21 oct 2014
Professor Hillel Vice, a university lecturer at the Israeli Bar-IIan University, sparked a public outrage after he launched calls for wiping out the Palestinian people. Vice wrote on his Facebook page: “The liquidation of the Palestinian people is an unavoidable undertaking”, and “The Arab movements exist to kill and spread insanity.”
The Israeli Jerusalem Online newspaper on Monday quoted Vice, who did not express any regret, as claiming: “The fact that Abu Mazen (PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas) called us murderers on the UN General Assembly stage stirred up my wrath.”
Vice, currently serving as the chairman of the so-called Friends of the Temple, dubbed the Palestinian people as some insignificant minority.
“You are not a nation. You are an insignificant minority, the faster you leave Israel willingly, the better it will be for you,” Vice’s Facebook statement read verbatim.
The Israeli Jerusalem Online newspaper on Monday quoted Vice, who did not express any regret, as claiming: “The fact that Abu Mazen (PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas) called us murderers on the UN General Assembly stage stirred up my wrath.”
Vice, currently serving as the chairman of the so-called Friends of the Temple, dubbed the Palestinian people as some insignificant minority.
“You are not a nation. You are an insignificant minority, the faster you leave Israel willingly, the better it will be for you,” Vice’s Facebook statement read verbatim.
Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, a political bureau member of Hamas, arrived in Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning in the first such visit after end of the Israeli war on the enclave.
Quds Press quoted an official at the crossings terminal in Rafah as saying that Abu Marzouk, who is also in charge of the reconciliation file in Hamas, arrived on a previously undeclared visit.
This is the first visit for the senior Hamas leader, who is residing in Cairo, to Gaza after the war on the Strip ended almost two months ago.
Quds Press quoted an official at the crossings terminal in Rafah as saying that Abu Marzouk, who is also in charge of the reconciliation file in Hamas, arrived on a previously undeclared visit.
This is the first visit for the senior Hamas leader, who is residing in Cairo, to Gaza after the war on the Strip ended almost two months ago.
17 oct 2014
The Spanish Parliament is expected to discuss a proposal submitted by the Socialist Party to vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood within June 1967 borders.
Anadolu News Agency quoted a member of the Spanish Parliament, demanded not to be named, as saying that the parliament will discuss the proposal on Monday and set a date to hold a vote on the recognition of a Palestinian state.
"The time has come for the recognition of Palestine after three years of being recognized by the UN as a non-member observer state," spokeswoman for Spain's Socialist Party Trinidad Jiménez said Thursday.
The left-wing bloc in Spanish Parliament declared its total support for the proposal, stressing the importance of the recognition of Palestine to achieve peace in the Middle East.
The vote came following the British parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state on Monday.
Sweden, for its part, had declared its recognition of Palestine, making it the first European Union country to do so.
The Irish Parliament Thursday also discussed recognizing Palestine as an official state following the Swedish diplomatic recognition, according to Wafa news agency.
It said that a number of questions were directed to Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore regarding the country’s plans to recognize Palestine in a similar action taken by the Swedish parliament.
Gilmore affirmed during the session Ireland’s support for the Palestinian state, which should be fulfilled soon.
He confirmed that the Irish policies are designed to support peace agreements through negotiations, which proved fundamental to achieve such goal.
Gilmore then explained that political talks regarding a peaceful settlement must be carried out soon, a view expressed before during the Cairo Conference for reconstructing Gaza. He said that Ireland’s stance would continue to be evaluated with the European Union partners.
Anadolu News Agency quoted a member of the Spanish Parliament, demanded not to be named, as saying that the parliament will discuss the proposal on Monday and set a date to hold a vote on the recognition of a Palestinian state.
"The time has come for the recognition of Palestine after three years of being recognized by the UN as a non-member observer state," spokeswoman for Spain's Socialist Party Trinidad Jiménez said Thursday.
The left-wing bloc in Spanish Parliament declared its total support for the proposal, stressing the importance of the recognition of Palestine to achieve peace in the Middle East.
The vote came following the British parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state on Monday.
Sweden, for its part, had declared its recognition of Palestine, making it the first European Union country to do so.
The Irish Parliament Thursday also discussed recognizing Palestine as an official state following the Swedish diplomatic recognition, according to Wafa news agency.
It said that a number of questions were directed to Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore regarding the country’s plans to recognize Palestine in a similar action taken by the Swedish parliament.
Gilmore affirmed during the session Ireland’s support for the Palestinian state, which should be fulfilled soon.
He confirmed that the Irish policies are designed to support peace agreements through negotiations, which proved fundamental to achieve such goal.
Gilmore then explained that political talks regarding a peaceful settlement must be carried out soon, a view expressed before during the Cairo Conference for reconstructing Gaza. He said that Ireland’s stance would continue to be evaluated with the European Union partners.
16 oct 2014
The prominent American linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky warned, during a special meeting staged by the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, that the Israeli occupation would continue to tear up the Occupied West Bank and transform it into cantons as long as the U.S. provides it with the necessary back-up. More than 130 countries recognize the state of Palestine when they took the step in the General Assembly in November 2012, Chomsky said, pointing to the Swedish and British parliaments that had recently voted in favor of doing the same.
“The Swedish vote had broken the logjam for the West,” he declared. “While the British vote had not been a government decision, it reflected a shift in understanding and attitudes and could lead to a viable two-state settlement.”
On what the United States should do, he said that the country should have been called upon by its own citizens to conform to its own laws which barred sending weapons to any military units involved in consistent rights violations.
There wasn’t any doubt that the Israeli army was involved in such violations, Chomsky stated as he slammed the United States government for allowing tax-exempt United States organizations to carry out activities in the West Bank.
Chomsky hailed the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and reiterated hope that they will ultimately win the battle and regain their rights, just as Vietnamese and South Africans, among other ex-colonized peoples, did not long time ago.
“The Swedish vote had broken the logjam for the West,” he declared. “While the British vote had not been a government decision, it reflected a shift in understanding and attitudes and could lead to a viable two-state settlement.”
On what the United States should do, he said that the country should have been called upon by its own citizens to conform to its own laws which barred sending weapons to any military units involved in consistent rights violations.
There wasn’t any doubt that the Israeli army was involved in such violations, Chomsky stated as he slammed the United States government for allowing tax-exempt United States organizations to carry out activities in the West Bank.
Chomsky hailed the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and reiterated hope that they will ultimately win the battle and regain their rights, just as Vietnamese and South Africans, among other ex-colonized peoples, did not long time ago.
Israel's Deputy Prime Minister, Moshe Ya'alon, stated official Israeli government policy in an interview with Israel Hayom Newspaper on October 15th 2014. Please find below extracts from his answers:
- On the Palestinian State: "We need to free ourselves of the notion that everything boils down to only one option called a Palestinian state. As far as I am concerned let them call it the Palestinian Empire. I don't care. It is an autonomy if it is ultimately a demilitarized territory. That is not a status quo, it is the establishment of a modus vivendi that is tolerable and serves our interests".
- On the two-state solution: "Call it whatever you want. The political separation has already happened, and is a good thing. We are not controlling the lives of residents of Gaza or Judea and Samaria [i.e. Occupied West Bank]. This separation is important. I would encourage and reinforce governability, the economy and the residents' ability to live in dignity and economic comfort. But to derive something so black and white from that? State or no state? Let's put the terminology aside."
- On President Abbas: "He never said that he has given up on demanding refugee rights. So where can we go with him? He is a partner for discussion; a partner for managing the conflict. I am not looking for a solution, I am looking for a way to manage the conflict and maintain relations in a way that works for our interests."
- On Settlement freeze: "There is no construction freeze."
Link to the interview:
This is the official policy of the Israeli government coalition, a coalition which, in less than two years, has shown itself to be one of the most extreme in history. Mr. Ya'alon has confirmed that the Israeli government does not seek a two-state solution, but rather a way to manage the situation. This has always been, and remains, the line of Netanyahu's government. In stark contrast to the positions of Palestine and the entire international community, the ruling coalition in Israel has made clear that it has no intention of seeing an independent state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel. Rather, the Israeli government aims to consolidate the occupation that continues to control the lives of the Palestinian people.
The current Knesset coalition is made up of 68 members of Knesset (MK). At least 28 of them have clearly and unequivocally declared that they oppose the two-state solution. These are not the MKs with qualms about the repercussions of the two-state solution, or hesitations about implementation: they are, in principle, opposed to the existence of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Among the other 40 MKs, a large number, including PM Netanyahu himself, refuse to end the occupation of East Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley (even with the Palestinian-proposed compromise of an international security presence), and refuse to allow Palestinian control over their own borders, air space, maritime borders, electromagnetic sphere and natural resources, including water.
These 28 MKs are the cornerstone of the Netanyahu coalition. While the PM may be able to say anything he likes about his diplomatic aspirations, the political reality is that any steps in the direction of a two-state solution will topple the coalition. This is the coalition Mr. Netanyahu selected, and is the one which represents his own ideological commitments. It was this Prime Minister who attempted to justify the Israeli occupation in his latest UN speech by arguing a religious right over Palestine: "The people of Israel are not occupiers in the Land of Israel. History, archeology and common sense all make clear that we have had a singular attachment to this land for over 3,000 years." In the same address delivered at the 69th UN General Debate, Mr. Netanyahu never mentioned the two-state solution, negotiations or the peace process.
The world has to assume its responsibility and support Palestinian diplomatic initiatives for peace by setting a deadline to end the occupation and recognizing the State of Palestine on the 1967 border. As a logical translation of international law and consensus, the international community should also ban all settlement products, divest from companies and organizations linked directly or indirectly with the Israeli occupation and hold Israel accountable for its ongoing violations of UN resolutions, international law and human rights. The world cannot continue acting as if it is not aware of this one indisputable fact: The Israeli Government does not want peace based on a two-state solution.
- On the Palestinian State: "We need to free ourselves of the notion that everything boils down to only one option called a Palestinian state. As far as I am concerned let them call it the Palestinian Empire. I don't care. It is an autonomy if it is ultimately a demilitarized territory. That is not a status quo, it is the establishment of a modus vivendi that is tolerable and serves our interests".
- On the two-state solution: "Call it whatever you want. The political separation has already happened, and is a good thing. We are not controlling the lives of residents of Gaza or Judea and Samaria [i.e. Occupied West Bank]. This separation is important. I would encourage and reinforce governability, the economy and the residents' ability to live in dignity and economic comfort. But to derive something so black and white from that? State or no state? Let's put the terminology aside."
- On President Abbas: "He never said that he has given up on demanding refugee rights. So where can we go with him? He is a partner for discussion; a partner for managing the conflict. I am not looking for a solution, I am looking for a way to manage the conflict and maintain relations in a way that works for our interests."
- On Settlement freeze: "There is no construction freeze."
Link to the interview:
This is the official policy of the Israeli government coalition, a coalition which, in less than two years, has shown itself to be one of the most extreme in history. Mr. Ya'alon has confirmed that the Israeli government does not seek a two-state solution, but rather a way to manage the situation. This has always been, and remains, the line of Netanyahu's government. In stark contrast to the positions of Palestine and the entire international community, the ruling coalition in Israel has made clear that it has no intention of seeing an independent state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel. Rather, the Israeli government aims to consolidate the occupation that continues to control the lives of the Palestinian people.
The current Knesset coalition is made up of 68 members of Knesset (MK). At least 28 of them have clearly and unequivocally declared that they oppose the two-state solution. These are not the MKs with qualms about the repercussions of the two-state solution, or hesitations about implementation: they are, in principle, opposed to the existence of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Among the other 40 MKs, a large number, including PM Netanyahu himself, refuse to end the occupation of East Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley (even with the Palestinian-proposed compromise of an international security presence), and refuse to allow Palestinian control over their own borders, air space, maritime borders, electromagnetic sphere and natural resources, including water.
These 28 MKs are the cornerstone of the Netanyahu coalition. While the PM may be able to say anything he likes about his diplomatic aspirations, the political reality is that any steps in the direction of a two-state solution will topple the coalition. This is the coalition Mr. Netanyahu selected, and is the one which represents his own ideological commitments. It was this Prime Minister who attempted to justify the Israeli occupation in his latest UN speech by arguing a religious right over Palestine: "The people of Israel are not occupiers in the Land of Israel. History, archeology and common sense all make clear that we have had a singular attachment to this land for over 3,000 years." In the same address delivered at the 69th UN General Debate, Mr. Netanyahu never mentioned the two-state solution, negotiations or the peace process.
The world has to assume its responsibility and support Palestinian diplomatic initiatives for peace by setting a deadline to end the occupation and recognizing the State of Palestine on the 1967 border. As a logical translation of international law and consensus, the international community should also ban all settlement products, divest from companies and organizations linked directly or indirectly with the Israeli occupation and hold Israel accountable for its ongoing violations of UN resolutions, international law and human rights. The world cannot continue acting as if it is not aware of this one indisputable fact: The Israeli Government does not want peace based on a two-state solution.
Israeli Member of Knesset (MK) Miri Regev of the Likud Party of Benjamin Netanyahu called for firing Arab (MK) Dr. Ahmad Tibi from the Knesset, and to strip him from his privileges.
Regev said that MK Tibi, of the Arab Movement for Change, flew to London “to convince British legislators to vote in favor of recognizing a Palestinian State”.
On his Facebook page, Dr. Tibi responded to Regev’s statements in a satirical manner by saying: “I swear to God I asked her to take her meds regularly, three times a day.”
Dr. Tibi added that, unlike the hostile statements of Regev, he would not demand dismissing her from the Knesset, as she represents the true nature of Israel’s extremist right wing polices.
Regev’s statements are not an isolated issue, as many Israeli politicians are known for their extreme ideology against Arabs in the country, and Palestinians in general.
On Monday, Israeli MK of the fundamentalist Israel Our Home Party, Alex Miller, said that MK Tibi is only a “puppet” for the Palestinian Authority (P.A.), adding that the stances of Tibi “would only delay the possibilities of reaching an agreement with the Palestinians."
On July 7, the Israeli MK of the fundamentalist Jewish Home Party called for killing all Palestinian mothers because, according to her ‘logic’, “they give birth to snakes and terrorists”.
She said, “All Palestinian mothers should be killed; their homes should be demolished so that they cannot give birth to any more terrorists,” adding, “all of them are enemies of Israel, including the mothers of dead terrorists; their blood should be on our hands.”
There are various current and former members of Knesset, ministers and officials, who openly call for removing all Arabs and Palestinians from the country.
Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, frequently made such statements when he served as a member of the Knesset, and a "Minister of Strategic Affairs", and repeatedly said that Arabs and Palestinians are a strategic threat to Israel, and should be expelled to Arab countries.
His statements referred to all Arab citizens of Israel, and all Palestinians living in the occupied territories.
Regev said that MK Tibi, of the Arab Movement for Change, flew to London “to convince British legislators to vote in favor of recognizing a Palestinian State”.
On his Facebook page, Dr. Tibi responded to Regev’s statements in a satirical manner by saying: “I swear to God I asked her to take her meds regularly, three times a day.”
Dr. Tibi added that, unlike the hostile statements of Regev, he would not demand dismissing her from the Knesset, as she represents the true nature of Israel’s extremist right wing polices.
Regev’s statements are not an isolated issue, as many Israeli politicians are known for their extreme ideology against Arabs in the country, and Palestinians in general.
On Monday, Israeli MK of the fundamentalist Israel Our Home Party, Alex Miller, said that MK Tibi is only a “puppet” for the Palestinian Authority (P.A.), adding that the stances of Tibi “would only delay the possibilities of reaching an agreement with the Palestinians."
On July 7, the Israeli MK of the fundamentalist Jewish Home Party called for killing all Palestinian mothers because, according to her ‘logic’, “they give birth to snakes and terrorists”.
She said, “All Palestinian mothers should be killed; their homes should be demolished so that they cannot give birth to any more terrorists,” adding, “all of them are enemies of Israel, including the mothers of dead terrorists; their blood should be on our hands.”
There are various current and former members of Knesset, ministers and officials, who openly call for removing all Arabs and Palestinians from the country.
Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, frequently made such statements when he served as a member of the Knesset, and a "Minister of Strategic Affairs", and repeatedly said that Arabs and Palestinians are a strategic threat to Israel, and should be expelled to Arab countries.
His statements referred to all Arab citizens of Israel, and all Palestinians living in the occupied territories.
15 oct 2014
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is seeking to advance a new Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative that would forestall the Palestinians’ application to the UN Security Council to demand an end to the occupation, Haaretz said Wednesday. To this end, senior Israeli officials said, Kerry has asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whether he would be willing to resume negotiations on the basis of the 1967 borderlines.
Haaretz quoted Israeli officials as stating: “The U.S. fears that once the Palestinian initiative gets rolling, it will snowball and end any hope of resuming peace talks in the coming years.”
Though it has already told the Palestinians it will veto the resolution, it would rather not have to do so, especially at a time when it is recruiting Arabs to join its military coalition against Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria, the same source added.
Two weeks ago, Kerry met with Netanyahu in New York and said he thought it was still possible to forestall the Palestinian bid. But he said his impression from his talks with Abbas a few days earlier was that the only way to do so was to offer a substantive alternative
“I don't think Palestinians and Israelis are ready for a final divorce,” Kerry said as he urged the Israeli PM to hold talks on '67 lines to block Palestinian UN bid.
A senior Israeli official said Netanyahu didn't reject Kerry's ideas out of hand, but answered only in general terms, leaving the impression that he wasn't enthusiastic about them.
Haaretz quoted Israeli officials as stating: “The U.S. fears that once the Palestinian initiative gets rolling, it will snowball and end any hope of resuming peace talks in the coming years.”
Though it has already told the Palestinians it will veto the resolution, it would rather not have to do so, especially at a time when it is recruiting Arabs to join its military coalition against Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria, the same source added.
Two weeks ago, Kerry met with Netanyahu in New York and said he thought it was still possible to forestall the Palestinian bid. But he said his impression from his talks with Abbas a few days earlier was that the only way to do so was to offer a substantive alternative
“I don't think Palestinians and Israelis are ready for a final divorce,” Kerry said as he urged the Israeli PM to hold talks on '67 lines to block Palestinian UN bid.
A senior Israeli official said Netanyahu didn't reject Kerry's ideas out of hand, but answered only in general terms, leaving the impression that he wasn't enthusiastic about them.
The minister of Israeli occupation army, Moshe Ya'alon stated Wednesday that no Palestinian state will be established in the West Bank, but a disarmed self-governed authority. He explained in an interview with Hebrew newspaper that Israeli occupation keeps full security control over the air and ground of the West Bank, "Israel does not seek a solution with Palestinians, but tries to manage the conflict," he said.
Ya'alon stressed that President Mahmud Abbas is not a partner in peacemaking but a part of conflict management, noting that Abbas did not recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Ya'alon: Palestinians will have autonomy not a state
Israeli war minister Moshe Ya'alon renewed in an interview with Israel Hayom paper on Wednesday his total rejection to the establishment of a Palestinian state, calling instead for Palestinian self-rule on a demilitarized territory. “We need to free ourselves of the notion that everything boils down to only one option called a Palestinian State. As far as I am concerned let them call it the Palestinian Empire. I don't care. It is an autonomy on a demilitarized territory”, according to his statements.
“The other side [Palestinians] doesn't think that 1967 borders will be the end of the story, and they never said that it would be the end of the story. To them it is merely a stage; it is not about establishing a state, but rather destroying the Jewish state and negating its existence”, he claimed, saying that PA President Mahmoud Abbas is not a partner for peace; he is a partner in managing the conflict.
“Abbas has never said that he recognizes us as the nation state of the Jewish people”, he added.
On the other hand, Ya’alon said that “The issuance of construction permits in the West Bank has been cut down due to sensitivity concerns,” in reference to US and European pressures.
Ya’alon’s statements came in light of European growing solidarity with the Palestinian cause most recently was the British parliament’s symbolic recognition of Palestine.
Ya'alon stressed that President Mahmud Abbas is not a partner in peacemaking but a part of conflict management, noting that Abbas did not recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Ya'alon: Palestinians will have autonomy not a state
Israeli war minister Moshe Ya'alon renewed in an interview with Israel Hayom paper on Wednesday his total rejection to the establishment of a Palestinian state, calling instead for Palestinian self-rule on a demilitarized territory. “We need to free ourselves of the notion that everything boils down to only one option called a Palestinian State. As far as I am concerned let them call it the Palestinian Empire. I don't care. It is an autonomy on a demilitarized territory”, according to his statements.
“The other side [Palestinians] doesn't think that 1967 borders will be the end of the story, and they never said that it would be the end of the story. To them it is merely a stage; it is not about establishing a state, but rather destroying the Jewish state and negating its existence”, he claimed, saying that PA President Mahmoud Abbas is not a partner for peace; he is a partner in managing the conflict.
“Abbas has never said that he recognizes us as the nation state of the Jewish people”, he added.
On the other hand, Ya’alon said that “The issuance of construction permits in the West Bank has been cut down due to sensitivity concerns,” in reference to US and European pressures.
Ya’alon’s statements came in light of European growing solidarity with the Palestinian cause most recently was the British parliament’s symbolic recognition of Palestine.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Tuesday that any recognition of Palestine as a state must be "helpful to peace" as part of a two-state solution, and not just symbolic.
A day after British lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to recognize Palestine as a state in a highly symbolic and non-binding vote, Fabius said France would do so only "when the time is right."
"From the moment that we say there must be two states (Israel and Palestine), there will be a need for recognition of the Palestinian state, that goes without saying," Fabius told the lower house National Assembly.
"The only question is what are the procedures and how to be most effective. What we want is not a symbolic issue but to be helpful to peace."
Fabius suggested that the "right time" he was referring to could come when all attempts at negotiation had been exhausted.
The debate follows the collapse of peace talks between Israel and Palestine and this year's conflict in Gaza in which more than 2,000 Palestinians and dozens of Israelis, mostly soldiers, were killed.
The British vote came after Sweden announced it would recognize a new Palestinian state, a move criticized by Israel and the United States.
According to an AFP count, at least 112 countries around the world have recognized a Palestinian state. A Palestinian count puts the number at 134.
A day after British lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to recognize Palestine as a state in a highly symbolic and non-binding vote, Fabius said France would do so only "when the time is right."
"From the moment that we say there must be two states (Israel and Palestine), there will be a need for recognition of the Palestinian state, that goes without saying," Fabius told the lower house National Assembly.
"The only question is what are the procedures and how to be most effective. What we want is not a symbolic issue but to be helpful to peace."
Fabius suggested that the "right time" he was referring to could come when all attempts at negotiation had been exhausted.
The debate follows the collapse of peace talks between Israel and Palestine and this year's conflict in Gaza in which more than 2,000 Palestinians and dozens of Israelis, mostly soldiers, were killed.
The British vote came after Sweden announced it would recognize a new Palestinian state, a move criticized by Israel and the United States.
According to an AFP count, at least 112 countries around the world have recognized a Palestinian state. A Palestinian count puts the number at 134.
14 oct 2014
Israel Labor Party Chairman and Opposition leader Isaac Herzog considered the UK parliament's decision to recognize the Palestinian state a resounding failure for Israel.
He blamed on Tuesday Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu , saying that " it is another failure in the path set by Netanyahu and Avigdor Liberman the Israeli foreign minister .
"A cold wind is blowing toward Israel from every corner of the world, yet the prime minister and foreign minister refuse to face the facts, and are bringing a harsh diplomatic storm upon us,” he said.
He noted that if he were the prime minister, he would embrace the initiative of Egyptian President Fattah Abdel Sissi with both hands.
The British parliament voted Monday in favor of the non-binding motion in a majority vote of 274-12.
He blamed on Tuesday Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu , saying that " it is another failure in the path set by Netanyahu and Avigdor Liberman the Israeli foreign minister .
"A cold wind is blowing toward Israel from every corner of the world, yet the prime minister and foreign minister refuse to face the facts, and are bringing a harsh diplomatic storm upon us,” he said.
He noted that if he were the prime minister, he would embrace the initiative of Egyptian President Fattah Abdel Sissi with both hands.
The British parliament voted Monday in favor of the non-binding motion in a majority vote of 274-12.
The British parliament voted Monday in favor of a non-binding motion to recognize the state of Palestine, in a majority vote of 274-12, adding to the momentum launched by Sweden to recognize Palestinian statehood. The vote by Britain’s House of Commons 274-12 in favor of the symbolic motion stands as initial stage of UK recognition of a Palestinian state.
The Conservative Party and the government's ministers abstained from participating in the debate.
Government ministers abstained on the vote, on a motion put forward by Labor MP Grahame Morris.
"If the vote is a success it would put a tremendous amount of pressure on the current government and the next government, which is likely to be a Labor government, to recognize Palestine as a state," Morris said.
"The UK recognizing Palestine could give decisive momentum to more EU states following suit," he said.
"Recognition now would be a clear and legitimate message that Britain and others recognize Palestinian rights and that the illegal settlement enterprise has no validity," he added.
Britain reserved the right to recognize Palestine when it is "appropriate for the peace process".
“Israel is losing the battle for public opinion in Britain,” a statement published by the Huffington Post read.
Gone is the rose-tinted vision of Israel as an island of democracy in a sea of irrational and violent Arabs. Gone is the belief that Israel wants to negotiate, if only it could find a partner to talk to. Gone, too, is the notion that there is symmetry in this conflict, which this is a battle between equal forces, the statement proceeded.
Monday's vote in parliament to recognize Palestine as a state does not therefore come out of the blue. Neither did the largest ever demonstration seen in Britain on this conflict during the recent Gaza war, nor did the resignation of the Foreign Office minister Lady Warsi, the highest placed British politician yet to resign over the UK's "morally indefensible" stance over Gaza, the same source added.
Warsi was no George Galloway, a figure on the political fringe. She remains a mainstream politician who was courted by the two other political parties after her resignation, Huffington Post maintained, adding: “Therefore her plea in the Observer on Sunday to recognize the state of Palestine carries political as well as moral force.
“There is a lack of political will and our moral compass is missing," the former Foreign Office minister, Warsi, told the Observer. "There are no negotiations; there is no show in town. Somehow we have to breathe new life into these negotiations, and one of the ways we can do that is by recognizing the state of Palestine.”
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki has lauded the Monday vote and thanked members of the British House of Commons, describing the gesture – which is non-binding on the U.K. government – as a "rectification of the historical injustice which has deemed Palestinians a people without a land."
The top Palestinian diplomat went on to urge the British government to recognize the State of Palestine.
"Palestine expects the British government to recognize the Palestinian State in line with the decision by the British people's representatives," he added.
Meanwhile, Yitzhak Herzog, head of Israel’s center-left Labor party, said the vote represented “another resounding failure by Netanyahu”.
“Israel keeps getting slammed with a continued spate of criticism from every corner of the earth and fails to realize that a huge political storm is approaching,” Herzog said, in remarks quoted by Israel’s Mako.co.il online news service.
The Conservative Party and the government's ministers abstained from participating in the debate.
Government ministers abstained on the vote, on a motion put forward by Labor MP Grahame Morris.
"If the vote is a success it would put a tremendous amount of pressure on the current government and the next government, which is likely to be a Labor government, to recognize Palestine as a state," Morris said.
"The UK recognizing Palestine could give decisive momentum to more EU states following suit," he said.
"Recognition now would be a clear and legitimate message that Britain and others recognize Palestinian rights and that the illegal settlement enterprise has no validity," he added.
Britain reserved the right to recognize Palestine when it is "appropriate for the peace process".
“Israel is losing the battle for public opinion in Britain,” a statement published by the Huffington Post read.
Gone is the rose-tinted vision of Israel as an island of democracy in a sea of irrational and violent Arabs. Gone is the belief that Israel wants to negotiate, if only it could find a partner to talk to. Gone, too, is the notion that there is symmetry in this conflict, which this is a battle between equal forces, the statement proceeded.
Monday's vote in parliament to recognize Palestine as a state does not therefore come out of the blue. Neither did the largest ever demonstration seen in Britain on this conflict during the recent Gaza war, nor did the resignation of the Foreign Office minister Lady Warsi, the highest placed British politician yet to resign over the UK's "morally indefensible" stance over Gaza, the same source added.
Warsi was no George Galloway, a figure on the political fringe. She remains a mainstream politician who was courted by the two other political parties after her resignation, Huffington Post maintained, adding: “Therefore her plea in the Observer on Sunday to recognize the state of Palestine carries political as well as moral force.
“There is a lack of political will and our moral compass is missing," the former Foreign Office minister, Warsi, told the Observer. "There are no negotiations; there is no show in town. Somehow we have to breathe new life into these negotiations, and one of the ways we can do that is by recognizing the state of Palestine.”
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki has lauded the Monday vote and thanked members of the British House of Commons, describing the gesture – which is non-binding on the U.K. government – as a "rectification of the historical injustice which has deemed Palestinians a people without a land."
The top Palestinian diplomat went on to urge the British government to recognize the State of Palestine.
"Palestine expects the British government to recognize the Palestinian State in line with the decision by the British people's representatives," he added.
Meanwhile, Yitzhak Herzog, head of Israel’s center-left Labor party, said the vote represented “another resounding failure by Netanyahu”.
“Israel keeps getting slammed with a continued spate of criticism from every corner of the earth and fails to realize that a huge political storm is approaching,” Herzog said, in remarks quoted by Israel’s Mako.co.il online news service.
11 oct 2014
Kerry to call for revived peace talks
A delegation of Palestinian officials left the West Bank for Jordan, en route to Cairo, early Saturday, to participate in the previously scheduled international donor conference for the Gaza Strip. Additionally, US Secretary of State John Kerry is to call for a revival of the collapsed Israeli-Palestinian peace process, when he attends the conference, on Sunday.
"The issue in question is very delicate, and requires all Palestinian efforts in order to support the government so it can rebuild what the (Israeli) occupation has ruined in the Gaza Strip," Ehab Bessaiso, the spokesman for the unity government, was quoted by Ma'an to say.
Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa, Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, Finance Minister Shukri Bishara, and Minister of Agriculture and Social Affairs Shawqi al-Ayasa are on the delegation team.
Gaza-based members of the delegation -- Minister of Public Works Mufid Hasayna and Minister of Labor Mamoun Abu Shahla -- are meeting the group in Egypt, via the Rafah crossing, Bseiso also stated.
According to Mr. Bessaiso , who also joined the delegation, the Palestinian Authority had submitted a $4 billion reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip.
"We hope the international community will provide this money," he said, adding that Palestinians also need the international community to guarantee that Israel opens border crossings in Gaza, to allow construction materials into the Strip.
Furthermore, the unity government would work "tirelessly" to make that happen, he said.
The Israeli assault on Gaza killed nearly 2,200 Palestinians, this summer, the vast majority of whom were civilians, while attacks by Gaza militants killed 73 on the Israeli side, overwhelmingly soldiers.
Israel's so-called "Operation Protective Edge" also destroyed or severely damaged some 18,000 houses, leaving 108,000 Palestinians homeless, according to UNOCHA.
Meetings with Egyptian officials are set to be held before Sunday's official conference.
In related news, US Secretary of State John Kerry will reportedly call for a revival of the collapsed Israeli-Palestinian peace process on Sunday, while attending the international conference, American officials said.
Kerry and 30 of his counterparts are to convene in Cairo alongside United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is said to be seeking $1.6 billion in aid to rebuild the region.
He is also to meet with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, having last met at the UN General Assembly in September, according to State Department officials:
"You will hear the secretary reaffirm the commitment of the United States to helping the parties achieve a negotiated two-state solution and our willingness to re-engage in the negotiations and help facilitate successful negotiations.
"More broadly we are interested in sort of breaking the cycle we have been in in the last six years of war and reconstruction there," an official was quoted by AFP to have said.
Direct negotiations began in July of 2013 between Israel and the Palestinians in a US-brokered setting between the two parties. Over the course of the talks, Israeli officials announced their plans to build thousands of additional homes in illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank, inhibiting the flow of the proceedings and sparking global outrage.
The Palestinian negotiating team resigned in protest, in mid-November, with the Netanyahu regime later making quite clear its position on peace with the Palestinians, when the Israeli PM, during a meeting with young Likud supporters, boasted of his settlement building achievements:
“I was threatened in Washington: ‘not one brick’ [of settlement construction] … after five years, we built a little more than one brick…” he said, as quoted by +972 online magazine.
Asked “about peace talks with the Palestinians,” he reportedly replied, “about the – what?” to which his audience responded with laughter.
According to AFP, critics have charged that peace negotiations are used by Israel as a cover for continued settlement building and military occupation, highlighting that the number of settler units under construction increases during negotiations, while violence against Palestinians remains steadfast.
A delegation of Palestinian officials left the West Bank for Jordan, en route to Cairo, early Saturday, to participate in the previously scheduled international donor conference for the Gaza Strip. Additionally, US Secretary of State John Kerry is to call for a revival of the collapsed Israeli-Palestinian peace process, when he attends the conference, on Sunday.
"The issue in question is very delicate, and requires all Palestinian efforts in order to support the government so it can rebuild what the (Israeli) occupation has ruined in the Gaza Strip," Ehab Bessaiso, the spokesman for the unity government, was quoted by Ma'an to say.
Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa, Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, Finance Minister Shukri Bishara, and Minister of Agriculture and Social Affairs Shawqi al-Ayasa are on the delegation team.
Gaza-based members of the delegation -- Minister of Public Works Mufid Hasayna and Minister of Labor Mamoun Abu Shahla -- are meeting the group in Egypt, via the Rafah crossing, Bseiso also stated.
According to Mr. Bessaiso , who also joined the delegation, the Palestinian Authority had submitted a $4 billion reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip.
"We hope the international community will provide this money," he said, adding that Palestinians also need the international community to guarantee that Israel opens border crossings in Gaza, to allow construction materials into the Strip.
Furthermore, the unity government would work "tirelessly" to make that happen, he said.
The Israeli assault on Gaza killed nearly 2,200 Palestinians, this summer, the vast majority of whom were civilians, while attacks by Gaza militants killed 73 on the Israeli side, overwhelmingly soldiers.
Israel's so-called "Operation Protective Edge" also destroyed or severely damaged some 18,000 houses, leaving 108,000 Palestinians homeless, according to UNOCHA.
Meetings with Egyptian officials are set to be held before Sunday's official conference.
In related news, US Secretary of State John Kerry will reportedly call for a revival of the collapsed Israeli-Palestinian peace process on Sunday, while attending the international conference, American officials said.
Kerry and 30 of his counterparts are to convene in Cairo alongside United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is said to be seeking $1.6 billion in aid to rebuild the region.
He is also to meet with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, having last met at the UN General Assembly in September, according to State Department officials:
"You will hear the secretary reaffirm the commitment of the United States to helping the parties achieve a negotiated two-state solution and our willingness to re-engage in the negotiations and help facilitate successful negotiations.
"More broadly we are interested in sort of breaking the cycle we have been in in the last six years of war and reconstruction there," an official was quoted by AFP to have said.
Direct negotiations began in July of 2013 between Israel and the Palestinians in a US-brokered setting between the two parties. Over the course of the talks, Israeli officials announced their plans to build thousands of additional homes in illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank, inhibiting the flow of the proceedings and sparking global outrage.
The Palestinian negotiating team resigned in protest, in mid-November, with the Netanyahu regime later making quite clear its position on peace with the Palestinians, when the Israeli PM, during a meeting with young Likud supporters, boasted of his settlement building achievements:
“I was threatened in Washington: ‘not one brick’ [of settlement construction] … after five years, we built a little more than one brick…” he said, as quoted by +972 online magazine.
Asked “about peace talks with the Palestinians,” he reportedly replied, “about the – what?” to which his audience responded with laughter.
According to AFP, critics have charged that peace negotiations are used by Israel as a cover for continued settlement building and military occupation, highlighting that the number of settler units under construction increases during negotiations, while violence against Palestinians remains steadfast.
9 oct 2014
The Palestinian Unity Cabinet arrived in Gaza, Thursday, led by Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah and a number of other Palestinian officials, to hold its first meeting since its formation last June.
According to the Palestinian News Network (PNN), the meeting was set to be held in president Mahmoud Abbas’ residence, between Fateh and Hamas officials.
Salim Saqqa, Minister of Justice, said that Palestinian Authority members and their delegation arrived in Gaza through Beit Hanoun checkpoint after receiving their permits, where they were officially welcomed by Gaza officials.
A press conference was held upon the cabinet's arrival into Gaza, during which PM Hamdallah was quoted as saying, "The years of strife between us and the rift between the Palestinian factions are behind us, and the government is embarking on the mission to restore life in the Strip, to their right track."
The meeting aimed to discuss rebuilding Gaza, and to call upon international assistance of $4 million.
According to the Palestinian News Network (PNN), the meeting was set to be held in president Mahmoud Abbas’ residence, between Fateh and Hamas officials.
Salim Saqqa, Minister of Justice, said that Palestinian Authority members and their delegation arrived in Gaza through Beit Hanoun checkpoint after receiving their permits, where they were officially welcomed by Gaza officials.
A press conference was held upon the cabinet's arrival into Gaza, during which PM Hamdallah was quoted as saying, "The years of strife between us and the rift between the Palestinian factions are behind us, and the government is embarking on the mission to restore life in the Strip, to their right track."
The meeting aimed to discuss rebuilding Gaza, and to call upon international assistance of $4 million.
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PNN further reports that Hamdallah and his cabinet ministers toured several areas in the Strip, mainly those areas heavily damaged after the Israeli assault, including Al-Shuja'eyya neighborhood.
Hamdallah's schedule included a meeting with the deputy leader of Hamas' political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in his home at the A-Shata refugee camp, and to precede a general discussion between government officials of the situation in the Strip. Following this was scheduled a meeting between the ministers and Palestinian businessmen expected to take part in reconstruction projects, as well as long-term investments. Hamdallah will make additional tours across the Gaza Strip, on Friday, mainly in its southern areas, and will then leave to Cairo through the Rafah checkpoint. |
The Palestinian Authority (PA), Israel and the UN have reached an agreement on certain mechanisms for initiating reconstruction efforts and solving the problem of salaries in the besieged Gaza Strip, an informed Palestinian source stated on Wednesday. The source told Anadolu news agency on condition of anonymity that the agreement determines how building materials could be sent to Gaza and used for reconstruction under UN supervision.
The source affirmed that the coming days would see a large influx of construction materials into Gaza, noting that a donor conference on Gaza reconstruction would be held next Sunday.
The parties also agreed on starting to pay the salaries of civil servants during the coming days and designating the UN to be responsible for transferring the needed funds to Gaza through the official banks there.
The salaries of Gaza civil servants, about 30,000 individuals, will be financed initially by Qatar for three months to come, and then a permanent fund, financed by donor countries, will be established for them, according to the informed source.
The source affirmed that the coming days would see a large influx of construction materials into Gaza, noting that a donor conference on Gaza reconstruction would be held next Sunday.
The parties also agreed on starting to pay the salaries of civil servants during the coming days and designating the UN to be responsible for transferring the needed funds to Gaza through the official banks there.
The salaries of Gaza civil servants, about 30,000 individuals, will be financed initially by Qatar for three months to come, and then a permanent fund, financed by donor countries, will be established for them, according to the informed source.
8 oct 2014
Deputy head of Hamas's political bureau Ismail Haneyya on Tuesday met with envoy of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Kamal Al-Sharafi and ministers from the unity government in Gaza. Haneyya discussed with Sharafi issues related to the national reconciliation and welcomed the meeting the government intends to hold next Thursday in Gaza.
The Hamas official stressed the need for contributing to the success of the conference on Gaza reconstruction to be held soon in Cairo.
The Hamas official stressed the need for contributing to the success of the conference on Gaza reconstruction to be held soon in Cairo.