7 apr 2015
Fatah member describes proposal as a possible 'backdoor' for negotiations, saying 'all actors, including the Americans, now realize that all other ways have been explored, without success'.
The French government has seen a window of opportunity, following recent elections in Israel, to get the United States on board for a renewed effort towards an Israeli-Palestinian settlement, and is preparing a draft UN Security Council resolution.
The draft would define the pre-1967 borders as a reference point for talks but allow room for exchanges of territory, designate Jerusalem as the capital of both Israel and a Palestinian state and call for a fair solution for Palestinian refugees.
The French proposal also includes a requirement for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a "Jewish state," the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas informed the Executive Committee of the PLO. That recognition is an Israeli demand that Abbas has rejected in the past.
The French effort will be based on three steps: first French diplomats will present a draft resolution to the UN Security Council, a step which requires US acquiescence that it will not exercise its veto; second an international peace conference will be held; and the third step will be for France, along with other European allies, to recognize an independent Palestinian state built on the 1967 borders.
Abbas said at the PLO meeting: "We do not need more decisions that then fail to be implemented. It is known that we have 12 resolutions passed by the Security Council, including resolutions endorsed by America, but despite these calls for de-colonization no progress has been made." He went on to reiterate his refusal to recognize Israel as a "Jewish state."
Paris is working together with Washington in order to provide cover for new efforts to reach a peace agreement. The French are also seeking to raise support from their European neighbors and from Arab countries.
“While the substance of the French draft may not differ much from past failed efforts to revive Mideast peace talks, France is hoping this time to avoid a US veto at the UNSC because of increasing American frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” Nabil Shaath, a senior official of the Fatah Central Committee, told The Media Line. Fatah is the Palestinian faction that controls the Palestinian Authority.
Shaath described a possible "backdoor" for negotiations presently and said "all actors, including the Americans, now realize that all other ways have been explored, without success."
After Netanyahu's election win and tough campaign comments against Palestinian statehood, the White House said it would re-evaluate its approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The French official praised the "pretty clear message sent by the Americans." The resolution would aim at presenting a framework for negotiations towards resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Shaath said “France is working with the US to gain backing for the new peace effort. France is also seeking support from European and Arab partners”. He declined “to provide more details on the possible sticking points in the negotiations. The weight of a Security Council resolution, which is legally binding, would add to international pressure on Israel.”
Even if a new resolution were to avoid a US veto and win UN backing, its prospects are unclear. Israel remains opposed to returning to the pre-1967 borders and insists that any peace process should include recognition of a Jewish state.
“If we want to have a two-state solution, and if we want to avoid a complete crash, we must go in the same direction,” the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, told reporters at the United Nations on Friday morning. “I hope the partners who were reluctant in the past will not be so in future.”
Mr. Fabius declined to say how soon France would bring up a draft measure before the Council. Fabius said, “We shall work in that direction, yes — our aim is to be efficient.” But he said France would consult with other Council members “in the coming days” over a framework for negotiations. Doing so is likely to put pressure on the White House to act.
The French government circulated a draft late in 2014 that would have laid out what are known as parameters for talks between the two sides in the Middle East conflict, and would have set a deadline for completing the talks. The Obama administration was reluctant to support that draft, especially with a general election in Israel approaching.
Shaath said the draft resolution will be based on previous international resolutions passed by Arab and European countries. He also said he expects that other major European powers, such as Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy, will join France in recognizing a state of Palestine, based on the 1967 borders, at the end of this diplomatic process.
The French draft decision is based on UN Resolution 181, published on November 29, 1947, which provided for the establishment of two separate states, one Jewish and one Arab, often called the partition plan. Israel accepted the deal which would have created an independent Palestinian state on 52 percent of historic Palestine. The current proposals which call for an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, would create a Palestinian state on 22 percent of the area.
Hale Fahoum, Palestinian ambassador to Paris, told The Media Line that the Palestinian Authority views the French move as positive but was waiting to see details of the final version before the Palestinians would give their full approval.
Fahoum said the French would use the pre-1967 borders as a framework to research a route for a new practical border, a border which could take into account changes for mutual land swaps. The French proposal also keeps the door open to discussions on "Jerusalem as the capital of two states," and calls for "a just solution" for Palestinian refugees.
Last year, the UNSC rejected a Palestinian resolution demanding an end to "Israeli occupation" within three years. The US opposed that draft, stating that Palestinian statehood can only be achieved through negotiations with Israel, not through an imposed timetable.
When asked how Palestinians would react if the US was to veto the proposal, Fahoum stated simply, "The Palestinian leadership has nothing left to lose."
The French government has seen a window of opportunity, following recent elections in Israel, to get the United States on board for a renewed effort towards an Israeli-Palestinian settlement, and is preparing a draft UN Security Council resolution.
The draft would define the pre-1967 borders as a reference point for talks but allow room for exchanges of territory, designate Jerusalem as the capital of both Israel and a Palestinian state and call for a fair solution for Palestinian refugees.
The French proposal also includes a requirement for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a "Jewish state," the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas informed the Executive Committee of the PLO. That recognition is an Israeli demand that Abbas has rejected in the past.
The French effort will be based on three steps: first French diplomats will present a draft resolution to the UN Security Council, a step which requires US acquiescence that it will not exercise its veto; second an international peace conference will be held; and the third step will be for France, along with other European allies, to recognize an independent Palestinian state built on the 1967 borders.
Abbas said at the PLO meeting: "We do not need more decisions that then fail to be implemented. It is known that we have 12 resolutions passed by the Security Council, including resolutions endorsed by America, but despite these calls for de-colonization no progress has been made." He went on to reiterate his refusal to recognize Israel as a "Jewish state."
Paris is working together with Washington in order to provide cover for new efforts to reach a peace agreement. The French are also seeking to raise support from their European neighbors and from Arab countries.
“While the substance of the French draft may not differ much from past failed efforts to revive Mideast peace talks, France is hoping this time to avoid a US veto at the UNSC because of increasing American frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” Nabil Shaath, a senior official of the Fatah Central Committee, told The Media Line. Fatah is the Palestinian faction that controls the Palestinian Authority.
Shaath described a possible "backdoor" for negotiations presently and said "all actors, including the Americans, now realize that all other ways have been explored, without success."
After Netanyahu's election win and tough campaign comments against Palestinian statehood, the White House said it would re-evaluate its approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The French official praised the "pretty clear message sent by the Americans." The resolution would aim at presenting a framework for negotiations towards resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Shaath said “France is working with the US to gain backing for the new peace effort. France is also seeking support from European and Arab partners”. He declined “to provide more details on the possible sticking points in the negotiations. The weight of a Security Council resolution, which is legally binding, would add to international pressure on Israel.”
Even if a new resolution were to avoid a US veto and win UN backing, its prospects are unclear. Israel remains opposed to returning to the pre-1967 borders and insists that any peace process should include recognition of a Jewish state.
“If we want to have a two-state solution, and if we want to avoid a complete crash, we must go in the same direction,” the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, told reporters at the United Nations on Friday morning. “I hope the partners who were reluctant in the past will not be so in future.”
Mr. Fabius declined to say how soon France would bring up a draft measure before the Council. Fabius said, “We shall work in that direction, yes — our aim is to be efficient.” But he said France would consult with other Council members “in the coming days” over a framework for negotiations. Doing so is likely to put pressure on the White House to act.
The French government circulated a draft late in 2014 that would have laid out what are known as parameters for talks between the two sides in the Middle East conflict, and would have set a deadline for completing the talks. The Obama administration was reluctant to support that draft, especially with a general election in Israel approaching.
Shaath said the draft resolution will be based on previous international resolutions passed by Arab and European countries. He also said he expects that other major European powers, such as Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy, will join France in recognizing a state of Palestine, based on the 1967 borders, at the end of this diplomatic process.
The French draft decision is based on UN Resolution 181, published on November 29, 1947, which provided for the establishment of two separate states, one Jewish and one Arab, often called the partition plan. Israel accepted the deal which would have created an independent Palestinian state on 52 percent of historic Palestine. The current proposals which call for an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, would create a Palestinian state on 22 percent of the area.
Hale Fahoum, Palestinian ambassador to Paris, told The Media Line that the Palestinian Authority views the French move as positive but was waiting to see details of the final version before the Palestinians would give their full approval.
Fahoum said the French would use the pre-1967 borders as a framework to research a route for a new practical border, a border which could take into account changes for mutual land swaps. The French proposal also keeps the door open to discussions on "Jerusalem as the capital of two states," and calls for "a just solution" for Palestinian refugees.
Last year, the UNSC rejected a Palestinian resolution demanding an end to "Israeli occupation" within three years. The US opposed that draft, stating that Palestinian statehood can only be achieved through negotiations with Israel, not through an imposed timetable.
When asked how Palestinians would react if the US was to veto the proposal, Fahoum stated simply, "The Palestinian leadership has nothing left to lose."
6 apr 2015
Member of Hamas political bureau Mousa Abu Marzouk underwent a successful surgery in Heart Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in Doha, Qatar.
In a press statement posted to his Facebook page on Monday, Abu Marzouk thanked Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Qatari Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Qahtani as well as Qatari Medical teams for their care.
Abu Marzouk mentioned that he received a phone call from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to check on him.
The Hamas senior official Abu Marzouk also thanked Hamas leaders along with all those who showed concern and care about him during his stay in hospital.
In a press statement posted to his Facebook page on Monday, Abu Marzouk thanked Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Qatari Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Qahtani as well as Qatari Medical teams for their care.
Abu Marzouk mentioned that he received a phone call from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to check on him.
The Hamas senior official Abu Marzouk also thanked Hamas leaders along with all those who showed concern and care about him during his stay in hospital.
Member of Hamas's political bureau Ziyad al-Zaza said that his Movement talks with the Israeli occupation only through its resistance weapon and its truce with it was never real.
During a political symposium held on Sunday by the information office of Hamas in Gaza, Zaza scoffed at what Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas recently claimed that Hamas wanted to establish a state in the Sinai or with temporary borders, describing his remarks in this regards as a form of "psychological projection."
In another context, the Hamas official talked about the Swish document of proposals to solve the problem of unpaid civil servants in Gaza, affirming that his Movement agreed on the general principles and main points of the document.
He said that the most prominent points of the document which the Movement had been opposed to were about the early retirement and the security screening of the civil servants, affirming that the employees' right to job security cannot be conceded.
The official noted that his Movement is awaiting a response from the unity government on the Swiss document.
During a political symposium held on Sunday by the information office of Hamas in Gaza, Zaza scoffed at what Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas recently claimed that Hamas wanted to establish a state in the Sinai or with temporary borders, describing his remarks in this regards as a form of "psychological projection."
In another context, the Hamas official talked about the Swish document of proposals to solve the problem of unpaid civil servants in Gaza, affirming that his Movement agreed on the general principles and main points of the document.
He said that the most prominent points of the document which the Movement had been opposed to were about the early retirement and the security screening of the civil servants, affirming that the employees' right to job security cannot be conceded.
The official noted that his Movement is awaiting a response from the unity government on the Swiss document.
Deputy head of Hamas's political bureau Ismail Haneyya has called on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to lift its restrictions on the activities that are organized by his Movement and its student bloc at universities in the West Bank.
Haneyya made his remarks in a recorded speech during a ceremony held on Sunday by the Islamic bloc at al-Najah university in Nablus city to commemorate the martyrdom of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and other Hamas leaders.
The Hamas official also called on the PA to put an end to its political arrests in the West Bank in order to move forward with the national reconciliation.
He described the national unity as a strong and necessary weapon for his Movement, and an important option for the Palestinian people to face the challenges and dangers.
He highlighted that the resistance option would always be the only way to liberate Palestine from the Israeli occupation, affirming that Hamas would never give up its approach, and the national rights and constants.
Haneyya made his remarks in a recorded speech during a ceremony held on Sunday by the Islamic bloc at al-Najah university in Nablus city to commemorate the martyrdom of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and other Hamas leaders.
The Hamas official also called on the PA to put an end to its political arrests in the West Bank in order to move forward with the national reconciliation.
He described the national unity as a strong and necessary weapon for his Movement, and an important option for the Palestinian people to face the challenges and dangers.
He highlighted that the resistance option would always be the only way to liberate Palestine from the Israeli occupation, affirming that Hamas would never give up its approach, and the national rights and constants.
5 apr 2015
Palestinian president returns funds because money had been deducted to cover debts to Israeli electric company; 'Either they give it to us in full or we go to arbitration or to the ICC,' Abbas says.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday Israel had released frozen tax revenues to the Authority but that he had ordered the funds to be returned because money had been deducted to cover debts to Israeli utility companies.
Palestinians are believed to owe millions of dollars for use of utilities and hospitals.
Under existing agreements, Israel collects taxes and customs on behalf of the Palestinians and then transfers the sums. That revenue accounts for about 70 percent of the Palestinians' budget.
Israel started withholding around $130 million a month in tax and customs revenues in December. The move came after the Palestinians announced that they were joining the International Criminal Court (ICC), a move finalised on April 1.
Under international pressure, Israel agreed last week to resume the transfers, saying it would immediately pay around $400 million - the withheld revenues minus the amount owed by the Palestinians for utilities supplied by Israel.
Abbas said those deductions amounted to a third of the total sum that Israel owed the Palestinians. "We are returning the money. Either they give it to us in full or we go to arbitration or to the court (ICC). We will not accept anything else," he said in a speech.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had no immediate comment.
The two sides are expected to meet on the issue in an attempt to reach an agreement that would be acceptable to both.
In February, Israel's state-owned electric company briefly cut power to several Palestinian cities in the West Bank to press for payment of what it said was $492 million owed by the Palestinian government.
Palestinians in the West Bank, territory Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War, are largely dependent on electricity supplied by Israel Electric Corp.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday Israel had released frozen tax revenues to the Authority but that he had ordered the funds to be returned because money had been deducted to cover debts to Israeli utility companies.
Palestinians are believed to owe millions of dollars for use of utilities and hospitals.
Under existing agreements, Israel collects taxes and customs on behalf of the Palestinians and then transfers the sums. That revenue accounts for about 70 percent of the Palestinians' budget.
Israel started withholding around $130 million a month in tax and customs revenues in December. The move came after the Palestinians announced that they were joining the International Criminal Court (ICC), a move finalised on April 1.
Under international pressure, Israel agreed last week to resume the transfers, saying it would immediately pay around $400 million - the withheld revenues minus the amount owed by the Palestinians for utilities supplied by Israel.
Abbas said those deductions amounted to a third of the total sum that Israel owed the Palestinians. "We are returning the money. Either they give it to us in full or we go to arbitration or to the court (ICC). We will not accept anything else," he said in a speech.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had no immediate comment.
The two sides are expected to meet on the issue in an attempt to reach an agreement that would be acceptable to both.
In February, Israel's state-owned electric company briefly cut power to several Palestinian cities in the West Bank to press for payment of what it said was $492 million owed by the Palestinian government.
Palestinians in the West Bank, territory Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War, are largely dependent on electricity supplied by Israel Electric Corp.
4 apr 2015
Through the blurring of territorial lines between Israel and Palestine, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism has both claimed and profited from Palestinian sites, the PLO Negotiations Affairs Department said in a report released this week.
"Israeli measures and policies rise to an effective and de facto annexation of the tourism sector, while using tourism as a means to spread its own narrative and spew its propaganda," the report stated
In the report, the PLO criticized Israeli Ministry of Tourism maps that erase Palestinian presence by using "Judea and Samaria," hindering the ability for tourists to know whether or not they are viewing sites within the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Many tourists and religious pilgrims spend time within occupied Palestinian territory however leave under the impression their entire itinerary was based in Israel.
The Israeli Ministry of Tourism has in the past printed material designating Bethlehem as an Israeli destination. Brochures targeting Christian pilgrims marketed several Christian sites including the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem as Israeli sites.
In response, PLO Negotiations Affairs Department argued that scenarios like this violate UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions 181, 242, and 338, by both excluding Palestinians from tourism revenue while denying the link of Palestinian Christians ownership to an integral part of their history and identity.
"Israel’s occupation has turned a potential source of income and shared opportunity into a story of theft and lost potential," the report stated.
Negotiations Affairs Department also took issue with Israeli exploitation of Palestinian resources via the tourism industry. Factories of Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories Ltd. -- the largest Israeli exporter of Dead Sea products -- are located in the illegal Mitzpe Shalem settlement on the Palestinian shores of the Dead Sea.
"The company is illegally exploiting Palestinian natural resources including salts and minerals for its own economic benefit with the full
backing of Israel’s government," the report alleged.
Trails and walking tours were additionally criticized as an Israeli method of using tourism to create "facts on the ground." Trails marked by Israeli authorities often skirt Palestinian areas, especially the "Jerusalem Trail" which is diverted around Palestinian neighborhoods when possible so as to prevent any encounters with Palestinians.
"The path is intended to create the sense that Jerusalem is an Israeli-Jewish city with sovereign and legal contiguity while, in reality, almost half the track is in occupied East Jerusalem."
The report highlighted the PLO's continuing efforts to work with international bodies in order to counter Israeli exploitation on Palestinian land and resources.
"Israeli measures and policies rise to an effective and de facto annexation of the tourism sector, while using tourism as a means to spread its own narrative and spew its propaganda," the report stated
In the report, the PLO criticized Israeli Ministry of Tourism maps that erase Palestinian presence by using "Judea and Samaria," hindering the ability for tourists to know whether or not they are viewing sites within the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Many tourists and religious pilgrims spend time within occupied Palestinian territory however leave under the impression their entire itinerary was based in Israel.
The Israeli Ministry of Tourism has in the past printed material designating Bethlehem as an Israeli destination. Brochures targeting Christian pilgrims marketed several Christian sites including the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem as Israeli sites.
In response, PLO Negotiations Affairs Department argued that scenarios like this violate UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions 181, 242, and 338, by both excluding Palestinians from tourism revenue while denying the link of Palestinian Christians ownership to an integral part of their history and identity.
"Israel’s occupation has turned a potential source of income and shared opportunity into a story of theft and lost potential," the report stated.
Negotiations Affairs Department also took issue with Israeli exploitation of Palestinian resources via the tourism industry. Factories of Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories Ltd. -- the largest Israeli exporter of Dead Sea products -- are located in the illegal Mitzpe Shalem settlement on the Palestinian shores of the Dead Sea.
"The company is illegally exploiting Palestinian natural resources including salts and minerals for its own economic benefit with the full
backing of Israel’s government," the report alleged.
Trails and walking tours were additionally criticized as an Israeli method of using tourism to create "facts on the ground." Trails marked by Israeli authorities often skirt Palestinian areas, especially the "Jerusalem Trail" which is diverted around Palestinian neighborhoods when possible so as to prevent any encounters with Palestinians.
"The path is intended to create the sense that Jerusalem is an Israeli-Jewish city with sovereign and legal contiguity while, in reality, almost half the track is in occupied East Jerusalem."
The report highlighted the PLO's continuing efforts to work with international bodies in order to counter Israeli exploitation on Palestinian land and resources.
Palestinian football chief Jibril Rajub
The FIFA president is to meet the Palestinian football chief to discuss the latter's request that Israel be barred from international competition, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said Saturday.
A PFA statement said that FIFA's Sepp Blatter would meet Jibril Rajoub ahead of the world governing body's next congress in Cairo in late May, but did not give a date for the talks.
FIFA declined to comment when contacted by AFP on Saturday.
The Palestinians want Israel suspended because of their "racist behavior against Arabs", with the statement claiming that Blatter had recently contacted Rajoub and assured him that "serious discussions were under way for the Palestinian draft resolution to be submitted to a vote at the next congress in May."
The PFA also protested at the creation of "five clubs in settlements on land occupied since 1967, clubs participating in Israeli national championships in violation of international law."
The PFA last called for Israel's suspension in November after Israeli forces raided its headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
It has also cried foul over Israeli travel restrictions on Palestinian players.
To be passed the Palestinian resolution must win the support of at least 156 other delegates at the 209-member congress.
The Palestinians were upgraded from observer entity to a United Nations "observer state" in 2012, and although not yet universally recognized as a state, their national football team gained FIFA recognition in 1998.
A FIFA delegation visited the Gaza Strip in January and pledged $1 million to help rebuild stadiums there, many of which were damaged during the conflict between Israel and Hamas last July and August.
The FIFA president is to meet the Palestinian football chief to discuss the latter's request that Israel be barred from international competition, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said Saturday.
A PFA statement said that FIFA's Sepp Blatter would meet Jibril Rajoub ahead of the world governing body's next congress in Cairo in late May, but did not give a date for the talks.
FIFA declined to comment when contacted by AFP on Saturday.
The Palestinians want Israel suspended because of their "racist behavior against Arabs", with the statement claiming that Blatter had recently contacted Rajoub and assured him that "serious discussions were under way for the Palestinian draft resolution to be submitted to a vote at the next congress in May."
The PFA also protested at the creation of "five clubs in settlements on land occupied since 1967, clubs participating in Israeli national championships in violation of international law."
The PFA last called for Israel's suspension in November after Israeli forces raided its headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
It has also cried foul over Israeli travel restrictions on Palestinian players.
To be passed the Palestinian resolution must win the support of at least 156 other delegates at the 209-member congress.
The Palestinians were upgraded from observer entity to a United Nations "observer state" in 2012, and although not yet universally recognized as a state, their national football team gained FIFA recognition in 1998.
A FIFA delegation visited the Gaza Strip in January and pledged $1 million to help rebuild stadiums there, many of which were damaged during the conflict between Israel and Hamas last July and August.
Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, called for launching a revolution in both occupied districts of West Bank and Jerusalem in order to get rid of the Israeli occupation.
Hamas said, “Resistance is the least price the Palestinian people have to pay for achieving their freedom”.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum referred to the Israeli daily aggressive practices in addition to other violations in terms of settlement expansion and campaigns of demolition as well as deportation against Jerusalemite people.
Quds Press quoted Barhoum as saying, “The lack of an equivalent response to the Israeli violations and aggressions has led to Israeli persistence in committing crimes against the Palestinian people”.
“This harsh reality has to be changed. And change cannot be done unless there is more effective resistance including confrontation and sacrifice”, Barhoum said.
He renewed his Movement’s call for launching a massive revolution against the Israeli occupation using all methods of resistance in the defense of the dignity of the Palestinian people and the holy sites.
The Spokesman of Hamas expressed his Movement’s support and solidarity with the Jerusalemites and urged them not to hesitate in waging the revolution.
Hamas said, “Resistance is the least price the Palestinian people have to pay for achieving their freedom”.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum referred to the Israeli daily aggressive practices in addition to other violations in terms of settlement expansion and campaigns of demolition as well as deportation against Jerusalemite people.
Quds Press quoted Barhoum as saying, “The lack of an equivalent response to the Israeli violations and aggressions has led to Israeli persistence in committing crimes against the Palestinian people”.
“This harsh reality has to be changed. And change cannot be done unless there is more effective resistance including confrontation and sacrifice”, Barhoum said.
He renewed his Movement’s call for launching a massive revolution against the Israeli occupation using all methods of resistance in the defense of the dignity of the Palestinian people and the holy sites.
The Spokesman of Hamas expressed his Movement’s support and solidarity with the Jerusalemites and urged them not to hesitate in waging the revolution.
2 apr 2015
Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said, Thursday, that Israel has threatened to deduct 1.05 billion shekels ($276 million) from taxes withheld from the Palestinian Authority between January and March.
During a visit to Hebron, Hamdallah stated that that Israel agreed to release withheld tax funds before the start of Arab summit in Egypt, however summit start has long passed and the PA has not yet received any funds.
According to Ma'an News Agency, Israel would allegedly deduct the money to cover electricity bills owed by the PA, to which Hamdallah responded that that there are contracts with municipalities and electricity distribution companies that the PA is not responsible for.
Israeli authorities gave the Palestinian Authority a 'warning' regarding Palestinian electricity use earlier this year, temporarily cutting the electricity off to thousands in Nablus and Jenin during the middle of winter.
Israel's prime minister's office announced March 27 that Israel would release the funds it collects on the PA's behalf with deductions.
"Tax revenues that have been accumulated through February will be transferred, after payments for services to the Palestinian population have been deducted, including electricity, water and hospital bills," the statement said.
While under the Oslo agreements, Israel collects Palestinian tax revenues and is supposed to distribute the funds to the PA, Israel has historically confiscated Palestinian taxes in order to put political pressure on the Palestinian government.
In early January 2015, Israeli authorities froze the delivery Palestinian tax revenue collected on imported goods as a punitive measure in response to Palestine's decision to join the International Criminal Court.
Frequent use of such punitive measures, as well as broader control over all access points in and out of the West Bank results in almost complete Israeli control over Palestinian imports and exports, while the Palestinian domestic market remains captive to Israeli products making domestic distribution for Palestinian companies difficult as well.
During a visit to Hebron, Hamdallah stated that that Israel agreed to release withheld tax funds before the start of Arab summit in Egypt, however summit start has long passed and the PA has not yet received any funds.
According to Ma'an News Agency, Israel would allegedly deduct the money to cover electricity bills owed by the PA, to which Hamdallah responded that that there are contracts with municipalities and electricity distribution companies that the PA is not responsible for.
Israeli authorities gave the Palestinian Authority a 'warning' regarding Palestinian electricity use earlier this year, temporarily cutting the electricity off to thousands in Nablus and Jenin during the middle of winter.
Israel's prime minister's office announced March 27 that Israel would release the funds it collects on the PA's behalf with deductions.
"Tax revenues that have been accumulated through February will be transferred, after payments for services to the Palestinian population have been deducted, including electricity, water and hospital bills," the statement said.
While under the Oslo agreements, Israel collects Palestinian tax revenues and is supposed to distribute the funds to the PA, Israel has historically confiscated Palestinian taxes in order to put political pressure on the Palestinian government.
In early January 2015, Israeli authorities froze the delivery Palestinian tax revenue collected on imported goods as a punitive measure in response to Palestine's decision to join the International Criminal Court.
Frequent use of such punitive measures, as well as broader control over all access points in and out of the West Bank results in almost complete Israeli control over Palestinian imports and exports, while the Palestinian domestic market remains captive to Israeli products making domestic distribution for Palestinian companies difficult as well.
The Popular and Democratic Fronts on Wednesday hailed Palestine’s official membership of The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC), branding the move a real achievement and landslide victory for the Palestinian people and martyrs.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) stressed in a press statement the need to press ahead with filing war crime lawsuits against the Israeli occupation with the ICC.
The PFLP further called for resisting any potential pressures to be exerted by Israel and its allies as part of intents to mar Palestine’s membership of the ICC and criminalize the Palestinian legitimate resistance.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), meanwhile, dubbed the move “a great popular achievement.”
DFLP representative at the Palestinian Legislative Council, Qays Abdulkarim, said such a strategy comes as a substitute for the futile negotiations strategy pursued over the past quarter of a century under the auspices of the U.S..
He said the new strategy is based on promoting popular resistance in an attempt to pave the way for a sweeping uprising that would overthrow the Israeli occupation. It is also meant to step up international pressure on Israeli war criminals and push for their prosecution before international legitimacy.
What is required at the national level, he said, is to back up such a political strategy to make sure it would appeal to the public opinion.
The success of such a strategy requires practical initiatives and a real determination to heal the internal rift and restore national unity so as to fight the Israeli occupation as effectively as required, he added.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) stressed in a press statement the need to press ahead with filing war crime lawsuits against the Israeli occupation with the ICC.
The PFLP further called for resisting any potential pressures to be exerted by Israel and its allies as part of intents to mar Palestine’s membership of the ICC and criminalize the Palestinian legitimate resistance.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), meanwhile, dubbed the move “a great popular achievement.”
DFLP representative at the Palestinian Legislative Council, Qays Abdulkarim, said such a strategy comes as a substitute for the futile negotiations strategy pursued over the past quarter of a century under the auspices of the U.S..
He said the new strategy is based on promoting popular resistance in an attempt to pave the way for a sweeping uprising that would overthrow the Israeli occupation. It is also meant to step up international pressure on Israeli war criminals and push for their prosecution before international legitimacy.
What is required at the national level, he said, is to back up such a political strategy to make sure it would appeal to the public opinion.
The success of such a strategy requires practical initiatives and a real determination to heal the internal rift and restore national unity so as to fight the Israeli occupation as effectively as required, he added.
1 apr 2015
Chairman of Hamas political bureau Khaled Mishaal says his movement will not stop resisting the Israeli occupation “as long as there is occupation, aggression, war and killing”.
He stressed that Hamas was "careful to respect international humanitarian law and to target only military targets".
In an interview with BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen in Qatar, Mishaal said the results of Israel's elections will further diminish hopes for peace.
Khaled Mishaal told the BBC the victory of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and its right-wing allies indicated there would be more extremism.
He said Hamas was not looking for any escalation, but would defend itself.
Mishaal condemned comparing Hamas to other Jihad parties such as the Islamic State and Qaeda, saying “This is not Islam”.
He said Palestinians have showed “flexibility, seriousness and keenness to achieve just and fair peace, but Israel killed the peace process", blaming Netanyahu's outgoing government.
Mishaal urged the international community to grant the Palestinians recognition at the United Nations, pointing to Netanyahu’s pledge not to allow it.
He affirmed, in conclusion, that the Palestinians refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish State.
He stressed that Hamas was "careful to respect international humanitarian law and to target only military targets".
In an interview with BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen in Qatar, Mishaal said the results of Israel's elections will further diminish hopes for peace.
Khaled Mishaal told the BBC the victory of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and its right-wing allies indicated there would be more extremism.
He said Hamas was not looking for any escalation, but would defend itself.
Mishaal condemned comparing Hamas to other Jihad parties such as the Islamic State and Qaeda, saying “This is not Islam”.
He said Palestinians have showed “flexibility, seriousness and keenness to achieve just and fair peace, but Israel killed the peace process", blaming Netanyahu's outgoing government.
Mishaal urged the international community to grant the Palestinians recognition at the United Nations, pointing to Netanyahu’s pledge not to allow it.
He affirmed, in conclusion, that the Palestinians refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish State.
France will begin discussions in the coming weeks on a U.N. Security
Council recognition of a Palestinian state, the AFP revealed.
The AFP quoted a French diplomat as stating that his country will present a draft to the Security Council to push for U.N. recognition of Palestine within 12 days.
The French draft resolution calls for the recognition of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as a capital city for Palestine and Israel. It also accepts the principle of land swap.
The document will also seek for "just solution to the issue of Palestinian refugees."
France expressed hope that U.S. would not use its veto against the resolution especially as U.S.-Israel relations have dropped to historic lows in recent weeks due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks about Palestinian statehood.
Following Netanyahu’s election eve statement this month that he no longer supported a two-state solution to the conflict, Obama administration officials said they would reassess the diplomatic cover Israel has enjoyed for decades from Washington at the U.N..
The AFP quoted a French diplomat as stating that his country will present a draft to the Security Council to push for U.N. recognition of Palestine within 12 days.
The French draft resolution calls for the recognition of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as a capital city for Palestine and Israel. It also accepts the principle of land swap.
The document will also seek for "just solution to the issue of Palestinian refugees."
France expressed hope that U.S. would not use its veto against the resolution especially as U.S.-Israel relations have dropped to historic lows in recent weeks due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks about Palestinian statehood.
Following Netanyahu’s election eve statement this month that he no longer supported a two-state solution to the conflict, Obama administration officials said they would reassess the diplomatic cover Israel has enjoyed for decades from Washington at the U.N..