11 june 2015
United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, has carried out a secret visit to Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Palestinian security source revealed.
The Anadolu News Agency quoted the source as saying that Mladenov arrived to Gaza with a UN delegation via the Israeli-controlled Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in a visit that lasted for few hours. No more details were given.
Mladenov arrived in the Gaza Strip on April 29, 2015 in his first visit to the blockaded coastal enclave since his appointment.
Mladenov, a Bulgarian diplomat, was appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in February.
He replaced Robert Serry, a Dutch diplomat who as UN Middle East envoy sponsored a controversial reconstruction plan for Gaza following a devastating Israeli military offensive last summer.
The Qatari Ambassador to Palestine Mohammad Al-Emadi, who heads the Qatari National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, has earlier declared that he twice met with Mladenov and briefed him on the people's suffering in the besieged strip.
The Anadolu News Agency quoted the source as saying that Mladenov arrived to Gaza with a UN delegation via the Israeli-controlled Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in a visit that lasted for few hours. No more details were given.
Mladenov arrived in the Gaza Strip on April 29, 2015 in his first visit to the blockaded coastal enclave since his appointment.
Mladenov, a Bulgarian diplomat, was appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in February.
He replaced Robert Serry, a Dutch diplomat who as UN Middle East envoy sponsored a controversial reconstruction plan for Gaza following a devastating Israeli military offensive last summer.
The Qatari Ambassador to Palestine Mohammad Al-Emadi, who heads the Qatari National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, has earlier declared that he twice met with Mladenov and briefed him on the people's suffering in the besieged strip.
The EU Special Representative for the Middle East peace process, Fernando Gentilini, arrived in the blockaded Gaza Strip on Thursday morning in a first visit of its kind by the official.
A Palestinian official in Gaza’s department of border-crossings said Gentilini arrived in the Strip via the Beit Hanoun (Erez) border crossing, accompanied by a senior European delegation.
The European peace envoy is set to meet, during his short stopover in the coastal strip, with a number of representatives of international institutions and human rights organizations, along with several high-ranking Palestinian officials.
European officials have increasingly been dropping by the Gaza Strip in short follow-up stopovers aimed at assessing the current state of affairs in the besieged enclave, where living conditions have gone remarkably worse since the wake of last summer’s Israeli 51-day military offensive.
A Palestinian official in Gaza’s department of border-crossings said Gentilini arrived in the Strip via the Beit Hanoun (Erez) border crossing, accompanied by a senior European delegation.
The European peace envoy is set to meet, during his short stopover in the coastal strip, with a number of representatives of international institutions and human rights organizations, along with several high-ranking Palestinian officials.
European officials have increasingly been dropping by the Gaza Strip in short follow-up stopovers aimed at assessing the current state of affairs in the besieged enclave, where living conditions have gone remarkably worse since the wake of last summer’s Israeli 51-day military offensive.
The Palestinian cause is on top of the agenda of the 25th African Summit, set to be held in Johannesburg city on June 14 and 15, Secretary-General of the African Union Commission, Jean Mfasoni ,said Wednesday.
Mfasoni’s statements were delivered in a conference held in Johannesburg’s Conference Center.
He said the Palestinian cause is put on top of the priority agenda of African presidents, prime ministers, and governments.
The summit is also expected to go over the conflicts and crises emerging on the regional and international socio-political arena.
Mfasoni’s statements were delivered in a conference held in Johannesburg’s Conference Center.
He said the Palestinian cause is put on top of the priority agenda of African presidents, prime ministers, and governments.
The summit is also expected to go over the conflicts and crises emerging on the regional and international socio-political arena.
9 june 2015
Russia has offered to host a reconciliation meeting between Hamas and Fateh in Moscow, Lebanese newspaper as-Safir reported Monday.
The offer was reportedly made by the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who is also the Russian President's Special Representative for the Middle East.
According to as-Safir, Hamas had accepted the invitation while Fateh movement had not yet given an answer. The report added that Russia is also waiting for an official request from President Mahmoud Abbas to host another meeting between other Palestinian factions.
Palestinian sources told the newspaper that accepting the Russian offer would solve the question of where to hold negotiations, though other officials said that the matter was more complicated.
Hamas previously agreed to meet with Fateh in Cairo, but arrangements ground to a halt after Egypt vetoed the attendance of Hamas politburo member, Khalid Mashal, whose attendance Hamas insisted on.
Relations between Hamas and Fateh remain in a dire state a year after a government of national consensus was formed in June 2014, Ma'an News Agency further reports.
Last week, the deputy head of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, said the unity government had not brought any humanitarian or economic progress to the Gaza Strip since it was formed.
He said that Hamas had hoped the formation of the unity government would bring an end to Palestinian division, but that it had so far failed in all its objectives.
Following a high-profile visit by government ministers to Gaza that ended in disarray in April, Minister of Labor Mamoun Abu Shahla said that the unity government had severed all contact with Hamas.
Russia, which is widely involved in Middle East politics, has long sought to maintain good relations with both Palestine and Israel.
According to British think-tank Chatham House, the main goal of Russian activity in the region "is to exact leverage over the West, as Moscow's assistance may play a crucial role in the settlement of major issues," including Iran's nuclear program and the Syrian conflict.
A Chatham House report in April noted that this is particularly important so as to avoid "international isolation in the wake of sanctions over the Ukraine crisis."
However, regarding Israel and Palestine, the report said: "The Russian authorities do not want to sacrifice their political and economic contacts with Israel. Bilateral trade reached $4.6 billion in 2014."
The report concluded: "Any intensification of Russian efforts towards Palestinian independence may make the Israelis reconsider their ties with Moscow."
The offer was reportedly made by the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who is also the Russian President's Special Representative for the Middle East.
According to as-Safir, Hamas had accepted the invitation while Fateh movement had not yet given an answer. The report added that Russia is also waiting for an official request from President Mahmoud Abbas to host another meeting between other Palestinian factions.
Palestinian sources told the newspaper that accepting the Russian offer would solve the question of where to hold negotiations, though other officials said that the matter was more complicated.
Hamas previously agreed to meet with Fateh in Cairo, but arrangements ground to a halt after Egypt vetoed the attendance of Hamas politburo member, Khalid Mashal, whose attendance Hamas insisted on.
Relations between Hamas and Fateh remain in a dire state a year after a government of national consensus was formed in June 2014, Ma'an News Agency further reports.
Last week, the deputy head of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, said the unity government had not brought any humanitarian or economic progress to the Gaza Strip since it was formed.
He said that Hamas had hoped the formation of the unity government would bring an end to Palestinian division, but that it had so far failed in all its objectives.
Following a high-profile visit by government ministers to Gaza that ended in disarray in April, Minister of Labor Mamoun Abu Shahla said that the unity government had severed all contact with Hamas.
Russia, which is widely involved in Middle East politics, has long sought to maintain good relations with both Palestine and Israel.
According to British think-tank Chatham House, the main goal of Russian activity in the region "is to exact leverage over the West, as Moscow's assistance may play a crucial role in the settlement of major issues," including Iran's nuclear program and the Syrian conflict.
A Chatham House report in April noted that this is particularly important so as to avoid "international isolation in the wake of sanctions over the Ukraine crisis."
However, regarding Israel and Palestine, the report said: "The Russian authorities do not want to sacrifice their political and economic contacts with Israel. Bilateral trade reached $4.6 billion in 2014."
The report concluded: "Any intensification of Russian efforts towards Palestinian independence may make the Israelis reconsider their ties with Moscow."
8 june 2015
The American president rather than Congress has authority to decide policy on matters of sovereignty such as the US stance on the status of Jerusalem, the Supreme Court ruled Monday.
The top court was called to rule on the matter after lawmakers passed a law allowing the passports of Jerusalem-born US citizens to record their birthplace as "Jerusalem, Israel".
Ma'an reports that, in 2002, despite opposition from then president George W. Bush, Congress passed a law obliging the US government to accept this designation upon request.
But, after lengthy deliberations, the court decided that this law "infringes on the executive's consistent decision to withhold recognition with respect to Jerusalem."
Israel regards Jerusalem -- which it has fully controlled since the 1967 Six Day War -- as its historic and undivided capital, while Palestinians view East Jerusalem as occupied territory and the capital of a future state. Washington and the broader international community have never recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and its final status is one of the thorniest issues in the Middle East peace process.
In a decision that had been keenly anticipated since a hearing on the issue in November last year, the court upheld the White House's right to ignore Congress' attempt to force the issue.
"The provision forces the president, through the secretary of state, to identify, upon request, citizens born in Jerusalem as being born in Israel when, as a matter of United States policy, neither Israel nor any other country is acknowledged as having sovereignty over Jerusalem," the court said in a ruling presented by Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Six of the nine Supreme Court judges, including the three Jewish members of the bench, backed the ruling, but Chief Justice John Roberts objected.
"Today's decision is a first: never before has this court accepted a president's direct defiance of an act of Congress in the field of foreign affairs," he argued.
Bush signed Congress' 2002 bill into law, but accompanied his assent with a note objecting to the clause authorizing Jerusalem-born US citizens to request "Israel" be written in their passports.
Reacting to the decision Monday, spokesman for the Palestinian presidency Nabil Abu Rudeina said the ruling was "in harmony with international legitimacy."
Abu Rudeina told WAFA news that the decision comes in accordance with the UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions especially the latest resolution to recognize Palestine as an observer state. He added that the decision sent a clear message that Israel occupies East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
The top court was called to rule on the matter after lawmakers passed a law allowing the passports of Jerusalem-born US citizens to record their birthplace as "Jerusalem, Israel".
Ma'an reports that, in 2002, despite opposition from then president George W. Bush, Congress passed a law obliging the US government to accept this designation upon request.
But, after lengthy deliberations, the court decided that this law "infringes on the executive's consistent decision to withhold recognition with respect to Jerusalem."
Israel regards Jerusalem -- which it has fully controlled since the 1967 Six Day War -- as its historic and undivided capital, while Palestinians view East Jerusalem as occupied territory and the capital of a future state. Washington and the broader international community have never recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and its final status is one of the thorniest issues in the Middle East peace process.
In a decision that had been keenly anticipated since a hearing on the issue in November last year, the court upheld the White House's right to ignore Congress' attempt to force the issue.
"The provision forces the president, through the secretary of state, to identify, upon request, citizens born in Jerusalem as being born in Israel when, as a matter of United States policy, neither Israel nor any other country is acknowledged as having sovereignty over Jerusalem," the court said in a ruling presented by Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Six of the nine Supreme Court judges, including the three Jewish members of the bench, backed the ruling, but Chief Justice John Roberts objected.
"Today's decision is a first: never before has this court accepted a president's direct defiance of an act of Congress in the field of foreign affairs," he argued.
Bush signed Congress' 2002 bill into law, but accompanied his assent with a note objecting to the clause authorizing Jerusalem-born US citizens to request "Israel" be written in their passports.
Reacting to the decision Monday, spokesman for the Palestinian presidency Nabil Abu Rudeina said the ruling was "in harmony with international legitimacy."
Abu Rudeina told WAFA news that the decision comes in accordance with the UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions especially the latest resolution to recognize Palestine as an observer state. He added that the decision sent a clear message that Israel occupies East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
Mousa Abu Marzouk, member of Hamas’s political bureau, said the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) claim of meeting minutes of negotiations between his movement and Israel is clear fabrication.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Abu Marzouk said “what has been heard by PA’s officials about direct or indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel and having meeting minutes is totally fabricated.”
“We do not negotiate with Israel because there is no interest in that. When we decide to negotiate indirectly, that will not be a secret. We did so in Wafa al-Ahrar prisoner swap deal and during the last summer’s war on Gaza,” Abu Marzouk underlined.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas along with a number of PA’s and Fatah’s leaders accused Hamas movement of secretly negotiating with Israel, claiming that they possess meeting minutes of Hamas-Israeli negotiations.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Abu Marzouk said “what has been heard by PA’s officials about direct or indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel and having meeting minutes is totally fabricated.”
“We do not negotiate with Israel because there is no interest in that. When we decide to negotiate indirectly, that will not be a secret. We did so in Wafa al-Ahrar prisoner swap deal and during the last summer’s war on Gaza,” Abu Marzouk underlined.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas along with a number of PA’s and Fatah’s leaders accused Hamas movement of secretly negotiating with Israel, claiming that they possess meeting minutes of Hamas-Israeli negotiations.
7 june 2015
The Czech foreign minister, Lubomír Zaorálek, arrived in the blockaded Gaza Strip via the Beit Hanoun crossing on early Sunday morning.
The Palestinian Interior Ministry said in a statement the Czech Foreign Minister managed to gain access into the blockaded Gaza Strip via the Israeli-controlled Beit Hanoun (Erez) border-crossing.
A number of European diplomats and officials have increasingly been paying visits to the Gaza Strip to check up on the current state of affairs in the besieged coastal enclave.
Earlier, one week ago, the German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Interior Ministry said in a statement the Czech Foreign Minister managed to gain access into the blockaded Gaza Strip via the Israeli-controlled Beit Hanoun (Erez) border-crossing.
A number of European diplomats and officials have increasingly been paying visits to the Gaza Strip to check up on the current state of affairs in the besieged coastal enclave.
Earlier, one week ago, the German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited the Gaza Strip.
5 june 2015
File photo of late Yasser Arafat (R) during a visit at World Economic Forum
A majority of the town council in La Seyne-sur-Mer, on the Mediterranean coast, has voted in favour of naming one of its streets after late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. In a statement issued yesterday, city mayor and a member of the French Socialist Party Marc Vuillemot said that some council members opposed the decision saying Arafat was a controversial figure.
The municipal council also decided to name another street after late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Vuillemot added, pointing out that both leaders deserved the recognition because they won the Nobel Peace Prize.
This is the first time a French city names one of its streets after the Palestinian leader.
Arafat died on 11 November 2004, in a military hospital in the French capital, Paris.
Street to be named for Yasser Arafat in south of France
La Seyne-sur-Mer's city council overwhelmingly voted in favor of naming a street for Arafat; the socialist mayor of the town doesn't understand what the fuss is all about
A new street in the Berthe neighborhood of La Seyne-sur-Mer, a coastal city in the south of France, will be named after Yasser Arafat, according to French newspaper Var-Matin. The announcement was validated by the members of the city council on Tuesday.
The only other such case in France is in Bobigny, a suburb of Paris, which has a Yasser Arafat-Rabin Square. In 2013 the socialist mayor of Belfort, a city in eastern France, drew up plans to name a square for Yasser Arafat. But this plan was quashed by the Jewish community there, who vehemently opposed it.
Only a few voices of opposition were raised during the deliberations regarding the street naming. Some said that Arafat was a "controversial figure" while others labeled him a "terrorist". But in the end a very large majority voted in favor of naming the street for Yasser Arafat.
The socialist mayor of La Seyne-sur-Mer, Marc Vuillemont, explained that it was the elected officials of the city who made the decision in a democratic process. He also said that he was hard-pressed to understand the controversy, since there is already a Yitzhak Rabin Street in the city, and Yasser Arafat, after all, won the Nobel Prize together with Rabin. He joked that he hadn't gone out to measure both streets to see which of the two was longer.
In 2013, an uproar arose when the Communist mayor of Bezons, a suburb of Paris, decided to name Majdi Ihrima Al-Rimawi an honarary citizen.
Al-Rimawi, is the Palestinian whom an Israeli court condemned to life in prison and an additonal 80 years, due to his implication in the assassination of former Minister of Tourism Rechavam Ze'evi in 2001.
A majority of the town council in La Seyne-sur-Mer, on the Mediterranean coast, has voted in favour of naming one of its streets after late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. In a statement issued yesterday, city mayor and a member of the French Socialist Party Marc Vuillemot said that some council members opposed the decision saying Arafat was a controversial figure.
The municipal council also decided to name another street after late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Vuillemot added, pointing out that both leaders deserved the recognition because they won the Nobel Peace Prize.
This is the first time a French city names one of its streets after the Palestinian leader.
Arafat died on 11 November 2004, in a military hospital in the French capital, Paris.
Street to be named for Yasser Arafat in south of France
La Seyne-sur-Mer's city council overwhelmingly voted in favor of naming a street for Arafat; the socialist mayor of the town doesn't understand what the fuss is all about
A new street in the Berthe neighborhood of La Seyne-sur-Mer, a coastal city in the south of France, will be named after Yasser Arafat, according to French newspaper Var-Matin. The announcement was validated by the members of the city council on Tuesday.
The only other such case in France is in Bobigny, a suburb of Paris, which has a Yasser Arafat-Rabin Square. In 2013 the socialist mayor of Belfort, a city in eastern France, drew up plans to name a square for Yasser Arafat. But this plan was quashed by the Jewish community there, who vehemently opposed it.
Only a few voices of opposition were raised during the deliberations regarding the street naming. Some said that Arafat was a "controversial figure" while others labeled him a "terrorist". But in the end a very large majority voted in favor of naming the street for Yasser Arafat.
The socialist mayor of La Seyne-sur-Mer, Marc Vuillemont, explained that it was the elected officials of the city who made the decision in a democratic process. He also said that he was hard-pressed to understand the controversy, since there is already a Yitzhak Rabin Street in the city, and Yasser Arafat, after all, won the Nobel Prize together with Rabin. He joked that he hadn't gone out to measure both streets to see which of the two was longer.
In 2013, an uproar arose when the Communist mayor of Bezons, a suburb of Paris, decided to name Majdi Ihrima Al-Rimawi an honarary citizen.
Al-Rimawi, is the Palestinian whom an Israeli court condemned to life in prison and an additonal 80 years, due to his implication in the assassination of former Minister of Tourism Rechavam Ze'evi in 2001.
The comment was the latest sign that Obama has concluded that the US must rethink its stance on the Mideast peace process if it is to maintain credibility in the world
President Obama took a step toward a tougher line with Israel in an interview released Tuesday, raising the possibility that the US will allow a United Nations vote on issues related to the Palestinians if the two sides make no meaningful movement toward peace.
In an interview with Israel's Channel 2, Obama noted that his administration has "up until this point" quashed such efforts at the UN while insisting that the Israelis and Palestinians must negotiate a resolution. But he said it is a challenge for the US to keep demanding that the Palestinians negotiate in good faith if no one believes the Israelis are doing the same.
"How do we move off what appears right now to be a hopeless situation and move it back towards a hopeful situation?" Obama asked in the interview. "That will require more than just words. That will require some actions. And that's going to be hard work, though, because right now I think there's not a lot of confidence in the process."
The comment was the latest sign that Obama has concluded that the US must rethink its stance on the Mideast peace process if it is to maintain credibility in the world.
His thinking on the matter was clearly spurred this spring by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stand against Palestinian statehood during his election campaign. Even though Netanyahu has since publicly reversed his position, Obama said in the interview that Israel "as a whole loses credibility" on the point.
"If, in fact, there's no prospect of an actual peace process, if nobody believes there's a peace process, then it becomes more difficult to argue with those who are concerned about settlement construction, those who are concerned about the current situation," Obama said. "It's more difficult for me to say to them, 'Be patient and wait because we have a process here' -- because all they need to do is to point to the statements that have been made saying there is no process."
Obama's critical tone toward Netanyahu, describing him as someone who is "predisposed" to "think perhaps that peace is naive," appeared to return to the tough language that marked administration statements earlier this spring, around the time of the Israeli election. More recently, the White House had seemed to be trying to mend fences.
The apparent shift in tone seems "hard to understand," said a Democratic strategist with close ties to the White House. Previous White House criticisms of the prime minister clearly strengthened Netanyahu electorally, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid alienating White House officials. "These kind of attacks don't really hurt him. They help him."
Obama's veiled threat about Palestinian statehood lands hard at a time when the U.S. and other world powers are in high-stakes negotiations with Iranian officials to limit their country's nuclear program. Israel deeply opposes the deal on the grounds that it will bolster Iran's nuclear efforts and its economy and boost its aggression in the Middle East; some of Iran's leaders have said Israel does not have the right to exist.
The deadline for a deal, a major foreign-policy priority for Obama, is at the end of the month, and the president is already gearing up for the difficult sales job ahead of him if an agreement is reached. Congress has demanded a chance to review the deal, a point Obama has ceded, but the deep opposition from Israel could complicate his attempts to gain approval from US lawmakers who ardently support Israel.
In advance of that prospect, Obama recently visited a prominent Washington synagogue to talk about his deep love of Israel. Close advisors and friends have tried to underscore the point, with former senior advisor David Axelrod telling Israeli Channel 2 that Obama feels a deep personal affinity for the Jewish people.
And in an interview with the Atlantic magazine last week, Obama also talked about his personal commitment to the security of Israel, and idea he mirrored in the new interview with Channel 2's Ilana Dayan.
Obama told Dayan that the US assistance to Israel on security, intelligence and military matters "doesn't go away" because it is part of a "solemn commitment that I've made with respect to Israel's security."
But there may be a "practical consequence" if there are new resolutions introduced in the UN, he said.
The peace process could become a bigger problem for Obama in his complicated ties with Israel, but analysts say he has been trying to simplify that relationship lately by explaining himself directly to the Israeli public.
As he prepares to talk about a possible resolution with Iran over its nuclear deal, said one, Obama's primary message is about his intent.
"He has to persuade the Israeli audience that he is preoccupied with the security of Israel," said Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Did wearing a kippa and speaking in a prominent synagogue do the trick? It certainly reinforced a sense of affinity and reassured some people of the nature of his ties to Israel."
As he spoke with Dayan, Obama drew his own parallels between the African American experience and the Jewish one.
"In my mind, there is a direct line between the Jewish experience, the African American experience, and as a consequence, we have, I hope, a special empathy and a special regard for those who are being mistreated because of the colour of their skin or the nature of their faith," Obama said.
View the original piece as published by the LA Times.
President Obama took a step toward a tougher line with Israel in an interview released Tuesday, raising the possibility that the US will allow a United Nations vote on issues related to the Palestinians if the two sides make no meaningful movement toward peace.
In an interview with Israel's Channel 2, Obama noted that his administration has "up until this point" quashed such efforts at the UN while insisting that the Israelis and Palestinians must negotiate a resolution. But he said it is a challenge for the US to keep demanding that the Palestinians negotiate in good faith if no one believes the Israelis are doing the same.
"How do we move off what appears right now to be a hopeless situation and move it back towards a hopeful situation?" Obama asked in the interview. "That will require more than just words. That will require some actions. And that's going to be hard work, though, because right now I think there's not a lot of confidence in the process."
The comment was the latest sign that Obama has concluded that the US must rethink its stance on the Mideast peace process if it is to maintain credibility in the world.
His thinking on the matter was clearly spurred this spring by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stand against Palestinian statehood during his election campaign. Even though Netanyahu has since publicly reversed his position, Obama said in the interview that Israel "as a whole loses credibility" on the point.
"If, in fact, there's no prospect of an actual peace process, if nobody believes there's a peace process, then it becomes more difficult to argue with those who are concerned about settlement construction, those who are concerned about the current situation," Obama said. "It's more difficult for me to say to them, 'Be patient and wait because we have a process here' -- because all they need to do is to point to the statements that have been made saying there is no process."
Obama's critical tone toward Netanyahu, describing him as someone who is "predisposed" to "think perhaps that peace is naive," appeared to return to the tough language that marked administration statements earlier this spring, around the time of the Israeli election. More recently, the White House had seemed to be trying to mend fences.
The apparent shift in tone seems "hard to understand," said a Democratic strategist with close ties to the White House. Previous White House criticisms of the prime minister clearly strengthened Netanyahu electorally, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid alienating White House officials. "These kind of attacks don't really hurt him. They help him."
Obama's veiled threat about Palestinian statehood lands hard at a time when the U.S. and other world powers are in high-stakes negotiations with Iranian officials to limit their country's nuclear program. Israel deeply opposes the deal on the grounds that it will bolster Iran's nuclear efforts and its economy and boost its aggression in the Middle East; some of Iran's leaders have said Israel does not have the right to exist.
The deadline for a deal, a major foreign-policy priority for Obama, is at the end of the month, and the president is already gearing up for the difficult sales job ahead of him if an agreement is reached. Congress has demanded a chance to review the deal, a point Obama has ceded, but the deep opposition from Israel could complicate his attempts to gain approval from US lawmakers who ardently support Israel.
In advance of that prospect, Obama recently visited a prominent Washington synagogue to talk about his deep love of Israel. Close advisors and friends have tried to underscore the point, with former senior advisor David Axelrod telling Israeli Channel 2 that Obama feels a deep personal affinity for the Jewish people.
And in an interview with the Atlantic magazine last week, Obama also talked about his personal commitment to the security of Israel, and idea he mirrored in the new interview with Channel 2's Ilana Dayan.
Obama told Dayan that the US assistance to Israel on security, intelligence and military matters "doesn't go away" because it is part of a "solemn commitment that I've made with respect to Israel's security."
But there may be a "practical consequence" if there are new resolutions introduced in the UN, he said.
The peace process could become a bigger problem for Obama in his complicated ties with Israel, but analysts say he has been trying to simplify that relationship lately by explaining himself directly to the Israeli public.
As he prepares to talk about a possible resolution with Iran over its nuclear deal, said one, Obama's primary message is about his intent.
"He has to persuade the Israeli audience that he is preoccupied with the security of Israel," said Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Did wearing a kippa and speaking in a prominent synagogue do the trick? It certainly reinforced a sense of affinity and reassured some people of the nature of his ties to Israel."
As he spoke with Dayan, Obama drew his own parallels between the African American experience and the Jewish one.
"In my mind, there is a direct line between the Jewish experience, the African American experience, and as a consequence, we have, I hope, a special empathy and a special regard for those who are being mistreated because of the colour of their skin or the nature of their faith," Obama said.
View the original piece as published by the LA Times.
Dozens of Gazan women on Thursday participated in a protest sit-in demanding the Palestinian unity government to shoulder its humanitarian and legal responsibilities towards the Gaza Strip and pressure Israel to end its blockade.
The protest was staged by Palestinian women against the Siege outside the headquarters of the cabinet in Gaza, where the participants carried banners condemning what they described as the government's hypocrisy and accusing it of being responsible for the humanitarian suffering in the Strip.
Spokeswoman for the group Randa Swairki stated that the protest was organized on the first anniversary of the government's inception.
"We demand it to assume its responsibilities towards Gaza and pressure Israel to lift its blockade, which is ongoing for the ninth consecutive year," She said.
Hamas Organizes Protest against Unity Government, UNRWA
Hamas, on Friday, organized a march in Jabaliya refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip, to protest the national unity government's alleged neglect of the coastal enclave, as well as policies of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
According to Ma'an News Agency, the march set off from mosques across the refugee camp following Friday prayers, and ended at a home destroyed during last summer's Israeli offensive on Gaza.
Hamas leader Muhammad Abu Askar said before the march that that while the unity government had been formed to serve all Palestinians, one year on the situation in Gaza is continuing to worsen.
"Hamdallah's government prevented employment in Gaza, and today UNRWA has stopped hiring and is shrinking its services for refugees and those who were affected by the war."
UNWRA, the largest service provider for refugees in the Gaza Strip, announced in February that it had been forced to stop a cash assistance program for tens of thousands of Palestinians to make repairs to damaged and destroyed homes due to a lack of donor funding.
Abu Askar called on President Mahmoud Abbas and UNRWA to uphold their responsibilities to Palestinians in Gaza, calling on UNRWA to take a neutral side and support those living in the beleaguered coastal enclave.
He also used the march to welcomed Freedom Flotilla III, which intends to arrive at the Gaza Strip with a limited cargo of supplies.
The flotilla will be the third of its kind to attempt to break "the illegal and inhumane blockade of the Gaza Strip," according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
The protest was staged by Palestinian women against the Siege outside the headquarters of the cabinet in Gaza, where the participants carried banners condemning what they described as the government's hypocrisy and accusing it of being responsible for the humanitarian suffering in the Strip.
Spokeswoman for the group Randa Swairki stated that the protest was organized on the first anniversary of the government's inception.
"We demand it to assume its responsibilities towards Gaza and pressure Israel to lift its blockade, which is ongoing for the ninth consecutive year," She said.
Hamas Organizes Protest against Unity Government, UNRWA
Hamas, on Friday, organized a march in Jabaliya refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip, to protest the national unity government's alleged neglect of the coastal enclave, as well as policies of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
According to Ma'an News Agency, the march set off from mosques across the refugee camp following Friday prayers, and ended at a home destroyed during last summer's Israeli offensive on Gaza.
Hamas leader Muhammad Abu Askar said before the march that that while the unity government had been formed to serve all Palestinians, one year on the situation in Gaza is continuing to worsen.
"Hamdallah's government prevented employment in Gaza, and today UNRWA has stopped hiring and is shrinking its services for refugees and those who were affected by the war."
UNWRA, the largest service provider for refugees in the Gaza Strip, announced in February that it had been forced to stop a cash assistance program for tens of thousands of Palestinians to make repairs to damaged and destroyed homes due to a lack of donor funding.
Abu Askar called on President Mahmoud Abbas and UNRWA to uphold their responsibilities to Palestinians in Gaza, calling on UNRWA to take a neutral side and support those living in the beleaguered coastal enclave.
He also used the march to welcomed Freedom Flotilla III, which intends to arrive at the Gaza Strip with a limited cargo of supplies.
The flotilla will be the third of its kind to attempt to break "the illegal and inhumane blockade of the Gaza Strip," according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
4 june 2015
Hamas senior official and MP Salah al-Bardawil said the Palestinian Authority (PA) steals the donors’ money allocated for improving the living conditions in the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Commenting on the Palestinian Legislative Council’s (PLC) report, issued on Wednesday on financial corruption in terms of the money allocated for the Strip, Bardawil said the PA practices political revenge against the besieged enclave.
He addressed the donor parties including tax payers in donor countries saying “your money has been stolen and does not reach its beneficiaries”. He stressed the need to double check the parties to which money and aid are being sent.
Bardawil called on all segments of the Palestinian people to confront the PA corruption practiced in Ramallah.
He also called for activating the PLC as a monitoring authority on public money in order to limit the ongoing corruption.
He revealed that Gaza’s portion of the general budget reaches 40%, while it has been decreased to 27%. 13% has been stolen by PA leaders leaving Gaza suffering from unemployment, poverty and deprivation from payment of civil workers’ salaries.
Commenting on the Palestinian Legislative Council’s (PLC) report, issued on Wednesday on financial corruption in terms of the money allocated for the Strip, Bardawil said the PA practices political revenge against the besieged enclave.
He addressed the donor parties including tax payers in donor countries saying “your money has been stolen and does not reach its beneficiaries”. He stressed the need to double check the parties to which money and aid are being sent.
Bardawil called on all segments of the Palestinian people to confront the PA corruption practiced in Ramallah.
He also called for activating the PLC as a monitoring authority on public money in order to limit the ongoing corruption.
He revealed that Gaza’s portion of the general budget reaches 40%, while it has been decreased to 27%. 13% has been stolen by PA leaders leaving Gaza suffering from unemployment, poverty and deprivation from payment of civil workers’ salaries.
The house of Qur'an and Sunnah on Wednesday launched the seventh camps of Taj al-Waqar (the crown of dignity) at all Gaza Mosques to teach the holy book and the Prophetic traditions.
Director of the house Mahmoud Khas toured the mosque camps in al-Zeitoun area and listened to Qur'anic recitals by some students.
About 30,000 male and female students joined the camps, which will include soon programs for the deaf and blind people.
Director of the house Mahmoud Khas toured the mosque camps in al-Zeitoun area and listened to Qur'anic recitals by some students.
About 30,000 male and female students joined the camps, which will include soon programs for the deaf and blind people.
Palestinian ambassador to Sweden Hala Fariz had defended the Palestinian Authority's security collaboration with the Israeli occupation and described it as "necessary for the Palestinians."
Fariz made its remarks during a symposium organized by the Swedish committee on Palestine in Utobori city.
She expressed her belief that there is need for the security coordination with Israel in all aspects of daily life.
The ambassador added that the PA needs the security cooperation to deal with many problems in its territory.
She also said that the Palestinians and Israelis would not become friends overnight, stressing the need for a long-term negotiation process between the two parties.
Fariz made its remarks during a symposium organized by the Swedish committee on Palestine in Utobori city.
She expressed her belief that there is need for the security coordination with Israel in all aspects of daily life.
The ambassador added that the PA needs the security cooperation to deal with many problems in its territory.
She also said that the Palestinians and Israelis would not become friends overnight, stressing the need for a long-term negotiation process between the two parties.
3 june 2015
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) slammed the Palestinian Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah’s statements to The Washington Post on Tuesday on resuming negotiation.
Hamdallah’s statements counted on a new role of the United States in resuming negotiation between Israelis and Palestinians after the negotiations with Iran.
In a statement on Wednesday, DFLP said these statements indicate that the unity government follows the policies of the Palestinian Authority (PA) rather than the decisions made by national consensus.
It opined that counting on resuming negotiations after twenty years of absurd political process of US’s solo patronage is a waste of time.
The DFLP called on the PA to halt its policy of neglecting the decisions made by national consensus, to take part in resisting Israeli occupation in the field and to declare national disobedience including halting the security coordination with Israel and adopting a policy of economic boycott against Israeli occupation.
Hamdallah’s statements counted on a new role of the United States in resuming negotiation between Israelis and Palestinians after the negotiations with Iran.
In a statement on Wednesday, DFLP said these statements indicate that the unity government follows the policies of the Palestinian Authority (PA) rather than the decisions made by national consensus.
It opined that counting on resuming negotiations after twenty years of absurd political process of US’s solo patronage is a waste of time.
The DFLP called on the PA to halt its policy of neglecting the decisions made by national consensus, to take part in resisting Israeli occupation in the field and to declare national disobedience including halting the security coordination with Israel and adopting a policy of economic boycott against Israeli occupation.
Deputy head of Hamas, Ismail Haneyya, on Tuesday congratulated the head of the Palestine Return Center (PRC), Majed al-Zeir, for having been granted observer status by the UN, hailing the PRC for its activism across the U.K.
Haneyya’s congratulations to al-Zeir were passed on in a telephone call in which he stressed the vital role played by the PRC on the legal and political arena.
He acclaimed the harmony between Palestinians’ commitment to their legitimate rights and the pro-Palestine activism carried out overseas.
For his part, al-Zeir voiced his gratitude for Haneyya’s heartfelt wishes, reiterating the group’s serious devotion to Palestinians’ inalienable rights.
Earlier, on Sunday, the UK-based Palestinian Return Center has been granted observer status by the UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), allowing for the group to advance its legitimacy and access funding.
The group easily gained its UN recognition, with some twelve countries voting in favor, including Pakistan, Sudan, Iran, Turkey, South Africa, Venezuela, China, and Cuba.
Haneyya’s congratulations to al-Zeir were passed on in a telephone call in which he stressed the vital role played by the PRC on the legal and political arena.
He acclaimed the harmony between Palestinians’ commitment to their legitimate rights and the pro-Palestine activism carried out overseas.
For his part, al-Zeir voiced his gratitude for Haneyya’s heartfelt wishes, reiterating the group’s serious devotion to Palestinians’ inalienable rights.
Earlier, on Sunday, the UK-based Palestinian Return Center has been granted observer status by the UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), allowing for the group to advance its legitimacy and access funding.
The group easily gained its UN recognition, with some twelve countries voting in favor, including Pakistan, Sudan, Iran, Turkey, South Africa, Venezuela, China, and Cuba.