RE: ‘PRESIDENT OBAMA CAN STILL ADVANCE ISRAELI – PALESTINIAN PEACE’

Dear President Carter,

I have taken the liberty to post your article: ‘President Obama Can Still Advance Israeli-Palestinian Peace’ on www.buildingthebridge.eu. I will immediately remove your article upon request. It is not our habit to publish an article without first securing permission. However, I just wrote President Obama a personal note, which might prompt him or a member of his staff to visit our web page. I’d like for him to again see your comments along with the 4000+ contacts in our database. On my personal LinkedIn Page more than 2,100 connections signed on in less than 10 days since re-launching our website approximately 6 weeks ago.

Perhaps, President Carter, it is inevitable that our paths converge toward a common strategy to help effectuate a constructive movement to once and for all enable the Israelis and the Palestinians to attain peaceful co-existence, one almost impossible step at a time. “Your ideas are radical. It’s a bombshell,” my wife tells me. “You’re out of your mind, you’re crazy”, even my best friends tell me so, to which I respond: “but not crazier than what’s happening now and what’s been going on in the Region for the last 68+ years.”

Rabbi Lerner’s encouraging words …

       From: Michael Lerner [mailto:rabbilerner.tikkun@gmail.com] 


       Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2016 4:00 PM


       To: Building the Bridge || abraham


       Subject: Re: A Miracle of Miracles

“There are many aspects of your proposals that mirror my own--I encourage you to read my book Embracing Israel/Palestine, which you can order at www.tikkun.org/eip.  The reality is that there have been a wide variety of proposals that would work if the two sides were genuinely interested in achieving a peaceful solution. (…) I welcome your initiative as one of many approaches that need to be articulated in the public sphere.”

Rabbi Michael Lerner  

I’m now reading Rabbi Lerner’s book and it is gratifying to note your comments on the back cover: “Rabbi Michael Lerner provides us with a brilliant and hopeful vision of how to transform the Middle East from a cauldron of violence to a vanguard of peace…”

Buildingthebridge.eu, though still an empty skeleton, is a tool to move nations. Through the Strength of MANY we intend to persuade the European Union to guarantee authentic security for the people of Israel and the people of Palestine. Europe may propose, not impose. Ultimately, it’s what the majority of the people in the Region want that counts.

Two weeks ago I drafted the Building the Bridge ‘manifesto’ (for lack of a better term). The first rough draft took me less than 20 minutes to write. Since then, it’s been polished up and the 2-page article is now featured on www.buildingthebridge.eu entitled: ‘Full Disclosure, My True Colors’. I’m truly curious what you think about my thoughts.

In my article, ‘Taking Off At Full Throttle’ I asked the question: Is there any other way to take off but at full throttle? To eventually soar through the clouds, you’ll need all the torque you can get, maximum thrust to overcome resistance. That’s what it’s going to take to secure real and sustainable peace. In the past, those in command of the peace talks dare not take off at full throttle. The results: one deadlock after the other. Oslo, Ottawa, Shepherdstown, The Wye Plantation, Annapolis, Geneva, Madrid, Nicosia, Washington, D.C., London, Bonn, and Vienna have succeeded in producing stalemates often ending in standoffs with one foot in the stirrup, the other in the sand.

Europe can no longer be ‘supine’ to borrow one of your words (BBC, 26 March 2008). A paradigm shift must supervene. Europe is now ready and motivated to take charge in helping to end a conflict it has started (Please read my article: ‘A European Agenda to the World’s Stage’, posted on buildingthebridge.eu). By treating Israel and Palestine equally with fairness and equitability, Europe can and will shine and stand out in all the nations as a serious partner to diplomatically and democratically help resolve cultural differences throughout the Middle East.

Containing the fires between the Israelis and the Palestinians is a first major step and cannot be more opportune. It is time to rebuild the bridges we have burned. A ‘redeemed’ Europe can work out solutions with former adversaries to help restore order and to keep prospective refugees remaining with family on their own turf and earning an honest living at home.

Historically, lights and shadows with moments of grief characterize the relationship among Jews, Christians and Muslims. Can we work toward real reconciliation among all believers in the one God?

The Jew honors the Almighty as protector of the human person and as the God promulgating the promises of life. The Christian knows that God is love and expects mankind, created in His image, to manifest agape love among each other. For the Muslim, God is good. He grants the believers His abundant mercy.

Inspired by these convictions, Jews, Christians and Muslims reject the supposition that hatred threatens the earth and that endless wars continue to plague and eventually destroy humanity.

We must find within us the courage to reach peace. We must seek from heaven the gift that is peace. If we ceaselessly pursue the laborious and grueling road toward reconciliation, often necessitating a tug of war with give and take, peace can spread like healing oils. And the wilderness becomes an orchard where justice prevails.

Does it meet your approval to post your article on buildingthebridge.eu?

With every good wish to you, Mr. President and to your colleagues at the Carter Center in Atlanta, I remain,

Sincerely,

Building the Bridge Foundation, The Netherlands

Abraham A. van Kempen

Editor

abraham@buildingthebridge.eu