10 jan 2014
The Palestinian authority's security services evacuated dozens of Israelis who attended a normalizing meeting in the City Inn hotel in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday morning, after activists gathered outside the hotel to protest the meeting. PIC's correspondent said that dozens of protestors chanted slogans against “normalization” with Israel and threw stones, breaking the hotel's windows.
They tried to enter the conference hall, but the Palestinian special police forces stationed at the entrance intervened and pushed them back, the reporter added.
Eyewitnesses said that the meeting was bringing together PA officials and more than 20 Israelis, including settlers and former officers in the occupation army who were responsible for massacre against the Palestinian national security forces in Ramallah in 2002, for mock peace talks.
One of the demonstrators, who was able to enter the hotel, removed the Israeli flag that was raised next to a Palestinian flag inside the conference hall.
The conference was cut short and the Palestinian Authority police rushed the Israelis out to the back door, put them on Palestinian police buses and then escorted them out of Ramallah.
Dozens of young men threw stones and eggs at riot police, after discovering that they ushered the Israelis to Beit El settlement.
For his part, Salah al-Khawaja, Deputy Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative condemned such conference and told PIC that these normalizing meetings come in light of the ongoing settler attacks on the citizens and their properties in the West Bank
They tried to enter the conference hall, but the Palestinian special police forces stationed at the entrance intervened and pushed them back, the reporter added.
Eyewitnesses said that the meeting was bringing together PA officials and more than 20 Israelis, including settlers and former officers in the occupation army who were responsible for massacre against the Palestinian national security forces in Ramallah in 2002, for mock peace talks.
One of the demonstrators, who was able to enter the hotel, removed the Israeli flag that was raised next to a Palestinian flag inside the conference hall.
The conference was cut short and the Palestinian Authority police rushed the Israelis out to the back door, put them on Palestinian police buses and then escorted them out of Ramallah.
Dozens of young men threw stones and eggs at riot police, after discovering that they ushered the Israelis to Beit El settlement.
For his part, Salah al-Khawaja, Deputy Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative condemned such conference and told PIC that these normalizing meetings come in light of the ongoing settler attacks on the citizens and their properties in the West Bank
9 jan 2014
The head of Fatah's reconciliation team told Ma'an Thursday that he would visit the Gaza Strip to meet with Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in the coming days.
PLO central committee member Azzam al-Ahmad said that at the request of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, he had phoned Haniyeh to arrange the visit.
Al-Ahmad said Fatah proposed that the date for legislative and presidential elections be set for six months from now, and Haniyeh requested time for discussion among Hamas leaders.
Fatah does not feel the need to hold more reconciliation talks, and is ready to complete the deal immediately, al-Ahmad added.
On Wednesday, a Fatah spokesman told Ma'an that al-Ahmad proposed a unity government plan to Haniyeh, and that the Gaza PM said he needed time to discuss the plan with fellow leaders.
The proposal came as Hamas released seven Fatah prisoners who were in Gaza jails for "security reasons."
Gaza Interior Ministry spokesman Ibrahim Salah said he hoped Fatah would make a similar gesture in the West Bank.
But al-Ahmad told Ma'an Thursday that prison sentences of those released were already close to complete, and that the PA would not be releasing Hamas prisoners at this time.
The division between the two Palestinian factions began in 2006, when Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections.
In the following year, clashes erupted between Fatah and Hamas, leaving Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of parts of the occupied West Bank.
The groups have made failed attempts at national reconciliation for years, most recently in 2012, when they signed two agreements -- one in Cairo and a subsequent one in Doha -- which have as of yet been entirely unimplemented.
PLO central committee member Azzam al-Ahmad said that at the request of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, he had phoned Haniyeh to arrange the visit.
Al-Ahmad said Fatah proposed that the date for legislative and presidential elections be set for six months from now, and Haniyeh requested time for discussion among Hamas leaders.
Fatah does not feel the need to hold more reconciliation talks, and is ready to complete the deal immediately, al-Ahmad added.
On Wednesday, a Fatah spokesman told Ma'an that al-Ahmad proposed a unity government plan to Haniyeh, and that the Gaza PM said he needed time to discuss the plan with fellow leaders.
The proposal came as Hamas released seven Fatah prisoners who were in Gaza jails for "security reasons."
Gaza Interior Ministry spokesman Ibrahim Salah said he hoped Fatah would make a similar gesture in the West Bank.
But al-Ahmad told Ma'an Thursday that prison sentences of those released were already close to complete, and that the PA would not be releasing Hamas prisoners at this time.
The division between the two Palestinian factions began in 2006, when Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections.
In the following year, clashes erupted between Fatah and Hamas, leaving Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of parts of the occupied West Bank.
The groups have made failed attempts at national reconciliation for years, most recently in 2012, when they signed two agreements -- one in Cairo and a subsequent one in Doha -- which have as of yet been entirely unimplemented.
Islamic Jihad leader Ahmad Mudallal said Israel's recent escalation in the Gaza Strip aims to sabotage plans for national reconciliation.
Mudallal told Ma'an that Israel is waging a war of attrition against Palestinian resistance groups, especially Islamic Jihad, which Israel views as one of the most dangerous Palestinian factions.
He said Israel wants to break the spirit of resistance in order to impose its will on Palestinians.
Earlier Thursday, three Palestinians were injured after an Israeli airstrike targeted the southern Gaza Strip, medical officials said.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said "earlier this morning three mortars were fired from Gaza at Israeli forces operating adjacent to the security fence in southern Gaza. An hour later, the IDF targeted terrorists in Gaza who were identified as preparing to fire rockets at Israel."
The military wings of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for firing mortar shells at Israeli military targets on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Palestinian medical sources said man was killed on in the al-Shujaiyeh neighborhood of Gaza City by an Israeli drone strike.
The Israeli army denied involvement.
Violent incidents at the Gaza-Israel border along with Israeli airstrikes have been a frequent occurrence throughout the last two weeks, after an upheaval of violence killed an Israeli Civil Defense employee and a Palestinian toddler on Dec. 24.
Both Fatah and Hamas have recently spoken of an increased desire for reconciliation between the Hamas-run government in the Gaza Strip and the Fatah-led government in the West Bank.
Fatah's reconciliation team proposed a national unity plan to Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday, a Fatah spokesman said.
The proposal came as Hamas released seven Fatah prisoners who were in Gaza jails for "security reasons."
On Monday, AFP quoted Haniyeh as saying that "the (Hamas) government will allow all Fatah members who are from Gaza and who left the Strip (in 2007) to return, without any preconditions," apart from those accused of killing Hamas members during intense factional fighting that year.
The division between the two Palestinian factions began in 2006, when Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections.
In the following year, clashes erupted between Fatah and Hamas, leaving Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of parts of the occupied West Bank.
The groups have made failed attempts at national reconciliation for years, most recently in 2012, when they signed two agreements -- one in Cairo and a subsequent one in Doha -- which have as of yet been entirely unimplemented.
Mudallal told Ma'an that Israel is waging a war of attrition against Palestinian resistance groups, especially Islamic Jihad, which Israel views as one of the most dangerous Palestinian factions.
He said Israel wants to break the spirit of resistance in order to impose its will on Palestinians.
Earlier Thursday, three Palestinians were injured after an Israeli airstrike targeted the southern Gaza Strip, medical officials said.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said "earlier this morning three mortars were fired from Gaza at Israeli forces operating adjacent to the security fence in southern Gaza. An hour later, the IDF targeted terrorists in Gaza who were identified as preparing to fire rockets at Israel."
The military wings of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for firing mortar shells at Israeli military targets on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Palestinian medical sources said man was killed on in the al-Shujaiyeh neighborhood of Gaza City by an Israeli drone strike.
The Israeli army denied involvement.
Violent incidents at the Gaza-Israel border along with Israeli airstrikes have been a frequent occurrence throughout the last two weeks, after an upheaval of violence killed an Israeli Civil Defense employee and a Palestinian toddler on Dec. 24.
Both Fatah and Hamas have recently spoken of an increased desire for reconciliation between the Hamas-run government in the Gaza Strip and the Fatah-led government in the West Bank.
Fatah's reconciliation team proposed a national unity plan to Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday, a Fatah spokesman said.
The proposal came as Hamas released seven Fatah prisoners who were in Gaza jails for "security reasons."
On Monday, AFP quoted Haniyeh as saying that "the (Hamas) government will allow all Fatah members who are from Gaza and who left the Strip (in 2007) to return, without any preconditions," apart from those accused of killing Hamas members during intense factional fighting that year.
The division between the two Palestinian factions began in 2006, when Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections.
In the following year, clashes erupted between Fatah and Hamas, leaving Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of parts of the occupied West Bank.
The groups have made failed attempts at national reconciliation for years, most recently in 2012, when they signed two agreements -- one in Cairo and a subsequent one in Doha -- which have as of yet been entirely unimplemented.
8 jan 2014
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Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh says members of the Palestinian Fatah movement can return to the Gaza Strip.
"The (Hamas) government will allow all Fatah members who are from Gaza and who left the Strip (in 2007) to return, without any preconditions," AFP quoted Haniyeh as saying on Monday. He further noted that the authorities would "release a small number of Fatah members who are imprisoned (in Gaza) for security reasons." He also described the move as a bid to promote Palestinian “reconciliation,” saying, "We have promised our people to take decisions that would reinforce the internal (Palestinian) front and pave the way for reconciliation." |
In 2011, Palestinian factions of Fatah and Hamas signed a reconciliation accord to form a transitional unity government, which was supposed to pave the way for legislative elections before the end of May 2012. However, the process failed and is yet to be implemented.
On January 17, 2013, the two rival Palestinian factions agreed, in the Egyptian capital Cairo, to revive consultations over the deal by the end of the month.
Hamas and Fatah have been at odds since the former won the Palestinian parliamentary elections in January 2006.
The Israeli regime reacted to the victory by imposing a blockade on the Gaza Strip. Fatah, however, set up headquarters in the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank.
On January 17, 2013, the two rival Palestinian factions agreed, in the Egyptian capital Cairo, to revive consultations over the deal by the end of the month.
Hamas and Fatah have been at odds since the former won the Palestinian parliamentary elections in January 2006.
The Israeli regime reacted to the victory by imposing a blockade on the Gaza Strip. Fatah, however, set up headquarters in the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank.
The Fatah reconciliation team has made a proposal to Hamas regarding a national unity government, a Fatah spokesman told Ma'an Wednesday.
The proposal stipulates that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas set dates for new presidential and legislative elections, Osama al-Qawasmeh said.
Al-Qawasmeh told Ma'an that the head of Fatah's reconciliation team, Azzam al-Ahmad, informed Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of the proposal via telephone call on Tuesday.
Haniyeh requested time to discuss the proposal with other Hamas officials, Qwasmeh said, adding that al-Ahmad is arranging to visit Gaza to meet with Hamas leaders.
Qawasmeh said the phone call was made upon direct instruction from Abbas.
The proposal came as Hamas released seven Fatah prisoners who were in Gaza jails for "security reasons."
Gaza Interior Ministry spokesman Ibrahim Salah said he hoped Fatah would make a similar gesture in the West Bank.
Around 20 members of Fatah remain imprisoned in the Gaza Strip, a Fatah spokesman told Ma'an, also Wednesday.
Fayez Abu Atia said that the release of seven Fatah members was positive, but that Fatah wanted all of its jailed members released.
Abu Atia said the release of prisoners would ease the suffering of families who were hurt as a result of the division between the two factions.
"We want Hamas to positively respond to Fatah's proposal to hold elections," he added.
On Monday, AFP reported Gaza premier Ismail Haniyeh as saying that "The (Hamas) government will allow all Fatah members who are from Gaza and who left the Strip (in 2007) to return, without any preconditions," apart from those accused of killing Hamas members during intense factional fighting that year.
The division between the two Palestinian factions began in 2006, when Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections.
In the following year, clashes erupted between Fatah and Hamas, leaving Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of parts of the occupied West Bank.
The groups have made failed attempts at national reconciliation for years, most recently in 2012, when they signed two agreements -- one in Cairo and a subsequent one in Doha -- which have as of yet been entirely unimplemented.
The proposal stipulates that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas set dates for new presidential and legislative elections, Osama al-Qawasmeh said.
Al-Qawasmeh told Ma'an that the head of Fatah's reconciliation team, Azzam al-Ahmad, informed Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of the proposal via telephone call on Tuesday.
Haniyeh requested time to discuss the proposal with other Hamas officials, Qwasmeh said, adding that al-Ahmad is arranging to visit Gaza to meet with Hamas leaders.
Qawasmeh said the phone call was made upon direct instruction from Abbas.
The proposal came as Hamas released seven Fatah prisoners who were in Gaza jails for "security reasons."
Gaza Interior Ministry spokesman Ibrahim Salah said he hoped Fatah would make a similar gesture in the West Bank.
Around 20 members of Fatah remain imprisoned in the Gaza Strip, a Fatah spokesman told Ma'an, also Wednesday.
Fayez Abu Atia said that the release of seven Fatah members was positive, but that Fatah wanted all of its jailed members released.
Abu Atia said the release of prisoners would ease the suffering of families who were hurt as a result of the division between the two factions.
"We want Hamas to positively respond to Fatah's proposal to hold elections," he added.
On Monday, AFP reported Gaza premier Ismail Haniyeh as saying that "The (Hamas) government will allow all Fatah members who are from Gaza and who left the Strip (in 2007) to return, without any preconditions," apart from those accused of killing Hamas members during intense factional fighting that year.
The division between the two Palestinian factions began in 2006, when Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections.
In the following year, clashes erupted between Fatah and Hamas, leaving Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of parts of the occupied West Bank.
The groups have made failed attempts at national reconciliation for years, most recently in 2012, when they signed two agreements -- one in Cairo and a subsequent one in Doha -- which have as of yet been entirely unimplemented.
Foreign Minister of Indonesia, Marty M Natakegawa has stated that Indonesia will strengthen its support for Palestine pushing for the long-delayed realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
Through the Program for Palestine Capacity Building Indonesia has been a supporter of Palestine for a longer period of time and Natakegawa stated that, "with regard to Palestine, this year will be marked by a further strengthening of Indonesias support for Palestine, among others, through support for Palestines institutional capacity building. We will be launching the next phase of capacity building program for the period of 2014-2019.”
He believes that a sustainable security and prosperity can only be realized if enjoyed by all countries in the region and not unilaterally the Indonesian newspaper Antara News reported.
Through the Program for Palestine Capacity Building Indonesia has been a supporter of Palestine for a longer period of time and Natakegawa stated that, "with regard to Palestine, this year will be marked by a further strengthening of Indonesias support for Palestine, among others, through support for Palestines institutional capacity building. We will be launching the next phase of capacity building program for the period of 2014-2019.”
He believes that a sustainable security and prosperity can only be realized if enjoyed by all countries in the region and not unilaterally the Indonesian newspaper Antara News reported.
President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to meet with Jordan's King Abdullah in Amman on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments in peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
PA ambassador to Jordan Atallah Khairi told Jordanian daily newspaper ad-Dustour that Abbas will update the Jordanian King on the latest visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Palestinian and Jordanian leaders would also agree on a joint position ahead of Kerry's return to the region.
"We are doing our best to reach a peace agreement with the Israelis, and we are serious about that," Abbas said upon his arrival in Jordan late Tuesday.
An Israeli-Palestinian peace deal would benefit the entire Arab and Islamic world, he added.
Kerry left Israel on Monday after his tenth trip to the region since last March, insisting progress had been made despite failing to reach a framework to guide Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Israel has refused to compromise on the Jordan Valley, an area which borders Jordan and forms a third of the occupied West Bank, and has demanded that the PA recognize Israel as a "Jewish" state.
Israel has announced plans for thousands of illegal settlements since talks began in July.
PA ambassador to Jordan Atallah Khairi told Jordanian daily newspaper ad-Dustour that Abbas will update the Jordanian King on the latest visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Palestinian and Jordanian leaders would also agree on a joint position ahead of Kerry's return to the region.
"We are doing our best to reach a peace agreement with the Israelis, and we are serious about that," Abbas said upon his arrival in Jordan late Tuesday.
An Israeli-Palestinian peace deal would benefit the entire Arab and Islamic world, he added.
Kerry left Israel on Monday after his tenth trip to the region since last March, insisting progress had been made despite failing to reach a framework to guide Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Israel has refused to compromise on the Jordan Valley, an area which borders Jordan and forms a third of the occupied West Bank, and has demanded that the PA recognize Israel as a "Jewish" state.
Israel has announced plans for thousands of illegal settlements since talks began in July.
7 jan 2014
There was a warm welcome for Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa on his official visit to Palestine. The countries signed two cooperation agreements, one of them aiming to open a centre for vocational training in Ramallah.
Both Presidents emphasised the cordial relations between the two countries.
"Our two countries maintain good relations and I wish it will improve more and more”, said President Mahmoud Abbas.
President Mahmoud Abbas also expressed his gratitude for the support that Sri Lanka extended for Palestine to gain the status as a Non-member Observer State in the United Nations.
”Sri Lanka will always support your cause. We hope that we will have an independent Palestine as soon as possible", said President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Both Presidents emphasised the cordial relations between the two countries.
"Our two countries maintain good relations and I wish it will improve more and more”, said President Mahmoud Abbas.
President Mahmoud Abbas also expressed his gratitude for the support that Sri Lanka extended for Palestine to gain the status as a Non-member Observer State in the United Nations.
”Sri Lanka will always support your cause. We hope that we will have an independent Palestine as soon as possible", said President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Palestinian Premier Ismail Haneyya has declared a number of important decisions to achieve the Palestinian national reconciliation.
In a press conference held on Monday at the Interior Ministry in Gaza, Haneyya decided to allow Palestinians who fled Gaza in the wake of internal division to return to the Strip in exception of those whose court files were incomplete.
This decision would have a positive impact on hundreds of families in the Strip, he said
He also decided to pardon and release members of Fatah Movement who are detained for national security issues and not for their political affiliation.
The Palestinian Premier also decided to allow all Fatah parliamentarians to visit Gaza without any restrictions, renewing his declaration that the year 2014 would be the year of Palestinian reconciliation.
He confirmed his government’s readiness to do all that is needed to end the split between the West Bank and Gaza Strip, stressing that the reconciliation file will remain under Egyptian patronage and the follow up of Arab and Islamic countries.
In a press conference held on Monday at the Interior Ministry in Gaza, Haneyya decided to allow Palestinians who fled Gaza in the wake of internal division to return to the Strip in exception of those whose court files were incomplete.
This decision would have a positive impact on hundreds of families in the Strip, he said
He also decided to pardon and release members of Fatah Movement who are detained for national security issues and not for their political affiliation.
The Palestinian Premier also decided to allow all Fatah parliamentarians to visit Gaza without any restrictions, renewing his declaration that the year 2014 would be the year of Palestinian reconciliation.
He confirmed his government’s readiness to do all that is needed to end the split between the West Bank and Gaza Strip, stressing that the reconciliation file will remain under Egyptian patronage and the follow up of Arab and Islamic countries.
6 jan 2014
Drilling platform of the Leviathan natural gas field
The first customer to sign up to buy gas from Israel’s so-called Leviathan field is the Palestine Power Generation Company, which is developing an electric power plant near Jenin, Israeli daily reported on Monday. Haaretz said “Three partners in Leviathan told the (Tel Aviv) Stock Exchange on Sunday that PPGC had agreed to buy $1.2 billion worth of gas over a 20-year period that will begin when the field begins producing,”
PPGC is constructing a $300 million, 200-megawatt power plant that will take 30 months to complete. It is controlled by the Palestine Electric Company but counts other shareholders as well, according to the daily.
Under the gas-export policy established by the Israeli [occupation] government, gas sold to the PA and to Jordan will be considered part of Leviathan’s export quota. All told, 40% of Israel’s natural gas can be exported under the rules approved by the cabinet last year.
Palestinian Authority announced on Sunday evening that it signed an agreement to import natural gas from Israel worth 1.2 billion dollars for the 20 years to come.
President of the Energy Authority in the Palestinian government in Ramallah Omar Katana told Anadula Agency in a phone call that under the agreement signed today, Monday, in Jerusalem, the Palestinian side shall be provided with an amount of 4.75 billion cubic meters of natural gas for the next twenty years to come.
Katana refused to give additional details about when to start importing the natural gas, how the gas shipments would be financed, and what to do with Gaza Marine gas field off the Gaza shores.
The agreement is in contrast to previous statements by Ramallah Prime Minister Ramy al-Hamdulillah, in which he emphasized that “Palestine will be a productive exporter of gas by 2017, by virtue of the newly discovered field off the coast of Gaza at the end of 1990s,”
The Abbas-appointed government according to Hamdulillah has held several meetings over the past months with British Gas Company, the concessionaire which shall develop the Gaza gas field discovered in 1998.
Hamdulillah expected during nearly two months ago that the annual net profit of the Palestinian Authority that may come out of gas production and export to be some $150 million, which would have reduced foreign aid dependency.
“Israel Electric Corporation” announced in late November 2013 that the amount of natural gas in the field off the coast of Gaza exceeds 33 billion cubic meters.
The amount existing in the field, if extracted, would fully serve the needs of the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for 25 years to come, and these of Israel for five years, according to the Israeli corporation.
The Palestinian government in Gaza said no people can agree that his natural resources are exploited by an occupying power.
Commenting on Ramallah government’s decision to export natural gas from Israel, Spokesman of the Palestinian Government Mr Ihab al-Ghusain said it is unwise.
Ghusain pointed out that the agreement serves the Israeli interests and emphasizes Israeli occupation’s control of the Palestinian natural resources.
“Israel is an occupying power which has been long disrespecting the international resolutions ensuring the protection of Palestinian rights to the resources of their country,” referring to the last UNGA draft resolution which affirmed the Palestinian right to self-determination.
He called for putting the UN resolution into force and holding Israel accountable for its violations of the Palestinian people’s rights.
On November, 2013, The United Nations General Assembly in its approved a draft resolution, demanding Israel to exploiting, depleting and endangering the natural resources in the occupied Arab.
The first customer to sign up to buy gas from Israel’s so-called Leviathan field is the Palestine Power Generation Company, which is developing an electric power plant near Jenin, Israeli daily reported on Monday. Haaretz said “Three partners in Leviathan told the (Tel Aviv) Stock Exchange on Sunday that PPGC had agreed to buy $1.2 billion worth of gas over a 20-year period that will begin when the field begins producing,”
PPGC is constructing a $300 million, 200-megawatt power plant that will take 30 months to complete. It is controlled by the Palestine Electric Company but counts other shareholders as well, according to the daily.
Under the gas-export policy established by the Israeli [occupation] government, gas sold to the PA and to Jordan will be considered part of Leviathan’s export quota. All told, 40% of Israel’s natural gas can be exported under the rules approved by the cabinet last year.
Palestinian Authority announced on Sunday evening that it signed an agreement to import natural gas from Israel worth 1.2 billion dollars for the 20 years to come.
President of the Energy Authority in the Palestinian government in Ramallah Omar Katana told Anadula Agency in a phone call that under the agreement signed today, Monday, in Jerusalem, the Palestinian side shall be provided with an amount of 4.75 billion cubic meters of natural gas for the next twenty years to come.
Katana refused to give additional details about when to start importing the natural gas, how the gas shipments would be financed, and what to do with Gaza Marine gas field off the Gaza shores.
The agreement is in contrast to previous statements by Ramallah Prime Minister Ramy al-Hamdulillah, in which he emphasized that “Palestine will be a productive exporter of gas by 2017, by virtue of the newly discovered field off the coast of Gaza at the end of 1990s,”
The Abbas-appointed government according to Hamdulillah has held several meetings over the past months with British Gas Company, the concessionaire which shall develop the Gaza gas field discovered in 1998.
Hamdulillah expected during nearly two months ago that the annual net profit of the Palestinian Authority that may come out of gas production and export to be some $150 million, which would have reduced foreign aid dependency.
“Israel Electric Corporation” announced in late November 2013 that the amount of natural gas in the field off the coast of Gaza exceeds 33 billion cubic meters.
The amount existing in the field, if extracted, would fully serve the needs of the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for 25 years to come, and these of Israel for five years, according to the Israeli corporation.
The Palestinian government in Gaza said no people can agree that his natural resources are exploited by an occupying power.
Commenting on Ramallah government’s decision to export natural gas from Israel, Spokesman of the Palestinian Government Mr Ihab al-Ghusain said it is unwise.
Ghusain pointed out that the agreement serves the Israeli interests and emphasizes Israeli occupation’s control of the Palestinian natural resources.
“Israel is an occupying power which has been long disrespecting the international resolutions ensuring the protection of Palestinian rights to the resources of their country,” referring to the last UNGA draft resolution which affirmed the Palestinian right to self-determination.
He called for putting the UN resolution into force and holding Israel accountable for its violations of the Palestinian people’s rights.
On November, 2013, The United Nations General Assembly in its approved a draft resolution, demanding Israel to exploiting, depleting and endangering the natural resources in the occupied Arab.
Hamas and Fatah have secretly resumed reconciliation talks in an attempt to finalize an agreement, a Fatah spokesman said on Monday.
Ahmad Assaf said in a statement received by Ma'an that Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad, who is in charge of reconciliation talks, spoke on Sunday with his Hamas counterpart Mousa Abu Marzouq.
The two followed up on discussions that began in Doha between al-Ahmad and Hamas chief-in-exile Khalid Mashaal.
Assaf's statement emerged following news reports claiming that Hamas and Fatah have already reached agreement on a unity government. He made it clear that no agreement had yet been reached as of yet, while stressing that efforts are ongoing.
"Our hearts are open and our hands are extended for national unity," he said.
The division between the two Palestinian factions began in 2006, when Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections.
In the following year, clashes erupted between Fatah and Hamas, leaving Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of parts of the occupied West Bank.
The groups have made failed attempts at national reconciliation for years, most recently in 2012, when they signed two agreements -- one in Cairo and a subsequent one in Doha -- which have as of yet been entirely unimplemented.
Ahmad Assaf said in a statement received by Ma'an that Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad, who is in charge of reconciliation talks, spoke on Sunday with his Hamas counterpart Mousa Abu Marzouq.
The two followed up on discussions that began in Doha between al-Ahmad and Hamas chief-in-exile Khalid Mashaal.
Assaf's statement emerged following news reports claiming that Hamas and Fatah have already reached agreement on a unity government. He made it clear that no agreement had yet been reached as of yet, while stressing that efforts are ongoing.
"Our hearts are open and our hands are extended for national unity," he said.
The division between the two Palestinian factions began in 2006, when Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections.
In the following year, clashes erupted between Fatah and Hamas, leaving Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of parts of the occupied West Bank.
The groups have made failed attempts at national reconciliation for years, most recently in 2012, when they signed two agreements -- one in Cairo and a subsequent one in Doha -- which have as of yet been entirely unimplemented.
The union of fuel companies in Gaza accused the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah of being behind the stifling fuel crisis that has afflicted the besieged Strip for two weeks after it refrained from paying the Israeli company for the fuel shipments.
"The petroleum authority and the finance ministry in Ramallah did not assume their role in communicating with the Israeli supplier of fuel to provide the Gaza Strip with the requested amounts," head of the union Mahmoud Al-Shawwa said.
"The finance ministry in Ramallah claims that it has a cash crunch and thus is unable to pay the Israeli company, although we funnel all funds to it on a regular basis," Shawwa added.
In a related context, Awraq news network disclosed an official document proving that the PA had sold the remaining Qatari fuel aid sent to Gaza to the Egyptian authorities.
The network published a letter sent on the first of January 2014 by PA ambassador in Cairo Barakat Al-Farra to head of the Egyptian petroleum authority, in which the former offered the Egyptian side to buy what remained of the fuel aid which Qatar had sent in April 2012 to the Gaza power plant.
Qatar had sent several months ago fuel shipments to Gaza through port Suez, but the Egyptian authorities had allowed only a few amount of this fuel aid into Gaza.
The leaked document also showed that Al-Farra expressed his readiness to receive any check payment suggested by the Egyptian side for the remaining diesel shipments held at port Suez.
"The petroleum authority and the finance ministry in Ramallah did not assume their role in communicating with the Israeli supplier of fuel to provide the Gaza Strip with the requested amounts," head of the union Mahmoud Al-Shawwa said.
"The finance ministry in Ramallah claims that it has a cash crunch and thus is unable to pay the Israeli company, although we funnel all funds to it on a regular basis," Shawwa added.
In a related context, Awraq news network disclosed an official document proving that the PA had sold the remaining Qatari fuel aid sent to Gaza to the Egyptian authorities.
The network published a letter sent on the first of January 2014 by PA ambassador in Cairo Barakat Al-Farra to head of the Egyptian petroleum authority, in which the former offered the Egyptian side to buy what remained of the fuel aid which Qatar had sent in April 2012 to the Gaza power plant.
Qatar had sent several months ago fuel shipments to Gaza through port Suez, but the Egyptian authorities had allowed only a few amount of this fuel aid into Gaza.
The leaked document also showed that Al-Farra expressed his readiness to receive any check payment suggested by the Egyptian side for the remaining diesel shipments held at port Suez.
4 jan 2014
A delegation from the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has arrived in Prague to follow ongoing investigations into the Jan. 1 death of the Palestinian ambassador to Czech Republic.
The Dutch deputy foreign minister updated Undersecretary to the Palestinian Foreign Ministry Taayseer Jaradat and his delegation regarding recent findings on Jamal al-Jamal's death, a statement from the Palestinian embassy in the Czech Republic said.
Jaradat thanked the Czech authorities for their "professional approach of handling the issue."
Al-Jamal, 56, suffered lethal injuries to his head, chest and stomach in a mysterious blast on Wednesday at the new Palestinian residence and embassy complex when he was handling a safe.
The Dutch deputy foreign minister updated Undersecretary to the Palestinian Foreign Ministry Taayseer Jaradat and his delegation regarding recent findings on Jamal al-Jamal's death, a statement from the Palestinian embassy in the Czech Republic said.
Jaradat thanked the Czech authorities for their "professional approach of handling the issue."
Al-Jamal, 56, suffered lethal injuries to his head, chest and stomach in a mysterious blast on Wednesday at the new Palestinian residence and embassy complex when he was handling a safe.
3 jan 2014
Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat said Friday that he feared President Mahmoud Abbas might be killed by Israel, according to an international Arabic newspaper.
Erekat told Asharq al-Awsat that he had read letters from Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman addressed to various European countries. He said the letters demanded the removal of Abbas, deeming him a danger to Israel.
"The Israelis have this approach," Erekat said. "Before President Arafat was killed with poison, there were voices in Sharon's government that said Arafat was an obstacle who must be removed, and they are doing that again."
The late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died in France on Nov. 11, 2004 at the age of 75, but doctors were unable to specify the cause of death. No autopsy was carried out at the time, in line with his widow's request.
His remains were exhumed in November 2012, partly to investigate whether he had been poisoned with radioactive polonium.
French and Russian scientists ruled out poisoning as a cause of death, while a Swiss report said high levels of radioactive polonium indicated third party involvement in Arafat's death.
Israel has always denied involvement.
Erekat told Asharq al-Awsat that he had read letters from Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman addressed to various European countries. He said the letters demanded the removal of Abbas, deeming him a danger to Israel.
"The Israelis have this approach," Erekat said. "Before President Arafat was killed with poison, there were voices in Sharon's government that said Arafat was an obstacle who must be removed, and they are doing that again."
The late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died in France on Nov. 11, 2004 at the age of 75, but doctors were unable to specify the cause of death. No autopsy was carried out at the time, in line with his widow's request.
His remains were exhumed in November 2012, partly to investigate whether he had been poisoned with radioactive polonium.
French and Russian scientists ruled out poisoning as a cause of death, while a Swiss report said high levels of radioactive polonium indicated third party involvement in Arafat's death.
Israel has always denied involvement.
BY RANA AWAISI
Although Israeli law considers racial incitement illegal, the Israeli media consistently provides a platform for extremists who commit racial incitement against groups that Israelis perceive as an "enemy," especially the Palestinian people.
Based on the results of monitoring the mainstream Israeli media (secular and religious), conducted over two years, this article addresses the most prominent cases of racial incitement against Arabs and Muslims, justified by biblical texts and fake historical facts. Every day, the Israeli public is exposed to ideas in the media which influence their perceptions of Arabs and Muslims and solidify existing negative views.
Attributing the Arab-Israeli conflict to religious-historical roots
The trend of viewing the conflict through a religious lens revives, reproduces and distributes religious myths of a perpetual conflict between two sides: one symbolizes "good" and the other "evil". The superior side faces an enemy haunted by inferiority, motivated by envy and jealousy, and driven by a deep wish for revenge.
Explaining political and sometimes tragic incidents in such terms has become part of the Israeli political culture, as expressed in the following quote: "Incapability, frustration, and a sub-conscious sense of inferiority towards Jews have deeply affected all Muslims, turning them slowly into maniacs. It is the war of Ismail against Isaac. It is a war until the elimination of the last Jew" (Yaakov Schoenfeld, published on March 30, 2012 in Hamodia, defined as "the daily newspaper of Torah Jewry").
In an article by Ariel Kahana, published in a newspaper called Makor Rishon on March 14, 2011, we read: "This is what history has shown us, Murder is an innate feature of the Arab people, at least since their path crossed with the path of the Jewish people. This is their character. Jews behave according to 'one hand raises the message and the other works', the Arabs react out of 'will be a brutal man'. This is their character, these are their traits".
Many authors call the Arabs "Ismaelites" when they want to express contempt, as we see in an article by Avi Bentov: "So, these are the Ismaelites, the brutal, the bloodthirsty, worse than animals of a forest, some who eat and some who get eaten. One animal kills the other when it is hungry and also to feed its offspring. Animals don't kill humans without reason, but Arabs do, as they live on the ruins of their victims, the knife in their left hand. They are stupid, and their hands are soiled with the blood of our beloved" (published on the Kikar Hashabat website on March 27, 2011).
Another article by A. Yizhaki, responding to the assassination of the Arab-Jewish movie director Juliano Mer-Kamis in Jenin, stated: "In recent years, the director Juliano Mer-Khamis met his calling in the Jenin refugee camp. He went to live there and worked to develop Palestinian 'culture,' believing it is possible to 'educate' the descendants of people the Torah describes as 'wild.' Reactions from leftist Jews prove that they do not know the truth about the character of their subjects in Ismail's camp. The Palestinian culture of killing, or generally speaking, the Arab culture of killing, strikes very deep. It is so deeply rooted that the Israeli left is not capable of perceiving it as a serious matter" (published in Yated Nee'man on November 4, 2011).
Demonizing Islam
Racism and incitement in the Israeli media are not only directed towards Arabs but also at Muslims. The Israeli media demonizes Islam, falsifies historical facts, and takes verses from the Qur'an out of context.
For instance, in addressing the case of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Dr. Reuven Barco claims that the conduct of Hamas is affected by the "low morals" of the prophet Mohammad: "In addition to a...heritage of violence, the bearded Hamasnics of Gaza, in their operations against Israel, apply two main lessons of the failed siege which Mohammad conducted against Taeif, the city of the 'infidels'. He threw huge stones, injuring civilians, women and children without discrimination". (Published in the daily newspaper Yesrael Hayom on October 19, 2011)
On March 22, 2012, the newspaper Hamodia published an article by M. Shalom, saying: "The world knows how to shut up and ignore when the Jews in Israel defend themselves against those products of Islam, the brutal anti-Semites with their insatiable hunger for terror. Worse still, this world condemns the Jews when so-called 'innocents' get killed and the Jews are trying to defend themselves."
Another report in the same newspaper says: "Islamic terrorists are running a global war. Throughout our painful, bloody history, Jewish children were at the top of the killers' list. Today Arabs and Muslim carry the cross of this bloody campaign".
A website called "News1" published an article by Yehuda Drori on January 29, 2012, describing Islam as the "devil's religion." Drori wrote: "Some people might disagree with my view of Islam as a violent, bloody religion. In order to read about a loving and peaceful Islam, those who disagree have to look towards tolerant academics living in the West, but we know Islam better than them! I can understand how difficult it is for a leftist to adjust his attitude and accept the awful truth: There are no 'good' Muslims. The only goal for Arabs, here at least, is to eliminate us. They constantly promote this idea in their media with non-stop incitement against us. Islam is the devil's religion".
The superiority of Jews and inferiority of Arabs
The theory of a "super race" descending from Isaac - as opposed to an "inferior race" descending from Ismail - is usually accompanied by the theory of the Jews as "God's chosen people" and their religious superiority over the "gentiles." Numerous Israeli writers are convinced that Jews are a "chosen people," superior to non-Jews religiously and culturally.
In Yesrael Hayom on October 19, 2011, Reuven Barco confirms the racial superiority of Jews over Arabs - the latter of whom he calls "the strain of Hagar the slave" - and the religious superiority of the "chosen people". He writes: "the Palestinian prisoners go on a hunger strike with an incredible sense of insolence; they demand rights to welfare, education, food, visits from family members, and watching media. This proves that somewhere in the back of the Palestinian's brain is an implicit recognition of Jewish superiority. They are right; there is a substantial difference between the Jews and the Palestinian Islamists. We are not only talking about Jewish accomplishments in science and the Nobel Prizes won by the chosen people; we are basically talking about Jews who value life compared to the death industry produced by the Islamists".
Racism and incitement
The Israeli media carelessly express extremely racist insults towards Islamic culture, and won't allow facts to melt their entrenched stereotypes. One example is found in Yated Nee'man on March 26, 2012: "As a rule, the Islamic culture thoroughly suppresses citizens' rights wherever they live. It is a culture of terror, racism, humiliation and suppression. Whoever tries to speak up is immediately decapitated".
In the editorial of the same newspaper, on March 25, 2012, we read: "It is also true that many immigrant Muslims have managed to integrate into their new countries, but those who cling to an ideology that wishes to conquer the whole world and put it under the shoes of Mohammad's destructive religion, are definitely not a minority".
In another article written by M. Shalom, we read: "Lying and deception are the most prominent characteristic of the Arabs. They are firmly rooted in Mohammad's religion. The Quraysh Covenant proves that deception is allowed - and even required - on the way to defeating the enemy and accomplishing goals". (Hamodia, May 30, 2011)
It is considered "racist" to oppose occupation and demand that Israel withdraw from the occupied territories. On December 15, 2010, Professor Hillel Weis wrote in the religious newspaper Makor Rishoan that "Islam turned out to be a boot trampling on Europe. European leaders demand that Israel evacuate form Jerusalem. That's racism! Those who invented the term 'racism' have adopted it."
On June 22, 2012, Yaakov Schoenfeld published an article in Hamodia in which he says, "This animal-like thirst for blood drives Muslims crazy. It seems that Muslims are frustrated, attempting suicide and taking the whole world down with them. It seems that history has never witnessed the sort of madness that Islam is exhibiting, as a religion of killing and destruction".
Racial incitement is not absent from the secular Israeli media. As we pointed out earlier by referring to the "News1" website, we now look to Ha'aretz, a paper known for its liberal and leftist views. In an article published on March 17, 2012, the journalist Yisrael Harel wrote: "Those who believe that peace is possible and that the Palestinians are partners should be the first to tell the truth about Palestinian incitement. It's not possible to prove a direct relationship between the killings in Itamar and daily incitement. The reasons are deeper. Over the years whole villages have been slaughtered in Algeria - about 300,000 victims - and thousands of infant throats slit. In Darfur, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere in the Muslim world, people have been massacred. These killings are the outcome of a murderous character, not the incitement led to them".
Severe cases of racism also exist, such as the words of the right-wing radio broadcaster Avery Gila'ad. On June 12, 2012 he said: "we don't want to forget that those who are knocking on our doors are followers of Islam, and that Islam is a disease rampant in the world. The fact that Islam dominates the world and we see it everywhere, and in light of Muslims' wish to impose their thoughts and beliefs, we must be careful in managing our lives". (From Gila'ad's program "The Last Word," broadcasted on Galle Zahal, the radio of the Israeli army).
Following this incident, which aroused much anger, protesters took to the streets, and a complaint was filed with to the government attorney general. Unfortunately, as usual, none of these actions resulted in any changes.
Conclusion
It seems that the Israeli media holds a world view which divides humanity into two parts. The first is the Jews, the descendants of Isaac - who are considered superior religiously and ethnically - and the second part comprises the "terrorist" Muslims and the "brutal" Arabs, the descendants of Ismail.
This supposed "religious-ethnic superiority" is merely an attempt to legitimize the Israeli occupation and the crimes committed against the Palestinian people. Legitimization occurs by dehumanizing and demonizing the "enemy." Those who emphasize a demonic image of Islam are attempting to justify the Western wars against Muslim and Arab countries under the pretext of battling the so-called "global Islamic jihad."
Thus while reading an Israeli newspaper, it is common to find a piece of racial incitement against Arabs and Muslims, and below it, another piece criticizing alleged racism and anti-Semitism among the same Arabs and Muslims who are exposed to systematic racial incitement.
This article was originally published in Middle East Monitor
Although Israeli law considers racial incitement illegal, the Israeli media consistently provides a platform for extremists who commit racial incitement against groups that Israelis perceive as an "enemy," especially the Palestinian people.
Based on the results of monitoring the mainstream Israeli media (secular and religious), conducted over two years, this article addresses the most prominent cases of racial incitement against Arabs and Muslims, justified by biblical texts and fake historical facts. Every day, the Israeli public is exposed to ideas in the media which influence their perceptions of Arabs and Muslims and solidify existing negative views.
Attributing the Arab-Israeli conflict to religious-historical roots
The trend of viewing the conflict through a religious lens revives, reproduces and distributes religious myths of a perpetual conflict between two sides: one symbolizes "good" and the other "evil". The superior side faces an enemy haunted by inferiority, motivated by envy and jealousy, and driven by a deep wish for revenge.
Explaining political and sometimes tragic incidents in such terms has become part of the Israeli political culture, as expressed in the following quote: "Incapability, frustration, and a sub-conscious sense of inferiority towards Jews have deeply affected all Muslims, turning them slowly into maniacs. It is the war of Ismail against Isaac. It is a war until the elimination of the last Jew" (Yaakov Schoenfeld, published on March 30, 2012 in Hamodia, defined as "the daily newspaper of Torah Jewry").
In an article by Ariel Kahana, published in a newspaper called Makor Rishon on March 14, 2011, we read: "This is what history has shown us, Murder is an innate feature of the Arab people, at least since their path crossed with the path of the Jewish people. This is their character. Jews behave according to 'one hand raises the message and the other works', the Arabs react out of 'will be a brutal man'. This is their character, these are their traits".
Many authors call the Arabs "Ismaelites" when they want to express contempt, as we see in an article by Avi Bentov: "So, these are the Ismaelites, the brutal, the bloodthirsty, worse than animals of a forest, some who eat and some who get eaten. One animal kills the other when it is hungry and also to feed its offspring. Animals don't kill humans without reason, but Arabs do, as they live on the ruins of their victims, the knife in their left hand. They are stupid, and their hands are soiled with the blood of our beloved" (published on the Kikar Hashabat website on March 27, 2011).
Another article by A. Yizhaki, responding to the assassination of the Arab-Jewish movie director Juliano Mer-Kamis in Jenin, stated: "In recent years, the director Juliano Mer-Khamis met his calling in the Jenin refugee camp. He went to live there and worked to develop Palestinian 'culture,' believing it is possible to 'educate' the descendants of people the Torah describes as 'wild.' Reactions from leftist Jews prove that they do not know the truth about the character of their subjects in Ismail's camp. The Palestinian culture of killing, or generally speaking, the Arab culture of killing, strikes very deep. It is so deeply rooted that the Israeli left is not capable of perceiving it as a serious matter" (published in Yated Nee'man on November 4, 2011).
Demonizing Islam
Racism and incitement in the Israeli media are not only directed towards Arabs but also at Muslims. The Israeli media demonizes Islam, falsifies historical facts, and takes verses from the Qur'an out of context.
For instance, in addressing the case of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Dr. Reuven Barco claims that the conduct of Hamas is affected by the "low morals" of the prophet Mohammad: "In addition to a...heritage of violence, the bearded Hamasnics of Gaza, in their operations against Israel, apply two main lessons of the failed siege which Mohammad conducted against Taeif, the city of the 'infidels'. He threw huge stones, injuring civilians, women and children without discrimination". (Published in the daily newspaper Yesrael Hayom on October 19, 2011)
On March 22, 2012, the newspaper Hamodia published an article by M. Shalom, saying: "The world knows how to shut up and ignore when the Jews in Israel defend themselves against those products of Islam, the brutal anti-Semites with their insatiable hunger for terror. Worse still, this world condemns the Jews when so-called 'innocents' get killed and the Jews are trying to defend themselves."
Another report in the same newspaper says: "Islamic terrorists are running a global war. Throughout our painful, bloody history, Jewish children were at the top of the killers' list. Today Arabs and Muslim carry the cross of this bloody campaign".
A website called "News1" published an article by Yehuda Drori on January 29, 2012, describing Islam as the "devil's religion." Drori wrote: "Some people might disagree with my view of Islam as a violent, bloody religion. In order to read about a loving and peaceful Islam, those who disagree have to look towards tolerant academics living in the West, but we know Islam better than them! I can understand how difficult it is for a leftist to adjust his attitude and accept the awful truth: There are no 'good' Muslims. The only goal for Arabs, here at least, is to eliminate us. They constantly promote this idea in their media with non-stop incitement against us. Islam is the devil's religion".
The superiority of Jews and inferiority of Arabs
The theory of a "super race" descending from Isaac - as opposed to an "inferior race" descending from Ismail - is usually accompanied by the theory of the Jews as "God's chosen people" and their religious superiority over the "gentiles." Numerous Israeli writers are convinced that Jews are a "chosen people," superior to non-Jews religiously and culturally.
In Yesrael Hayom on October 19, 2011, Reuven Barco confirms the racial superiority of Jews over Arabs - the latter of whom he calls "the strain of Hagar the slave" - and the religious superiority of the "chosen people". He writes: "the Palestinian prisoners go on a hunger strike with an incredible sense of insolence; they demand rights to welfare, education, food, visits from family members, and watching media. This proves that somewhere in the back of the Palestinian's brain is an implicit recognition of Jewish superiority. They are right; there is a substantial difference between the Jews and the Palestinian Islamists. We are not only talking about Jewish accomplishments in science and the Nobel Prizes won by the chosen people; we are basically talking about Jews who value life compared to the death industry produced by the Islamists".
Racism and incitement
The Israeli media carelessly express extremely racist insults towards Islamic culture, and won't allow facts to melt their entrenched stereotypes. One example is found in Yated Nee'man on March 26, 2012: "As a rule, the Islamic culture thoroughly suppresses citizens' rights wherever they live. It is a culture of terror, racism, humiliation and suppression. Whoever tries to speak up is immediately decapitated".
In the editorial of the same newspaper, on March 25, 2012, we read: "It is also true that many immigrant Muslims have managed to integrate into their new countries, but those who cling to an ideology that wishes to conquer the whole world and put it under the shoes of Mohammad's destructive religion, are definitely not a minority".
In another article written by M. Shalom, we read: "Lying and deception are the most prominent characteristic of the Arabs. They are firmly rooted in Mohammad's religion. The Quraysh Covenant proves that deception is allowed - and even required - on the way to defeating the enemy and accomplishing goals". (Hamodia, May 30, 2011)
It is considered "racist" to oppose occupation and demand that Israel withdraw from the occupied territories. On December 15, 2010, Professor Hillel Weis wrote in the religious newspaper Makor Rishoan that "Islam turned out to be a boot trampling on Europe. European leaders demand that Israel evacuate form Jerusalem. That's racism! Those who invented the term 'racism' have adopted it."
On June 22, 2012, Yaakov Schoenfeld published an article in Hamodia in which he says, "This animal-like thirst for blood drives Muslims crazy. It seems that Muslims are frustrated, attempting suicide and taking the whole world down with them. It seems that history has never witnessed the sort of madness that Islam is exhibiting, as a religion of killing and destruction".
Racial incitement is not absent from the secular Israeli media. As we pointed out earlier by referring to the "News1" website, we now look to Ha'aretz, a paper known for its liberal and leftist views. In an article published on March 17, 2012, the journalist Yisrael Harel wrote: "Those who believe that peace is possible and that the Palestinians are partners should be the first to tell the truth about Palestinian incitement. It's not possible to prove a direct relationship between the killings in Itamar and daily incitement. The reasons are deeper. Over the years whole villages have been slaughtered in Algeria - about 300,000 victims - and thousands of infant throats slit. In Darfur, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere in the Muslim world, people have been massacred. These killings are the outcome of a murderous character, not the incitement led to them".
Severe cases of racism also exist, such as the words of the right-wing radio broadcaster Avery Gila'ad. On June 12, 2012 he said: "we don't want to forget that those who are knocking on our doors are followers of Islam, and that Islam is a disease rampant in the world. The fact that Islam dominates the world and we see it everywhere, and in light of Muslims' wish to impose their thoughts and beliefs, we must be careful in managing our lives". (From Gila'ad's program "The Last Word," broadcasted on Galle Zahal, the radio of the Israeli army).
Following this incident, which aroused much anger, protesters took to the streets, and a complaint was filed with to the government attorney general. Unfortunately, as usual, none of these actions resulted in any changes.
Conclusion
It seems that the Israeli media holds a world view which divides humanity into two parts. The first is the Jews, the descendants of Isaac - who are considered superior religiously and ethnically - and the second part comprises the "terrorist" Muslims and the "brutal" Arabs, the descendants of Ismail.
This supposed "religious-ethnic superiority" is merely an attempt to legitimize the Israeli occupation and the crimes committed against the Palestinian people. Legitimization occurs by dehumanizing and demonizing the "enemy." Those who emphasize a demonic image of Islam are attempting to justify the Western wars against Muslim and Arab countries under the pretext of battling the so-called "global Islamic jihad."
Thus while reading an Israeli newspaper, it is common to find a piece of racial incitement against Arabs and Muslims, and below it, another piece criticizing alleged racism and anti-Semitism among the same Arabs and Muslims who are exposed to systematic racial incitement.
This article was originally published in Middle East Monitor
2 jan 2014
The daughter of the Palestinian ambassador to Czech Republic who died in Prague Wednesday said an explosive device in his house was planted to assassinate him.
"The information about a safety device detonating in his safe is untrue," Jamal al-Jamal's daughter said.
"The safe has been used daily for 30 years in the headquarters of the Palestinian embassy. It is old, not modern, and has no (hi-tech) devices," Rana al-Jamal said.
She added that her father had used the safe without being harmed before heading to Egypt two months ago, a period in which the safe was used by other employees in the embassy.
"When my father returned a few days ago to the Czech embassy, the safe was moved by a Czech moving company to his house the night before the explosion" al-Jamal said. "A replacement safe was put in the embassy and the old one which was the size of a mini-fridge was taken to the ambassador's house."
She said the explosion did not come from inside the safe, but from underneath it, insisting that the incident was not an accident, but that her father was "assassinated."
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki earlier described the blast as "a work accident."
"The safe was old, and it was made in a way that if it is being opened in a wrong way, an explosive device attached to its door would explode, and this is what happened," al-Malki said.
Police in Prague said the explosion appeared to be accidental rather than a terror attack.
"The blast was the result of inexpert handling of an explosive," Prague police chief Martin Vondrasek told public radio.
Czech police also said Thursday that they had found unregistered weapons in al-Jamal's Prague home.
"The information about a safety device detonating in his safe is untrue," Jamal al-Jamal's daughter said.
"The safe has been used daily for 30 years in the headquarters of the Palestinian embassy. It is old, not modern, and has no (hi-tech) devices," Rana al-Jamal said.
She added that her father had used the safe without being harmed before heading to Egypt two months ago, a period in which the safe was used by other employees in the embassy.
"When my father returned a few days ago to the Czech embassy, the safe was moved by a Czech moving company to his house the night before the explosion" al-Jamal said. "A replacement safe was put in the embassy and the old one which was the size of a mini-fridge was taken to the ambassador's house."
She said the explosion did not come from inside the safe, but from underneath it, insisting that the incident was not an accident, but that her father was "assassinated."
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki earlier described the blast as "a work accident."
"The safe was old, and it was made in a way that if it is being opened in a wrong way, an explosive device attached to its door would explode, and this is what happened," al-Malki said.
Police in Prague said the explosion appeared to be accidental rather than a terror attack.
"The blast was the result of inexpert handling of an explosive," Prague police chief Martin Vondrasek told public radio.
Czech police also said Thursday that they had found unregistered weapons in al-Jamal's Prague home.
A teenager hanged herself on Thursday in the southern Gaza Strip, police said.
Gaza police spokesman Ayub Abu Shaar told Ma'an that the teen's body was found in the al-Amal neighborhood west of Khan Yunis refugee camp.
The 13-year-old, identified only as W.A., was taken to Nasser Hospital where she was pronounced dead, Shaar said.
Police have opened an investigation into the suicide incident.
Gaza police spokesman Ayub Abu Shaar told Ma'an that the teen's body was found in the al-Amal neighborhood west of Khan Yunis refugee camp.
The 13-year-old, identified only as W.A., was taken to Nasser Hospital where she was pronounced dead, Shaar said.
Police have opened an investigation into the suicide incident.
1 jan 2014
The Palestinian ambassador to Prague, Jamal Al Jamal, was killed by a blast in his residence on Wednesday, Czech police said.
"With regret we confirm this information provided by the emergency service," Prague police spokeswoman Andrea Zoulova told AFP.
Quoting sources close to the police investigation, the Novinky.cz news site said the blast was probably caused by "careless manipulation with a dangerous explosive."
The site reported that it occurred as the ambassador was opening a safe.
"Emergency services treated a 56-year-old man who suffered very serious injuries and was taken to Prague's military hospital in an artificial coma," spokeswoman Jirina Ernestova said.
"A 52-year-old woman was taken to another hospital because of smoke inhalation and a stress reaction," she added.
Embassy spokesman Nabil el Fahel told the public Czech Radio that the ambassador's entire family had been in the residence when the blast occurred.
Novinky.cz also said the ambassador's family had moved into the residence only recently.
Police said they were still investigating the causes.
Explosion Kills Palestinian Ambassador In Czech Republic
Official Palestinian sources said that Jamal Al-Jamal, 56, the Palestinian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, was killed in an explosion which took place when he opened an old safe, at his residence in Prague.
The sources said that the safe was moved, from his old residence to the new one, and detonated as he was opening it. The safe appears to have been booby-trapped after it was moved from the old embassy building.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued official orders to investigate the circumstances that led to the death of the ambassador, and to ensure the safety of his family.
Al-Jamal was initially seriously injured in the blast, and died at a military hospital in Prague.
The late ambassador was born in Beirut in 1957, and comes from a family of refugees that were forced out of Jaffa, when Israel was established in the historic land of Palestine in 1948.
The family then moved to Sabra and Shatela refugee camp in Lebanon. He joined the Fateh movement in 1975, and worked as the acting ambassador in Bulgaria, in 1979, and as a diplomat at the Palestinian Embassy in Prague, in 1984.
He then was appointed as the General Consul at the Palestinian Embassy in Alexandria, Egypt, from 2005 until 2013; then in October of 2013, he was appointed as the Ambassador in the Czech Republic.
The Police in Prague said that “it does not appear that the explosion was intentional”, and that another safe was found in the building but, when explosive experts examined it, they found no more explosives.
The Police added that the new embassy where the explosion took place has not opened yet, and that the ambassador spent two nights at his residence in the same complex.
"With regret we confirm this information provided by the emergency service," Prague police spokeswoman Andrea Zoulova told AFP.
Quoting sources close to the police investigation, the Novinky.cz news site said the blast was probably caused by "careless manipulation with a dangerous explosive."
The site reported that it occurred as the ambassador was opening a safe.
"Emergency services treated a 56-year-old man who suffered very serious injuries and was taken to Prague's military hospital in an artificial coma," spokeswoman Jirina Ernestova said.
"A 52-year-old woman was taken to another hospital because of smoke inhalation and a stress reaction," she added.
Embassy spokesman Nabil el Fahel told the public Czech Radio that the ambassador's entire family had been in the residence when the blast occurred.
Novinky.cz also said the ambassador's family had moved into the residence only recently.
Police said they were still investigating the causes.
Explosion Kills Palestinian Ambassador In Czech Republic
Official Palestinian sources said that Jamal Al-Jamal, 56, the Palestinian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, was killed in an explosion which took place when he opened an old safe, at his residence in Prague.
The sources said that the safe was moved, from his old residence to the new one, and detonated as he was opening it. The safe appears to have been booby-trapped after it was moved from the old embassy building.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued official orders to investigate the circumstances that led to the death of the ambassador, and to ensure the safety of his family.
Al-Jamal was initially seriously injured in the blast, and died at a military hospital in Prague.
The late ambassador was born in Beirut in 1957, and comes from a family of refugees that were forced out of Jaffa, when Israel was established in the historic land of Palestine in 1948.
The family then moved to Sabra and Shatela refugee camp in Lebanon. He joined the Fateh movement in 1975, and worked as the acting ambassador in Bulgaria, in 1979, and as a diplomat at the Palestinian Embassy in Prague, in 1984.
He then was appointed as the General Consul at the Palestinian Embassy in Alexandria, Egypt, from 2005 until 2013; then in October of 2013, he was appointed as the Ambassador in the Czech Republic.
The Police in Prague said that “it does not appear that the explosion was intentional”, and that another safe was found in the building but, when explosive experts examined it, they found no more explosives.
The Police added that the new embassy where the explosion took place has not opened yet, and that the ambassador spent two nights at his residence in the same complex.
A Palestinian diplomat was injured in a blast in his Prague residence on Wednesday, police told AFP, but declined to give further details.
Czech media identified the diplomat as the Palestinian ambassador, Jamal Al Jamal, and said the blast occurred as he was opening a safe.
"I can only confirm there was a detonation in the residence of a Palestinian diplomat," police spokeswoman Andrea Zoulova said.
"The diplomat suffered a serious injury and was taken to hospital. We are investigating the causes," she added.
Czech media identified the diplomat as the Palestinian ambassador, Jamal Al Jamal, and said the blast occurred as he was opening a safe.
"I can only confirm there was a detonation in the residence of a Palestinian diplomat," police spokeswoman Andrea Zoulova said.
"The diplomat suffered a serious injury and was taken to hospital. We are investigating the causes," she added.
Police are investigating the death of a woman from the Ramallah district who was found dead in her house on Wednesday, Palestinian police told Ma'an.
The 75-year-old woman from the village of Surda north of Ramallah could have been murdered by robbers, police said. They added that her house appeared ransacked when police officers arrived at the scene.
The woman's body was taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Al-Quds University in Abu Dis.
Police are still investigating the case.
The 75-year-old woman from the village of Surda north of Ramallah could have been murdered by robbers, police said. They added that her house appeared ransacked when police officers arrived at the scene.
The woman's body was taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Al-Quds University in Abu Dis.
Police are still investigating the case.
The Jordanian government on Tuesday reaffirmed that it remained committed to its supportive position of the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The state should be one “enjoying full sovereignty on all Palestinian soil with East Jerusalem as the capital of that state,” according to a government spokesman.
Muhammad al-Mumani was quoted by Jordan’s Arabic-language newspaper al-Ghad as saying that “Jordan reiterates that the whole West Bank and Gaza Strip are Palestinian lands under occupation, and part of the Palestinian state and its national soil.”
Any practices which could prevent a two-state solution and violate international law and international resolutions related to the issue are likely to jeopardize the whole peace process, he said.
The remarks came in response to an Israeli ministerial committee’s approval of a Knesset bill allowing Israel to annex the Jordan Valley.
The state should be one “enjoying full sovereignty on all Palestinian soil with East Jerusalem as the capital of that state,” according to a government spokesman.
Muhammad al-Mumani was quoted by Jordan’s Arabic-language newspaper al-Ghad as saying that “Jordan reiterates that the whole West Bank and Gaza Strip are Palestinian lands under occupation, and part of the Palestinian state and its national soil.”
Any practices which could prevent a two-state solution and violate international law and international resolutions related to the issue are likely to jeopardize the whole peace process, he said.
The remarks came in response to an Israeli ministerial committee’s approval of a Knesset bill allowing Israel to annex the Jordan Valley.
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