20 may 2015
Kill all Palestinians Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked
Upon Shaked’s appointment as justice minister, Aharon Barak agrees to talk to her and emphasize the absolute importance of the Supreme Court to Israel’s democracy.
"I'd be very happy to meet with Ayelet Shaked, to sit down with her, to give her any piece of advice she'd like to hear from me, and to discuss any subject she wanted to talk about," says former Israeli Supreme Court president Aharon Barak in response to Shaked's recent appointment as justice minister.
"I've always believed that criticism of the Supreme Court is good and proper, but it must be pertinent," Barak, 79, says. "So I'd be happy to answer any criticism-related questions, to admit to the things she is right about, and for her to admit to the things she isn't right about."
Nine years since stepping down from the bench, Barak the citizen is concerned about the state of Israel's democracy. "It's important to remember that democracy is not simply majority rule," he explains.
"Democracy is majority rule when the majority functions to implement a particular set of values. A democracy that violates human rights is not a democracy in my eyes. In Germany in the early 1930s, the Supreme Court didn’t have the power to overturn laws. I firmly believe that if Germany had had a strong court and judicial review at the time, Hitler could have been stopped. By the time he came to power, he couldn't be touched."
And are you saying that we need to protect the Supreme Court to prevent a similar situation here?
"No, I'm not saying that. I'm only saying that the existence of the Supreme Court as the guardian of individual and minority rights is one of the components of our identity as an eternal constitutional democracy. Democracy is a scale of sorts, on the one side of which sits the majority and on the others side of which sit rights; and democracy is the middle ground.
"The problem boils down to the fact that our constitutional structure is a very shaky and fragile one, and everything can be thrown into turmoil on the whim of any single MK who suddenly happens to secure a majority in the Knesset."
Upon Shaked’s appointment as justice minister, Aharon Barak agrees to talk to her and emphasize the absolute importance of the Supreme Court to Israel’s democracy.
"I'd be very happy to meet with Ayelet Shaked, to sit down with her, to give her any piece of advice she'd like to hear from me, and to discuss any subject she wanted to talk about," says former Israeli Supreme Court president Aharon Barak in response to Shaked's recent appointment as justice minister.
"I've always believed that criticism of the Supreme Court is good and proper, but it must be pertinent," Barak, 79, says. "So I'd be happy to answer any criticism-related questions, to admit to the things she is right about, and for her to admit to the things she isn't right about."
Nine years since stepping down from the bench, Barak the citizen is concerned about the state of Israel's democracy. "It's important to remember that democracy is not simply majority rule," he explains.
"Democracy is majority rule when the majority functions to implement a particular set of values. A democracy that violates human rights is not a democracy in my eyes. In Germany in the early 1930s, the Supreme Court didn’t have the power to overturn laws. I firmly believe that if Germany had had a strong court and judicial review at the time, Hitler could have been stopped. By the time he came to power, he couldn't be touched."
And are you saying that we need to protect the Supreme Court to prevent a similar situation here?
"No, I'm not saying that. I'm only saying that the existence of the Supreme Court as the guardian of individual and minority rights is one of the components of our identity as an eternal constitutional democracy. Democracy is a scale of sorts, on the one side of which sits the majority and on the others side of which sit rights; and democracy is the middle ground.
"The problem boils down to the fact that our constitutional structure is a very shaky and fragile one, and everything can be thrown into turmoil on the whim of any single MK who suddenly happens to secure a majority in the Knesset."
A former Israeli minister has warned that Israel is on a collision course with the international community.
Dan Meridor, a minister in previous Likud-led governments, made his remarks in Ha'aretz newspaper, warning of "an almost irreconcilable contradiction between what the world community – including the United State and Europe – wants and what the majority in this government think and want to happen regarding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
Meridor suggested limiting "settlement activities to those areas that may indeed become part of Israel in a two-state solution, namely Jerusalem and the main settlement blocs, but stop all settlement activity elsewhere." In this scenario, the former minister said, "many of our friends would understand us and support us."
But when we don't mention the two-state solution, when we're quiet about it, or when we say things in the opposite direction while allowing settlements to be built all over the land, then we're perceived as not being serious about a solution and as making future divisions more difficult.
Dan Meridor, a minister in previous Likud-led governments, made his remarks in Ha'aretz newspaper, warning of "an almost irreconcilable contradiction between what the world community – including the United State and Europe – wants and what the majority in this government think and want to happen regarding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
Meridor suggested limiting "settlement activities to those areas that may indeed become part of Israel in a two-state solution, namely Jerusalem and the main settlement blocs, but stop all settlement activity elsewhere." In this scenario, the former minister said, "many of our friends would understand us and support us."
But when we don't mention the two-state solution, when we're quiet about it, or when we say things in the opposite direction while allowing settlements to be built all over the land, then we're perceived as not being serious about a solution and as making future divisions more difficult.
Defense Ministry's three-month trial scheme also required Palestinians to enter and exit West Bank through same point.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon on Wednesday morning suspended a ban on Palestinians in the West Bank using the same buses as Israelis to return home, hours after it was introduced.
According to a Defense Ministry official, the ban had applied to Palestinians who commute to Israel to work.
"Under a three-month pilot project, Palestinians who work in Israel will, starting Wednesday, need to return home by the same crossings without taking buses used by (Israeli) residents of Judea and Samaria," the official said.
The scheme was to have been reviewed after three months.
Palestinians have hitherto been able to enter and exit Israel through a variety of checkpoints, but under the new scheme, some workers would have been forced to use the same point for both. This could have extended the travel times by hours.
The plan meant that thousands of Palestinians employed in Israel would have been restricted to four checkpoints to reach their place of work and had to return home by the same crossing points. On their return to the West Bank, Palestinians would then have taken Palestinian and not Israeli buses to take them home, the source said.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, told Israeli radio that Israel "will draw lessons from this experience at the end of the three-month trial period."
The radio said Ya'alon believes the measures would have granted "more control over Palestinians coming in and out of Israel and reduce security risks."
This move have been the subject of lobbying by West Bank settlers for several years.
'Jim Crow' segregated bus system made official by Israel
Israeli officials announced that beginning on Wednesday, the segregation that has been commonplace on buses traveling between the West Bank and what is now Israel has been made completely official, and no Palestinians will be allowed to travel on buses with Jewish Israelis.
Israeli settler bus in the West Bank (image from pinterest)
This discrimination based on ethnicity is a violation of international human rights conventions, but Israel justifies its racial and ethnic profiling based on 'security' concerns.
This new restriction will apply to Palestinians from the West Bank who have work permits inside Israel -- permits which are increasingly difficult for Palestinian workers to obtain from the Israeli military authorities who control all aspects of life in the West Bank.
An unnamed official told reports with Agence France Presse that the segregated bus system would be put in place as a three month pilot project, and the Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon told the Israeli Army Radio that he had agreed to the system in order to have "better control of the Palestinians" who enter and leave Israel for work each day.
The Palestinian workers will ride on the same buses as Jewish Israelis while inside Israel, but once they reach the Israeli-constructed Annexation Wall, they will have to exit those buses and board Palestinian-only buses in a system that critics say is reflective of the American South in the post-Civil War period known as the Jim Crow era, during which segregation and discrimination against non-white members of the population was legal.
In 2011, a group of Palestinian peace activists carried out a "freedom ride" action to draw attention to the already segregated bus system in the West Bank by boarding buses meant for Jewish Israelis only. They were arrested. At the time, Palestinians were not explicitly banned from riding on those buses, but it was an unspoken rule that they could not step on board, because the buses were headed to Israeli settlements built on land seized from Palestinians and then walled off for the exclusive use of Israelis.
At that time, Bassal Arraj, who participated in the action, told reporters, "Under Israeli law we are forbidden to visit Jerusalem. It’s a racist law like the Jim Crow laws and the apartheid laws in South Africa."
The ban on travel to Jerusalem remains in place four years later and now, the segregated bus system has been officially made into law, according to the Israeli defense minister.
This adds to the more than fifty laws already on the books in Israel that directly discriminate against non-Jews -- most recently, a discriminatory law upheld by the Israeli Court on May 5th allows the Israeli government to completely demolish two Palestinian Bedouin villages in the Negev that have been there since well before the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 -- due to the fact that these villages are 'unrecognized' by the Israeli government.
Israel suspends plan to segregate Israelis, Palestinians on West Bank buses following criticism
Lawmakers across political spectrum blasted program, with some cautioning impact on Israel's image and others branding it as 'apartheid.' President Rivlin: Separation would have been 'unthinkable.'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon decided Wednesday to suspend a program to separate Israeli and Palestinian bus travel in the West Bank.
The program, launched Tuesday, stipulated that Palestinian workers would have to return from Israel to the West Bank via the same checkpoint they left and will not be allowed to ride Israeli bus lines.
Deputy Minister of Defense MK Eli Ben-Dahan (Habayit Hayehudi) said on Wednesday in the Knesset that he was "surprised" by the suspension of the program. Responding to a parliamentary question submitted by MK Ofer Shelah, Ben-Dahan said: "I didn't know. I wasn't updated. I only began serving as deputy minister this morning, it's not appropriate to send me to give an answer without me being aware of it."
President Reuven Rivlin welcomed the suspension of a move that "could have led to an unthinkable separation between bus lines for Jews and Arabs."
"As one who loves the Land of Israel, I have nothing but regret for the discordant voices that we heard this morning, supporting the separation between Jews and Arabs on the basis of ideas that have no place being heard or said," he said.
"Such statements go against the very foundations of the State of Israel, and impact upon our very ability to establish here a Jewish and democratic state," Rivlin added. "Such statements cause great damage to the State of Israel, and to the settlement movement. It is important we remember that our sovereignty obligates us to prove our ability to live side by side."
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein also welcomed the decision, saying the program would have presented legal challenges.
Earlier on Wednesday, Zionist Union leader and opposition head Isaac Herzog said "separating Palestinians and Jews on public buses is a warrantless humiliation and a stain on… the country and its citizens." In a Facebook post, Herzog added that the move will fan the flames "of hatred toward Israel around the world."
'This is what apartheid looks like'
"This is another mistake by the prime minister, who… is giving in to a miserable decision that has nothing to do with the country's security," Herzog said, adding that such steps – which "cause unnecessary harm to Israel's image at such a sensitive time" – should have been avoided. "At this time, Israel needs cool-headed and responsible leadership, not haphazard, capitulating steps," he said.
Former Likud Minister of Interior Gideon Sa'ar also criticized the program. The decision, he said, "causes great harm to the settlement [enterprise] in Judea and Samaria and to Israel's image around the world. It cannot remain in place." Sa'ar added that "since it's obvious this decision will be canceled" the program should be promptly scrapped to "minimize the grave damage to Israel and to the settlements."
Zionist Union MK Shelly Yacimovich lashed out at what she called a "chilling" program: "There is no explanation that can erase the stain it casts on Israel," she said. "Dealing with security-related challenges is difficult, but such a blatant separation between Jews and Arabs is a violation of every international moral norm and will exact a heavy toll on Israel."
Meretz leader Zehava Galon said that Ya'alon "gave in to pressure exerted by Jewish settlers, who complained over the large number of Palestinians on the buses." Ethnic separation on buses, she said, is "unacceptable in a democratic country."
"This is what apartheid looks like," said Galon. "Separate bus lines for Palestinians and Jews prove that democracy and occupation cannot coexist."
On the other side of political spectrum, Habayit Hayehudi MK Moti Yogev – who also chairs the subcommittee on Judea and Samaria in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee – welcomed the launch, saying it provides "better service and security to both populations."
Yogev said Wednesday that the previous decision to allow Palestinians laborers to ride the buses used by West Bank settlers "caused sexual harassment, theft and even feelings of insecurity," while the overcrowded buses made it impossible "for the elderly and the young [passengers] who require public transit." Yogev added that those who criticize the program "don't know the reality and their statements are "hypocritical, disingenuous and irresponsible."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon on Wednesday morning suspended a ban on Palestinians in the West Bank using the same buses as Israelis to return home, hours after it was introduced.
According to a Defense Ministry official, the ban had applied to Palestinians who commute to Israel to work.
"Under a three-month pilot project, Palestinians who work in Israel will, starting Wednesday, need to return home by the same crossings without taking buses used by (Israeli) residents of Judea and Samaria," the official said.
The scheme was to have been reviewed after three months.
Palestinians have hitherto been able to enter and exit Israel through a variety of checkpoints, but under the new scheme, some workers would have been forced to use the same point for both. This could have extended the travel times by hours.
The plan meant that thousands of Palestinians employed in Israel would have been restricted to four checkpoints to reach their place of work and had to return home by the same crossing points. On their return to the West Bank, Palestinians would then have taken Palestinian and not Israeli buses to take them home, the source said.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, told Israeli radio that Israel "will draw lessons from this experience at the end of the three-month trial period."
The radio said Ya'alon believes the measures would have granted "more control over Palestinians coming in and out of Israel and reduce security risks."
This move have been the subject of lobbying by West Bank settlers for several years.
'Jim Crow' segregated bus system made official by Israel
Israeli officials announced that beginning on Wednesday, the segregation that has been commonplace on buses traveling between the West Bank and what is now Israel has been made completely official, and no Palestinians will be allowed to travel on buses with Jewish Israelis.
Israeli settler bus in the West Bank (image from pinterest)
This discrimination based on ethnicity is a violation of international human rights conventions, but Israel justifies its racial and ethnic profiling based on 'security' concerns.
This new restriction will apply to Palestinians from the West Bank who have work permits inside Israel -- permits which are increasingly difficult for Palestinian workers to obtain from the Israeli military authorities who control all aspects of life in the West Bank.
An unnamed official told reports with Agence France Presse that the segregated bus system would be put in place as a three month pilot project, and the Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon told the Israeli Army Radio that he had agreed to the system in order to have "better control of the Palestinians" who enter and leave Israel for work each day.
The Palestinian workers will ride on the same buses as Jewish Israelis while inside Israel, but once they reach the Israeli-constructed Annexation Wall, they will have to exit those buses and board Palestinian-only buses in a system that critics say is reflective of the American South in the post-Civil War period known as the Jim Crow era, during which segregation and discrimination against non-white members of the population was legal.
In 2011, a group of Palestinian peace activists carried out a "freedom ride" action to draw attention to the already segregated bus system in the West Bank by boarding buses meant for Jewish Israelis only. They were arrested. At the time, Palestinians were not explicitly banned from riding on those buses, but it was an unspoken rule that they could not step on board, because the buses were headed to Israeli settlements built on land seized from Palestinians and then walled off for the exclusive use of Israelis.
At that time, Bassal Arraj, who participated in the action, told reporters, "Under Israeli law we are forbidden to visit Jerusalem. It’s a racist law like the Jim Crow laws and the apartheid laws in South Africa."
The ban on travel to Jerusalem remains in place four years later and now, the segregated bus system has been officially made into law, according to the Israeli defense minister.
This adds to the more than fifty laws already on the books in Israel that directly discriminate against non-Jews -- most recently, a discriminatory law upheld by the Israeli Court on May 5th allows the Israeli government to completely demolish two Palestinian Bedouin villages in the Negev that have been there since well before the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 -- due to the fact that these villages are 'unrecognized' by the Israeli government.
Israel suspends plan to segregate Israelis, Palestinians on West Bank buses following criticism
Lawmakers across political spectrum blasted program, with some cautioning impact on Israel's image and others branding it as 'apartheid.' President Rivlin: Separation would have been 'unthinkable.'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon decided Wednesday to suspend a program to separate Israeli and Palestinian bus travel in the West Bank.
The program, launched Tuesday, stipulated that Palestinian workers would have to return from Israel to the West Bank via the same checkpoint they left and will not be allowed to ride Israeli bus lines.
Deputy Minister of Defense MK Eli Ben-Dahan (Habayit Hayehudi) said on Wednesday in the Knesset that he was "surprised" by the suspension of the program. Responding to a parliamentary question submitted by MK Ofer Shelah, Ben-Dahan said: "I didn't know. I wasn't updated. I only began serving as deputy minister this morning, it's not appropriate to send me to give an answer without me being aware of it."
President Reuven Rivlin welcomed the suspension of a move that "could have led to an unthinkable separation between bus lines for Jews and Arabs."
"As one who loves the Land of Israel, I have nothing but regret for the discordant voices that we heard this morning, supporting the separation between Jews and Arabs on the basis of ideas that have no place being heard or said," he said.
"Such statements go against the very foundations of the State of Israel, and impact upon our very ability to establish here a Jewish and democratic state," Rivlin added. "Such statements cause great damage to the State of Israel, and to the settlement movement. It is important we remember that our sovereignty obligates us to prove our ability to live side by side."
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein also welcomed the decision, saying the program would have presented legal challenges.
Earlier on Wednesday, Zionist Union leader and opposition head Isaac Herzog said "separating Palestinians and Jews on public buses is a warrantless humiliation and a stain on… the country and its citizens." In a Facebook post, Herzog added that the move will fan the flames "of hatred toward Israel around the world."
'This is what apartheid looks like'
"This is another mistake by the prime minister, who… is giving in to a miserable decision that has nothing to do with the country's security," Herzog said, adding that such steps – which "cause unnecessary harm to Israel's image at such a sensitive time" – should have been avoided. "At this time, Israel needs cool-headed and responsible leadership, not haphazard, capitulating steps," he said.
Former Likud Minister of Interior Gideon Sa'ar also criticized the program. The decision, he said, "causes great harm to the settlement [enterprise] in Judea and Samaria and to Israel's image around the world. It cannot remain in place." Sa'ar added that "since it's obvious this decision will be canceled" the program should be promptly scrapped to "minimize the grave damage to Israel and to the settlements."
Zionist Union MK Shelly Yacimovich lashed out at what she called a "chilling" program: "There is no explanation that can erase the stain it casts on Israel," she said. "Dealing with security-related challenges is difficult, but such a blatant separation between Jews and Arabs is a violation of every international moral norm and will exact a heavy toll on Israel."
Meretz leader Zehava Galon said that Ya'alon "gave in to pressure exerted by Jewish settlers, who complained over the large number of Palestinians on the buses." Ethnic separation on buses, she said, is "unacceptable in a democratic country."
"This is what apartheid looks like," said Galon. "Separate bus lines for Palestinians and Jews prove that democracy and occupation cannot coexist."
On the other side of political spectrum, Habayit Hayehudi MK Moti Yogev – who also chairs the subcommittee on Judea and Samaria in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee – welcomed the launch, saying it provides "better service and security to both populations."
Yogev said Wednesday that the previous decision to allow Palestinians laborers to ride the buses used by West Bank settlers "caused sexual harassment, theft and even feelings of insecurity," while the overcrowded buses made it impossible "for the elderly and the young [passengers] who require public transit." Yogev added that those who criticize the program "don't know the reality and their statements are "hypocritical, disingenuous and irresponsible."
Move comes a month after two men passed Torah scroll to women, enabling them to beat ban; group tells rabbi: Let my Torah go!
Western Wall Chief Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz on Tuesday locked the partition between men and women to prevent men from handing Torah scrolls over to women praying on the other side, the Women of the Wall organization said.
The organization, which demands equal prayer rights for women at the Western Wall, last month celebrated a landmark victory, after two men transferred scrolls over the mechitza (partition dividing men and women) to let women read from a full-sized Torah scroll at a service to mark the start of the Hebrew month of Iyar.
Tuesday's actions, the group said, was an effort by Rabinowitz to enforce his ban on women from taking any Torah scrolls into their area.
"'Sheriff' Rabinowitz won his battle today against the six lovely Bnot Mitzvah," the group said in a post on Facebook. "After a year of preparation and excitement, they could not read from a Torah Scroll at the Western Wall. With police barricades and locks, he has locked the Torah out of women's reach. But he will not win the war. We say today loud and clear: we demand Torah for women at the Kotel. Rabbi Rabinowitz, LET MY TORAH GO!"
While men are given the use of 100 Torah scrolls, the group says, Rabinowitz has imposed a ban on any external scrolls being used at the Western Wall, to prevent women from taking their own scrolls into the compound, the holiest site in Judaism.
In October, the organization managed to smuggle a miniscule Torah scroll into the Western Wall women's section for hold their first ever Torah reading by a woman at the site.
In 2013, Jerusalem District Court issued the precedent-setting ruling that women were allowed to read from the Torah at the Western Wall. However, regulations at the site, which only allow for the use of its own Torah scrolls and prohibit worshippers from bringing books from the outside, had prevented them from doing so until now.
Western Wall Chief Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz on Tuesday locked the partition between men and women to prevent men from handing Torah scrolls over to women praying on the other side, the Women of the Wall organization said.
The organization, which demands equal prayer rights for women at the Western Wall, last month celebrated a landmark victory, after two men transferred scrolls over the mechitza (partition dividing men and women) to let women read from a full-sized Torah scroll at a service to mark the start of the Hebrew month of Iyar.
Tuesday's actions, the group said, was an effort by Rabinowitz to enforce his ban on women from taking any Torah scrolls into their area.
"'Sheriff' Rabinowitz won his battle today against the six lovely Bnot Mitzvah," the group said in a post on Facebook. "After a year of preparation and excitement, they could not read from a Torah Scroll at the Western Wall. With police barricades and locks, he has locked the Torah out of women's reach. But he will not win the war. We say today loud and clear: we demand Torah for women at the Kotel. Rabbi Rabinowitz, LET MY TORAH GO!"
While men are given the use of 100 Torah scrolls, the group says, Rabinowitz has imposed a ban on any external scrolls being used at the Western Wall, to prevent women from taking their own scrolls into the compound, the holiest site in Judaism.
In October, the organization managed to smuggle a miniscule Torah scroll into the Western Wall women's section for hold their first ever Torah reading by a woman at the site.
In 2013, Jerusalem District Court issued the precedent-setting ruling that women were allowed to read from the Torah at the Western Wall. However, regulations at the site, which only allow for the use of its own Torah scrolls and prohibit worshippers from bringing books from the outside, had prevented them from doing so until now.
Arab League
A meeting was recently held between representatives of Arab countries that do not have diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv, and a number of Israeli officials, to discuss what they called “security cooperation” in the region.
The official Israeli Radio has reported that the meeting took place between Arab officials, Israeli security officials, and diplomats representing both the United States and the European Union.
The Radio quoted Arab officials allegedly stating that all countries in the region “must be prepared for a security situation where the United States has less influence.”
It also stated that the Arab officials “expressed willingness to advance security cooperation between all Arab Sunni states, and Tel Aviv,” but also expressed their concern that the “current stalemate in Palestinian-Israeli political talks impedes such a cooperation.”
In 2002, all Arab states in the region presented the “Arab Peace Initiative," during their summit in Beirut – Lebanon, offering full recognition and normalization with Israel should it withdraw from all the Arab and Palestinian territories it captured in the aftermath of the June 4 1967 six-day war.
The initiative was re-endorsed during the Arab Summit in Riyadh – Saudi Arabia, in 2007; however, Israel rejected it, and said it needs various amendments.
The initiative also called for a “just settlement” to the issue of Palestinian refugees, based on UN Resolution #194, by offering them their legitimate Right of Return “to live in peace with the neighbors,” and to compensate those who “do not wish to return.”
The then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon rejected the entire initiative, and claimed, “It replaces UN resolutions 242 and 338, which call for negotiations,” although Israel never officially recognized any resolution regarding its illegal occupation of Palestine.
The official Israeli stance rejects any full withdrawal from the occupied territories, including occupied Jerusalem, the Right of Return, and an independent sovereign Palestinian State.
Israel also still insists on what it calls “its right” to build and expand its illegal colonies in the occupied West Bank, including in and around occupied East Jerusalem, in direct violation of International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention to which Tel Aviv is a signatory.
A meeting was recently held between representatives of Arab countries that do not have diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv, and a number of Israeli officials, to discuss what they called “security cooperation” in the region.
The official Israeli Radio has reported that the meeting took place between Arab officials, Israeli security officials, and diplomats representing both the United States and the European Union.
The Radio quoted Arab officials allegedly stating that all countries in the region “must be prepared for a security situation where the United States has less influence.”
It also stated that the Arab officials “expressed willingness to advance security cooperation between all Arab Sunni states, and Tel Aviv,” but also expressed their concern that the “current stalemate in Palestinian-Israeli political talks impedes such a cooperation.”
In 2002, all Arab states in the region presented the “Arab Peace Initiative," during their summit in Beirut – Lebanon, offering full recognition and normalization with Israel should it withdraw from all the Arab and Palestinian territories it captured in the aftermath of the June 4 1967 six-day war.
The initiative was re-endorsed during the Arab Summit in Riyadh – Saudi Arabia, in 2007; however, Israel rejected it, and said it needs various amendments.
The initiative also called for a “just settlement” to the issue of Palestinian refugees, based on UN Resolution #194, by offering them their legitimate Right of Return “to live in peace with the neighbors,” and to compensate those who “do not wish to return.”
The then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon rejected the entire initiative, and claimed, “It replaces UN resolutions 242 and 338, which call for negotiations,” although Israel never officially recognized any resolution regarding its illegal occupation of Palestine.
The official Israeli stance rejects any full withdrawal from the occupied territories, including occupied Jerusalem, the Right of Return, and an independent sovereign Palestinian State.
Israel also still insists on what it calls “its right” to build and expand its illegal colonies in the occupied West Bank, including in and around occupied East Jerusalem, in direct violation of International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention to which Tel Aviv is a signatory.
18 may 2015
The European Union has threatened to impose economic and diplomatic sanctions against Israel if it does not resume peace talks with the Palestinians. According to Yedioth Ahranoth newspaper, the international community has renewed its interest in the Palestinian issue with EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini scheduled to arrive in Tel Aviv next week to meet with senior Israeli officials before visiting Ramallah to meet with senior Palestinians.
Mogherini will report on the results of her discussions at the EU foreign ministers' conference to be held in ten days' time. Several European foreign ministers will visit the region this month, including Norway's Borge Brende and Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The EU has often voiced its belief that Israel is mainly responsible for resuming the peace talks and should bear the consequences if the process does not go ahead. "The development of relations between the EU and both Israel and the Palestinians is linked to the extent of their commitment to the peace process," insists Brussels.
Some diplomatic circles believe that the EU has prepared a list of sanctions to be imposed on Israel based on a request from the EU parliament and Mogherini; debate about the issue has been delayed until after Mogherini's visit.
Following the recent formation of Israel's new coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, several international bodies have expressed their pessimism about the future of the peace process and even the two-state solution. US President Barack Obama has said that the new Israeli ministers do not believe in the two-state solution, and that achieving peace seems to have become a remote possibility.
Mogherini will report on the results of her discussions at the EU foreign ministers' conference to be held in ten days' time. Several European foreign ministers will visit the region this month, including Norway's Borge Brende and Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The EU has often voiced its belief that Israel is mainly responsible for resuming the peace talks and should bear the consequences if the process does not go ahead. "The development of relations between the EU and both Israel and the Palestinians is linked to the extent of their commitment to the peace process," insists Brussels.
Some diplomatic circles believe that the EU has prepared a list of sanctions to be imposed on Israel based on a request from the EU parliament and Mogherini; debate about the issue has been delayed until after Mogherini's visit.
Following the recent formation of Israel's new coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, several international bodies have expressed their pessimism about the future of the peace process and even the two-state solution. US President Barack Obama has said that the new Israeli ministers do not believe in the two-state solution, and that achieving peace seems to have become a remote possibility.
Palestinians denounce appointment of new interior minister, saying Shalom did not believe in the two-state solution.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has handed responsibility for any future peace talks with the Palestinians to his new Interior Minister Silvan Shalom, an official said Monday.
"The prime minister has charged Silvan Shalom with conducting in his name the negotiations with the Palestinians," the official said on condition of anonymity.
Shalom, a veteran member of Netanyahu's rightwing Likud party, will also be in charge of strategic dialogue with the United States, public radio said.
The nomination was denounced by the Palestinians who said Shalom did not believe in the two-state solution.
"He does not believe in a Palestinian state. He's against a two-state solution," an official from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) told AFP, asking not to be named.
"It's not an issue of names. It's an issue of policy."
Shalom served as foreign minister in 2003-2006, a period which covered the second Palestinian intifada and Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
The last Israeli minister in charge of negotiations was Tzipi Livni, the co-leader of the joint Zionist Union party, who served as justice minister until she and former finance minister Yair Lapid were fired by Netanyahu in December, triggering snap elections.
The position of foreign minister is now held by Netanyahu himself after the previous incumbent, Avigdor Lieberman, bolted coalition talks at the 11th hour, relinquishing the portfolio.
Netanyahu's new government, which was sworn in late last week, marks a shift to the right by giving increased prominence to Naftali Bennett's far-right Bayit Yehudi, which opposes a Palestinian state and strongly backs settlement activity.
The move looks likely to complicate Israel's already damaged relationship with the Palestinians and further strain ties with the international community.
Indirect US-led peace talks collapsed in April last year, with the relationship between the two sides severely strained, prompting the Palestinians to step up efforts on the international stage to seek their promised state.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has handed responsibility for any future peace talks with the Palestinians to his new Interior Minister Silvan Shalom, an official said Monday.
"The prime minister has charged Silvan Shalom with conducting in his name the negotiations with the Palestinians," the official said on condition of anonymity.
Shalom, a veteran member of Netanyahu's rightwing Likud party, will also be in charge of strategic dialogue with the United States, public radio said.
The nomination was denounced by the Palestinians who said Shalom did not believe in the two-state solution.
"He does not believe in a Palestinian state. He's against a two-state solution," an official from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) told AFP, asking not to be named.
"It's not an issue of names. It's an issue of policy."
Shalom served as foreign minister in 2003-2006, a period which covered the second Palestinian intifada and Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
The last Israeli minister in charge of negotiations was Tzipi Livni, the co-leader of the joint Zionist Union party, who served as justice minister until she and former finance minister Yair Lapid were fired by Netanyahu in December, triggering snap elections.
The position of foreign minister is now held by Netanyahu himself after the previous incumbent, Avigdor Lieberman, bolted coalition talks at the 11th hour, relinquishing the portfolio.
Netanyahu's new government, which was sworn in late last week, marks a shift to the right by giving increased prominence to Naftali Bennett's far-right Bayit Yehudi, which opposes a Palestinian state and strongly backs settlement activity.
The move looks likely to complicate Israel's already damaged relationship with the Palestinians and further strain ties with the international community.
Indirect US-led peace talks collapsed in April last year, with the relationship between the two sides severely strained, prompting the Palestinians to step up efforts on the international stage to seek their promised state.
After previous protest in Tel Aviv led to dozens of injuries and arrests, leader will meet on Rothschild for another protest at 3p.m.
Activists in Israel's Ethiopian community, who have already taken part in several major protests against racism and police brutality, will protest again Monday afternoon, this time meeting on Tel Aviv's Rothschild Boulevard at 3p.m.
Thousands are expected to be present for the protest and organizer Yayo Avraham said that he hopes that the police will resist using violence as during the last protest in Tel Aviv when dozens were wounded and arrested in Rabin Square. "From our side we will do everything to maintain peace and order." said Avraham. He added that several of those taking part in the protest have been assigned the duty of keeping the police and protesters separate.
Police Chief Yohanon Danino addressed the impending protest in a speech Monday morning at a conference of the Israel Bar Association in Eilat saying, "We have fruitful and production conversations that are meant to bring us together and strengthen us." Danino said that a project is currently underway to meet with some of the protesters in order to move forward with the closure of criminal cases. "7,400 young men and women are in the middle of this project, 1,000 of whom are members of the Ethiopian community," said Danino. "This is a policy that we must continue."
Danino also addressed the previous protest in Tel Aviv, saying, "They have complaints, some of which are justified." Danino continued to say that the only protest in which there was no violence was the one for which protesters were granted a proper permit. "The last two got completely out of control and we were had to use force in order to maintain law and order." In contradiction to Danino, Avraham said, "The violence the last time was most from the side of the police. We hope that today they'll let us march for dozens of years of discrimination. We aren't going to let them distract us with talk."
Avi Ya'alon, another organizer of the movement added that, "Our goal is to show that we're here and our movement will continue and isn't going anywhere. We aren't waiting for committees and statements; we've had enough of them, we'll be satisfied when we see results in reality."
Activists in Israel's Ethiopian community, who have already taken part in several major protests against racism and police brutality, will protest again Monday afternoon, this time meeting on Tel Aviv's Rothschild Boulevard at 3p.m.
Thousands are expected to be present for the protest and organizer Yayo Avraham said that he hopes that the police will resist using violence as during the last protest in Tel Aviv when dozens were wounded and arrested in Rabin Square. "From our side we will do everything to maintain peace and order." said Avraham. He added that several of those taking part in the protest have been assigned the duty of keeping the police and protesters separate.
Police Chief Yohanon Danino addressed the impending protest in a speech Monday morning at a conference of the Israel Bar Association in Eilat saying, "We have fruitful and production conversations that are meant to bring us together and strengthen us." Danino said that a project is currently underway to meet with some of the protesters in order to move forward with the closure of criminal cases. "7,400 young men and women are in the middle of this project, 1,000 of whom are members of the Ethiopian community," said Danino. "This is a policy that we must continue."
Danino also addressed the previous protest in Tel Aviv, saying, "They have complaints, some of which are justified." Danino continued to say that the only protest in which there was no violence was the one for which protesters were granted a proper permit. "The last two got completely out of control and we were had to use force in order to maintain law and order." In contradiction to Danino, Avraham said, "The violence the last time was most from the side of the police. We hope that today they'll let us march for dozens of years of discrimination. We aren't going to let them distract us with talk."
Avi Ya'alon, another organizer of the movement added that, "Our goal is to show that we're here and our movement will continue and isn't going anywhere. We aren't waiting for committees and statements; we've had enough of them, we'll be satisfied when we see results in reality."
While details remain under gag order, police chief Danino claims 'one of the biggest' investigations in Israel's history.
Israel police announced Monday morning that a massive investigation into central crime organizations led to the arrest of some 50 individuals. Police claimed that the arrests are connected to several of the worst murders that have happened over the last couple of years.
Police Chief Yohanan Danino spoke earlier in the morning at a conference of the Israel Bar Association in Eilat, stating that, "One of the biggest and most important investigations that Israel has ever conducted in the field of organized crime will be reported in the coming days." Danino said that he could not explain further as the issue remains largely under gag order.
In recent years, criminal organization were responsible for a series of serious incidents including killings and criminal attacks that rocked the country and remain unsolved to this day.
Danino praised the Israel Police saying, "We've seen a dramatic decrease in crime. Serious and organized crime as well as murders were at their lowest levels in two decades as were robberies and criminal shootings."
"You're not reading all of these things," said Danino. "Last week I read a headline: Every three days someone is murdered in Israel. In the subhead: The good news is that this is the lowest number in the last two decades." Danino said that the murder rate in the US is 4.5 times higher than Israel of every 1000 residents. During the last year, he said, there were even fewer murders in Israel than in Switzerland.
Danino also said that the effort against organized crime includes attacking funding of the criminals, an effort he says he's worked on his entire career. "Last year we laid our hands on NIS 434 million in the fight against criminals in Israel. We've invested a lot in serving the public."
"It's important for you to know that you have quality police," continued Danino. "For whoever wants, I'll show him the evidence outside. I all the evidence and it's enough for you to see the telephone calls I get from police chiefs around the world."
Israel police announced Monday morning that a massive investigation into central crime organizations led to the arrest of some 50 individuals. Police claimed that the arrests are connected to several of the worst murders that have happened over the last couple of years.
Police Chief Yohanan Danino spoke earlier in the morning at a conference of the Israel Bar Association in Eilat, stating that, "One of the biggest and most important investigations that Israel has ever conducted in the field of organized crime will be reported in the coming days." Danino said that he could not explain further as the issue remains largely under gag order.
In recent years, criminal organization were responsible for a series of serious incidents including killings and criminal attacks that rocked the country and remain unsolved to this day.
Danino praised the Israel Police saying, "We've seen a dramatic decrease in crime. Serious and organized crime as well as murders were at their lowest levels in two decades as were robberies and criminal shootings."
"You're not reading all of these things," said Danino. "Last week I read a headline: Every three days someone is murdered in Israel. In the subhead: The good news is that this is the lowest number in the last two decades." Danino said that the murder rate in the US is 4.5 times higher than Israel of every 1000 residents. During the last year, he said, there were even fewer murders in Israel than in Switzerland.
Danino also said that the effort against organized crime includes attacking funding of the criminals, an effort he says he's worked on his entire career. "Last year we laid our hands on NIS 434 million in the fight against criminals in Israel. We've invested a lot in serving the public."
"It's important for you to know that you have quality police," continued Danino. "For whoever wants, I'll show him the evidence outside. I all the evidence and it's enough for you to see the telephone calls I get from police chiefs around the world."
17 may 2015
Erdan urges PM to stop talking of building, and actually build in the capital, while Bennett tells world: 'Jerusalem is our soul, and you don't divide a soul'.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday night that Israel's answer to terrorist attacks aimed at its citizens should be to continue construction in Jerusalem.
"We are determined to go after the terrorists and stand against those who wish to harm us as a fortified wall," Netanyahu said at the annual Jerusalem Day ceremony at the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva. "And we have another decisive answer: We keep building in Jerusalem all the time, developing it and paving new roads to it," he added.
"Jerusalem is our eternal united capital. It will never be divided again," Netanyahu vowed, describing the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem as a "drama on a Biblical scale."
"Our feet are standing within thy gates, O Jerusalem; Jerusalem, that art builded as a city that is compact together," the prime minister said, quoting from Psalms 122. "Compact together and will never be divided again," he added. He promised "to continue protecting Jerusalem. To develop Jerusalem of below, and draw strength from Jerusalem of above, from Torah studying and from all of the spiritual treasures of the people of Israel."
Netanyahu also quoted Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook, who was among the first to arrive at the Western Wall on the day of Jerusalem's liberation in 1967 and was asked to make a radio address to mark the historic occasion, saying, "We have arrived and returned home, and we will never leave here!"
"From the days of the Bible and until this very day, Jerusalem has been the basis of our existence... Jews throughout the generations prayed for 'Next Year in Jerusalem'. The Prophet Isaiah made his prophecies here in Jerusalem. There are some among our enemies who say we are a foreign element. Have you heard that?! The Prophet Isaiah and King David were here 3,000 years ago. They prophesized here, reigned here, fought here - until the days of the Maccabees and later. We are not a foreign element! This is our land, and this is our city! This is how it has been and this is how it will continue to be!" the prime minister said.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett also vowed to never allow Jerusalem to be divided again. "To those who sit abroad and think there's some piece of real estate that is negotiable, we say: Jerusalem is the soul of the land of Israel, and you don't divide a soul!" Earlier in the evening, Bennett attended the traditional Jerusalem Day march to the Western Wall that ended with a ceremony. "Soon, in our time, Jews would be able to go up and pray on the Temple Mount, because the Temple Mount is ours," he said at the ceremony.
Likud MK Gilad Erdan, who chose not to join the fourth Netanyahu government, was also at the ceremony at the Western Wall. "The City of David, the Mount of Olives, the Old City, the Temple Mount - they will all remain in our hands forever," Erdan said. He also had a message to Netanyahu: "We need to build in Jerusalem. Not talk about building in Jerusalem, but actually build. Building in Jerusalem should not be a response to an event or a terror attack, it should be routine."
He expressed concern of the changes to the demographic balance in Jerusalem in recent years, saying current construction was not enough to meet the needs of the city's development.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday night that Israel's answer to terrorist attacks aimed at its citizens should be to continue construction in Jerusalem.
"We are determined to go after the terrorists and stand against those who wish to harm us as a fortified wall," Netanyahu said at the annual Jerusalem Day ceremony at the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva. "And we have another decisive answer: We keep building in Jerusalem all the time, developing it and paving new roads to it," he added.
"Jerusalem is our eternal united capital. It will never be divided again," Netanyahu vowed, describing the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem as a "drama on a Biblical scale."
"Our feet are standing within thy gates, O Jerusalem; Jerusalem, that art builded as a city that is compact together," the prime minister said, quoting from Psalms 122. "Compact together and will never be divided again," he added. He promised "to continue protecting Jerusalem. To develop Jerusalem of below, and draw strength from Jerusalem of above, from Torah studying and from all of the spiritual treasures of the people of Israel."
Netanyahu also quoted Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook, who was among the first to arrive at the Western Wall on the day of Jerusalem's liberation in 1967 and was asked to make a radio address to mark the historic occasion, saying, "We have arrived and returned home, and we will never leave here!"
"From the days of the Bible and until this very day, Jerusalem has been the basis of our existence... Jews throughout the generations prayed for 'Next Year in Jerusalem'. The Prophet Isaiah made his prophecies here in Jerusalem. There are some among our enemies who say we are a foreign element. Have you heard that?! The Prophet Isaiah and King David were here 3,000 years ago. They prophesized here, reigned here, fought here - until the days of the Maccabees and later. We are not a foreign element! This is our land, and this is our city! This is how it has been and this is how it will continue to be!" the prime minister said.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett also vowed to never allow Jerusalem to be divided again. "To those who sit abroad and think there's some piece of real estate that is negotiable, we say: Jerusalem is the soul of the land of Israel, and you don't divide a soul!" Earlier in the evening, Bennett attended the traditional Jerusalem Day march to the Western Wall that ended with a ceremony. "Soon, in our time, Jews would be able to go up and pray on the Temple Mount, because the Temple Mount is ours," he said at the ceremony.
Likud MK Gilad Erdan, who chose not to join the fourth Netanyahu government, was also at the ceremony at the Western Wall. "The City of David, the Mount of Olives, the Old City, the Temple Mount - they will all remain in our hands forever," Erdan said. He also had a message to Netanyahu: "We need to build in Jerusalem. Not talk about building in Jerusalem, but actually build. Building in Jerusalem should not be a response to an event or a terror attack, it should be routine."
He expressed concern of the changes to the demographic balance in Jerusalem in recent years, saying current construction was not enough to meet the needs of the city's development.
Speaking at memorial for Ethiopian Jews who died making their way to Israel, PM says he has set up a ministerial committee to eradicate racism.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at racism in Israeli society on Sunday, telling members of the Ethiopian community that there is no place for it in Israel.
Netanyahu was speaking at an official ceremony to mark a memorial day for the 4,000 Ethiopian Jews who died on their way to Israel. The Mount Herzl ceremony, which takes place on Jerusalem Day, was this year was punctuated by the protests by community members in recent weeks, over claims of a general discrimination, racism and police brutality.
"Two weeks ago I met with some of you," Netanyahu told those present. "It was an emotional meeting. Let me even say stirring. I heard complaints about racism, discrimination, deprivation and excess use of force, and of fear to walk down the street because of the color of your skin.
"I cannot accept this. Not in our country. Not in the Jewish state. I have set up a special ministerial committee to deal with these issues. One principle is clear: There is no place for racism and discrimination in our society."
Those who perished during the wave of Ethiopian immigration to Israel mostly died walking to Sudan or during the wait in refugee camps there.
Netanyahu said: "When I was a soldier walked many kilometers through the Negev and the Galilee, from sea to sea, but your journey was unparalleled. A journey of weeks and sometimes months; a journey of uncertainty." President Reuven Rivlin, who also spoke, said that Israel had not treated its Ethiopian community fairly.
"This year something happened. In recent weeks we have seen and heard all the cries of pain of Ethiopian Israelis," Rivlin said. "The protesters in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa have exposed an open wound, alive and bleeding inside Israeli society. It was the wound of a community uttering a heartfelt cry of discrimination, racism, insult and neglect.
"Israeli society erred in its treatment of Ethiopian Jewry. The State of Israel was mistaken in its reception and treatment of the members of the community over the years. We did not see, we did not do right, we did not pay enough attention. Israel cannot let its finest sons and daughters, discharged men and women soldiers, outstanding students, feel cut off and alienated."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at racism in Israeli society on Sunday, telling members of the Ethiopian community that there is no place for it in Israel.
Netanyahu was speaking at an official ceremony to mark a memorial day for the 4,000 Ethiopian Jews who died on their way to Israel. The Mount Herzl ceremony, which takes place on Jerusalem Day, was this year was punctuated by the protests by community members in recent weeks, over claims of a general discrimination, racism and police brutality.
"Two weeks ago I met with some of you," Netanyahu told those present. "It was an emotional meeting. Let me even say stirring. I heard complaints about racism, discrimination, deprivation and excess use of force, and of fear to walk down the street because of the color of your skin.
"I cannot accept this. Not in our country. Not in the Jewish state. I have set up a special ministerial committee to deal with these issues. One principle is clear: There is no place for racism and discrimination in our society."
Those who perished during the wave of Ethiopian immigration to Israel mostly died walking to Sudan or during the wait in refugee camps there.
Netanyahu said: "When I was a soldier walked many kilometers through the Negev and the Galilee, from sea to sea, but your journey was unparalleled. A journey of weeks and sometimes months; a journey of uncertainty." President Reuven Rivlin, who also spoke, said that Israel had not treated its Ethiopian community fairly.
"This year something happened. In recent weeks we have seen and heard all the cries of pain of Ethiopian Israelis," Rivlin said. "The protesters in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa have exposed an open wound, alive and bleeding inside Israeli society. It was the wound of a community uttering a heartfelt cry of discrimination, racism, insult and neglect.
"Israeli society erred in its treatment of Ethiopian Jewry. The State of Israel was mistaken in its reception and treatment of the members of the community over the years. We did not see, we did not do right, we did not pay enough attention. Israel cannot let its finest sons and daughters, discharged men and women soldiers, outstanding students, feel cut off and alienated."