11 apr 2013
Israel rejects Kerry proposal for renewing talks with PA
Senior Israeli official tells Haaretz: Kerry must understand, negotiations cannot commence with discussion of security and borders alone.
A fundamental disagreement between Israel and the U.S. regarding the renewal of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations came to light during U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to Israel.
A senior Israeli official involved in the talks Kerry held in Jerusalem said that Israel opposes Kerry's proposal to resume negotiations on the basis of discussing border and security issues alone.
Kerry has approached the Israeli-Palestinian issue with much enthusiasm, and is pressuring both sides to implement confidence-building measures and agree on a draft outline for resumption of talks. However, after his second visit to the region this week, it seems that the Secretary of State did not correctly assess just how frozen the standstill over the peace process is, and how rigid both sides' positions are. This is what Kerry was referring to when he left Israel saying that he himself, and the two sides, have a lot of homework to do.
A senior Israeli official, who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the subject, expressed considerable skepticism regarding Kerry's steps, and made cynical, slightly scornful comments regarding his attitude. "Kerry believes that he can bring about the solution, the treaty and the salvation," he said. "He thinks that the conflict is primarily over territory…and that is wrong."
The differences between Israel and the Palestinians around the conditions for a renewal of negotiations – a commitment to 1967 borders and a settlement freeze – still loom large, and the rifts between both sides over fundamental issues such as borders, refugees, settlements and security, are huge.
Nevertheless, it seems that at this stage the most serious disagreement is between the U.S. and Israel. It appears that despite U.S. President Barack Obama's successful recent visit, the dialogue between Israel and the U.S. over the Palestinian question is regressing back to the differences that emerged in 2009.
During his discussions in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Kerry made it clear that in the event negotiations would be renewed, they would initially need to deal with a discussion over Israel's security requirements, in parallel with a discussion regarding the borders of the future Palestinian state.
Kerry also requested Israel to direct a series of confidence-building measures at the Palestinians, among them the release of prisoners and the transferal of weapons to Palestinian security forces in order to create a suitable atmosphere for the renewal of talks.
The senior official noted that in talks with Kerry on Monday and Tuesday of this week, Israel expressed its opposition to such a draft outline. "There is a dispute over the framework of the process and over how it will be conducted," the official said. "Israel opposes placing the issues of borders and security at the preliminary stage of negotiations, and we said this to Kerry. On this issue, there is full consent among all the ministers dealing with the Palestinian subject, including Tzipi Livni."
For its part, Israel demands that if negotiations are to be resumed they will need to address, in parallel, all core issues of the final settlement – including the issue of recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, and a solution to the refugee problem. "If the discussion commences with talks about borders and security, Israel will only give, and will get almost nothing in return," the senior official said. "When we get to the issues where the Palestinians will need to give something up - like the right of return - we won’t have any bargaining chips left."
In addition, Israel also opposes making significant gestures towards the Palestinians before the resumption of negotiations. Off the table are any moves such as releasing prisoners, transferring weapons to the PA's security services, and the promotion of economic projects that would require even the smallest transfer of land to Palestinian civic or security control.
Kerry may have declared he obtained from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an agreement on advancing economic projects, but it turns out that the list of projects is not at all finalized. For instance, Israel opposes the establishment of a Palestinian tourism project on the northern shore of the Dead Sea – which is located within Area C, under Israel's full control – since it sees this location as territorially significant.
'We are prepared to undertake confidence-building measures that do not harm our interests," said the senior official. "There is no problem with setting up sewage treatment plants, schools or roads in Area C. But if we're talking about transferring land through economic projects, then we're not ready to do so. If negotiations are renewed, we will be willing to perform many gestures and steps, but they will take place as part of a process that is already underway."
A fundamental disagreement between Israel and the U.S. regarding the renewal of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations came to light during U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to Israel.
A senior Israeli official involved in the talks Kerry held in Jerusalem said that Israel opposes Kerry's proposal to resume negotiations on the basis of discussing border and security issues alone.
Kerry has approached the Israeli-Palestinian issue with much enthusiasm, and is pressuring both sides to implement confidence-building measures and agree on a draft outline for resumption of talks. However, after his second visit to the region this week, it seems that the Secretary of State did not correctly assess just how frozen the standstill over the peace process is, and how rigid both sides' positions are. This is what Kerry was referring to when he left Israel saying that he himself, and the two sides, have a lot of homework to do.
A senior Israeli official, who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the subject, expressed considerable skepticism regarding Kerry's steps, and made cynical, slightly scornful comments regarding his attitude. "Kerry believes that he can bring about the solution, the treaty and the salvation," he said. "He thinks that the conflict is primarily over territory…and that is wrong."
The differences between Israel and the Palestinians around the conditions for a renewal of negotiations – a commitment to 1967 borders and a settlement freeze – still loom large, and the rifts between both sides over fundamental issues such as borders, refugees, settlements and security, are huge.
Nevertheless, it seems that at this stage the most serious disagreement is between the U.S. and Israel. It appears that despite U.S. President Barack Obama's successful recent visit, the dialogue between Israel and the U.S. over the Palestinian question is regressing back to the differences that emerged in 2009.
During his discussions in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Kerry made it clear that in the event negotiations would be renewed, they would initially need to deal with a discussion over Israel's security requirements, in parallel with a discussion regarding the borders of the future Palestinian state.
Kerry also requested Israel to direct a series of confidence-building measures at the Palestinians, among them the release of prisoners and the transferal of weapons to Palestinian security forces in order to create a suitable atmosphere for the renewal of talks.
The senior official noted that in talks with Kerry on Monday and Tuesday of this week, Israel expressed its opposition to such a draft outline. "There is a dispute over the framework of the process and over how it will be conducted," the official said. "Israel opposes placing the issues of borders and security at the preliminary stage of negotiations, and we said this to Kerry. On this issue, there is full consent among all the ministers dealing with the Palestinian subject, including Tzipi Livni."
For its part, Israel demands that if negotiations are to be resumed they will need to address, in parallel, all core issues of the final settlement – including the issue of recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, and a solution to the refugee problem. "If the discussion commences with talks about borders and security, Israel will only give, and will get almost nothing in return," the senior official said. "When we get to the issues where the Palestinians will need to give something up - like the right of return - we won’t have any bargaining chips left."
In addition, Israel also opposes making significant gestures towards the Palestinians before the resumption of negotiations. Off the table are any moves such as releasing prisoners, transferring weapons to the PA's security services, and the promotion of economic projects that would require even the smallest transfer of land to Palestinian civic or security control.
Kerry may have declared he obtained from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an agreement on advancing economic projects, but it turns out that the list of projects is not at all finalized. For instance, Israel opposes the establishment of a Palestinian tourism project on the northern shore of the Dead Sea – which is located within Area C, under Israel's full control – since it sees this location as territorially significant.
'We are prepared to undertake confidence-building measures that do not harm our interests," said the senior official. "There is no problem with setting up sewage treatment plants, schools or roads in Area C. But if we're talking about transferring land through economic projects, then we're not ready to do so. If negotiations are renewed, we will be willing to perform many gestures and steps, but they will take place as part of a process that is already underway."
Israeli source: There will be no gestures towards Palestinians
Israel refusing to give in to demands for gestures of goodwill, believes Palestinians making demands for preconditions in bid to sabotage peace talks 'We are ready to discuss everything - in direct talks'
Talks yes, gestures of goodwill no. Senior officials in Jerusalem who were present during talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Wednesday that Israel does not intend to present any confidence building measures towards the Palestinians.
The sources claim that the "preliminary demands presented by the Palestinians attest to the fact that they are peace refusniks. We on the other hand are not presenting any pre-conditions, not even recognition of Israel as the national home of the Jewish nation."
US Secretary of State John Kerry is attempting to renew talks between the two sides but it is not going to be simple.
Possible gestures like releasing prisoners or withdrawal from Area C in order to enable the Palestinian Authority to carry out projects were rejected outright.
"There will be no response to any demand where the purpose (of the demand) is to supply appease the Palestinians and make them come to the table," an Israeli source noted.
"Ministers are unanimous over the decision of not giving in to any pre-condition. They present conditions in order to make the process of renewing direct talks difficult. There will be no gestures, especially not land withdrawals."
Netanyahu has extensive government and cabinet backing. This is why it was decided that no pre-conditions be made on the Israeli side. That said, even before Kerry's arrival, the prime minister refused to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to present the US secretary of state with maps that include the borders he hopes will be included in the permanent agreement.
"We don't have any pre-conditions but the Palestinians prepared a list with (demands) like a building freeze, releasing prisoners, and border deliberations before everything (begins). We are ready to discuss everything, but only within the framework of direct talks where we will demand recognition of the Jewish State and declaration of the end of the conflict."
The source speaks of Israeli inflexibility, while Netanyahu and Kerry have already discussed economic measures that Israel will offer to the Palestinian Authority, even in Area C.
"You want cellular antennas? No problem. You want a sweage treatment facility? Can do. It's possible that in a month 10 prisoners might be released, but that's small change," the source added.
"With regards to the Palestinian demands for gestures – that is n't going to happen unless it's around the negotiation table. The Palestinians will continue to pressure (us) for gestures and Israel will not accede to gestures as a pre-condition to negotiation."
Talks yes, gestures of goodwill no. Senior officials in Jerusalem who were present during talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Wednesday that Israel does not intend to present any confidence building measures towards the Palestinians.
The sources claim that the "preliminary demands presented by the Palestinians attest to the fact that they are peace refusniks. We on the other hand are not presenting any pre-conditions, not even recognition of Israel as the national home of the Jewish nation."
US Secretary of State John Kerry is attempting to renew talks between the two sides but it is not going to be simple.
Possible gestures like releasing prisoners or withdrawal from Area C in order to enable the Palestinian Authority to carry out projects were rejected outright.
"There will be no response to any demand where the purpose (of the demand) is to supply appease the Palestinians and make them come to the table," an Israeli source noted.
"Ministers are unanimous over the decision of not giving in to any pre-condition. They present conditions in order to make the process of renewing direct talks difficult. There will be no gestures, especially not land withdrawals."
Netanyahu has extensive government and cabinet backing. This is why it was decided that no pre-conditions be made on the Israeli side. That said, even before Kerry's arrival, the prime minister refused to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to present the US secretary of state with maps that include the borders he hopes will be included in the permanent agreement.
"We don't have any pre-conditions but the Palestinians prepared a list with (demands) like a building freeze, releasing prisoners, and border deliberations before everything (begins). We are ready to discuss everything, but only within the framework of direct talks where we will demand recognition of the Jewish State and declaration of the end of the conflict."
The source speaks of Israeli inflexibility, while Netanyahu and Kerry have already discussed economic measures that Israel will offer to the Palestinian Authority, even in Area C.
"You want cellular antennas? No problem. You want a sweage treatment facility? Can do. It's possible that in a month 10 prisoners might be released, but that's small change," the source added.
"With regards to the Palestinian demands for gestures – that is n't going to happen unless it's around the negotiation table. The Palestinians will continue to pressure (us) for gestures and Israel will not accede to gestures as a pre-condition to negotiation."
9 apr 2013
US Secretary of State Kerry Calls Abbas
United States Secretary of State John Kerry Tuesday telephoned President Mahmoud Abbas.
The call came as a continuation of the talks they held on Sunday in Ramallah.
The call came as a continuation of the talks they held on Sunday in Ramallah.
Abbas Discusses Peace Process with Qatar’s Emir
President Mahmoud Abbas Tuesday discussed peace developments with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
Abbas arrived in Doha on Monday to attend the Arab League’s Middle East peace follow-up committee meeting, which agreed to send a delegation of Arab foreign ministers to Washington on April 29 to discuss the peace process with US officials.
Abbas and Sheikh Hamad discussed bilateral relations, issues addressed in the follow-up committee meeting, Palestinian reconciliation, in addition to the latest political developments and possible resumption of negotiations with Israel.
The meeting was attended by key figures from both sides.
Abbas arrived in Doha on Monday to attend the Arab League’s Middle East peace follow-up committee meeting, which agreed to send a delegation of Arab foreign ministers to Washington on April 29 to discuss the peace process with US officials.
Abbas and Sheikh Hamad discussed bilateral relations, issues addressed in the follow-up committee meeting, Palestinian reconciliation, in addition to the latest political developments and possible resumption of negotiations with Israel.
The meeting was attended by key figures from both sides.
8 apr 2013
Maariv: Livni Undermining Netanyahu on Recognition of Jewish State
by Arutz Sheva
Israel's Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who is also in charge of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, is going behind Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's back and expressing positions that undermine his conditions for negotiations, according to Maariv Israeli newspaper.
Livni has shown willingness to retreat from Netanyahu's position, that in order for negotiations to begin, the Palestinian Authority (PA) must accept that Israel has a right to exist as the Jewish state.
The newspaper quoted a Western source who is well-versed in the diplomatic contacts as saying that Livni "has become convinced that Israel's insistence on this condition could prevent the resumption of negotiations, and did not rule out the position presented to her, according to which the most Israel can receive from the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is a recognition of the solution of two states for two peoples."
Maariv said that it has yet to receive Livni's reaction to the claim.
Israel's Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who is also in charge of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, is going behind Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's back and expressing positions that undermine his conditions for negotiations, according to Maariv Israeli newspaper.
Livni has shown willingness to retreat from Netanyahu's position, that in order for negotiations to begin, the Palestinian Authority (PA) must accept that Israel has a right to exist as the Jewish state.
The newspaper quoted a Western source who is well-versed in the diplomatic contacts as saying that Livni "has become convinced that Israel's insistence on this condition could prevent the resumption of negotiations, and did not rule out the position presented to her, according to which the most Israel can receive from the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is a recognition of the solution of two states for two peoples."
Maariv said that it has yet to receive Livni's reaction to the claim.
7 apr 2013
Abbas Receives Blair in Ramallah
President Mahmoud Abbas Sunday received the Special Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East, Tony Blair, in the presidential headquarters, in Ramallah. Abbas briefed Blair on the latest political developments and international efforts exerted to revive the stalled peace process.
They discussed obstacles that hinder the growth of the Palestinian economy; the Israeli measures that prevent the establishment of a strong national Palestinian economy, as well as they discussed efforts exerted by the Palestinian authority to build the institutions of an independent Palestinian state.
They discussed obstacles that hinder the growth of the Palestinian economy; the Israeli measures that prevent the establishment of a strong national Palestinian economy, as well as they discussed efforts exerted by the Palestinian authority to build the institutions of an independent Palestinian state.
Blair ordered production of intel for Iraq war: Report
Blair and "peace" proces
Former British Premier Tony Blair ordered UK's intelligence services to produce intelligence to support the war on Iraq despite knowing that Baghdad posed no threat to international security, according to newly-reveled evidence.
According to a report by the Independent, documents given by British intelligence to Chilcot Inquiry, led by Sir John Chilcot, reveal that during a meeting with former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove, Blair had "understood the risk … of focusing on WMD in relation to Iraq."
The session was held one day before Blair’s meeting with former US president George Bush on April 5, 2002.
The report added that Blair came out a "changed man" after his meeting with Bush and ordered the intelligence services to "find the intelligence" that he wanted to use to justify going to war.
The US and Britain invaded Iraq in blatant violation of international law in 2003 under the pretext of finding WMD allegedly stockpiled by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. No weapons, however, were ever discovered in Iraq.
More than one million Iraqis were killed as a result of the invasion and subsequent occupation of the country, according to the California-based investigative organization Project Censored.
Former British Premier Tony Blair ordered UK's intelligence services to produce intelligence to support the war on Iraq despite knowing that Baghdad posed no threat to international security, according to newly-reveled evidence.
According to a report by the Independent, documents given by British intelligence to Chilcot Inquiry, led by Sir John Chilcot, reveal that during a meeting with former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove, Blair had "understood the risk … of focusing on WMD in relation to Iraq."
The session was held one day before Blair’s meeting with former US president George Bush on April 5, 2002.
The report added that Blair came out a "changed man" after his meeting with Bush and ordered the intelligence services to "find the intelligence" that he wanted to use to justify going to war.
The US and Britain invaded Iraq in blatant violation of international law in 2003 under the pretext of finding WMD allegedly stockpiled by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. No weapons, however, were ever discovered in Iraq.
More than one million Iraqis were killed as a result of the invasion and subsequent occupation of the country, according to the California-based investigative organization Project Censored.
6 apr 2013
Fatah Calls on Quartet to Re-Activate Role
Fatah Revolutionary Council (FRC) called on the Quartet for Middle East peace, which is composed of the United State, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, to re-activate its role as peace broker, said the council’s statement on Friday.
“With the retreat in the role of the Quartet and its irregular and inconclusive work, the FRC calls for re-activating the role of the Quartet with the possibility of expanding it or forming a committee of friends of the International Quartet of states that have influence in international politics to follow up on its work and activate it,” said the statement issued at the conclusion of the FRC’s meetings held in Ramallah over two days.
The FRC also warned of the impact of Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank and Jerusalem on the situation in the region as a whole.
It said that the settlements and expropriation of land “will not only undermine the peace process and the two-state solution, but will push the region into a large explosion and spark a wide-ranging conflict.”
The statement stressed that halting settlement construction is a requirement for resuming negotiations with Israel.
The FRC also called for joining international organizations and bodies “to provide protection for the Palestinian people and safeguard their lawful rights.”
The FRC discussed the visit of the US President Barack Obama to the region, stressing that the US role exceeds public relations.
It said that the US is required to take a firm position to achieve the Palestinian people’s rights based on international law and stop its “favoritism policy” emanating from its alliance with Israel.
The FRC also renewed its commitment to achieving the reconciliation and warned against any attempt to bypass or undermine the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
Describing the government’s financial and economic policies as being “unplanned and confused,” the FRC called on the government headed by Salam Fayyad “to re-consider its work plan and program.”
The Fatah members renewed their confidence in the efforts of President Mahmoud Abbas and “his adherence to the national program despite the pressures, plots and conspiracies.”
“With the retreat in the role of the Quartet and its irregular and inconclusive work, the FRC calls for re-activating the role of the Quartet with the possibility of expanding it or forming a committee of friends of the International Quartet of states that have influence in international politics to follow up on its work and activate it,” said the statement issued at the conclusion of the FRC’s meetings held in Ramallah over two days.
The FRC also warned of the impact of Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank and Jerusalem on the situation in the region as a whole.
It said that the settlements and expropriation of land “will not only undermine the peace process and the two-state solution, but will push the region into a large explosion and spark a wide-ranging conflict.”
The statement stressed that halting settlement construction is a requirement for resuming negotiations with Israel.
The FRC also called for joining international organizations and bodies “to provide protection for the Palestinian people and safeguard their lawful rights.”
The FRC discussed the visit of the US President Barack Obama to the region, stressing that the US role exceeds public relations.
It said that the US is required to take a firm position to achieve the Palestinian people’s rights based on international law and stop its “favoritism policy” emanating from its alliance with Israel.
The FRC also renewed its commitment to achieving the reconciliation and warned against any attempt to bypass or undermine the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
Describing the government’s financial and economic policies as being “unplanned and confused,” the FRC called on the government headed by Salam Fayyad “to re-consider its work plan and program.”
The Fatah members renewed their confidence in the efforts of President Mahmoud Abbas and “his adherence to the national program despite the pressures, plots and conspiracies.”
Malki Discusses Bilateral Issues with Canadian Foreign Minister
Foreign Minister Riyad Malki Saturday discussed bilateral issues and regional relations as well as the situation on the ground with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird.
Malki said during the meeting which took place in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ramallah that there is a desire and will on both sides to improve bilateral relations and for Canada to continue its commitment to Palestinian state building efforts.
He expressed readiness to reengage in negotiations with Israel and said that “we are looking forward to US Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit on Sunday to Ramallah, where we are ready to listen to his ideas regarding the possibility of the resumption of negotiations.”
Baird said that Canada believes that Israel and the Palestinian Authority should go back to the negotiating table without preconditions.
“We have some profound differences on the way forward but not on the need to go forward,” he said.
He said in regard to Kerry’s efforts on peace that Canada is very keen to see a successful resolution to all outstanding issues.
Malki reiterated that disagreeing on some issue does not mean that diplomatic relations between Canada and Palestine cannot be maintained.
Canada took a very strong position against the Palestinian bid to become a non-member observer state at the United Nations in November and Baird was the only foreign minister to fly to New York on the day a vote was made to speak against accepting Palestine as a non-member state.
Canada’s efforts, along with the United States and Israel, failed as the majority of the UN member states voted to accept Palestine as a non-member state.
Malki said during the meeting which took place in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ramallah that there is a desire and will on both sides to improve bilateral relations and for Canada to continue its commitment to Palestinian state building efforts.
He expressed readiness to reengage in negotiations with Israel and said that “we are looking forward to US Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit on Sunday to Ramallah, where we are ready to listen to his ideas regarding the possibility of the resumption of negotiations.”
Baird said that Canada believes that Israel and the Palestinian Authority should go back to the negotiating table without preconditions.
“We have some profound differences on the way forward but not on the need to go forward,” he said.
He said in regard to Kerry’s efforts on peace that Canada is very keen to see a successful resolution to all outstanding issues.
Malki reiterated that disagreeing on some issue does not mean that diplomatic relations between Canada and Palestine cannot be maintained.
Canada took a very strong position against the Palestinian bid to become a non-member observer state at the United Nations in November and Baird was the only foreign minister to fly to New York on the day a vote was made to speak against accepting Palestine as a non-member state.
Canada’s efforts, along with the United States and Israel, failed as the majority of the UN member states voted to accept Palestine as a non-member state.
Abbas Discusses Political Situation with Canadian Foreign Minister
President Mahmoud Abbas discussed Saturday with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird the peace process and political developments in the region. Abbas, who received Baird at this Ramallah office, reiterated his commitment to peace based on international law and the two-state solution to establish a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.
He emphasized the importance of stopping settlement activities and releasing prisoners arrested before the signing of the Oslo accords in 1993 in order to bolster efforts aiming to break the deadlock in the peace process.
Baird earlier met Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who briefed the Canadian official on the latest political and economic developments in Palestine.
He emphasized the importance of stopping settlement activities and releasing prisoners arrested before the signing of the Oslo accords in 1993 in order to bolster efforts aiming to break the deadlock in the peace process.
Baird earlier met Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who briefed the Canadian official on the latest political and economic developments in Palestine.
4 apr 2013
Israel fueling violence, jeopardizing negotiation chances: PA
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has condemned Israel for killing two Palestinian youths in the occupied West Bank, warning the escalation could jeopardize the so-called peace process.
In a statement released on Thursday, acting PA Chief Mahmoud Abbas blamed the Israeli regime for the escalation of violence, and held it responsible for the possible negative impact it could leave on US-led efforts to bring the PA and Israel to the negotiation table.
The remarks came hours after the body of a 17-year-old teenager, identified as Naji Balbisi, was found in the West Bank. The boy was fatally shot by Israeli forces during recent clashes near the city of Tulkarm on Wednesday .
Balbisi was identified as the cousin of Amer Nassar, another 17-year-old killed by Israelis in the same clashes.
The clashes came as Palestinians in the occupied territories protested against the death of Maisarah Abu Hamdiah, a cancer-stricken inmate, who lost his life in an Israeli jail on April 2 due to the lack of medical care.
In a separate speech to his Fatah movement, Abbas blamed Israel for sparking clashes with Palestinians demonstrating over the death of Hamdiah.
"Israel has full responsibility for the escalation in the Palestinian territories and is trying to ignite chaos," the PA official said.
"Israel is trying to muddy the waters and sow chaos because there's no way peaceful demonstrations should lead to two deaths," he argued.
In a statement released on Thursday, acting PA Chief Mahmoud Abbas blamed the Israeli regime for the escalation of violence, and held it responsible for the possible negative impact it could leave on US-led efforts to bring the PA and Israel to the negotiation table.
The remarks came hours after the body of a 17-year-old teenager, identified as Naji Balbisi, was found in the West Bank. The boy was fatally shot by Israeli forces during recent clashes near the city of Tulkarm on Wednesday .
Balbisi was identified as the cousin of Amer Nassar, another 17-year-old killed by Israelis in the same clashes.
The clashes came as Palestinians in the occupied territories protested against the death of Maisarah Abu Hamdiah, a cancer-stricken inmate, who lost his life in an Israeli jail on April 2 due to the lack of medical care.
In a separate speech to his Fatah movement, Abbas blamed Israel for sparking clashes with Palestinians demonstrating over the death of Hamdiah.
"Israel has full responsibility for the escalation in the Palestinian territories and is trying to ignite chaos," the PA official said.
"Israel is trying to muddy the waters and sow chaos because there's no way peaceful demonstrations should lead to two deaths," he argued.
Abbas to Fatah Body: Settlements Pose Grave Danger to Peace
President Mahmoud Abbas warned in an address at the opening session of the Fatah Revolutionary Council held in Ramallah Wednesday evening that Israeli settlement activities pose a grave threat to peace in the region, Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.
Abbas said that he discussed with US President Barack Obama, during their March 21 meeting in Ramallah, the status of the peace process.
"We explained to the US president the dangers facing the two-state solution due to unprecedented Israeli government settlement construction and its rejection of all signed agreements," he said.
The meeting with Obama, said Abbas, "Was very important and positive."
He said, "We presented very clearly the Palestinian position from the peace process and our full commitment to achieving just and comprehensive peace based on United Nations resolutions and the two-state solution on the 1967 borders, as well as a halt to the illegal settlement construction on land of the State of Palestine."
Abbas discussed as well the situation of prisoners in Israeli jails, particularly following the death of cancer patient Maysara Abu Hamdiya while in prison. He said the prisoners' issue is a top priority for him which he always discusses with Arab and world leaders.
He stressed the importance of releasing all prisoners held before the signing of the Oslo accords in 1993 as well as children, the women, the ill and the elderly.
Abbas also talked about the agreement he had signed last week with Jordan's King Abdullah on the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. He said the agreement was only a restatement of the 1988 understanding that gives Jordan the right to protect the holy places in Jerusalem along with the Palestinian Authority.
Abbas warned of the deteriorating situation of Palestinian refugees in Syria and said that the Palestine Liberation Organization is doing its best to protect the refugees.
Abbas said that he discussed with US President Barack Obama, during their March 21 meeting in Ramallah, the status of the peace process.
"We explained to the US president the dangers facing the two-state solution due to unprecedented Israeli government settlement construction and its rejection of all signed agreements," he said.
The meeting with Obama, said Abbas, "Was very important and positive."
He said, "We presented very clearly the Palestinian position from the peace process and our full commitment to achieving just and comprehensive peace based on United Nations resolutions and the two-state solution on the 1967 borders, as well as a halt to the illegal settlement construction on land of the State of Palestine."
Abbas discussed as well the situation of prisoners in Israeli jails, particularly following the death of cancer patient Maysara Abu Hamdiya while in prison. He said the prisoners' issue is a top priority for him which he always discusses with Arab and world leaders.
He stressed the importance of releasing all prisoners held before the signing of the Oslo accords in 1993 as well as children, the women, the ill and the elderly.
Abbas also talked about the agreement he had signed last week with Jordan's King Abdullah on the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. He said the agreement was only a restatement of the 1988 understanding that gives Jordan the right to protect the holy places in Jerusalem along with the Palestinian Authority.
Abbas warned of the deteriorating situation of Palestinian refugees in Syria and said that the Palestine Liberation Organization is doing its best to protect the refugees.
3 apr 2013
Kerry to Visit Region to Resume Peace Talks
US Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to arrive to Palestinian territories and Israel next week to meet with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Kerry's visit comes as part of new efforts to restart peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians following the visit of US President Barack Obama to the region last month, according to Al-Quds newspaper.
Kerry is believed to be trying to find a formula that will bring the Israelis and Palestinians back to peace talks. The formula is based on gestures that will build trust between the sides.
Peace talks would be resumed if Israel agreed on releasing Palestinian prisoners, cease the settlement construction and a commitment from the Palestinians to refrain from making further moves in international forums.
Kerry's visit comes as part of new efforts to restart peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians following the visit of US President Barack Obama to the region last month, according to Al-Quds newspaper.
Kerry is believed to be trying to find a formula that will bring the Israelis and Palestinians back to peace talks. The formula is based on gestures that will build trust between the sides.
Peace talks would be resumed if Israel agreed on releasing Palestinian prisoners, cease the settlement construction and a commitment from the Palestinians to refrain from making further moves in international forums.
27 mar 2013
Obama, like U.S. presidents before him, demands Palestinian surrender as a precondition for "peace," explains Sherry Wolf.
THE HEAD of the U.S. empire paid a three-day visit to the praetorian guard of the Middle East oil lake that concluded March 22. President Obama's trip to Israel aimed to shore up anxious vassals and reassert U.S. political and military hegemony in a region in the midst of revolutionary turmoil and economic instability.
On both fronts, he appears to have succeeded, for now.
News of President Obama's much-heralded visit has focused on two events: his speech in Jerusalem and the phone call he choreographed between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As is usually the case with acts of diplomacy, Obama's speech and telephone rapprochement were filled with unctuous platitudes to mask the crude reality.
His Jerusalem speech intertwined the Zionist fable of a national liberation movement for Jews that never was with the African American civil rights struggle, using rhetorical flourishes best described as Obamaesque. He said:
As Dr. Martin Luther King said on the day before he was killed--"I may not get there with you. But I want you to know that...we, as a people, will get to the promised land..." And while Jews achieved extraordinary success in many parts of the world, the dream of true freedom finally found its full expression in the Zionist idea--to be a free people in your homeland.
Like every U.S. president since Truman, Obama depicts Israel as an expression of the democratic yearnings of an oppressed people, as opposed to being an imperial manipulation of historical crimes against the Jewish people to justify a colonial-settler state on Palestinian land. Israel is a nation that's come to serve as an outpost for U.S. imperial interests in the region.
No doubt, Obama glimpsed the 25-foot-high, 450-mile-long apartheid wall that has been condemned as illegal in the International Court of Justice. He knows of the growing civil disobedience against Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land and the broadening resistance to the indefinite detention of Palestinians such as Samer Issawi, now on hunger strike more than 245 days.
Even the global boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement is getting greater coverage than ever in the U.S. media, making it almost impossible for Obama to remain unaware of the rising Palestinian civil rights movement that the New York Times' Ben Ehrenreich suggests is a possible "third intifada."
It's quite likely Obama's awareness of all these factors compelled him to reference Palestinian suffering and aspirations in his speech--if only to give a nod toward a crisis he has no intention of resolving. After all, if Obama were intent on actually doing something, then millions of American taxpayer dollars that help finance the expanding illegal Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank would dry up.
Weapons sales and high-tech deals between the U.S. and Israel would be placed on hold. Obama would demand an immediate end to Israel's siege of Gaza, a blockade of goods enforced since 2009. Netanyahu's new hard-right cabinet filled with open racists and opponents of any Palestinian state would have been challenged. Yet none of these actions were even considered.
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WHEN IT comes to Obama in Israel, as at home, it's crucial to follow the money and the weapons, not the words.
Though in all truth, even the words betray a policy of continued full-throated support for Israel. When Obama insists "Palestinians must recognize that Israel will be a Jewish state" as the starting point for negotiations, he is essentially demanding that Palestinians concede ongoing occupation by an ethnocracy and the implicit apartheid regime of laws that comes with it. As with past presidents, Obama calls for Palestinians to embrace their own dispossession as the entry point to "peace talks."
The phone call Obama arranged between Netanyahu and Turkey's Erdogan was an effort to confront the central geostrategic issues hanging over the entire visit. Containing Syria's ongoing revolution and stanching Iran's supposed nuclear weapons development were central to this diplomatic mission.
On the surface, the call was about Netanyahu apologizing to Erdogan for a raid by Israeli commandos on an unarmed Turkish humanitarian flotilla, the Mavi Marmara, that killed nine activists on board the ship in the middle of the night in the Mediterranean Sea in May 2010.
The three-way call established that Israel will pay reparations to the families of the dead and Turkey will cease legal actions against Israel for the cold-blooded murders of the nine.
As the Palestinian member of Israel's Knesset, Hanin Zoabi, who was on the Mavi Marmara, countered: "The issue is not only Marmara; Marmara was the small crime. The big crime was the siege on Gaza."
Whatever words were uttered about easing the years-long blockade of Gaza, little is likely to change on that front so long as Israel controls the flow of goods, resources and people in and out of Gaza. But the real point of the call was for Obama to formally reconcile two of his most important and comparatively stable allies in the region. Containing the two regional powers, Iran and Syria, is far more difficult without unity between Israel and Turkey.
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AND OBAMA needs a beefed-up guardian in the Middle East gateway to Asian expansion westward as part of his overarching mission to push back China, too.
It's become clear to both the U.S. and Israeli administrations that their longtime ally in Syria, the dictator Bashar al-Assad, can no longer hang on to power in the face of a popular uprising, which began as a revolutionary upheaval and now appears to have become a civil war that's killed at least 70,000.
Even before Obama landed in Tel Aviv, Israeli and U.S. warmongers were peddling unconfirmed reports of chemical weapons being used in Syria in order to pressure the Obama administration to approve direct U.S. military involvement there. Turkey, Israel and the U.S. had already been working behind the scenes to select a Syrian-born American, information technology executive Ghassan Hitto, to be the first "prime minister of an interim Syrian government" elected by the unrepresentative, Western-backed Syrian National Council.
As for Iran, Israel would prefer a direct hit against Tehran for its supposed development of nuclear weapons, but the U.S. imposition of deadly sanctions on that country will do for now. And diplomacy is quickly jettisoned when the U.S. and Israel collude in illegal targeted assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists, as they did in early January 2013.
While some may see hope in Obama's soothing words for Palestinians and other seeking justice in the region, such hopes in Obama are misplaced. The relationship between the U.S. and Israel must remain sacrosanct. They need each other desperately now, as even Muslim Brotherhood allies over the border in Egypt are facing broadening opposition from strikes and protests.
In a dangerous world with shifting alliances, military and economic competition and depression, the U.S. empire needs its loyal Israeli vassal more than ever.
THE HEAD of the U.S. empire paid a three-day visit to the praetorian guard of the Middle East oil lake that concluded March 22. President Obama's trip to Israel aimed to shore up anxious vassals and reassert U.S. political and military hegemony in a region in the midst of revolutionary turmoil and economic instability.
On both fronts, he appears to have succeeded, for now.
News of President Obama's much-heralded visit has focused on two events: his speech in Jerusalem and the phone call he choreographed between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As is usually the case with acts of diplomacy, Obama's speech and telephone rapprochement were filled with unctuous platitudes to mask the crude reality.
His Jerusalem speech intertwined the Zionist fable of a national liberation movement for Jews that never was with the African American civil rights struggle, using rhetorical flourishes best described as Obamaesque. He said:
As Dr. Martin Luther King said on the day before he was killed--"I may not get there with you. But I want you to know that...we, as a people, will get to the promised land..." And while Jews achieved extraordinary success in many parts of the world, the dream of true freedom finally found its full expression in the Zionist idea--to be a free people in your homeland.
Like every U.S. president since Truman, Obama depicts Israel as an expression of the democratic yearnings of an oppressed people, as opposed to being an imperial manipulation of historical crimes against the Jewish people to justify a colonial-settler state on Palestinian land. Israel is a nation that's come to serve as an outpost for U.S. imperial interests in the region.
No doubt, Obama glimpsed the 25-foot-high, 450-mile-long apartheid wall that has been condemned as illegal in the International Court of Justice. He knows of the growing civil disobedience against Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land and the broadening resistance to the indefinite detention of Palestinians such as Samer Issawi, now on hunger strike more than 245 days.
Even the global boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement is getting greater coverage than ever in the U.S. media, making it almost impossible for Obama to remain unaware of the rising Palestinian civil rights movement that the New York Times' Ben Ehrenreich suggests is a possible "third intifada."
It's quite likely Obama's awareness of all these factors compelled him to reference Palestinian suffering and aspirations in his speech--if only to give a nod toward a crisis he has no intention of resolving. After all, if Obama were intent on actually doing something, then millions of American taxpayer dollars that help finance the expanding illegal Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank would dry up.
Weapons sales and high-tech deals between the U.S. and Israel would be placed on hold. Obama would demand an immediate end to Israel's siege of Gaza, a blockade of goods enforced since 2009. Netanyahu's new hard-right cabinet filled with open racists and opponents of any Palestinian state would have been challenged. Yet none of these actions were even considered.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
WHEN IT comes to Obama in Israel, as at home, it's crucial to follow the money and the weapons, not the words.
Though in all truth, even the words betray a policy of continued full-throated support for Israel. When Obama insists "Palestinians must recognize that Israel will be a Jewish state" as the starting point for negotiations, he is essentially demanding that Palestinians concede ongoing occupation by an ethnocracy and the implicit apartheid regime of laws that comes with it. As with past presidents, Obama calls for Palestinians to embrace their own dispossession as the entry point to "peace talks."
The phone call Obama arranged between Netanyahu and Turkey's Erdogan was an effort to confront the central geostrategic issues hanging over the entire visit. Containing Syria's ongoing revolution and stanching Iran's supposed nuclear weapons development were central to this diplomatic mission.
On the surface, the call was about Netanyahu apologizing to Erdogan for a raid by Israeli commandos on an unarmed Turkish humanitarian flotilla, the Mavi Marmara, that killed nine activists on board the ship in the middle of the night in the Mediterranean Sea in May 2010.
The three-way call established that Israel will pay reparations to the families of the dead and Turkey will cease legal actions against Israel for the cold-blooded murders of the nine.
As the Palestinian member of Israel's Knesset, Hanin Zoabi, who was on the Mavi Marmara, countered: "The issue is not only Marmara; Marmara was the small crime. The big crime was the siege on Gaza."
Whatever words were uttered about easing the years-long blockade of Gaza, little is likely to change on that front so long as Israel controls the flow of goods, resources and people in and out of Gaza. But the real point of the call was for Obama to formally reconcile two of his most important and comparatively stable allies in the region. Containing the two regional powers, Iran and Syria, is far more difficult without unity between Israel and Turkey.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
AND OBAMA needs a beefed-up guardian in the Middle East gateway to Asian expansion westward as part of his overarching mission to push back China, too.
It's become clear to both the U.S. and Israeli administrations that their longtime ally in Syria, the dictator Bashar al-Assad, can no longer hang on to power in the face of a popular uprising, which began as a revolutionary upheaval and now appears to have become a civil war that's killed at least 70,000.
Even before Obama landed in Tel Aviv, Israeli and U.S. warmongers were peddling unconfirmed reports of chemical weapons being used in Syria in order to pressure the Obama administration to approve direct U.S. military involvement there. Turkey, Israel and the U.S. had already been working behind the scenes to select a Syrian-born American, information technology executive Ghassan Hitto, to be the first "prime minister of an interim Syrian government" elected by the unrepresentative, Western-backed Syrian National Council.
As for Iran, Israel would prefer a direct hit against Tehran for its supposed development of nuclear weapons, but the U.S. imposition of deadly sanctions on that country will do for now. And diplomacy is quickly jettisoned when the U.S. and Israel collude in illegal targeted assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists, as they did in early January 2013.
While some may see hope in Obama's soothing words for Palestinians and other seeking justice in the region, such hopes in Obama are misplaced. The relationship between the U.S. and Israel must remain sacrosanct. They need each other desperately now, as even Muslim Brotherhood allies over the border in Egypt are facing broadening opposition from strikes and protests.
In a dangerous world with shifting alliances, military and economic competition and depression, the U.S. empire needs its loyal Israeli vassal more than ever.
Abbas to the Arab League, if attempts to renew talks fail, we may go to The Hague
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said Palestinians have the right to go to the International Court of Justice if the attempt to renew negotiations with Israel in the coming few months fail.
Abbas remarks came during his speech to the Arab League summit, during which he briefed Arab leaders on his latest meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in Ramallah.
Obama had asked Abbas not to keep the freeze of Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank a pre-requisite for the resumption of the long-stalled peace talks.
Abbas also said that he told Obama that the Palestinians continue to insist on the establishment of a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to visit Palestine and Israel in bid to restart the negotiations in June.
An Arab League delegation is scheduled to meet with senior US government officials in the coming few weeks ahead of Kerry's visit to discuss ideas of renewing peace talks.
The talks are based on two main principles; a predetermined timetable for talks and operational decisions for ending the occupation and facilitating the establishment of a Palestinian state along 1967 borders, with a capital in East Jerusalem.
The Arab leaders have also decided to establish a fund of One Billion dollars to “Protect Islamic and Arab character of East Jerusalem”.
Palestinian Human Rights organizations report that Israel is implementing a plan to gradually erase Arab presence in Jerusalem, by not allowing Palestinian residents of Jerusalem to build houses and by building more Jewish Settlements in the city.
Abbas remarks came during his speech to the Arab League summit, during which he briefed Arab leaders on his latest meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in Ramallah.
Obama had asked Abbas not to keep the freeze of Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank a pre-requisite for the resumption of the long-stalled peace talks.
Abbas also said that he told Obama that the Palestinians continue to insist on the establishment of a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to visit Palestine and Israel in bid to restart the negotiations in June.
An Arab League delegation is scheduled to meet with senior US government officials in the coming few weeks ahead of Kerry's visit to discuss ideas of renewing peace talks.
The talks are based on two main principles; a predetermined timetable for talks and operational decisions for ending the occupation and facilitating the establishment of a Palestinian state along 1967 borders, with a capital in East Jerusalem.
The Arab leaders have also decided to establish a fund of One Billion dollars to “Protect Islamic and Arab character of East Jerusalem”.
Palestinian Human Rights organizations report that Israel is implementing a plan to gradually erase Arab presence in Jerusalem, by not allowing Palestinian residents of Jerusalem to build houses and by building more Jewish Settlements in the city.
26 mar 2013
PA holds secret meetings with Israelis to revive peace process
An informed source revealed that there are meetings nowadays held in camera between top officials from the Palestinian authority (PA) and Israelis to pave the way for the resumption of the peace talks unconditionally. PA chief negotiator Saeb Erekat represents the Palestinian side, while Yitzhak Molcho is his Israeli counterpart, according to the source.
He stated, on condition of anonymity, that the parties agreed to resume the negotiations without preconditions, especially with regard to freezing settlement construction in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Earlier, Erekat said that president Mahmoud Abbas was doing his best in cooperation with all members of the international quartet to resume the peace process according to the previous agreements with the Israeli side.
The PA took its decision to restart its peace process talks following the visit of US president Barack Obama last week to the occupied Palestinian territories and Jordan.
Obama reiterated during his meetings with Israelis and Palestinians the same old talking points, including the urgency of a two-state solution and the need to end settlement construction.
He stated, on condition of anonymity, that the parties agreed to resume the negotiations without preconditions, especially with regard to freezing settlement construction in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Earlier, Erekat said that president Mahmoud Abbas was doing his best in cooperation with all members of the international quartet to resume the peace process according to the previous agreements with the Israeli side.
The PA took its decision to restart its peace process talks following the visit of US president Barack Obama last week to the occupied Palestinian territories and Jordan.
Obama reiterated during his meetings with Israelis and Palestinians the same old talking points, including the urgency of a two-state solution and the need to end settlement construction.
11 mar 2013
A Call to Reject Obama's Visit, Demonstrate Against Any Return to Negotiations
Palestinian youth groups of "Palestinians For Dignity" call to reject US President Obama's visit to the occupied Palestinian territory expected between 20-22 March, and to demonstrate against the possible return to negotiations.
Palestinians For Dignity said in a press release that President Obama's visit to the occupied Palestinian territory comes at a time when the Palestinian prisoners are waging a hunger strike battle in the face of Israeli government obstinacy, and in the face of US silence towards the slow murder these heroes are being subjected to.
Most recently Palestinian prisoner Arafat Jaradat died during interrogation inside the Israeli prison of Megiddo. Moreover, the visit comes in light of the continued international isolation of Israel and the ever-increasing boycott campaigns against it.
On one hand, it is simply naive to presume that U.S. policy toward Israel has changed since Obama took office. A March 2012 report by the U.S. Congress discusses a $3.1 billion in military aid for the year 2013 only, including financing the Iron Dome system, and increasing US bilateral support to Israel to $115 billion since 1949. In addition, the US is committed to maintain Israel's security at the expense of the lives, land and livelihood of Palestinians; whether by justifying the massacres against Palestinians in Gaza, or through its silence concerning settlement expansion, destructions of homes, forcible transfer and other Israeli policies.
On the other hand, it is hypocritical and disingenuous that the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) disregards the role of the Obama administration in blocking its membership request in 2011 at the Security Council, and its vote against the resolution at the General Assembly in 2012. Furthermore, the US congress has imposed financial sanctions on international institutions recognizing "Palestine". And to add insult to injury, while the PLO/PA assure Palestinians they consider Jerusalem the Palestinian capital, yet they receive the US President in the Ramallah enclave.
Despite the attempts of the Palestinian "leadership" to ease the atmosphere, with statements about Obama pressuring the Israeli government on the issue of Palestinian political prisoners, or promises of petty US aid, however, the ultimate objectives of the visit are clear.
The visit aims to achieve three goals; first, to relieve the pressure off the Israeli government, which is suffering increased international isolation (albeit with words more than actions). Second, to restrain the frustration of the Palestinian street simmering in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners and finally, to prolong the expected lifetime of the PA, which after 20 years is becoming more and more disconnected from its people.
The Palestinian people will not accept to play a role in achieving these interests, and will not succumb to these pressures. What is required of us as Palestinians is to persue a complete boycott of our occupier on all fronts: security, economical, political, cultural and academic, and to rebuild a representative entity for Palestinians everywhere. Not aid in relieving the pressure on the Israeli government by engaging in a futile process, and allowing it to complete its expansionary policies and annexation through uprooting Palestinians from their land and homes.
Accordingly, Palestinians For Dignity call on the masses of the Palestinian people to change this path and demonstrate against receiving he who considers Israel "the closest ally in the region", and to refuse the return to futile negotiations. Palestinians For Dignity call for entrenching the sacrifices of the martyrs and prisoners by refusing to surrender and to work with Palestinians everywhere to establish a strategic program of resistance, where political, economic, military, popular and various other forms of resistance and duties are shared each according to their ability.
Palestinians For Dignity invite you to take to the street on the expected day of the visit between the 20-23 of March, close to the day of Al-Karamah (dignity) battle commemoration, to restore part of our dignity and reject Western hegemony, and Zionist colonialism and internal consent.
Palestinians For Dignity said in a press release that President Obama's visit to the occupied Palestinian territory comes at a time when the Palestinian prisoners are waging a hunger strike battle in the face of Israeli government obstinacy, and in the face of US silence towards the slow murder these heroes are being subjected to.
Most recently Palestinian prisoner Arafat Jaradat died during interrogation inside the Israeli prison of Megiddo. Moreover, the visit comes in light of the continued international isolation of Israel and the ever-increasing boycott campaigns against it.
On one hand, it is simply naive to presume that U.S. policy toward Israel has changed since Obama took office. A March 2012 report by the U.S. Congress discusses a $3.1 billion in military aid for the year 2013 only, including financing the Iron Dome system, and increasing US bilateral support to Israel to $115 billion since 1949. In addition, the US is committed to maintain Israel's security at the expense of the lives, land and livelihood of Palestinians; whether by justifying the massacres against Palestinians in Gaza, or through its silence concerning settlement expansion, destructions of homes, forcible transfer and other Israeli policies.
On the other hand, it is hypocritical and disingenuous that the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) disregards the role of the Obama administration in blocking its membership request in 2011 at the Security Council, and its vote against the resolution at the General Assembly in 2012. Furthermore, the US congress has imposed financial sanctions on international institutions recognizing "Palestine". And to add insult to injury, while the PLO/PA assure Palestinians they consider Jerusalem the Palestinian capital, yet they receive the US President in the Ramallah enclave.
Despite the attempts of the Palestinian "leadership" to ease the atmosphere, with statements about Obama pressuring the Israeli government on the issue of Palestinian political prisoners, or promises of petty US aid, however, the ultimate objectives of the visit are clear.
The visit aims to achieve three goals; first, to relieve the pressure off the Israeli government, which is suffering increased international isolation (albeit with words more than actions). Second, to restrain the frustration of the Palestinian street simmering in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners and finally, to prolong the expected lifetime of the PA, which after 20 years is becoming more and more disconnected from its people.
The Palestinian people will not accept to play a role in achieving these interests, and will not succumb to these pressures. What is required of us as Palestinians is to persue a complete boycott of our occupier on all fronts: security, economical, political, cultural and academic, and to rebuild a representative entity for Palestinians everywhere. Not aid in relieving the pressure on the Israeli government by engaging in a futile process, and allowing it to complete its expansionary policies and annexation through uprooting Palestinians from their land and homes.
Accordingly, Palestinians For Dignity call on the masses of the Palestinian people to change this path and demonstrate against receiving he who considers Israel "the closest ally in the region", and to refuse the return to futile negotiations. Palestinians For Dignity call for entrenching the sacrifices of the martyrs and prisoners by refusing to surrender and to work with Palestinians everywhere to establish a strategic program of resistance, where political, economic, military, popular and various other forms of resistance and duties are shared each according to their ability.
Palestinians For Dignity invite you to take to the street on the expected day of the visit between the 20-23 of March, close to the day of Al-Karamah (dignity) battle commemoration, to restore part of our dignity and reject Western hegemony, and Zionist colonialism and internal consent.
6 mar 2013
Hamdan: Talks about reviving peace process are futile
Osama Hamdan, foreign relations official in Hamas movement, said that the talks about reviving peace process, at the meetings of Arab foreign ministers that took place on Wednesday in Cairo, are futile.
Hamdan said in remarks to Quds Press Agency: "Talking about the peace process must take a new direction, in light of the Arab Spring, which will stem from the will of the Palestinian people and its interests, and from a strategic evaluation of the results of the peace process during the last stage."
He emphasized that the negotiations have reached the stage of the futility, and called for considering the rights of the Palestinian people and the best ways to achieve them.
The Hamas official expressed his hope that the Arab summit, scheduled for the end of this month in the Qatari capital Doha, will remedy the situation and place the will and demands of the Palestinian people on the top of its priorities.
"Everyone realizes that the Palestinian people adhere to their rights," he said, expressing hope that the summit will respond to the demands of the Arab nations and the Palestinian people.
"The negotiations have done nothing to the Palestinian people over the past two decades, and Hamas will never be a part of such failure and nonsense," Hamdan expressed.
When asked whether the attitude regarding negotiations represents new obstacle to reconciliation, he said: "the main obstacle to reconciliation is the U.S. and Israeli pressure."
Hamdan said in remarks to Quds Press Agency: "Talking about the peace process must take a new direction, in light of the Arab Spring, which will stem from the will of the Palestinian people and its interests, and from a strategic evaluation of the results of the peace process during the last stage."
He emphasized that the negotiations have reached the stage of the futility, and called for considering the rights of the Palestinian people and the best ways to achieve them.
The Hamas official expressed his hope that the Arab summit, scheduled for the end of this month in the Qatari capital Doha, will remedy the situation and place the will and demands of the Palestinian people on the top of its priorities.
"Everyone realizes that the Palestinian people adhere to their rights," he said, expressing hope that the summit will respond to the demands of the Arab nations and the Palestinian people.
"The negotiations have done nothing to the Palestinian people over the past two decades, and Hamas will never be a part of such failure and nonsense," Hamdan expressed.
When asked whether the attitude regarding negotiations represents new obstacle to reconciliation, he said: "the main obstacle to reconciliation is the U.S. and Israeli pressure."