25 feb 2016
By Dr. Mustafa al-Barghouti
Every time I accuse the Israeli Prime Minister with impudence, he becomes more impudent. He reached a new level of impudence when he demanded the removal of all settlements, which is considered illegal by all international laws – an ethnic cleansing.
Natenyahu’s best technique is to lie and repeat lies in order to be believed.
This is not a new strategy, as several dictators, fascists, and racist regimes used this method before, but they could not stop the truth from rising.
Everybody knows that the major ethnic cleansing took place in the region by Zionist gangs who forced over 70% of Palestinians to leave their homeland in 1948. Natenyahu cannot hide the truth of completing this cleansing against Palestinians in the valleys, around Jerusalem, and several areas in Hebron, most known is Susya village.
He also cannot deny that this army destroyed Al-Araqeeb village in Naqab over a hundred times. In addition to that, legions expelled us from the resistance villages like Bab-Shams, Ahfad Younis, Al Manateer, and Win Hijleh, although we built those villages on Palestinian lands.
Natenyahu’s government cannot justify banning people of Iqrit and Made Bir’im from returning to their homes despite them being Israeli nationals. There is no justification for banning people of Lifta, Emmaus, Yalu, and Beirut Nuba from the hope of returning to their destroyed villages.
400 Palestinian villages were destroyed by Israel who still wants to demolish more.
This is the most repulsive ethnic cleansing in the 20th century and resulted in over six million Palestinian refugees around the world being prevented from returning.
Natenyahu and the Israeli government can continue describing themselves as the only democracy in the region, and say that it respects Human rights while it is the victim.
However, this doesn’t disclaim the fact that Israel has the most longstanding occupation in recent history, as well as the most racist apartheid regime of this age.
Nevertheless, the historical experience of what happened in Palestine shows that the lax attitude with regards to falsifying history or overlooking it may turn Palestinians from victims into aggressors in the minds of those who are unaware of facts.
The Israeli media and its hermetic control helps in falsifying history, as it turns any lie told by Natenyahu or his ministers into propaganda and spreads it all over the world.
Two days ago, I had a look into a well-made handbook delivered to every Israeli passenger at the airport. It includes a very aggressive attack on the BDS movement and accuses it of anti-semetism.
It also accuses the Palestinians of corruption and terrorism as they fail at every attempt to attain peace.
The handbook invited every Israeli passenger to be a spokesman of the spread of propaganda in order to blacken the reputation of Palestinians, no matter to what party they belong to.
The shameful thing is that the author is Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid from the opposition, who claims to be moderate. In fact, we are facing a propagandist war against every Palestinian, and we have no choice but to stop it by confrontation and spreading the Palestinian version that relies on facts and information.
This can only achieve success if it its governed by an organized awareness campaign.
(This article was published in Arabic by Safed. It was translated into English by The Palestine Chronicle.)
Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi is the General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative.
Every time I accuse the Israeli Prime Minister with impudence, he becomes more impudent. He reached a new level of impudence when he demanded the removal of all settlements, which is considered illegal by all international laws – an ethnic cleansing.
Natenyahu’s best technique is to lie and repeat lies in order to be believed.
This is not a new strategy, as several dictators, fascists, and racist regimes used this method before, but they could not stop the truth from rising.
Everybody knows that the major ethnic cleansing took place in the region by Zionist gangs who forced over 70% of Palestinians to leave their homeland in 1948. Natenyahu cannot hide the truth of completing this cleansing against Palestinians in the valleys, around Jerusalem, and several areas in Hebron, most known is Susya village.
He also cannot deny that this army destroyed Al-Araqeeb village in Naqab over a hundred times. In addition to that, legions expelled us from the resistance villages like Bab-Shams, Ahfad Younis, Al Manateer, and Win Hijleh, although we built those villages on Palestinian lands.
Natenyahu’s government cannot justify banning people of Iqrit and Made Bir’im from returning to their homes despite them being Israeli nationals. There is no justification for banning people of Lifta, Emmaus, Yalu, and Beirut Nuba from the hope of returning to their destroyed villages.
400 Palestinian villages were destroyed by Israel who still wants to demolish more.
This is the most repulsive ethnic cleansing in the 20th century and resulted in over six million Palestinian refugees around the world being prevented from returning.
Natenyahu and the Israeli government can continue describing themselves as the only democracy in the region, and say that it respects Human rights while it is the victim.
However, this doesn’t disclaim the fact that Israel has the most longstanding occupation in recent history, as well as the most racist apartheid regime of this age.
Nevertheless, the historical experience of what happened in Palestine shows that the lax attitude with regards to falsifying history or overlooking it may turn Palestinians from victims into aggressors in the minds of those who are unaware of facts.
The Israeli media and its hermetic control helps in falsifying history, as it turns any lie told by Natenyahu or his ministers into propaganda and spreads it all over the world.
Two days ago, I had a look into a well-made handbook delivered to every Israeli passenger at the airport. It includes a very aggressive attack on the BDS movement and accuses it of anti-semetism.
It also accuses the Palestinians of corruption and terrorism as they fail at every attempt to attain peace.
The handbook invited every Israeli passenger to be a spokesman of the spread of propaganda in order to blacken the reputation of Palestinians, no matter to what party they belong to.
The shameful thing is that the author is Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid from the opposition, who claims to be moderate. In fact, we are facing a propagandist war against every Palestinian, and we have no choice but to stop it by confrontation and spreading the Palestinian version that relies on facts and information.
This can only achieve success if it its governed by an organized awareness campaign.
(This article was published in Arabic by Safed. It was translated into English by The Palestine Chronicle.)
Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi is the General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative.
24 sept 2016
Hila Korach came to film a segment in the ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem neighborhood and was attacked by youths. Korach claims she and her crew were surrounded, and that eggs and water-filled bags were thrown at them.
Hila Korach, a morning show presenter with Channel 2 (Israel's largest commercial television channel) was attacked in the ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shearim on Wednesday by a group of ultra-Orthodox teenagers. "I'm simply traumatized," Korach told Ynet, "(They) threw eggs at us, water bags, and called for us to die, I felt danger."
Korach was there for a filming session aimed at an educational project unrelated to her everyday work. She came to the very conservative neighborhood in modest garb, accompanied by a film crew and security guards. After filming for about an hour, a number of ultra-Orthodox youths gathered around the group and asked them to leave.
Korach was there for a filming session aimed at an educational project unrelated to her everyday work. She came to the very conservative neighborhood in modest garb, accompanied by a film crew and security guards. After filming for about an hour, a number of ultra-Orthodox youths gathered around the group and asked them to leave.
Hila Korach, a morning show presenter with Channel 2 (Israel's largest commercial television channel) was attacked in the ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shearim on Wednesday by a group of ultra-Orthodox teenagers. "I'm simply traumatized," Korach told Ynet, "(They) threw eggs at us, water bags, and called for us to die, I felt danger."
Korach was there for a filming session aimed at an educational project unrelated to her everyday work. She came to the very conservative neighborhood in modest garb, accompanied by a film crew and security guards. After filming for about an hour, a number of ultra-Orthodox youths gathered around the group and asked them to leave.
Korach was there for a filming session aimed at an educational project unrelated to her everyday work. She came to the very conservative neighborhood in modest garb, accompanied by a film crew and security guards. After filming for about an hour, a number of ultra-Orthodox youths gathered around the group and asked them to leave.
Tunisian journalists issued a statement under the title “journalists against normalization,” in which they declared their strong rejection of normalization with Israel.
The statement came after a non-official Tunisian delegation visited Occupied Jerusalem and Palestine at the invitation of PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
The statement considered the visit as normalization with Israel especially that visiting occupied Jerusalem could only be under Israeli coordination.
Such a visit would provide a legitimacy to the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem, the statement said. "Visiting our (Palestinian) brothers in Occupied Jerusalem and supporting their steadfastness could never justify normalization with Israel," according to the statement.
The statement came after a non-official Tunisian delegation visited Occupied Jerusalem and Palestine at the invitation of PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
The statement considered the visit as normalization with Israel especially that visiting occupied Jerusalem could only be under Israeli coordination.
Such a visit would provide a legitimacy to the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem, the statement said. "Visiting our (Palestinian) brothers in Occupied Jerusalem and supporting their steadfastness could never justify normalization with Israel," according to the statement.
22 sept 2016
Handing out food donations to those in need
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services cancels plans to distribute food vouchers, each worth 375 NIS, to 10,000 of the poorest families in the country, due to a complaint of improper governance filed by the Latet non-profit and claims that the initiative will not reach its goal; in response, the ministry decided to open the initiative up for a bid, meaning the offered assistance will be delayed by several months.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services has canceled a project titled "the National Initiative for Nutritional Security," which was formed to supply 10,000 impoverished families in Israel with food vouchers, each worth NIS 375 ahead of Rosh Hashanah.
The decision came following a complaint launched by the non-profit Latet (To Give), which raised a questions into possible improper governance regarding the initiative. As a result, the ministry decided to halt its plan of providing NIS 38 million to some of the poorest people in Israel before the Jewish new year.
According to a national report from February 2014, 18.8% of families, amounting to some 243,000 families, suffer from "nutritional insecurity," defined as irregular access to an adequate amount of food that allows for a healthy and active lifestyle. According to the National Insurance Institute,10.2% of families in Israel suffer light-to-moderate nutritional insecurity and 8.6% suffer from a severe level of nutritional insecurity.
After years of governmental neglect, in 2014 the National Nutritional Security Council submitted its recommendations regarding the matter, detailing a plan that would cost half a billion shekels per year.
Almost two years after the initial report came out, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, led by Haim Katz (Likud), announced its plan to begin implementing the recommendations without setting up a tender, deciding instead to work with two non-profits, Ruach Tova (Eshel Jerusalem) and Leket Israel (the National Food Bank). The ministry was due to supply the project with NIS 18, while the non-profits were to match it with an additional NIS 18 million. Another NIS 2 million were slated to come from local municipalities, adding up to 38 million NIS. The initiative was supposed to operate in 32 different municipalities during the High Holy Days.
Setting up such a project without a tender requires a ministry to submit a request to be absolved of this process and to publicize its intention to do so, which allows the public to submit any complaints on the matter. This is indeed what happened, as another aforementioned major non-profit, Latet, voiced its official objection to the process citing a long list of reasons as to why such a project would be inefficient in achieving its goals.
Latet, which itself aims to provide assistance to weakened communities, soon became the target of a counterattack with one of those involved in the project asking, "How can a non-profit looking to assist weakened populations be the one stopping them from receiving food and money?"
Following Latet's complaint, the ministry has now begun working on a tender, which will effectively push the project into 2017, beyond the High Holy Days season.
Latet responded to the postponement by saying, "Our positions were already accepted by the chairperson of the National Nutritional Security Council Steering Commission that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services director general has assigned to deal with this matter. If they would have acted along these lines, thousands of additional families could have been helped, instead of throwing away NIS 10 million, which might have happened by giving out the vouchers. It is the minister of social affairs and social services who is postponing this initiative.
As evidence, not one shekel of the NIS 25 million promised for 2016 has reached the field, and the ministry is intending to use most of that money during 2017. The NIS 17 or 25 million could only count for 1% of the NIS 1.5 billion that are needed annually. Rather than deal with social spins, the Social Affairs and Social Services minister should make good on his word to provide NIS 100 million NIS to the budget to help battle nutritional insecurity, tell the public how he plans on taking full responsibility for the problem and reduce poverty in Israel."
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services cancels plans to distribute food vouchers, each worth 375 NIS, to 10,000 of the poorest families in the country, due to a complaint of improper governance filed by the Latet non-profit and claims that the initiative will not reach its goal; in response, the ministry decided to open the initiative up for a bid, meaning the offered assistance will be delayed by several months.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services has canceled a project titled "the National Initiative for Nutritional Security," which was formed to supply 10,000 impoverished families in Israel with food vouchers, each worth NIS 375 ahead of Rosh Hashanah.
The decision came following a complaint launched by the non-profit Latet (To Give), which raised a questions into possible improper governance regarding the initiative. As a result, the ministry decided to halt its plan of providing NIS 38 million to some of the poorest people in Israel before the Jewish new year.
According to a national report from February 2014, 18.8% of families, amounting to some 243,000 families, suffer from "nutritional insecurity," defined as irregular access to an adequate amount of food that allows for a healthy and active lifestyle. According to the National Insurance Institute,10.2% of families in Israel suffer light-to-moderate nutritional insecurity and 8.6% suffer from a severe level of nutritional insecurity.
After years of governmental neglect, in 2014 the National Nutritional Security Council submitted its recommendations regarding the matter, detailing a plan that would cost half a billion shekels per year.
Almost two years after the initial report came out, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, led by Haim Katz (Likud), announced its plan to begin implementing the recommendations without setting up a tender, deciding instead to work with two non-profits, Ruach Tova (Eshel Jerusalem) and Leket Israel (the National Food Bank). The ministry was due to supply the project with NIS 18, while the non-profits were to match it with an additional NIS 18 million. Another NIS 2 million were slated to come from local municipalities, adding up to 38 million NIS. The initiative was supposed to operate in 32 different municipalities during the High Holy Days.
Setting up such a project without a tender requires a ministry to submit a request to be absolved of this process and to publicize its intention to do so, which allows the public to submit any complaints on the matter. This is indeed what happened, as another aforementioned major non-profit, Latet, voiced its official objection to the process citing a long list of reasons as to why such a project would be inefficient in achieving its goals.
Latet, which itself aims to provide assistance to weakened communities, soon became the target of a counterattack with one of those involved in the project asking, "How can a non-profit looking to assist weakened populations be the one stopping them from receiving food and money?"
Following Latet's complaint, the ministry has now begun working on a tender, which will effectively push the project into 2017, beyond the High Holy Days season.
Latet responded to the postponement by saying, "Our positions were already accepted by the chairperson of the National Nutritional Security Council Steering Commission that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services director general has assigned to deal with this matter. If they would have acted along these lines, thousands of additional families could have been helped, instead of throwing away NIS 10 million, which might have happened by giving out the vouchers. It is the minister of social affairs and social services who is postponing this initiative.
As evidence, not one shekel of the NIS 25 million promised for 2016 has reached the field, and the ministry is intending to use most of that money during 2017. The NIS 17 or 25 million could only count for 1% of the NIS 1.5 billion that are needed annually. Rather than deal with social spins, the Social Affairs and Social Services minister should make good on his word to provide NIS 100 million NIS to the budget to help battle nutritional insecurity, tell the public how he plans on taking full responsibility for the problem and reduce poverty in Israel."
21 sept 2016
At what is likely to be their last meeting before Obama leaves office in January, the US president and Israeli PM met in New York. Obama, while hoping that his country will pave a path to Israeli-Palestinian peace, clarified that he wouldn't be launching any new peace initiatives personally.
US President Barack Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations on Wednesday in what is likely their last meeting before Obama leaves office in January.
At the start of their meeting on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly, Obama told reporters the United States still hoped to help pave a path to Israeli-Palestinian peace. He added that the conversation would bring up Syria and the condition of the West Bank.
Before the meeting, White House advisor Ben Rhodes said that the president would express his concern over construction in the West Bank and clarify that he would not launch a new peace initiative before leaving office.
Obama said a $38 billion US military assistance deal for Israel would ensure that Israel's military has the full capabilities it needs during a time of great uncertainty.
Obama says Netanyahu has "always been candid" with the US.
The president did not press Netanyahu over Israeli settlement construction as reporters were allowed in briefly for the start of their meeting. Despite this, a US official did add that Obama raised the "corrosive" effect that the settlements have on the peace process.
Netanyahu says Israelis will never give up on the goal of peace. He says Obama will continue to be an influential voice after he leaves office.
US President Barack Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations on Wednesday in what is likely their last meeting before Obama leaves office in January.
At the start of their meeting on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly, Obama told reporters the United States still hoped to help pave a path to Israeli-Palestinian peace. He added that the conversation would bring up Syria and the condition of the West Bank.
Before the meeting, White House advisor Ben Rhodes said that the president would express his concern over construction in the West Bank and clarify that he would not launch a new peace initiative before leaving office.
Obama said a $38 billion US military assistance deal for Israel would ensure that Israel's military has the full capabilities it needs during a time of great uncertainty.
Obama says Netanyahu has "always been candid" with the US.
The president did not press Netanyahu over Israeli settlement construction as reporters were allowed in briefly for the start of their meeting. Despite this, a US official did add that Obama raised the "corrosive" effect that the settlements have on the peace process.
Netanyahu says Israelis will never give up on the goal of peace. He says Obama will continue to be an influential voice after he leaves office.
Diplomatic battle comes after two high-profile instances of international aid and resources being used to directly benefit Hamas; 'We will not relent until the UN and other aid organizations begin to track and follow every dollar that enters the Gaza Strip,' says Israel's ambassador to the UN.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon has announced earlier this week a diplomatic offensive to prevent international financial assistance to the Palestinians from falling into the hands of Hamas.
Speaking to reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Danon cited repeated instances of humanitarian aid being diverted to help build Hamas’ terror infrastructure.
“The UN and other international organizations must put an immediate end to the exploitation of their funds and resources by Hamas,” Danon said. “We will not relent until the UN and other aid organizations begin to track and follow every dollar that enters the Gaza Strip.”
Danon’s briefing was timed to coincide with the annual donor conference for the Palestinian Authority and came one month after a Palestinian employee of the World Vision NGO and a Palestinian employee of Gaza’s UN Development Program were found to have transferred significant amounts of aid to Hamas.
“Israel welcomes the contributions of the donor countries and places great importance on these efforts,” said Danon.
Danon also noted that he has asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon for assistance in creating oversight mechanisms to prevent such transfers from recurring, but Ban’s office told Tazpit Press Service (TPS) that the world body has sufficient controls in place.
“The UN has safeguards in place to track all the aid money it distributes, in Gaza and elsewhere,” Ban Ki-Moon’s office told TPS via email. “We will continue to follow this particular investigation and will respond accordingly.”
Danon also contacted World Vision, UNRWA, the Red Cross, USAID, AMIDEAST, Mercy Corps, International Orthodox Christian Charities, EU Humanitarian Aid and Development Department (ECHO), Germany’s International Aid Agency (GIZ) and the Norwegian Refugee Council, asking them all to improve the level of internal oversight in the provision of humanitarian aid.
“The UN and other international organizations must put an immediate end to the exploitation of their funds and resources by Hamas,” Danon insisted. “The international community cannot continue to believe that it is funding greenhouses while its money is really going towards digging tunnels and purchasing weapons.”
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon has announced earlier this week a diplomatic offensive to prevent international financial assistance to the Palestinians from falling into the hands of Hamas.
Speaking to reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Danon cited repeated instances of humanitarian aid being diverted to help build Hamas’ terror infrastructure.
“The UN and other international organizations must put an immediate end to the exploitation of their funds and resources by Hamas,” Danon said. “We will not relent until the UN and other aid organizations begin to track and follow every dollar that enters the Gaza Strip.”
Danon’s briefing was timed to coincide with the annual donor conference for the Palestinian Authority and came one month after a Palestinian employee of the World Vision NGO and a Palestinian employee of Gaza’s UN Development Program were found to have transferred significant amounts of aid to Hamas.
“Israel welcomes the contributions of the donor countries and places great importance on these efforts,” said Danon.
Danon also noted that he has asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon for assistance in creating oversight mechanisms to prevent such transfers from recurring, but Ban’s office told Tazpit Press Service (TPS) that the world body has sufficient controls in place.
“The UN has safeguards in place to track all the aid money it distributes, in Gaza and elsewhere,” Ban Ki-Moon’s office told TPS via email. “We will continue to follow this particular investigation and will respond accordingly.”
Danon also contacted World Vision, UNRWA, the Red Cross, USAID, AMIDEAST, Mercy Corps, International Orthodox Christian Charities, EU Humanitarian Aid and Development Department (ECHO), Germany’s International Aid Agency (GIZ) and the Norwegian Refugee Council, asking them all to improve the level of internal oversight in the provision of humanitarian aid.
“The UN and other international organizations must put an immediate end to the exploitation of their funds and resources by Hamas,” Danon insisted. “The international community cannot continue to believe that it is funding greenhouses while its money is really going towards digging tunnels and purchasing weapons.”
18 sept 2016
One in five Israeli citizens suffers from food insecurity as a result of economic difficulties, according to the results of a survey conducted by 'Latet,' (To Give). Other data accumulated by the National Insurance Institute shows that 100,000 families (approximately 400,000 people) suffer from food insecurity in Israel.
The survey was conducted among 500 respondents and revealed that 20% did not eat balanced meals in the last year due to economic hardship, while 14% indicated that the amount of food they bought was insufficient, but lacked the money to purchase more.
The survey also found that 78% of the public view the government as the responsible entity for alleviating poverty, while 66% believe that actually dealing with poverty has little-to-no national priority. This opinion is more widespread among the secular and traditional population segments, as well as those with higher education.
In a survey conducted by the Rotem Institute for advanced market research, the public also gave scores on a 1-10 scale for decision makers. The minister of finance and minister of social affairs and services both received failing scores for their perceived inept handling of poverty. Minister of Welfare and Social Services Haim Katz received a score of 3.9, Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon received a score of 4.4 and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was ranked the lowest at just 2.9.
Officials in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Services strongly criticized the report and survey, saying they "question the reliability of the message and the credibility of the survey. This is an organization full of economic interests, some of which aren't even related to wanting to help those in need."
In February 2014, the National Insurance Institute issued a NIS 500 million plan and a series of recommendations on how to resolve the problem of poverty. In recent months, more than two years after submitting the recommendations, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Services has been promoting an experimental plan to combat the issue. However, only NIS 40 million has been utilized and gone toward 10,000 families.
Latet recently held an exhibit dubbed "the unattainable meal," which will continue in Rabin Square until September 24th. The organization released a statement about the display saying, "The exhibit is designed to visualize the fact that for hundreds of thousands of families in Israel, even a basic meal or holiday dinner is not often affordable in light of the economic situation. The aim of the campaign is to raise public awareness and change the situation."
The survey was conducted among 500 respondents and revealed that 20% did not eat balanced meals in the last year due to economic hardship, while 14% indicated that the amount of food they bought was insufficient, but lacked the money to purchase more.
The survey also found that 78% of the public view the government as the responsible entity for alleviating poverty, while 66% believe that actually dealing with poverty has little-to-no national priority. This opinion is more widespread among the secular and traditional population segments, as well as those with higher education.
In a survey conducted by the Rotem Institute for advanced market research, the public also gave scores on a 1-10 scale for decision makers. The minister of finance and minister of social affairs and services both received failing scores for their perceived inept handling of poverty. Minister of Welfare and Social Services Haim Katz received a score of 3.9, Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon received a score of 4.4 and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was ranked the lowest at just 2.9.
Officials in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Services strongly criticized the report and survey, saying they "question the reliability of the message and the credibility of the survey. This is an organization full of economic interests, some of which aren't even related to wanting to help those in need."
In February 2014, the National Insurance Institute issued a NIS 500 million plan and a series of recommendations on how to resolve the problem of poverty. In recent months, more than two years after submitting the recommendations, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Services has been promoting an experimental plan to combat the issue. However, only NIS 40 million has been utilized and gone toward 10,000 families.
Latet recently held an exhibit dubbed "the unattainable meal," which will continue in Rabin Square until September 24th. The organization released a statement about the display saying, "The exhibit is designed to visualize the fact that for hundreds of thousands of families in Israel, even a basic meal or holiday dinner is not often affordable in light of the economic situation. The aim of the campaign is to raise public awareness and change the situation."
15 sept 2016
Israel’s war minister, Avigdor Lieberman, ordered the military institution to blackball United Nations Mideast envoy Nickolay Mladenov in retaliation for the agency’s criticism of Israeli illegal settlements, Channel 2 reported Wednesday.
War Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered staff to boycott Mladenov, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, and refuse to work with him.
Mladenov drew fire from Israeli officials following a briefing to the UN Security Council last week in which he pummeled Israel for a surge in its illegal West Bank settlement building while demolishing Palestinian homes.
He slammed Lieberman’s policy of “the stick and the carrot” which makes part of a preplanned scheme of collective punishment against the Palestinians. Member of the Israeli opposition Tzipi Livni dubbed Lieberman’s decision a threat to the security and interests of Israel.
War Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered staff to boycott Mladenov, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, and refuse to work with him.
Mladenov drew fire from Israeli officials following a briefing to the UN Security Council last week in which he pummeled Israel for a surge in its illegal West Bank settlement building while demolishing Palestinian homes.
He slammed Lieberman’s policy of “the stick and the carrot” which makes part of a preplanned scheme of collective punishment against the Palestinians. Member of the Israeli opposition Tzipi Livni dubbed Lieberman’s decision a threat to the security and interests of Israel.
