Elders' Blogs
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Lakhdar Brahimi recently chaired a panel discussion in London with two members of the Goldstone inquiry, Professor Christine Chinkin and Colonel Desmond Travers, a former member of Israel’s Knesset, Ami Ayalon, and Palestinian lawyer Karma Nabulsi. Here, he answers questions from the Elders’ team on some of the issues raised by the speakers and the audience. More »
There has been a troubling increase in the detention of those involved in peaceful protests against the separation barrier between the West Bank and Israel. Since May 2008, over 140 activists have been arrested in Ni'ilin and Bil’in, two villages through which the wall is built. Most of the detainees are Palestinians, but Israeli and foreign demonstrators have also been subjected to Israeli reprisals. More »
Following the publication of the Goldstone Report on human rights violations committed during the Gaza conflict, Mary Robinson has called for a full and fair debate of the report's findings. More »
As our visit to the Middle East was ending, one of the most poignant encounters we had was with Maher Hanoun and his family in East Jerusalem. For several nights three generations of Hanouns have been sleeping in the street - the women and children in cars and the men encamped on the pavement. They were evicted from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem on 2 August 2009 following an Israeli court ruling. More »
Dear brothers and sisters of village Bil’in,
My visit to your village was like a pilgrimage to me as a Gandhian. As a Gandhian from India, I believe that you are showing the right path to this war-torn world. More »
Today we had a dramatic illustration of the effects of the occupation on the Palestinian Territories; we saw the physical separation undermining respect, reconciliation, normal development and the potential for peace. More »
It's always a pleasure to meet with Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad. He classifies himself as a technocrat, but he's an outstanding economist who is respected by the entire world, he's becoming increasingly knowledgeable about and competent in politics. He has just put forward a plan that's very intriguing, and we talked about it at length: He recommends that Palestine go ahead, with its own plan for economic and political development, and not postpone those detailed plans until after a comprehensive peace comes – which may be many years in the future. More »
I have known Shimon Peres for a long time and I've always admired him – he's very clear and can be very convincing. He conveyed to us that Israel is ready to negotiate, and there were a number of positive things about this – for example, when he said that Israelis know how important it is to get to a two state solution. He said that the time is ripe for a solution – that if we don't do it now, there will be terrible consequences. More »
Desmond Tutu shares his words of encouragement for those fighting for what they believe to be right, and his belief that all people are fundamentally good.
Together, as Elders, we have today again been acutely exposed to the terrible trauma the Jewish people experienced in World War Two, a trauma that still haunts us all, and must never be forgotten. More »
Messages for Peace
- Name: Carol Lee
- Location: Amish Country, USA