• To the New Visitors

    WE ARE ALL JUST HUMAN BEINGS

     

     

    Wars are still created, North and South (Ukraine, Sudan, Ethiopia - over 600,000 killed in Ethiopia), for the sake of war profiteers, in the name of whatever ideologies...

    Yet, one tiny part of this world acts as a thermostat to the whole globe. What once was called the Holy Land, Israel & Palestine. It remains the focus and hinge for three continents and civilizations, 2.6 billion Christians, 1.9 billion Muslims, 15.3 million Jews, and countless others.

    At times, there are sparks and fires. Other times, it is mostly quiet. You even experience hope to various degrees there.

    That is how we created our HOPE section, and the seven stories we harvested, bringing other voices, a different light to the fore :

    The first one, a brave, renowned rabbi from Jerusalem, Arik Ascherman, always busy harvesting olives with the Palestinians, or defending the Bedouins.

    Then, someone you would never have heard of : a Muslim corporal in the Israeli Defence Forces, Bilal Taha. Making his claim crystal-clear :

    "There is no difference. Only the location, language and the residents' religion. Judaism and Islam are very similar. We are all just human beings.

     I live here, this is my country, I pay taxes, respect the flag and serve in the IDF."

     

    After him, another extraordinary being, Tania Joya, who made it all the way from her difficult childhood in England to the battlefields of the Islamic Caliphate in Syria, and back to America. Tania's conviction : "If I can be reformed through knowledge and facts, there are others who can. I want to explain how I de-radicalized - through education and reading American literature."

     

    Next, the Foreign Minister from Oman, Yusuf bin Alawi, another free mind, brave enough to state :

    "If they [Israelis & Palestinians] are really interested in making peace, they should look to the future and not talk about the past."

     

    In the same spirit, comes the great Rami Levy, who expands his concept of Israeli-Palestinian malls to one more, in East Jerusalem.

    His motto : "Let's not ask who's who, but shop together, respect each other"

     

    Also, a famous singer, originally from Yemen, Ahinoam Nini (known as Noa, her artist's name) who finally made it to Hevron : the Jewish part of Hebron, and why. It's all about crossing lines, isn't it ?

    Last, and not least, what General Benny Gantz declared in 2019, still holds water :

    "I'm not interested in whether there is or isn't a partner, we want to strive (for peace) not because of our neighbours but for ourselves."

    Since October 7, 2023, General Gantz has joined the War Cabinet in Tel Aviv. Let's pray his influence is real as far as the unfolding of fighting goes, and to limit the number of civilian casualties.

    After 66 days of war between the Islamic radicals of Gaza and the Israeli Defence Forces, any sense of hope seems to be long gone overboard, and yet, come what may, these people are still there, somewhere, around us. They haven't changed their conviction, their faith in humankind, have they ? And so many others, that we still need to meet, to find on our way, to hear from.

      

    May you take comfort in the fact that these trailblazers are at work and on their way, all the time, as we are - and spread the news !

     

     

     

     

  •  

    As of December 11, 2023 more than 153,000 visitors have been recorded, for close to 500,000 pages, since we inaugurated this site nine years ago in January 2014. On August 28 & 29, 2014, because of the war in Gaza, we had 115 visitors, for 240 pages the first day, 227 the second. Predictably, on October 8 there were 366 visitors for 618 pages. Such "records" are horrifying.  Here is a brief review of previous peaks by the end of 2022 and in 2023 :

     

     date pages  visitors
     2022-12-26 541 322
    2023-01-01  408  387 
    2023-01-05  566  275 
    2023-02-13  317 214 
    2023-02-23  409  267 
    2023-03-05  554  326 
    2023-03-18  469  286 
    2023-03-29  415  272 
    2023-04-07  427 284
    2023-05-29 497 365
    2023-06-02 471 398
    2023-07-11 451 335
    2023-08-13 456 352
    2023-09-20 581 321
    2023-10-08 618 366
    2023-10-27 430 345

     

    By the end of 2018,  we had recorded the highest number of visitors : 255, who read 356 pages that day - followed by 338 visitors on November 30, 2019, for 417 pages .On March 31, 2018, at the very start of the Gaza protests, a peak of 800 pages was reached.

     

    In the summer of 2015 about 20 people visited us each day. In January 2016, this average daily number rose, closer to 30. Now, in 2023, we are around 50 a day. Slowly but gradually. This is where we are going : gathering all the news and echoes from people, most of them unknown hitherto, who silently and relentlessly work for coexistence and common sense, be they Israelis, Palestinians, Europeans, or others. LET IT SPREAD !

     

     With gratitude for your renewed interest.  peacelines@gmail.com

    In case you wish to encourage this ongoing endeavour :

    Bank Account Number : FR76 1020 6512 3712 1073 3600 074, Bank Identification Code (SWIFT) : AGRIFRPP802

     Welcome 

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  • This article was updated by the end of April 2023.

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  •  

    As of April 26, 2023 more than 138,000 visitors have been recorded, for close to 444,000 pages, since we inaugurated this site nine years ago in January 2014. On August 28 & 29, 2014, because of the war in Gaza, we had 115 visitors, for 240 pages the first day, 227 the second. We certainly don't wish for such "records" anymore. All the more as we have reached higher peaks by the end of 2022 and in the first months of 2023 :

     

     date pages  visitors
     2022-12-26 541 322
    2023-01-01  408  387 
    2023-01-05  566  275 
    2023-02-13  317 214 
    2023-02-23  409  267 
    2023-03-05  554  326 
    2023-03-18  469  286 
    2023-03-29  415  272 
    2023-04-07  427  284 

     

    By the end of 2018,  we had recorded the highest number of visitors : 255, who read 356 pages that day - followed by 338 visitors on November 30, 2019, for 417 pages .On March 31, 2018, at the very start of the Gaza protests, a peak of 800 pages was reached.

     

    In the summer of 2015 about 20 people visited us each day. In January 2016, this average daily number rose, closer to 30. Now, in 2023, we are around 50 a day. Slowly but gradually. This is where we are going : gathering all the news and echoes from people, most of them unknown hitherto, who silently and relentlessly work for coexistence and common sense, be they Israelis, Palestinians, Europeans, or others. LET IT SPREAD !

     

     With gratitude for your renewed interest.  peacelines@gmail.com

    In case you wish to encourage this ongoing endeavour :

    Bank Account Number : FR76 1020 6512 3712 1073 3600 074, Bank Identification Code (SWIFT) : AGRIFRPP802

     Welcome 

    Partager via Gmail Yahoo! Google Bookmarks

    votre commentaire


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