8 may 2020
Now that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has secured a new term in office, there seems to be little to prevent him from annexing the Jordan Valley and large parts of the West Bank as early as this summer.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has a friendly ally in the White House and support in the new Knesset for his long-promised goal. An expected visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo next week could provide the first indications of his intentions.
For now, Netanyahu appears set on moving forward. His new coalition agreement allows him to present an annexation proposal to the government as soon as July 1. In a speech last month, Netanyahu said he was confident he would be able to annex West Bank lands this summer, with support from the U.S.
The Palestinians claim the entire West Bank, captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, as the heartland of an independent state. Annexing chunks of this territory would likely deal a death blow to faded Palestinian hopes of a two-state solution. Annexation also would anger the international community, which overwhelmingly supports Palestinian statehood.
Fear of harsh international censure might help explain why Netanyahu hasn't tried to annex territory in his years in power - even while boosting Jewish settlement expansion there.
Those calculations gradually changed after Donald Trump was elected U.S. president in 2016. Surrounded by a team of pro-settlement advisers, Trump delivered diplomatic gifts that Netanyahu never could have imagined under previous administrations.
Trump's Mideast plan envisions handing 30% of the West Bank, including Israel's dozens of settlements, to permanent Israeli control, while conditionally offering the Palestinians limited statehood - with Israel retaining overall security control - in the remaining territory. The Palestinians have rejected the plan, and it has received little international support.
After the plan's White House launch in January, Netanyahu said he would move ahead quickly with annexation plans, only to be reined in by the Trump administration, which said a joint committee should map out areas to be annexed.
With Netanyahu's new government expected to be sworn in next week, both sides appear ready to move forward.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom this week that the U.S. is ready to recognize annexation in the coming weeks if Israel so chooses.
Oded Revivi, a leader of the Yesha settlers' council, urged Netanyahu to take advantage of the narrow window of opportunity ahead of November's presidential election. The presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, is unlikely to support the initiative.
"I would like to see Israeli law being applied according to the Trump deal, in order to give it a chance," Revivi said.
Annexation would offer benefits to both sides. Netanyahu could solidify his hard-line legacy and shore up support with his nationalist base. It also would give Trump a welcome accomplishment to rally pro-Israel supporters, particularly among politically powerful evangelical voters.
Nonetheless, Netanyahu faces obstacles at home and abroad.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who oversees autonomous enclaves in the West Bank, has warned he would annul past agreements with Israel in response to annexation. This could mean the collapse of Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation, a relationship valued by Israel as an added layer of protection against attacks by terrorists.
Annexation could also trigger a fundamental shift in Palestinian aspirations - from setting up an independent state in parts of the Holy Land to struggling for equal rights and full citizenship in a single state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.
Such a bi-national state would conflict with Israel's founding ethos as a homeland for the Jewish people.
"Israel and the U.S. will take full responsibility for the consequences if the annexation decision is implemented," said Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh.
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, last month said annexation would be a "serious violation" of international law and the EU will "act accordingly." Last week, 11 European ambassadors reportedly registered a diplomatic protest over the annexation plan.
Hugh Lovatt, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said he expected the EU and its member states "to go beyond mere condemnations" if annexation takes place.
He said it will be difficult to take unanimous action because of differences within the 27-member bloc but that individual states, led by France, could take action on their own.
Israeli annexation would also jeopardize Israel's recent progress in normalizing ties with the Arab world, especially Persian Gulf states that have been open to Israeli overtures as they try to curb the influence of Iran, a regional power and shared foe.
At least publicly, though, Arab leaders lambasted annexation.
On Tuesday, the state-run Saudi Press Agency, reporting on a Cabinet meeting chaired by King Salman, said the kingdom "stood steadfast by the side of the Palestinian people."
Arab foreign ministers last week condemned Netanyahu's plan as a "new war crime" and urged the U.S. not to back it, saying it "undermines any chances for peace in the region."
The foreign ministers of Jordan and Egypt warned annexation would jeopardize Palestinian statehood. The two countries have peace deals and discreet security ties with Israel.
The Israeli coalition deal says the parties must take into account regional stability and existing peace agreements as they weigh annexation. That could lead Netanyahu's main partner, the centrist Blue & White party, to withhold its support.
On the other hand, far-right lawmakers, including members of the coalition, might ironically oppose annexation because they reject the Trump plan's support for a watered-down Palestinian state.
Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, said that with so many potential obstacles, he believes Netanyahu hasn't made up his mind and might still call off annexation.
"It will very much depend on Mr. Netanyahu if he wants to raise it all," he said.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has a friendly ally in the White House and support in the new Knesset for his long-promised goal. An expected visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo next week could provide the first indications of his intentions.
For now, Netanyahu appears set on moving forward. His new coalition agreement allows him to present an annexation proposal to the government as soon as July 1. In a speech last month, Netanyahu said he was confident he would be able to annex West Bank lands this summer, with support from the U.S.
The Palestinians claim the entire West Bank, captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, as the heartland of an independent state. Annexing chunks of this territory would likely deal a death blow to faded Palestinian hopes of a two-state solution. Annexation also would anger the international community, which overwhelmingly supports Palestinian statehood.
Fear of harsh international censure might help explain why Netanyahu hasn't tried to annex territory in his years in power - even while boosting Jewish settlement expansion there.
Those calculations gradually changed after Donald Trump was elected U.S. president in 2016. Surrounded by a team of pro-settlement advisers, Trump delivered diplomatic gifts that Netanyahu never could have imagined under previous administrations.
Trump's Mideast plan envisions handing 30% of the West Bank, including Israel's dozens of settlements, to permanent Israeli control, while conditionally offering the Palestinians limited statehood - with Israel retaining overall security control - in the remaining territory. The Palestinians have rejected the plan, and it has received little international support.
After the plan's White House launch in January, Netanyahu said he would move ahead quickly with annexation plans, only to be reined in by the Trump administration, which said a joint committee should map out areas to be annexed.
With Netanyahu's new government expected to be sworn in next week, both sides appear ready to move forward.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom this week that the U.S. is ready to recognize annexation in the coming weeks if Israel so chooses.
Oded Revivi, a leader of the Yesha settlers' council, urged Netanyahu to take advantage of the narrow window of opportunity ahead of November's presidential election. The presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, is unlikely to support the initiative.
"I would like to see Israeli law being applied according to the Trump deal, in order to give it a chance," Revivi said.
Annexation would offer benefits to both sides. Netanyahu could solidify his hard-line legacy and shore up support with his nationalist base. It also would give Trump a welcome accomplishment to rally pro-Israel supporters, particularly among politically powerful evangelical voters.
Nonetheless, Netanyahu faces obstacles at home and abroad.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who oversees autonomous enclaves in the West Bank, has warned he would annul past agreements with Israel in response to annexation. This could mean the collapse of Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation, a relationship valued by Israel as an added layer of protection against attacks by terrorists.
Annexation could also trigger a fundamental shift in Palestinian aspirations - from setting up an independent state in parts of the Holy Land to struggling for equal rights and full citizenship in a single state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.
Such a bi-national state would conflict with Israel's founding ethos as a homeland for the Jewish people.
"Israel and the U.S. will take full responsibility for the consequences if the annexation decision is implemented," said Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh.
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, last month said annexation would be a "serious violation" of international law and the EU will "act accordingly." Last week, 11 European ambassadors reportedly registered a diplomatic protest over the annexation plan.
Hugh Lovatt, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said he expected the EU and its member states "to go beyond mere condemnations" if annexation takes place.
He said it will be difficult to take unanimous action because of differences within the 27-member bloc but that individual states, led by France, could take action on their own.
Israeli annexation would also jeopardize Israel's recent progress in normalizing ties with the Arab world, especially Persian Gulf states that have been open to Israeli overtures as they try to curb the influence of Iran, a regional power and shared foe.
At least publicly, though, Arab leaders lambasted annexation.
On Tuesday, the state-run Saudi Press Agency, reporting on a Cabinet meeting chaired by King Salman, said the kingdom "stood steadfast by the side of the Palestinian people."
Arab foreign ministers last week condemned Netanyahu's plan as a "new war crime" and urged the U.S. not to back it, saying it "undermines any chances for peace in the region."
The foreign ministers of Jordan and Egypt warned annexation would jeopardize Palestinian statehood. The two countries have peace deals and discreet security ties with Israel.
The Israeli coalition deal says the parties must take into account regional stability and existing peace agreements as they weigh annexation. That could lead Netanyahu's main partner, the centrist Blue & White party, to withhold its support.
On the other hand, far-right lawmakers, including members of the coalition, might ironically oppose annexation because they reject the Trump plan's support for a watered-down Palestinian state.
Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, said that with so many potential obstacles, he believes Netanyahu hasn't made up his mind and might still call off annexation.
"It will very much depend on Mr. Netanyahu if he wants to raise it all," he said.
7 may 2020
Head of the Yesha Council, David Elhayani, and the head of the Shomron Regional Council, Yossi Dagan
Settler's leaders came out Thursday against U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East, arguing that it includes the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The heads of the Yesha Council (an umbrella organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Bank) warn Washington is not being forthcoming about its intentions.
“[U.S.] government officials are working to advance Plan A, but are secretly working to advance Plan B. There is no bigger scam,” said David Elhayani, the Yesha Council chairman.
Settler leaders say they are worried that the price Israel would be required to pay for extending its authority over West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley would be the establishment of a Palestinian state.
In fact, Elhayani said that "a Palestinian state would be established on 70 percent of the territory of the West Bank.”
"While the county is preoccupied with the coronavirus, the U.S. government is preparing the ground for the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state and the well-oiled American public information machine will not stop for a moment as it tries to advance Trump's peace plan in any way possible.
There is a lot of text in the plan meant to confuse the public,” Elhayani said.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Wednesday that he travel to Israel for a brief visit next week, during which he would meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue & White Chairman Benny Gantz.
Pompeo is expected to discuss the Israeli annexation promised by Netanyahu in his election campaign and tacitly agreed to by his coalition partner Gantz.
Both Israel and the United States have yet to complete the mapping of the areas that may be annexed as required in the proposed peace plan.
Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, also condemned what he said were the administration's true intentions.
"We will not agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of the sovereignty process," he said.
"Sovereignty is an important thing for Israel's security, but it is not worth risking even one centimeter of Israeli land by the establishment of a terrorist state in the heart of the country."
Dagan added that despite the warm relationship with the Americans, the decision to go ahead with annexation has nothing to do with Washington.
"David Friedman [the United States Ambassador to Israel] is a warm and loving Jew," Dagan said. "I know him, and I understand that he is doing everything possible to safeguard Israel's interests. But with all the appreciation I have for Friedman, no American ambassador should worry about us. We chose Netanyahu, not the Americans. "
Friedman said on Wednesday that the Israeli government's intention to extend its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank is in line with U.S. policy.
Settler's leaders came out Thursday against U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East, arguing that it includes the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The heads of the Yesha Council (an umbrella organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Bank) warn Washington is not being forthcoming about its intentions.
“[U.S.] government officials are working to advance Plan A, but are secretly working to advance Plan B. There is no bigger scam,” said David Elhayani, the Yesha Council chairman.
Settler leaders say they are worried that the price Israel would be required to pay for extending its authority over West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley would be the establishment of a Palestinian state.
In fact, Elhayani said that "a Palestinian state would be established on 70 percent of the territory of the West Bank.”
"While the county is preoccupied with the coronavirus, the U.S. government is preparing the ground for the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state and the well-oiled American public information machine will not stop for a moment as it tries to advance Trump's peace plan in any way possible.
There is a lot of text in the plan meant to confuse the public,” Elhayani said.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Wednesday that he travel to Israel for a brief visit next week, during which he would meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue & White Chairman Benny Gantz.
Pompeo is expected to discuss the Israeli annexation promised by Netanyahu in his election campaign and tacitly agreed to by his coalition partner Gantz.
Both Israel and the United States have yet to complete the mapping of the areas that may be annexed as required in the proposed peace plan.
Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, also condemned what he said were the administration's true intentions.
"We will not agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of the sovereignty process," he said.
"Sovereignty is an important thing for Israel's security, but it is not worth risking even one centimeter of Israeli land by the establishment of a terrorist state in the heart of the country."
Dagan added that despite the warm relationship with the Americans, the decision to go ahead with annexation has nothing to do with Washington.
"David Friedman [the United States Ambassador to Israel] is a warm and loving Jew," Dagan said. "I know him, and I understand that he is doing everything possible to safeguard Israel's interests. But with all the appreciation I have for Friedman, no American ambassador should worry about us. We chose Netanyahu, not the Americans. "
Friedman said on Wednesday that the Israeli government's intention to extend its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank is in line with U.S. policy.
6 may 2020
In a brief statement, the Palestinian Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip has reported that several Palestinians were injured, on Wednesday evening, in an explosion in Gaza city.
Eyad El-Bozom, the spokesperson of the Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip, said medics evacuated the wounded to the Shifa Medical Center, where surgeries have been performed on them, and are all receiving the needed treatment.
The official did not comment on the seriousness of the injuries, but only said that the Ministry and its security services have initialed an investigation into the explosion.
Similar incidents have occurred numerous times before in the Gaza Strip, many of them due to undetonated bombs, missiles and explosives dropped by Israeli soldiers during the various offensives and bombardments of the coastal region, and other cases took place when fighters were preparing explosives.
Many explosives and undetonated missiles, which were dropped by the Israeli army, have caused numerous deaths and serious injuries to scores of Palestinians, especially workers, farmers, and shepherds, in addition to children in both the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
Eyad El-Bozom, the spokesperson of the Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip, said medics evacuated the wounded to the Shifa Medical Center, where surgeries have been performed on them, and are all receiving the needed treatment.
The official did not comment on the seriousness of the injuries, but only said that the Ministry and its security services have initialed an investigation into the explosion.
Similar incidents have occurred numerous times before in the Gaza Strip, many of them due to undetonated bombs, missiles and explosives dropped by Israeli soldiers during the various offensives and bombardments of the coastal region, and other cases took place when fighters were preparing explosives.
Many explosives and undetonated missiles, which were dropped by the Israeli army, have caused numerous deaths and serious injuries to scores of Palestinians, especially workers, farmers, and shepherds, in addition to children in both the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
5 may 2020
The European Union provided Tuesday €38 million contribution to the April salaries and pensions of around 43,000 of the Palestinian civil servants in the West Bank.
The EU said in a statement that it made this contribution as part of the #TeamEurope approach recently adopted by the 27 EU Member States to support partner countries and fragile populations to fight the coronavirus.
It added that the support will enable the Palestinian Authority to meet its commitments towards Palestinian civil servants notwithstanding the difficult fiscal situation brought about by the COVID-19 crisis.
The €38 million contribution is funded by the European Union and targets civil servants, mostly working in the social sectors of health and education, as well as pensioners in the West Bank, according to the EU statement.
“These are difficult times as we face together the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. We have been engaged from day one with the Palestinian government to advance and readjust our support to better serve the Palestinian people amid this crisis,” it said.
“This €38 million is part of a €71 million assistance package that we announced few weeks ago to respond to the coronavirus pandemic in Palestine.
Our contribution today to the payment of salaries and pensions for Palestinian civil servants is yet further evidence of our political will and commitment.
It also demonstrates our swift action to deliver our pledges. Our Team Europe approach with all Member States on board should assure our partners that we remain flexible and committed in our support across the globe, and here in Palestine.
This EU support is accompanied by technical assistance aimed at improving the effectiveness of public policies and the transparency of public expenditure,” said EU Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff.
The EU said in a statement that it made this contribution as part of the #TeamEurope approach recently adopted by the 27 EU Member States to support partner countries and fragile populations to fight the coronavirus.
It added that the support will enable the Palestinian Authority to meet its commitments towards Palestinian civil servants notwithstanding the difficult fiscal situation brought about by the COVID-19 crisis.
The €38 million contribution is funded by the European Union and targets civil servants, mostly working in the social sectors of health and education, as well as pensioners in the West Bank, according to the EU statement.
“These are difficult times as we face together the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. We have been engaged from day one with the Palestinian government to advance and readjust our support to better serve the Palestinian people amid this crisis,” it said.
“This €38 million is part of a €71 million assistance package that we announced few weeks ago to respond to the coronavirus pandemic in Palestine.
Our contribution today to the payment of salaries and pensions for Palestinian civil servants is yet further evidence of our political will and commitment.
It also demonstrates our swift action to deliver our pledges. Our Team Europe approach with all Member States on board should assure our partners that we remain flexible and committed in our support across the globe, and here in Palestine.
This EU support is accompanied by technical assistance aimed at improving the effectiveness of public policies and the transparency of public expenditure,” said EU Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff.
30 apr 2020
Palestinian-British filmmaker Farah Nabulsi announced today that her film, The Present, has qualified for the Oscars after winning the Jury Award for Best Live Action Short at the 44th Cleveland International Film Festival.
The film is about Yusef who on his wedding anniversary sets out in the West Bank with his young daughter to buy his wife a gift.
Between soldiers, segregated roads and checkpoints, the search for a present becomes an ordeal.
“We won! The Present (my film about human dignity & freedom of movement in Palestine) just qualified for the Oscars after winning the Jury Award for Best Live Action Short at the 44th Cleveland International Film Festival (online this year due to Covid19). Thrilled,” Nabulsi tweeted.
In addition to being a filmmaker, Nabulsi, born and raised in London of Palestinian parents, is also human rights advocate. She is the founder of a not-for-profit media production company, Native Liberty Productions, and the founder of www.oceansofinjustice.com
The film is about Yusef who on his wedding anniversary sets out in the West Bank with his young daughter to buy his wife a gift.
Between soldiers, segregated roads and checkpoints, the search for a present becomes an ordeal.
“We won! The Present (my film about human dignity & freedom of movement in Palestine) just qualified for the Oscars after winning the Jury Award for Best Live Action Short at the 44th Cleveland International Film Festival (online this year due to Covid19). Thrilled,” Nabulsi tweeted.
In addition to being a filmmaker, Nabulsi, born and raised in London of Palestinian parents, is also human rights advocate. She is the founder of a not-for-profit media production company, Native Liberty Productions, and the founder of www.oceansofinjustice.com
23 apr 2020
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Riyad al-Maliki, said today that the State of Palestine is going to prosecute Israel at international courts in the event it goes ahead with its plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.
Al-Maliki said during a meeting with the European Union's Representative to Palestine, Sven Cohan von Burgsdorf, that the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent statement – in which he said that it was Israel's decision whether to annex parts of the occupied West Bank – was a proof of the US's "complicity" in this Israeli colonial expansionist project.
He called on the European Union to pressure the Israeli government to halt its annexation plans and to take practical steps and measures to prevent this from happening, as well as take punitive measures in the event of implementation.
Earlier today, the EU reaffirmed its position on the status of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel, saying that any annexation would constitute a serious violation of international law.
"The European Union's position on the status of the territories occupied by Israel in 1967 remains unchanged," the EU said in a statement. "In line with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), the European Union does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank."
"The European Union reiterates that any annexation would constitute a serious violation of international law. The European Union will continue to closely monitor the situation and its broader implications, and will act accordingly."
Al-Maliki said during a meeting with the European Union's Representative to Palestine, Sven Cohan von Burgsdorf, that the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent statement – in which he said that it was Israel's decision whether to annex parts of the occupied West Bank – was a proof of the US's "complicity" in this Israeli colonial expansionist project.
He called on the European Union to pressure the Israeli government to halt its annexation plans and to take practical steps and measures to prevent this from happening, as well as take punitive measures in the event of implementation.
Earlier today, the EU reaffirmed its position on the status of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel, saying that any annexation would constitute a serious violation of international law.
"The European Union's position on the status of the territories occupied by Israel in 1967 remains unchanged," the EU said in a statement. "In line with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), the European Union does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank."
"The European Union reiterates that any annexation would constitute a serious violation of international law. The European Union will continue to closely monitor the situation and its broader implications, and will act accordingly."
Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine, declared that tomorrow, April 24, will be the first day of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.
The Grand Mufti announced that the Palestinian Fatwa Council has ascertained that the Ramadan crescent was properly seen on the evening of Thursday, April 23, 2020. Accordingly, Friday will be the first day of the holy fasting month.
The holy month of fasting observed by Muslims around the world lasts for 29 or 30 days (lunar cycle) and is dependent on the Hijri or Islamic calendar.
The first day of Ramadan is traditionally marked by the sighting of the crescent moon with the naked eye, and is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
April 23 is 30th of Sha'ban which is the last day of the Islamic month right before Ramadan.
The Grand Mufti announced that the Palestinian Fatwa Council has ascertained that the Ramadan crescent was properly seen on the evening of Thursday, April 23, 2020. Accordingly, Friday will be the first day of the holy fasting month.
The holy month of fasting observed by Muslims around the world lasts for 29 or 30 days (lunar cycle) and is dependent on the Hijri or Islamic calendar.
The first day of Ramadan is traditionally marked by the sighting of the crescent moon with the naked eye, and is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
April 23 is 30th of Sha'ban which is the last day of the Islamic month right before Ramadan.
