Egyptian President Mubarak Outlines
Steps for Successful Peace Talks
NY Times 9-1-10
A Peace Plan Within Our Grasp
By Hosni Mubarak
Washington August 31, 2010
... President Obama's determined involvement has revived our hopes for peace and we must seize this opportunity. The broad parameters of a permanent Palestinian-Israeli settlement are already clear: the creation of a Palestinian state in the territories occupied by Israel in 1967 with Jerusalem as a capital for both Israel and Palestine. Previous negotiations have already resolved many of the details on the final status of refugees, borders, Jerusalem and security.
The biggest obstacle that now stands in the way of success is psychological: the cumulative effect of years of violence and the expansion of Israeli settlements have led to a collapse of trust on both sides. For the talks to succeed, we must rebuild trust and a sense of security.
How do we do this?
First, we must safeguard the peace process from further outbreaks of violence. To that end Egypt stands ready to resume its efforts to resolve the many difficult issues surrounding Gaza: mediating a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, bringing an end to Israel's blockade and fostering a reconciliation between Hamas and its rival Fatah, which controls the West Bank. All this is critical to achieving a two-state solution. The Palestinians cannot make peace with a house divided. If Gaza is excluded from the framework of peace, it will remain a source of conflict, undermining any final settlement.
For an Israeli-Palestinian peace to succeed, it must also be embedded in a broader regional peace between Israel and the Arab world. The Arab Peace Initiative, endorsed by all Arab states, offers Israel peace and normalization in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from Arab territory and a just solution to the Palestinian refugee issue. But in the interim both sides must show that this dream is within reach. Arab nations should continue to demonstrate the seriousness of their peace initiative with steps that address the hopes and concerns of ordinary Israelis.
For its part, Israel should make no mistake: settlements and peace are incompatible, as they deepen the occupation that Palestinians seek to end. A complete halt to Israel's settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is critical if the negotiations are to succeed, starting with an extension of Israel's moratorium on settlement-building, which expires this month.
For both sides trust can be built only on tangible security. Security, however, cannot be a justification for Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian land, as it undermines the cardinal principle of land for peace. I recognize that Israel has legitimate security needs, needs that can be reconciled with the Palestinians' just demand for a complete withdrawal from occupied territory. Egypt believes that the presence of an international force in the West Bank, to be stationed for a period to be agreed upon by the parties, could give both sides the confidence and security they seek ...
-- Hosni Mubarak is the president of Egypt.
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Israeli-Palestinian Peace Forum
at Maplewood Memorial Library
March 24, 2010
Video of forum Part-1
Video of forum Part-2
Transcript of forum
Article in Jewish News of New Jersey
Article in News-Record of Maplewood and South Orange, NJ: Download file
Click for three pages of photos:
page 1 :: page 2 :: page 3
Commendation by
Congressman Donald Payne
in the Congressional Record
Ori Nir, spokesman for Americans for Peace Now
Hussein Ibish, senior fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine
Debbie Schlossberg, Central NJ representative
of J Street
photos by Mary Gallagher
Click for background info: ::1 ::2
Ron Paul gives antiwar speech at Republican leadership conference
Congressman Ron Paul gave an antiwar speech at the conference on April 10, 2010, and then was voted second place (one vote behind first place) by the Republican activist attendees in the Presidential straw poll. Here is an excerpt of his speech:
"No matter how badly you would like to have them, all empires end, not because they're defeated militarily. All empires end for financial reasons and that is what the markets are telling us today.
"Besides, if you want a strong national defense, it should be designed for defense, not to support preventative wars and not to support wars that are undeclared. Don't you think it's rather conservative to say, 'Oh, it's good to follow the Constitution except for war! Let the Presidents go to war anytime they want!'.
"I would say that if you want go to war, only Congress can declare the war. Declare the war, know who the enemy is and go fight and win it and get out of there!
"And also, politically, it's much easier and it makes a lot more sense to cut the militarism and the bases overseas than it is to cut child welfare here at home. There's just so much room for that and I don't hesitate for a minute because I know we would be stronger for it."
"...Twenty years, the French and the Americans trying to tell the Vietnamese how to be westernized totally failed at a fantastic, horrible cost to us and now we have won more in peace than we have ever won in war because they're trading partners, we travel over there, their president comes over here, we can do better with peace than with war."
Click for text of speech.
A Town That's All About Peace
by Erin Hicks
It is a crisp Saturday morning in March. As you walk towards the library, you see people with neon peace signs on their faces and brightly colored T-shirts. At the library, you enter a large room full of talking, laughing people. There are stands and tables everywhere, and even a rock band playing. Find this strange? Well, if you live in Maplewood, New Jersey you wouldn't.
Click below to read speeches and comments
 Remarks by Maplewood Deputy Mayor Fred Profeta at Be About Peace Day Forum 3-29-08
 Remarks by Dan O'Flaherty, Columbia University, at Be About Peace Day Forum March 29, 2008
 Remarks by Chris Black at Be About Peace Day Forum March 29, 2008
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Be About Peace Day
Saturday June 12, 2010
Click for PDF flyer: Download file
This year Be About Peace Day activities will
be held at the
festival from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm near the South Orange train station. Photos soon.
Memorial Day Parade 2010
More photos on Maplewood Online
Remarks by Maplewood Mayor Vic De Luca
Maplewoodstock July 11-12, 2009
Be About Peace Day, May 30, 2009
Click for SMPA Statement on Be About Peace Day, Posters and Proclamations by Maplewood and South Orange
Click for Photos of Be About Peace Day at the Burgdorff Center: 1 :: 2 :: 3 :: 4 :: 5 :: 6
Click for Photos of Ceremony for Major Dwayne Kelley: 1 :: 2
Click for Maplewood Online Video
of Be About Peace Day by Jamie Ross:
Maplewood Memorial Day Parade
May 25, 2009
Commemoration of Iraq War Anniversary
 
March 21, 2009 at the Peace Memorial in the Ethical Culture Society Garden, Maplewood NJ.
We recalled our six years of efforts for peace and welcomed the President's commitment to end the war. We stated our concern about the continuing human and economic costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and restated our dedication to working for peace and a peace economy. A moment of silence was held for South Orange residents Augie Schroeder and Dwayne Kelley and all Americans and Iraqis whose lives have been lost and damaged in the war.
-- Photos by Mary Gallagher.
See blog by Chris Black on The NY Times Local.
MoveOn.org Report on Iraq and Recession delivered to NJ Senators 4-24-08
Be About Peace Day March, 29 2008
The welcome table at Maplewood Memorial Library, where South Mountain Peace Action launched two petitions on Be About Peace Day.
Click for Program :: Photos-1 :: Photos-2 :: Photos-3 :: Photos-4 :: Photos-5 :: Photos-6
:: Op-Ed :: Proclamations :: Petitions
Vigil at Ricalton Square 3-19-08
 A Call to End the War in Iraq on its 5th Anniversary. Sponsored by MoveOn.org and South Mountain Peace Action.
Click for photos of the event: Part 1 and Part 2.
Our Peace Agenda 2008: A Status Report
To read the report click here
Seton Hall Forum: 'Liberals & Conservatives on Iraq' 12-05-07
 Star-Ledger columnist Paul Mulshine and Maplewood Mayor Fred Profeta spoke at the event sponsored by the Seton Hall Students for Individual Liberty (SHUSIL), the Seton Hall College Democrats and South Mountain Peace Action.
Click for photos ::1 ::2 ::3 ::4
Cost of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
 updated June 10, 2010
Iraq:
United States: $727.5 billion
New Jersey: $34.1 billion
Maplewood, NJ: $139.8 million
South Orange, NJ: 104.3 million
Afghanistan:
United States: $276.8 billion
New Jersey: $13.7 billion
Maplewood, NJ: 55.9 million
South Orange, NJ: $41.7 million
Source: National Priorities Project
Figures represent expenditures already made. Amounts allocated are higher. Nobel winner Joseph Stiglitz estimates total cost of war at $3 trillion.
Guide to war cost studies and discussion by SMPA treasurer and Columbia economist Dan O'Flaherty.
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