palestinian Hamas government democratically elected in January 2006. Economic aid to the Palestinian government was curtailed and Israel is unlawfully withholding tax and customs revenue due to the PA (£35 million per month).

Likewise, foreign bank accounts and financial transactions by the Palestinian Authority have been frozen, and frequent blockades of border crossings between Egypt, Jordan and Israel are causing Palestinian trade to collapse, leaving the Palestinians without basic food and medicines. Between 60-70% of Palestinians are currently living below the poverty line and the official unemployment rate is above 40%, which may rise further if economic sanctions continue. (World Bank report April 2006). In addition, nearly 165,000 PA’s employees have not received their salaries since March 2006 and their families (800,000 people) are made to suffer as a result…

As an Israeli-born citizen I may not be considered as an apparent supporter for imposing sanctions against my own country. Yet , I believe that the lack of any consorted action by Western governments calls for exercising genuine pressure on the Israeli state as expressed movingly by Dr Jeff Halper – the co-founder of Israeli Committee Against House demolitions – “sanctions, divestment and boycotting are absolutely legitimate means at everyone disposal for effectively opposing injustice ….they are directed at ending a situation of intolerable conflict ,suffering and moral wrong-doing…When injustice ends, the sanction ends.”

Caroline Glick of The Jerusalem Post on The State of Palestine:

This state was officially founded in the summer of 2005, when Israel removed its military forces and civilian population from the Gaza Strip and so established the first wholly independent Palestinian state in history. Israel’s destruction of four Israeli communities in Northern Samaria and curtailment of its military operations in the area set the conditions for statehood in that area as well…

In the State of Palestine, two-year-olds are killed and no one cares. Children are woken up in the middle of the night and murdered in front of their parents. Worshipers in mosques are gunned down by terrorists who attend competing mosques. And no one cares. No international human rights groups publish reports calling for an end to the slaughter. No UN body condemns anyone or sends a fact-finding mission to investigate the murders…

The Palestinians, who receive more aid per capita than any people on earth, are needy not because they lack funds. They are poor because they prefer poverty, violence and war to prosperity, peace and moderation. So it is that 57 percent of Palestinians support terror attacks against Israel…

The Brits have started ENOUGH! End the Israeli Occupation: Justice for the Palestinians:

We say Enough! We are a group of charities, trade unions, faith and other campaign groups. We have come together because we want peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike. This can only be built on justice, equality and freedom. In order to achieve this goal governments like the British government must stand up for international law and human rights. Join our campaign.

Here’s info on Students for Justice in Palestine:

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) originated on the University of California, Berkeley campus in 2001. Since then, SJP cells have spread to some 25 major campuses throughout the United States, including Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Georgetown, and the universities of Michigan and Maryland. SJP at the University of Maryland states that its mission is to pursue “freedom and self-determination for the Palestinian people,” a goal predicated on ending “[t]he Israeli military occupation, with its daily humiliation, abuse and brutal violence”; “[t]he right of return and repatriation for Palestinian refugees of war and ethnic cleansing”; and “[t]he cessation of settlement activity and the dismantling of settlements built outside of Israel’s pre-1967 border.” Toward the advancement of these objectives, SJP demands “[d]ivestment … from companies that invest or do substantial business in Israel,” and an “end to U.S. tax-funded aid to Israel.”

Dave Bernt, SJP member at DePaul University:

Students from North Carolina State, Duke and the University of North Carolina held a joint demonstration.

“A Completely Free, Open Event in Greensboro, NC – February 9-11 – Guilford College”

Here’s the schedule.

Here’s info on the Yachting Club.

Khalid Amayreh via The People’s Voice on civil war:

A few months ago, the State Department announced plans to giver PA leader Mahmoud Abbas more than $86 million dollars to “strengthen his security forces against Hamas.”

Moreover, the US played a pivotal role in “smuggling” tens of thousands of rifles, mainly KA-47 into the Gaza Strip along with millions of rounds. In fact, numerous truckloads of rifles and ammunitions were allowed by Israel into Gaza during the past few months, all in order to set Gaza on fire to serve Israel’s criminal interests.

This outrageous intervention by the US in internal Palestinian affairs is only meant to ignite civil war. And the American rationale behind this is only a Palestinian implosion would debilitate and decimate the Palestinian society and eventually force it to capitulate to Israel, irrespective of what title of what name under which the capitulation would be presented.

Today, the CIA is pouring millions of dollars onto specific Palestinian “leaders” who are sheepishly, even treasonously effecting the American-Israeli agenda. And in turn these so-called leaders pay wholesomely to uneducated and unemployed young men who readily agree to become willing slaves for the paymaster.

Ali Abunimah via The Electronic Intifada on apartheid:

Millions of Palestinians around the world are forbidden from visiting or living in their country due to Israeli restrictions and laws that discriminate against non-Jews. A privileged few Palestinians have been able to do so, however, by virtue of their citizenship in the United States or European countries, whose citizens are generally allowed to enter Israel without visas as tourists. Even this precarious existence has recently been threatened by the new Israeli practice of denying them re-entry if they leave the country for any reason. While the document claims these restrictions will be eased, it also confirms the policy of prohibiting ordinary family life for Palestinians. Palestinians (always referred to as “foreign nationals”) with foreign passports, even those with spouses and families Israel does recognize as residents, will be limited to a total cumulative stay not exceeding 27 months in their country. No other country calling itself a democracy systematically treats indigenous people as foreigners and deports them in this manner breaking apart families in the process.

Rima Merriman via The Electronic Intifada on Mahmoud Abbas:

The Jewish philosopher Martin Buber expressed what no Israeli government has ever been willing to admit: “Only an internal revolution can have the power to heal our people of their murderous sickness of causeless hatred … It is bound to bring complete ruin upon us. Only then will the old and young in our land realize how great was our responsibility to those miserable Arab refugees in whose towns we have settled Jews who were brought here from afar; whose homes we have inherited, whose fields we now sow and harvest; the fruits of whose gardens, orchards and vineyards we gather; and in whose cities that we robbed we put up houses of education, charity, and prayer, while we babble and rave about being the ‘People of the Book’ and the ‘light of the nations’.”

Lawrence Davidson via The Electronic Intifada on Israeli academic complicity:

Never in its history did the senate of a any Israeli university pass a resolution protesting the frequent closure of Palestinian universities, let alone voice protest over the devastation sowed there [in the OT]….It is not that a motion in that direction failed to gather a majority, there was no such motion anywhere in Israeli academia…

In terms of active collaboration with the occupation the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel has noted that “Israeli research institutes, think tanks and academic departments have historically granted legitimacy to the work of academics who advocate ethnic cleansing, apartheid, denial of refugee rights, and other discriminatory policies….Collaboration and cooperation with the intelligence services, the army, and other agencies of the occupation regime is part of the routine work of the Israeli academy.”

Michael F. Brown via The Electronic Intifada on Jimmy Carter:

Only 14 members of a Board of Councilors numbering over 200 actually resigned in this letter. Clearly, enormous support for President Carter’s efforts still exists. Several of those resigning had strong connections to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), another organization that has been highly critical of President Carter’s book and has condemned thoughtful peace activists for being anti-Israel when, in fact, they simply object to Israeli policy…

It is grossly unfair to attribute terrorism to the “Palestinian side” as if all Palestinians have been engaged in reprehensible suicide bombings. This also conveniently overlooks the terrorism of some Israelis, including some who rose to the pinnacle of political power in Israel. Both Israelis and Palestinians have had political leaders who engaged in despicable acts directed at civilians.

From President Carter’s book, Palestine Peace Not Apartheid, via Brown’s article:

We all knew that Israel must have a comprehensive and lasting peace, and this dream could have been realized if Israel had complied with the Camp David Accords and refrained from colonizing the West Bank, with Arabs accepting Israel within its legal borders.

From a Carter Center press release via Brown’s article:

I made it clear that I have never claimed that American Jews control the news media, but reiterated that the overwhelming bias for Israel comes from among Christians like me who have been taught since childhood to honor and protect God’s chosen people from among whom came our own savior, Jesus Christ. An additional factor, especially in the political arena, is the powerful influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which is exercising its legitimate goal of explaining the current policies of Israel’s government and arousing maximum support in our country. There are no significant countervailing voices.

From Brown’s article:

Much of the rhetoric directed at Carter is, however, cause for deep consternation, particularly because editorial boards are not coming to Carter’s defense, even to say that while they might disagree with the president on Israel/Palestine, they vehemently disagree with the language of critics labeling him a “fathead” (Glenn Beck of CNN), “bigoted” (Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League), and a “Jew hater” (Martin Peretz of The New Republic). Carter’s critics seem to have quite forgotten that this is the same man who through enormous personal effort helped broker Israeli-Egyptian peace…

As for the quote from Arafat on the PLO never advocating the annihilation of Israel, it should be emphasized that Carter never said one way or the other whether the statement was accurate. He was merely repeating what Arafat claimed in 1990. Yes, it would have been helpful to readers to cite what the Charter in fact stated, but it scarcely constitutes grounds for a group resignation. In fact, had the group of 14 approached Carter with a concern over this passage he almost certainly would have expressed a willingness to address it and could have allayed unfounded fears about his knowledge of the Charter.

From Carter’s book as cited in a resignation letter via Brown’s article:

that it is imperative, that the general Arab community and all significant Palestinian groups make it clear that they will end the suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism when international laws and the ultimate goals of the Roadmap for Peace are accepted by Israel.

And Brown’s rebuttal:

To claim that President Carter clearly is suggesting that he condones violence against Israelis is patently false and shows the extraordinary lengths the letter writers have been willing to go in their effort to discredit the former president. President Carter states quite clearly in the book on p. 15 that he views attacks against Israeli civilians as “morally reprehensible.” Nevertheless, Carter was willing to admit at Brandeis University that the sentence on p. 213 was poorly constructed. Carter bent over backwards to allay the absurd fear that he condones terrorism against Israelis when he said that the sentence “was worded in a completely improper and stupid way.” He added, “I have written my publisher to change that sentence immediately. I apologize to you personally, to everyone here.” Significantly, Carter did not back away from his concerns about Israeli persecution of the Palestinians. He merely admitted that one sentence could have been phrased better — and would have been well within his rights to express astonishment that anybody could actually believe for one second that he condones terrorism.

From Carter’s recent WaPo Op Ed via Brown’s article:

I am concerned that public discussion of my book ‘Palestine Peace Not Apartheid’ has been diverted from the book’s basic proposals: that peace talks be resumed after six years of delay and that the tragic persecution of Palestinians be ended. Although most critics have not seriously disputed or even mentioned the facts and suggestions about these two issues, an apparently concerted campaign has been focused on the book’s title, combined with allegations that I am anti-Israel. This is not good for any of us who are committed to Israel’s status as a peaceful nation living in harmony with its neighbors.”

From PipeLineNews:

One of the Ramallah Friend School’s alums is Hanan Ashrawi, a 1964 graduate. Ashrawi has spent her life since then as a professional apologist for Islamist terror, serving first on the Intifada Political Committee and later as a spokesman for the PLO and Yasser Arafat.

Typical of Ashrawi’s militancy are the following [source Campus Watch http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/69].

“The only language Sharon understands is the language of violence.” – Voice of Palestine, Palestinian Authority radio, Sept. 9, 2001

In a sense, the army of occupation and the settlers have become legitimate and select targets of Palestinian resistance.” – Rocky Mountain News, Aug. 16, 2002

Ashrawi even endorsed Yasser Arafat’s policy of using school children to attack and kill Israeli soldiers.

“At this stage it is better that they are engaging the Israelis than going to classes,” said the professor, who trained at a university in the United States. “We have to capitalise on this momentum. They can always study mathematics later.” [source CAMERA, November 8, 2000, http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=8&x_nameinnews=2&x_article=191]

Ms. Ashrawi credits the Friends school with giving her this type of “insight.”

The seeds of awareness were planted in me at the Friends school.”

“From those same seeds also sprung Zaha Hassan, a member of the Ramallah Friends School class of 1987

Hassan is now a lefty activist lawyer [member of the National Lawyers Guild] in Portland, Oregon, and the founder of Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights.

“So long as Palestinians live and breathe, we will honor the lives of those Palestinian refugees who lie at your feet — we will never forget Sabra and Shatila, and we will not be passive victims of your hate and intolerance any longer.” [source The Oregonian, October 8, 2000 http://www.auphr.org/letters/lt100800.htm]

That statement seems a rather resounding rejection of Quaker pacifism.

From George Orwell:

Pacifism is objectively pro-Fascist. This is elementary common sense. If you hamper the war effort of one side you automatically help that of the other. Nor is there any real way of remaining outside such a war as the present one. In practice, ‘he that is not with me is against me’.

Put the Pali’s on a plane.

Supposedly, this a letter from Omar’s brother at zizou from Djerba:

As some of you might have learned already, ast week , my brother Omar, a freshman at North Carolina state university engineering, was visiting his friends at Guilford college, an hour away from his campus. While my brother was hanging out with 2 of his Palestinian friends on Guilford Campus, he was attacked by a group of at least 10 football players from Guilford College. My brother was brutally beaten and assaulted for about 10 minutes with fists, feet and brass knuckles. As he was beaten, he was humiliated with racial slurrs such as “dirty Palestinian”, “****** terrorist” and more.

3 guys managed to drag him to the girls’ dormitory, but the guys followed him and tried to break through. Thank god, my brother made it alive. He was taken to the hospital, where it appeared that he had concussion and a broken jaw, and was not able to walk for few days.

From Inside Higher Ed:

…Never underestimate the power of irony in the American imagination. As one of about a dozen colleges in the United States tied to the pacifistic Religious Society of Friends, an attack at Guilford (and, by some accounts, a bigoted one at that) seems so paradoxical that it not only shook up the campus, but also attracted widespread interest from people with no connection to the North Carolina college or Quakers…

…a Quaker college that fosters inclusiveness, both deliberately for diversity purposes and also by necessity, faces special challenges in maintaining its heritage, if only because the number of Quakers is so small….

…The perceived rush to judgment might have resulted in part from an athlete/non-athlete split that characterizes many small colleges, but poses a special problem for religious institutions. As Robert Benne, director of the Center for Religion and Society at Virginia’s Roanoke College says, “Schools are pressured to field good teams, and often they’ll lose their soul to that particular purpose. There’s a lot of pressure to win and therefore to overlook a lot of other things.”…

Commenter Damon Hickey:

About twenty years ago I was a faculty member at Guilford College and a faculty representative on its Judicial Board. The college was rocked one weekend by an incident in which African-American students from a historically-black university nearby showed up late at night at Bryan Hall (the same dorm where this latest incident occurred) looking for a member of the lacrosse team, and were challenged by his teammates. The rhetoric escalated quickly, and white Guilford student-athletes were soon hurling racial epithets at the strangers. Then guns appeared on both sides. Providentially, no one was injured, but the campus community took a long time to recover from the violent racism it had witnessed in its own students. I sat through the judicial hearings of these students, and it was clear that athletic aggressiveness, testosterone, alcohol, and racial bias had been the chief culprits. At least some of the offenders on their own initiative attended open meetings where black students described how hurt and frightened they had been watching the noisy confrontation. Without being told to, these offenders offered their apologies to their fellow-students and accepted their punishment like grownups. Through the pain and hurt and fear, important lessons were learned and a degree of reconciliation was achieved.