יהי רצון שה’ ייתן את רוח הקודש הדרכה לאנשים!
שני עמים, ארץ אחת
שני עמים, ארץ אחת,
שלוש אמונות, שורש אחד,
אדמה אחת, אמא אחת,
שמיים אחד, התחלה אחת, עתיד אחד, גורל אחד,
לב אחד שבור, אלוהים אחד.
אנו מתפללים אליך: תן לנו חזון של אחדות.
שנראה את הרבים באחד ואת האחד ברבים.
מי יתן, חיי כל העולמות, מקור כל ההבדלים המדהימים תעזור לנו לראות בבהירות.
הנח אותנו בעדינות ובתקיפות אחד כלפי השני, לקראת שלום.
הרב שילה וינברג
May the Lord give the Holy Spirit guidance to the people!
Two Peoples, One Land
Two peoples, one land,
Three faiths, one root,
One earth, one mother,
One sky, one beginning, one future, one destiny,
One broken heart, One God.
We pray to You: Grant us a vision of unity.
May we see the many in the one and the one in the many?
May you, Life of All the Worlds, Source of All Amazing Differences, help us to see clearly.
Guide us gently and firmly toward each other, toward peace.
Rabbi Sheila Weinberg
פיוס במזרח התיכון
אלוהים אדיר!
אחרי כמעט מאה שנה של חוסר אמון ורצח אחים,
נתת השראה ליהודים, נוצרים ומוסלמים
ללכת בדרך של פיוס במזרח התיכון…
אנו מבקשים את סליחתך, אלוהים,
ובכל זאת אנו מתקשים לסלוח לאויבינו בעבר.
יהי רצון שדבריך יגעו באלה שעדיין תועים
במדבר של אלימות נקמנית,
שוכח את פקודתך “לסלוח ולהתעלם,
עד שאלוהים ישיג את מטרתו;
כי לאלוהים יש כוח על כל הדברים.”
עבדאלווהאב היצ’ה
Reconciliation in the Middle East
Almighty God!
After almost a century of mistrust and fratricide,
you inspired Jews, Christians, and Muslims
to take the path of reconciliation in the Middle East.
We ask for your forgiveness, O God,
yet we find it hard to forgive our past enemies.
May Your Words touch those who still stray
in the wilderness of vengeful violence,
forgetting your command to “forgive and overlook,
till God accomplish His Purpose;
for God hath power over all things.”
Abdelwahab Hechiche
It is hard not to be moved by Jean’s unwavering dedication to advocating for the rights of disabled, deaf, and marginalised individuals. Jean’s passion for justice is not only inspiring but a testament to the power of one’s commitment to making a difference. Their tireless efforts exemplify us all to follow in pursuing a more just and equitable world.
Jean wants to give readers some facts of understanding the Palestinian disabled people and the Israeli disabled people.
There are around 795,000 Palestinian Refugee Disabled People registered with UNRWA (2017). That is roughly 15%. There are 28.9% of Palestinian refugee children with disabilities in Lebanon are not enrolled in any school at all. American University Beirut and UNRWA (2015), Survey on the Socioeconomic Status of Palestine Refugees in Lebanon
Look in Israel – “In 2020, people with disabilities accounted for 20% of the population in Israel (more than 1.5 million people). Of those, about 326,000 children (accounted for 11% of all children in Israel), 751,000 people of the working-age population (16%) and 525,000 people over the age of 65 (47%). Some 6% of the working-age population (aged 20-64) (about 276,000) have a severe disability (with significant difficulties in performing basic everyday tasks). In comparison, some 10% (about 451,500) have a moderate disability (with some difficulties in performing basic everyday tasks). Among people with disabilities over the age of 20, there are about 499,000 people with severe disabilities and about 654,000 with moderate disabilities. 40% of people with disabilities have difficulty walking or climbing stairs, 8% have difficulty seeing, and 7% have difficulty hearing.” https://www.gov.il/en/departments/general/pwd_israel_2021_statistics
According to the 2017 Population, Housing and Establishments Census, 2.1% of the State of Palestine’s population- 92,710 people- are disabled. Most (47,109 people) have mobility impairments, and a fifth are under 18.
https://www.pcbs.gov.ps/portals/_pcbs/PressRelease/Press_En_3-12-2019-dis-en.pdf
Compare the financial support living payments here, in Israel and Palestine.
NZ$ Supported Living Payment plus accommodation supplement $2064.92 (after tax) a month. Suppose anyone has a disability and requires a disability allowance of up to $75.10 (before tax) a week.
Monthly pension rates (as of January 01, 2023):
Full incapacity degree (100 or 75%) – a full disability pension of NIS 4,063. Partial incapacity degree of 74% – a partial disability pension of NIS 2,770.
Israel Disability Allowance – NIS 4,063
NZ Dollar total Disability Allowance $1,726.66 a month
Palestine’s monthly income of NIS 2,500
NZ Dollars $1,060.77
The current minimum wage in the Palestinian Territories is ₪1,880.00 per month in 2023. It became valid on January 01, 2022. The amounts are in Israeli Shekel.
No one wants to employ any disabled persons with excellent skills, let alone those who are struggling to live on Social Welfare Payments but often miss payments. In Palestine, many people, including disabled people, received no social welfare payments for six months, according to 2022.
https://electronicintifada.net/content/half-year-no-welfare-payments-gaza/37591
https://electronicintifada.net/content/how-do-people-disabilities-cope-when-israel-bombs-gaza/38276
53.3% of Palestine disabled children have more than one disability through the survey in West Bank. Overseas Development Institute and UNICEF (2016), Every Child Counts: Understanding the needs and perspectives of children with disabilities in the State of Palestine.
20.6% of the housing problem in Lebanon, where Palestine refugee households living in extreme poverty in Lebanon include at least one individual with a disability. American University Beirut and UNRWA (2015), Survey on the Socioeconomic Status of Palestine Refugees in Lebanon.
“The electricity shortage has decreased the availability of water, sanitation, and health services and undermined Gaza’s fragile economy, particularly the agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
Many organizations are working persistently to alleviate poverty in Palestine.”
There are many protest groups worldwide, and journalists, families, staff, and United Nations staff produce media and video reports daily. However, there is no news about people with disabilities on social media and television. The recent news was that Jabalia Rehabilitation Centre, where persons with disabilities are being cared for alongside others sheltering at the centre, cannot move with heavy strikes close to these centres, such as al-Quds Hospital and Indonesia Hospital. The al-Quds hospital ran out of fuel and power.
“Hostilities taking place in heavily populated urban areas, including around hospitals, endanger the lives of the most vulnerable people, like medical staff, patients, the wounded, premature babies, people with disabilities, and the elderly.” https://www.icrc.org/en/document/israel-and-occupied-territories-icrc-urges-protection-gaza-civilians-evacuating-and-staying
https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/features/living-disability-palestine-refugee-syria-jordan
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-21/the-disabled-refugee-who-founded-hamas/102993128
“Hamas has said it was motivated to launch the attack essentially as the culmination of long-building anger over Israeli policy, including recent outbreaks of violence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, but more generally over the treatment of Palestinians and the expansion of Israeli settlements.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-did-hamas-attack-israel-and-why-now/#:~:text=Hamas%20has%20said%20it%20was,the%20expansion%20of%20Israeli%20settlements.
https://ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-37
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/01/gaza-israeli-attacks-blockade-devastating-people-disabilities
https://www.jns.org/life-for-israelis-with-disabilities-is-a-well-kept-secret/
Life in Eureka 
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