Israelis, Palestinians Must Seize “Window of Opportunity,” Says Jordan’s King Abdullah

By Elaine Pasquini


Jordan’s King Abdullah 11 addresses a San Francisco audience (staff photo P. Pasquini).

FOLLOWING MEETINGS with President George W. Bush in Washington the first week of December, Jordan’s King Abdullah II flew to San Francisco and addressed a joint audience of the World Affairs Council and Commonwealth Club Dec. 11.

“The next few critical months will set the course and speed of progress in my region for a long time to come,” Abdullah told an audience of nearly 600 in the Gold Room of San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel. “A promising but extremely tough journey has begun, and its success will require the full and active support of the international community.”

Calling for a viable, sovereign and democratic Palestinian state, the king said, “It is time to move seriously toward the two-state solution which is the basis for lasting peace.”

Abdullah said the starting point for negotiations is the U.S.-backed road map, which sets out specific steps for ending the conflict. “Measurable, concrete results, leading to a final settlement in a specific time frame” and “action and compromise” by both sides, he insisted, are necessary for the road map to succeed.

Israelis and Palestinians must take advantage of a “small window of opportunity” for peacemaking, he warned. “If we don’t do it, I think the Middle East will be doomed, unfortunately, to many more decades of violence.

“Every day of continued violence serves the enemies of Palestine’s democratic development and Israel’s ultimate security,” Abdullah argued. “The world is looking to Israel to take real confidence-building measures towards peace. The Palestinians also must meet the challenge of responsible leadership, which means delivering on the reforms that statehood involves—good governance, effective security, and a real partnership at the peace tables.”

The 43-year-old monarch also discussed Jordan’s economy, including the recently signed free-trade agreement with the U.S. Noting that economic growth is particularly important in view of Jordan’s large population of young people, he said the agreement already had contributed significantly to economic growth and opportunity.

“Since 50 percent of the population in the Middle East is under the age of 18, we have a remarkable possibility in the Middle East,” Abdullah stressed. “If we get it right, this young Arab population can be such a positive impact. If you don’t cater to these young people with aspirations, then you could have a time bomb.”

Abderahman Salaheldin Egypt’s New Consul General in San Francisco


	Egyptian Consul General Abderahman Salaheldin (staff photo P. Pasquini).

Three months after arriving in San Francisco from Cairo, where he served as deputy assistant minister of foreign affairs for North America, Consul General of Egypt Abderahman Salaheldin has settled comfortably into his new assignment. No stranger to America, the well-spoken diplomat’s previous postings include two tours in Washington, DC and one in New York City, where he served as political counselor at Egypt’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

Sitting in his elegant office in the 98-year-old Pacific Heights mansion which King Farouk purchased almost 60 years ago, the consul discussed his goals over the next four years.

“My main goal is to reach out to the quarter of a million Egyptians living in the western United States,” he told the Washington Report. While acknowledging that many Egyptian Americans have established their lives in the U.S., “many individuals in many different ways could be an effective bridge between the U.S. and their homeland,” he enthused. Discussing Egypt’s efforts to develop a high tech area similar to Northern California’s Silicon Valley—a “smart village” is already being developed in Giza—Salaheldin expressed his hope of involving American-based Egyptians in this effort.

The diplomat, who served in Cairo’s cabinet office of the assistant foreign minister for Israeli affairs, was optimistic that the Jan. 9 Palestinian elections will provide a new opportunity to resume Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, in which Egypt has always played a major role. Despite strained relations at times with its neighbor, he emphasized that the Israeli-Egyptian military alliance committee still meets regularly for the joint purpose of combating terrorism, among other issues. Lamenting the Oct. 7 bombing of the Taba Hilton Hotel, a favorite vacation destination of Israelis and the scene of many peace summits, he recalled that “Taba was considered the fruits of peace.” The consul praised the smooth cooperation between Egypt and Israel in the rescue effort following the bombing.

Consul Salaheldin, along with his physician wife, Dr. Thoraya Mohamed Elkhadrawy, and their twin 17-year-old sons, Khalid and Waleed, looks forward to bringing together all members of San Francisco’s vibrant Arab community and further strengthening Egypt’s historically close ties with the United States.

Omar Ahmad Discusses Challenges For American Muslims


CAIR co-founder Omar Ahmad (l) with Iftekhar Hai, president of United Muslims of America Interfaith Alliance (staff photos P. Pasquini).

On Nov. 29, the newly formed Middle East Forum of San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club presented its inaugural program featuring Omar Ahmad, co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The forum’s co-chairs, Iftekhar Hai, president of United Muslims of America Interfaith Alliance, and Yitzhak Santis, director of Middle Eastern Affairs at the Jewish Community Relations Council, organized the lecture.

“I believe that American Muslims can help build a bridge between America and the Muslim world,” said Ahmad, addressing his topic “American Muslims: Challenges and Opportunities.”

As a result of Washington’s foreign policy decisions during the past two years, he pointed out, America’s favorable image has declined significantly. “American Muslims can and must play an active role in the effort to restore America’s image as a caring nation,” he argued.

Although American Muslims had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks, they have suffered a backlash, Ahmad explained. Muslims’ civil rights have been violated and they have been subject to special scrutiny, verbal abuse and physical attacks. “This treatment hurts not only Muslims, but also how America is perceived around the world,” he warned. “The world judges a country on how it treats its minorities. If America cannot tolerate a Muslim minority, America will not be able to build bridges of understanding with the Muslim world.”

The CAIR director also broached the necessity of dispelling misconceptions Americans have about Islam, the world’s fastest growing religion and the faith of 1.2 billion people. Many Americans, he noted, are unaware of Islam’s contribution to civilization, particularly in the areas of architecture, literature, science and the arts.

American Muslims should speak out against the defamation of Islam, Ahmad emphasized, and educate people regarding the religion’s true meaning. Despite myths to the contrary, he told his audience, Islam does not discriminate against women or non-Muslims, but promotes equality and justice. “People are judged by their piety and good works,” he explained, “not by their gender, the color of their skin, or how they look.”

In addition to its efforts to protect human rights, CAIR also works to bring the Muslim community into mainstream America, Ahmad said. Just as Americans today benefit from rights gained by African Americans during the civil rights movement and from Japanese Americans interned in camps during World War II, he pointed out, protecting human rights for Muslims benefits all Americans. “It is for the benefit of all if we stand shoulder to shoulder,” the Muslim activist averred. “Together we can build an example for the whole world and show that Muslims, Jews, and Christians can live together.”

Deliciously Inspiring!!! Palestinian and Jewish Recipes for Peace

Everyone enjoys great food and sharing a meal with friends and family. Indeed, breaking bread with others is an ancient tradition practiced throughout the world, especially in the Holy Land. Sharing stories and personal experiences also is a universal pastime—one elevated to a special status by the members of the Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group of San Mateo County, California.

Moving from sharing stories in the living room to preparing meals together in the kitchen was inevitable for the Jews and Palestinians of the dialogue group, who for the past 12 years have devoted a large portion of their time and energy to bringing people together.

The result of their activities is Palestinian and Jewish Recipes for Peace, a 100-page well-indexed collection of recipes, photos, anecdotes, and relationship-building tips recently published by the dialogue group. Many of the recipes contain ingredients favored by both Jews and Palestinians, such as chickpeas, the main ingredient in Arab hummus, the ever-popular appetizer served in homes and restaurants throughout the Arab world and in Israel. Others are unique to former Jewish communities in Russia or Germany. Gefilte fish à la Veracruzana is a favorite of Sandra Kahn from her childhood as a Jew growing up in Mexico.

Since—in the words of Len Traubman, one of the dialogue group’s co-founders—“an enemy is one whose story we have not heard,” what better way to share stories than over a feast of special recipes passed down through generations in both Jewish and Palestinian families? To prepare any of the 71 delicious recipes or to be inspired by the stories of these dedicated dialogue participants, telephone (650) 574-8303 or visit <http://traubman.igc.org/recipes.htm>, where the $19 cookbook—plus $4 postage in the U.S.—may be purchased online.

Elaine Pasquini is a free-lance photojournalist in the San Francisco Bay Area.