24 dec 2013
The proposal also allows for Israeli drones to fly over the occupied West Bank
John Kerry's security proposals, including Israeli control of the future Palestinian state's border with Jordan, accept most of Israel's positions, Israeli military radio Tuesday reported. Earlier this month Kerry presented to the Palestinian Authority and Israelis security “ideas” based on the work that a team of some 160 US officials drew up defining what it thought would be necessary for Israel’s security if a Palestinian state is created.
"The US is prepared to give (Israel) full control of the Jordan border, as well as the ability to spy and collect intelligence in the occupied West Bank," the radio said.
"Kerry also proposed that a massive fence be built along the length of the Jordan Valley, similar to the current West Bank separation wall, placing the proposed Palestinian state between the two fences," it added.
"The proposal also allows for Israeli drones to fly over the occupied West Bank, collecting intelligence and spying on (terrorist) activities,"
According the security plan, Jordan border patrols will initially be carried out by Israeli occupation soldiers only, for the first few years, and will eventually be made cooperative with Palestinian security forces and Jordanian forces.
Recently, Abbas and the Arab League rejected the US plan, stating that here could be not one Israeli soldier in the territory of a future Palestinian state.
Jerusalem Post contributed to this report.
John Kerry's security proposals, including Israeli control of the future Palestinian state's border with Jordan, accept most of Israel's positions, Israeli military radio Tuesday reported. Earlier this month Kerry presented to the Palestinian Authority and Israelis security “ideas” based on the work that a team of some 160 US officials drew up defining what it thought would be necessary for Israel’s security if a Palestinian state is created.
"The US is prepared to give (Israel) full control of the Jordan border, as well as the ability to spy and collect intelligence in the occupied West Bank," the radio said.
"Kerry also proposed that a massive fence be built along the length of the Jordan Valley, similar to the current West Bank separation wall, placing the proposed Palestinian state between the two fences," it added.
"The proposal also allows for Israeli drones to fly over the occupied West Bank, collecting intelligence and spying on (terrorist) activities,"
According the security plan, Jordan border patrols will initially be carried out by Israeli occupation soldiers only, for the first few years, and will eventually be made cooperative with Palestinian security forces and Jordanian forces.
Recently, Abbas and the Arab League rejected the US plan, stating that here could be not one Israeli soldier in the territory of a future Palestinian state.
Jerusalem Post contributed to this report.
The imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded US administration to free the imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard as part of the negotiation efforts with Palestinians, media sources reported.
According to undisclosed Israeli officials, Netanyahu's demand for the release of the Israeli spy through the platform of peace talks with the Palestinians could be executed in one of two ways: A release of the Israeli spy as part of an Israeli-Palestinian agreement pushed by the Americans for next month, or through a deal aimed at releasing Arab-Israeli prisoners.
A senior Israeli official said on Tuesday that the Israeli government adhered to the agreements with Palestinian side, epically the release of veteran Palestinian prisoners.
Israel Hayom newspaper reported on Tuesday that Netanyahu asked US administration to extend the time of the peace talks process , which it expected its failure. It noted that Israel is convinced that the framework agreement submitted by US secretary Kerry would widen the gaps between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.
Former US official: Demand to free Pollard is Israeli 'chutzpah'
Israel is hypocritical asking to stop US spying on country but to release its own spy, says former US Homeland Security officer Stewart Baker
A former senior American security representative said Israel's request to free Jonathan Pollard was "chutzpah".
"Israel has taken chutzpah to new heights, simultaneously demanding that the United States stop spying on Israel and that it releases the guy caught spying on the United States for Israel", Stewart Baker, a former Homeland Security official in the administration of President George W. Bush, said in a blog post on The Volokh Conspiracy.
Baker was not referring to the Israeli media reports, but rather to what two ministers said, Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz and Tourism Minister Uzi Landau: "This moment is better than any other moment to have Jonathan Pollard freed."
This is the first public response from a former senior representative that went out against Israelis' cries to free Pollard. Other high-ranking Americans, led by former CIA head James Woolsey, have spoken out in favor of releasing Pollard after he had spent so many years in jail.
Letter to Obama The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations sent a letter to President Barack Obama on Sunday asking him to commute Pollard's punishment, in order to have him released by next September, before the Jewish holidays.
"Pollard has served longer than any person convicted of a similar offense and his sentence should be commuted to the 28 years he has already served," the letter said.
The organization, which is aligned with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also wrote that many former high-ranking officials in the American administration at the time of Pollard's arrest are not in favor of Pollard continuing to serve time in prison.
These include former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and George Shultz, Woolsey and William Webster, the head of the FBI at the time of Pollard's arrest, who said that he no longer opposes his release.
Baker's comments came after Netanyahu spoke about an investigative report that revealed that the US intercepted email communication between the Prime Minister's Office and the Defense Ministry from 2008-2009 and that the Americans even spied on then Defense Minister Ehud Barak 's apartment.
"In Israel's close relationship with the US, there are still things that are illicit and that are unacceptable," Netanyahu said Monday at a Likud faction meeting. He also said that he had met with Pollard's wife, Esther.
"For a long time he should have been released. This is understood by everybody here, and I believe that it is also understood by the growing number of listeners in the US," Netanyahu said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded US administration to free the imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard as part of the negotiation efforts with Palestinians, media sources reported.
According to undisclosed Israeli officials, Netanyahu's demand for the release of the Israeli spy through the platform of peace talks with the Palestinians could be executed in one of two ways: A release of the Israeli spy as part of an Israeli-Palestinian agreement pushed by the Americans for next month, or through a deal aimed at releasing Arab-Israeli prisoners.
A senior Israeli official said on Tuesday that the Israeli government adhered to the agreements with Palestinian side, epically the release of veteran Palestinian prisoners.
Israel Hayom newspaper reported on Tuesday that Netanyahu asked US administration to extend the time of the peace talks process , which it expected its failure. It noted that Israel is convinced that the framework agreement submitted by US secretary Kerry would widen the gaps between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.
Former US official: Demand to free Pollard is Israeli 'chutzpah'
Israel is hypocritical asking to stop US spying on country but to release its own spy, says former US Homeland Security officer Stewart Baker
A former senior American security representative said Israel's request to free Jonathan Pollard was "chutzpah".
"Israel has taken chutzpah to new heights, simultaneously demanding that the United States stop spying on Israel and that it releases the guy caught spying on the United States for Israel", Stewart Baker, a former Homeland Security official in the administration of President George W. Bush, said in a blog post on The Volokh Conspiracy.
Baker was not referring to the Israeli media reports, but rather to what two ministers said, Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz and Tourism Minister Uzi Landau: "This moment is better than any other moment to have Jonathan Pollard freed."
This is the first public response from a former senior representative that went out against Israelis' cries to free Pollard. Other high-ranking Americans, led by former CIA head James Woolsey, have spoken out in favor of releasing Pollard after he had spent so many years in jail.
Letter to Obama The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations sent a letter to President Barack Obama on Sunday asking him to commute Pollard's punishment, in order to have him released by next September, before the Jewish holidays.
"Pollard has served longer than any person convicted of a similar offense and his sentence should be commuted to the 28 years he has already served," the letter said.
The organization, which is aligned with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also wrote that many former high-ranking officials in the American administration at the time of Pollard's arrest are not in favor of Pollard continuing to serve time in prison.
These include former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and George Shultz, Woolsey and William Webster, the head of the FBI at the time of Pollard's arrest, who said that he no longer opposes his release.
Baker's comments came after Netanyahu spoke about an investigative report that revealed that the US intercepted email communication between the Prime Minister's Office and the Defense Ministry from 2008-2009 and that the Americans even spied on then Defense Minister Ehud Barak 's apartment.
"In Israel's close relationship with the US, there are still things that are illicit and that are unacceptable," Netanyahu said Monday at a Likud faction meeting. He also said that he had met with Pollard's wife, Esther.
"For a long time he should have been released. This is understood by everybody here, and I believe that it is also understood by the growing number of listeners in the US," Netanyahu said.
One of the most influential Catholic Bishops in the Middle East is expected to criticise Israel during the Christmas Eve midnight mass in Bethlehem. It is thought the Latin Patriach of Jerusalem, Archbishop Fouad Twal, will label Israel's continued construction of illegal settlements in the Palestinian Territories an obstacle to regional stability.
Thousands of pilgrims across the world will gather to hear the mass, delivered at the Church of the Nativity, built on the site where Jesus is believed to have been born in a stable more than 2,000 years ago.
The Archbishop will also call for an immediate end to conflict in Syria and to the persecution of Christians in the region.
But with negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority now resumed after years of stagnation, he is expected to take the opportunity to address the talks directly.
At a news conference last week, Archbishop Twal said the efforts of US Secretary of State John Kerry to find a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict were being "hampered by the continuous building of Israeli settlements".
Archbishiop Twal added: "As long as this problem is not resolved, the people of our region will suffer.
"While the attention has shifted from the situation in the Holy Land to the tragedy in Syria, it must be stated that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains crucial to the region and is a major obstacle in the development of our society and stability in the middle east."
Israel's approval of new settlement housing units since August, when the latest round of talks began, has been criticised by many western diplomats, including John Kerry.
Father Jamal Khader, Director of the Catholic Seminary in Bethlehem, who is close to the Patriach, told Sky News he expects the message to be reiterated later today.
"What we need is freedom," he said. "What we need is independence and what we need is an end to the occupation. I think the Patriarch will call for an end to the occupation."
Bethlehem, which lies around 10km (six miles) south of Jerusalem, is governed by the Palestinian Authority but is surrounded by Israel's separation wall, check-points and numerous West Bank settlements, which are deemed illegal under international law.
Construction of the separation wall began in 2002 as a security measure in response to waves of suicide bombings in Israel during the Second Intifada. But critics say it is also being used as a means of extending Israel's borders and confiscating Palestinian land.
While more than a million tourists have visited the town in 2013, the movement restrictions faced by those resident in the Palestinian Territories can make it difficult for Palestinian Christians to visit the Church in normal circumstances.
Over the Christmas period these restrictions have been eased, with Israel putting in place measures to allow Christians from elsewhere in the West Bank and Gaza to join the celebrations.
This will include permits for 500 residents of Gaza, aged under 16 or over 35, who will be authorised to travel to Bethlehem until the end of January.
Lt Col Eyal Zeevi, Head of the Israel Occupation Forces' Bethlehem District Coordination Office, said: "Israel is making a significant effort to safeguard freedom of religion in the area, facilitate participation in religious ceremonies and ensure that Christians in the region enjoy the holiday spirit."
Similar measures are also likely to be implemented in May 2014 when Pope Francis is due make a brief visit to both Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
The visit is being seen as an attempt by the Catholic Church to draw attention to the growing persecution of Christians in countries across the region.
But for Bethlehem's tourism-dependent economy, it also promises to be a blessing, with the likelihood of thousands more pilgrims heading to the town, where the Pope will hold the only public mass of his visit.
In his Christmas message, President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, said he welcomed the visit and hoped the Pope would "spread the message of justice and peace for the Palestinians".
Thousands of pilgrims across the world will gather to hear the mass, delivered at the Church of the Nativity, built on the site where Jesus is believed to have been born in a stable more than 2,000 years ago.
The Archbishop will also call for an immediate end to conflict in Syria and to the persecution of Christians in the region.
But with negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority now resumed after years of stagnation, he is expected to take the opportunity to address the talks directly.
At a news conference last week, Archbishop Twal said the efforts of US Secretary of State John Kerry to find a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict were being "hampered by the continuous building of Israeli settlements".
Archbishiop Twal added: "As long as this problem is not resolved, the people of our region will suffer.
"While the attention has shifted from the situation in the Holy Land to the tragedy in Syria, it must be stated that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains crucial to the region and is a major obstacle in the development of our society and stability in the middle east."
Israel's approval of new settlement housing units since August, when the latest round of talks began, has been criticised by many western diplomats, including John Kerry.
Father Jamal Khader, Director of the Catholic Seminary in Bethlehem, who is close to the Patriach, told Sky News he expects the message to be reiterated later today.
"What we need is freedom," he said. "What we need is independence and what we need is an end to the occupation. I think the Patriarch will call for an end to the occupation."
Bethlehem, which lies around 10km (six miles) south of Jerusalem, is governed by the Palestinian Authority but is surrounded by Israel's separation wall, check-points and numerous West Bank settlements, which are deemed illegal under international law.
Construction of the separation wall began in 2002 as a security measure in response to waves of suicide bombings in Israel during the Second Intifada. But critics say it is also being used as a means of extending Israel's borders and confiscating Palestinian land.
While more than a million tourists have visited the town in 2013, the movement restrictions faced by those resident in the Palestinian Territories can make it difficult for Palestinian Christians to visit the Church in normal circumstances.
Over the Christmas period these restrictions have been eased, with Israel putting in place measures to allow Christians from elsewhere in the West Bank and Gaza to join the celebrations.
This will include permits for 500 residents of Gaza, aged under 16 or over 35, who will be authorised to travel to Bethlehem until the end of January.
Lt Col Eyal Zeevi, Head of the Israel Occupation Forces' Bethlehem District Coordination Office, said: "Israel is making a significant effort to safeguard freedom of religion in the area, facilitate participation in religious ceremonies and ensure that Christians in the region enjoy the holiday spirit."
Similar measures are also likely to be implemented in May 2014 when Pope Francis is due make a brief visit to both Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
The visit is being seen as an attempt by the Catholic Church to draw attention to the growing persecution of Christians in countries across the region.
But for Bethlehem's tourism-dependent economy, it also promises to be a blessing, with the likelihood of thousands more pilgrims heading to the town, where the Pope will hold the only public mass of his visit.
In his Christmas message, President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, said he welcomed the visit and hoped the Pope would "spread the message of justice and peace for the Palestinians".
23 dec 2013
Chief Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat has ruled out the possibility of extending the so-called US-sponsored peace talks with the Israeli regime beyond their nine-month timeframe.
Noting that some of his recent remarks about the talks had been misinterpreted, Erekat said the Palestinian Authority would “turn down any extension” of the talks.
"I said that if we reach an agreement on all final status issues, we could continue to discuss the details," he added.
On Wednesday, Erekat was quoted as saying that the talks may need to be extended if Palestinian and Israeli negotiators agree on key issues by the time the current round of talks wraps up in April.
"We are not talking about a peace treaty on the 29th of April, we are talking about a framework agreement," he said, adding, “To reach a comprehensive treaty, on all core issues...you need six to 12 months in the best case."
Palestinian and Israeli negotiators began a fresh round of talks in July. Previous talks between Palestinians and Israel broke down in September 2010 after Tel Aviv refused to freeze its settlement activities in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinians are seeking to create an independent state on the territories of the West Bank, East al-Quds (Jerusalem), and the Gaza Strip and are demanding Israel withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories.
Tel Aviv, however, has refused to return to the 1967 borders and is unwilling to discuss the issue of al-Quds. Even days before the start of the talks, Israel announced plans for more than 2,000 new settler units in East al-Quds and the West Bank, which angered Palestinians.
Noting that some of his recent remarks about the talks had been misinterpreted, Erekat said the Palestinian Authority would “turn down any extension” of the talks.
"I said that if we reach an agreement on all final status issues, we could continue to discuss the details," he added.
On Wednesday, Erekat was quoted as saying that the talks may need to be extended if Palestinian and Israeli negotiators agree on key issues by the time the current round of talks wraps up in April.
"We are not talking about a peace treaty on the 29th of April, we are talking about a framework agreement," he said, adding, “To reach a comprehensive treaty, on all core issues...you need six to 12 months in the best case."
Palestinian and Israeli negotiators began a fresh round of talks in July. Previous talks between Palestinians and Israel broke down in September 2010 after Tel Aviv refused to freeze its settlement activities in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinians are seeking to create an independent state on the territories of the West Bank, East al-Quds (Jerusalem), and the Gaza Strip and are demanding Israel withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories.
Tel Aviv, however, has refused to return to the 1967 borders and is unwilling to discuss the issue of al-Quds. Even days before the start of the talks, Israel announced plans for more than 2,000 new settler units in East al-Quds and the West Bank, which angered Palestinians.
Hamas Movement has renewed its rejection to any agreement reached between Palestinian and Israeli authorities, condemning the Arab foreign ministers' green light for continuing talks. The movement spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, said that the Arab Ministers' supportive position of the Palestinian-Israeli talks' resumption came under US pressure.
The US has practiced clear pressures on PA and Arab foreign ministers to back a settlement agreement, Abu Zuhri added, renewing his movement and national forces' strong rejection of any agreement that might result from these negotiations.
The spokesman told Quds Press on Sunday that no Arab party is entitled to pressure Palestinian people to waive their rights, adding that the Arab countries' role is to support the Palestinian people’s steadfastness.
The US has practiced clear pressures on PA and Arab foreign ministers to back a settlement agreement, Abu Zuhri added, renewing his movement and national forces' strong rejection of any agreement that might result from these negotiations.
The spokesman told Quds Press on Sunday that no Arab party is entitled to pressure Palestinian people to waive their rights, adding that the Arab countries' role is to support the Palestinian people’s steadfastness.
During an emergency meeting held this Sunday, the Arab League rejected the U.S proposals which aimed to allow Israeli soldiers on the Eastern border of a future Palestinian state.
PA Leader Mahmoud Abbas had stated in an earlier report that the security proposals, “achieved Israeli security expansionist demands, and guaranteed (Israel’s) continued control of (the Jordan Valley) on the security pretext.”
However, Abbas is willing to accept the deployment of American troops along the Jordan valley Euronews reported.
Secretary of State John Kerry, who has been shuttling between Israelis and Palestinians, said the United States presented “some thoughts” on security arrangements, but gave no details.
PA Leader Mahmoud Abbas had stated in an earlier report that the security proposals, “achieved Israeli security expansionist demands, and guaranteed (Israel’s) continued control of (the Jordan Valley) on the security pretext.”
However, Abbas is willing to accept the deployment of American troops along the Jordan valley Euronews reported.
Secretary of State John Kerry, who has been shuttling between Israelis and Palestinians, said the United States presented “some thoughts” on security arrangements, but gave no details.
Abbas states position
According to an Arab League official, US Secretary of State John Kerry will present Palestinian and Israeli leaders with a framework peace agreement by the end of the month, the Ma'an News Agency has reported.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has informed the Arab League of the upcoming proposal, saying that it would contain US suggestions regarding the borders of a future Palestinian state, said Mohammad Sbeih, secretary-general of Palestinian affairs at the Arab League.
Abbas told the League that "once he receives the American proposal, he will not respond but will present it to Arab nations to make a joint decision."
Sbeih said that Abbas articulated his exact positions on the peace agreement, which were as follows:
- Abbas would accept a Palestinian state with the entirety of East Jerusalem as its capital, with limited land swaps as long as the lands being traded were of equal value.
- He would accept an incremental withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian land, allowing them up to three years to leave.
- He would reject the idea of any permanent Israeli military presence in the Jordan Valley, but would welcome an international peacekeeping presence.
- He would refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
- He would reject any interim agreement, calling instead for a final solution.
- He would reject any proposal that required Palestine to be an unarmed state, but said he would not get involved in an "arms race."
Sbeih said, in addition, that the Arab League sent to Kerry an urgent message which detailed the League's vision of the peace process.
Negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians were relaunched in July, under US auspices, after a hiatus of nearly three years.
According to an Arab League official, US Secretary of State John Kerry will present Palestinian and Israeli leaders with a framework peace agreement by the end of the month, the Ma'an News Agency has reported.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has informed the Arab League of the upcoming proposal, saying that it would contain US suggestions regarding the borders of a future Palestinian state, said Mohammad Sbeih, secretary-general of Palestinian affairs at the Arab League.
Abbas told the League that "once he receives the American proposal, he will not respond but will present it to Arab nations to make a joint decision."
Sbeih said that Abbas articulated his exact positions on the peace agreement, which were as follows:
- Abbas would accept a Palestinian state with the entirety of East Jerusalem as its capital, with limited land swaps as long as the lands being traded were of equal value.
- He would accept an incremental withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian land, allowing them up to three years to leave.
- He would reject the idea of any permanent Israeli military presence in the Jordan Valley, but would welcome an international peacekeeping presence.
- He would refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
- He would reject any interim agreement, calling instead for a final solution.
- He would reject any proposal that required Palestine to be an unarmed state, but said he would not get involved in an "arms race."
Sbeih said, in addition, that the Arab League sent to Kerry an urgent message which detailed the League's vision of the peace process.
Negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians were relaunched in July, under US auspices, after a hiatus of nearly three years.
20 dec 2013
Dr. Muhammad Shtayyeh, who last November quit the Palestinian team negotiating with the Israelis over a peace settlement, reiterated Thursday the Palestinian position that they would not recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
In a meeting with journalists in the Palestinian town of Beit Jala, not far from Bethlehem in the West Bank, Shtayyeh stated that the Israeli insistence on Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state is a new demand that was not raised in the initial talks and interim agreements between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
According to Shtayyeh the declaration of Israel as a Jewish state implies the prevention of Palestinian refugees from returning to their homeland, opening the door to the expulsion of Palestinian citizens of Israel from their homes and the imposition of the Jewish narrative on the history of this country, thereby rejecting the Christian and Muslim narratives.
Shtayyeh told Haaretz that there is a fundamental difference between "a state for the Jews" and a "Jewish state."
He said that he resigned from the Palestinian negotiating team on November 5 because he felt that Israel's declared intentions were insincere. According to Shtayyeh, the Israeli side has done everything possible to ruin the credibility of the Palestinian negotiating team in the eyes of the Palestinian public, for example, when Israel declared that it would build additional housing units in the Jewish settlements of the West Bank to balance the release of Palestinian prisoners. Ever since the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations were renewed in July 2013, the gap between the two sides has widened, instead of narrowing; in Shtayyeh's view, the reason is the Israeli position.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he argues, does want two states – both of them, however, in the West Bank: one state for the Jewish settlers and the other for the Palestinians. Shtayyeh went on to say that perhaps the only way out of this impasse would be to convene a Geneva conference for the establishment of peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis – such as the conference on Iran's nuclear program or the one that will be held in the future to end the Syrian civil war.
The current bilateral talks, Shtayyeh argues, only prove they are preserving the uneven balance of power between the strong side, the master who continues to dictate the terms, and the weak side, subject to those terms.
Shtayyeh differs with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who endorses a boycott solely of products from settlements in the West Bank.
According to Shtayyeh, one cannot separate or distinguish the settlements from those who have formulated the policies for their establishment. He proposes that those countries whose citizens reside in these settlements should undertake appropriate measures against them on the grounds that they are violating international law.
This artcile was originally published on Haaretz
In a meeting with journalists in the Palestinian town of Beit Jala, not far from Bethlehem in the West Bank, Shtayyeh stated that the Israeli insistence on Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state is a new demand that was not raised in the initial talks and interim agreements between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
According to Shtayyeh the declaration of Israel as a Jewish state implies the prevention of Palestinian refugees from returning to their homeland, opening the door to the expulsion of Palestinian citizens of Israel from their homes and the imposition of the Jewish narrative on the history of this country, thereby rejecting the Christian and Muslim narratives.
Shtayyeh told Haaretz that there is a fundamental difference between "a state for the Jews" and a "Jewish state."
He said that he resigned from the Palestinian negotiating team on November 5 because he felt that Israel's declared intentions were insincere. According to Shtayyeh, the Israeli side has done everything possible to ruin the credibility of the Palestinian negotiating team in the eyes of the Palestinian public, for example, when Israel declared that it would build additional housing units in the Jewish settlements of the West Bank to balance the release of Palestinian prisoners. Ever since the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations were renewed in July 2013, the gap between the two sides has widened, instead of narrowing; in Shtayyeh's view, the reason is the Israeli position.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he argues, does want two states – both of them, however, in the West Bank: one state for the Jewish settlers and the other for the Palestinians. Shtayyeh went on to say that perhaps the only way out of this impasse would be to convene a Geneva conference for the establishment of peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis – such as the conference on Iran's nuclear program or the one that will be held in the future to end the Syrian civil war.
The current bilateral talks, Shtayyeh argues, only prove they are preserving the uneven balance of power between the strong side, the master who continues to dictate the terms, and the weak side, subject to those terms.
Shtayyeh differs with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who endorses a boycott solely of products from settlements in the West Bank.
According to Shtayyeh, one cannot separate or distinguish the settlements from those who have formulated the policies for their establishment. He proposes that those countries whose citizens reside in these settlements should undertake appropriate measures against them on the grounds that they are violating international law.
This artcile was originally published on Haaretz
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will be traveling to Cairo Friday and will meet with Egyptian President Adly Monsour Saturday, officials said.
Palestinian Ambassador to Egypt Barakat al-Farra said that Abbas and Monsour will discuss the US-brokered negotiations with Israel and the latest developments in the region.
Abbas will also meet with various Arab foreign ministers to discuss the status of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, al-Farra said.
PLO leader Muhammad Shtayyeh said Thursday that Abbas would tell Arab foreign ministers that talks with Israel "are in serious impasse."
Al-Farra added that Abbas and Monsour would discuss Palestinian national reconciliation with Hamas, an offshoot of the Egyptian-founded Muslim Brotherhood.
Egypt has severely restricted the Gaza Strip's access to the international world in recent months as it has kept the Rafah crossing between the two countries closed with only sporadic exceptions.
Until July of this year, tunnels connecting Gaza to Egypt provided a vital lifeline for the territory amidst the otherwise crippling Israeli blockade on the Palestinian coastal enclave.
Throughout Brotherhood member Mohamed Morsi's presidency, the situation had greatly improved, as the tunnels to Egypt witnessed a brisk trade following the Egyptian Revolution. Since the military coup against Morsi in July, however, Egypt has strictly enforced the blockade and targeted the tunnels.
Palestinian Ambassador to Egypt Barakat al-Farra said that Abbas and Monsour will discuss the US-brokered negotiations with Israel and the latest developments in the region.
Abbas will also meet with various Arab foreign ministers to discuss the status of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, al-Farra said.
PLO leader Muhammad Shtayyeh said Thursday that Abbas would tell Arab foreign ministers that talks with Israel "are in serious impasse."
Al-Farra added that Abbas and Monsour would discuss Palestinian national reconciliation with Hamas, an offshoot of the Egyptian-founded Muslim Brotherhood.
Egypt has severely restricted the Gaza Strip's access to the international world in recent months as it has kept the Rafah crossing between the two countries closed with only sporadic exceptions.
Until July of this year, tunnels connecting Gaza to Egypt provided a vital lifeline for the territory amidst the otherwise crippling Israeli blockade on the Palestinian coastal enclave.
Throughout Brotherhood member Mohamed Morsi's presidency, the situation had greatly improved, as the tunnels to Egypt witnessed a brisk trade following the Egyptian Revolution. Since the military coup against Morsi in July, however, Egypt has strictly enforced the blockade and targeted the tunnels.
Support in Europe for sanctioning Israel over its settlement policies growing and could gain steam if the current Israeli-Palestinian negotiations fail, the outgoing EU envoy to the Middle East said Thursday. For now, the European Union is dangling incentives before both sides to nudge them toward a deal, rather than threatening punishment but some commentators have been sounding the alarm regarding a possible surge in boycott efforts.
Earlier this week, EU foreign ministers promised Israelis and Palestinians unprecedented access to the 28-state bloc if they overcome their differences and reach an agreement on the terms of a Palestinian state.
The outgoing EU envoy to the Middle East, Andreas Reinicke, said in a phone interview from Brussels on Thursday that he believes a deal is possible and that the two sides "are starting to bridge the first gaps."
He did not elaborate, but Reinicke, who is leaving his post at the end of the month, said he has been in close touch with US mediators.
Reinicke said that when he started in his post in February 2012, only two of 28 EU member states supported the idea of labeling. Now, 14 states are in favor, he said. "There is movement in this direction," he added.
"I think there is a general understanding among all 28 states that settlements are illegal under international law as long as there is no agreement on the border" between Israel and a state of Palestine, he said.
Palestinian grassroots activists and their foreign supporters say an international campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions – or BDS – against Israel is gaining momentum.
They point to recent successes, such as a decision this week by the American Studies Association, a group representing more than 3,800 US scholars, to boycott Israeli academic institutions, though not individual Israeli colleagues.
The BDS successes have been largely symbolic, and their impact on Israel's robust economy has so far been negligible.
Israeli government officials have either dismissed the BDS campaign as ineffective or portrayed it as an attempt with strong anti-Semitic overtones to delegitimize the Jewish state.
Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador to the US, denounced the boycott decision of the US scholars as a "travesty," saying this week that "singling out of the Jewish state for boycott is no different than the many attempts throughout history to single out Jews and hold them to a different standard."
The US-led negotiations resumed in late July, after a five-year diplomatic impasse, and are to last for at least nine months. On Wednesday, the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, for the first time raised the possibility of an extension if progress is made.
He said that if the two sides reach a framework agreement on all main issues by the end of April, the Palestinians would be prepared to extend the period of negotiations by up to a year to work out the details of a comprehensive deal.
Previously, the Palestinians had said they reserve the right to walk away from the negotiations after nine months and explore other options, such as seeking wider international recognition.
The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern Jerusalem, territories captured in 1967. They are ready for minor land swaps that would enable Israel to keep some of the dozens of settlements it has built on war-won land.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to accept the 1967 lines as a starting point for border talks and has rejected a partition of Jerusalem.
Reinicke said that if negotiations end in failure, he expects a resumption of discussions on possible EU-wide recommendations on labeling Israeli settlement products. Labeling would allow consumers to decide if they want to such goods.
In Israel, the aftermath of Mandela's death and the recent BDS successes have sparked a domestic "boycott debate."
Shmuel Inbar, a Middle East analyst, said Israel isn't facing a serious threat. "I don't think that five months from now, the key issue on the international agenda is to start to go on a crusade for boycotting Israel," he said. He said Europeans will realize "that they have much bigger problems to attend to."
However, several liberal commentators said Israel must heed the warning signs.
"For various reasons, the Western governments have turned a blind eye to the Israeli violation of human rights" in the occupied territories up to now, Aviad Kleinberg, a history professor at Tel Aviv University, wrote in Yediot Aharonoth.
"They usually make do with feeble condemnations and voicing pious concern for the future of 'the conflict'. It appears as though this policy of turning a blind eye is going to end," he wrote.
Reinicke said that before the resumption of talks, donor countries, including EU member states, had also been reviewing the level of aid to the Palestinian Authority, the self-rule government in parts of the West Bank.
The aid began in 1994, and was initially intended for five years, to ease Palestinian transition into statehood. Donor countries have since continued paying hundreds of millions of dollars a year, despite the ongoing failure of efforts to set up a Palestinian state through negotiations.
In their discussions before the resumption of this round of talks, donor countries had begun asking "how long will we be able to pay for Palestinian institution-building if there is no chance that these institutions will evolve into a state," he said.
The debate has been put on hold for now, Reinicke said. "I'm sure that if (Israeli-Palestinian) negotiations will move in a positive way, toward a framework agreement, no one will question" the continuation of aid payments, he said. Also read
Earlier this week, EU foreign ministers promised Israelis and Palestinians unprecedented access to the 28-state bloc if they overcome their differences and reach an agreement on the terms of a Palestinian state.
The outgoing EU envoy to the Middle East, Andreas Reinicke, said in a phone interview from Brussels on Thursday that he believes a deal is possible and that the two sides "are starting to bridge the first gaps."
He did not elaborate, but Reinicke, who is leaving his post at the end of the month, said he has been in close touch with US mediators.
Reinicke said that when he started in his post in February 2012, only two of 28 EU member states supported the idea of labeling. Now, 14 states are in favor, he said. "There is movement in this direction," he added.
"I think there is a general understanding among all 28 states that settlements are illegal under international law as long as there is no agreement on the border" between Israel and a state of Palestine, he said.
Palestinian grassroots activists and their foreign supporters say an international campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions – or BDS – against Israel is gaining momentum.
They point to recent successes, such as a decision this week by the American Studies Association, a group representing more than 3,800 US scholars, to boycott Israeli academic institutions, though not individual Israeli colleagues.
The BDS successes have been largely symbolic, and their impact on Israel's robust economy has so far been negligible.
Israeli government officials have either dismissed the BDS campaign as ineffective or portrayed it as an attempt with strong anti-Semitic overtones to delegitimize the Jewish state.
Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador to the US, denounced the boycott decision of the US scholars as a "travesty," saying this week that "singling out of the Jewish state for boycott is no different than the many attempts throughout history to single out Jews and hold them to a different standard."
The US-led negotiations resumed in late July, after a five-year diplomatic impasse, and are to last for at least nine months. On Wednesday, the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, for the first time raised the possibility of an extension if progress is made.
He said that if the two sides reach a framework agreement on all main issues by the end of April, the Palestinians would be prepared to extend the period of negotiations by up to a year to work out the details of a comprehensive deal.
Previously, the Palestinians had said they reserve the right to walk away from the negotiations after nine months and explore other options, such as seeking wider international recognition.
The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern Jerusalem, territories captured in 1967. They are ready for minor land swaps that would enable Israel to keep some of the dozens of settlements it has built on war-won land.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to accept the 1967 lines as a starting point for border talks and has rejected a partition of Jerusalem.
Reinicke said that if negotiations end in failure, he expects a resumption of discussions on possible EU-wide recommendations on labeling Israeli settlement products. Labeling would allow consumers to decide if they want to such goods.
In Israel, the aftermath of Mandela's death and the recent BDS successes have sparked a domestic "boycott debate."
Shmuel Inbar, a Middle East analyst, said Israel isn't facing a serious threat. "I don't think that five months from now, the key issue on the international agenda is to start to go on a crusade for boycotting Israel," he said. He said Europeans will realize "that they have much bigger problems to attend to."
However, several liberal commentators said Israel must heed the warning signs.
"For various reasons, the Western governments have turned a blind eye to the Israeli violation of human rights" in the occupied territories up to now, Aviad Kleinberg, a history professor at Tel Aviv University, wrote in Yediot Aharonoth.
"They usually make do with feeble condemnations and voicing pious concern for the future of 'the conflict'. It appears as though this policy of turning a blind eye is going to end," he wrote.
Reinicke said that before the resumption of talks, donor countries, including EU member states, had also been reviewing the level of aid to the Palestinian Authority, the self-rule government in parts of the West Bank.
The aid began in 1994, and was initially intended for five years, to ease Palestinian transition into statehood. Donor countries have since continued paying hundreds of millions of dollars a year, despite the ongoing failure of efforts to set up a Palestinian state through negotiations.
In their discussions before the resumption of this round of talks, donor countries had begun asking "how long will we be able to pay for Palestinian institution-building if there is no chance that these institutions will evolve into a state," he said.
The debate has been put on hold for now, Reinicke said. "I'm sure that if (Israeli-Palestinian) negotiations will move in a positive way, toward a framework agreement, no one will question" the continuation of aid payments, he said. Also read
Palestinian relatives and friends mourn over the body of Islamic Jihad militant Nafaa al-Saedi, during his funeral in the West Bank city of Jenin, on Dec. 19, 2013
The struggling Middle East peace talks came under further pressure Thursday after Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to push more settlement construction.
Despite relentless US efforts to coax Israel and the Palestinians into reaching an elusive peace agreement, tensions between the two sides showed little sign of abating as the negotiations, which are scheduled to last nine months, limped past the halfway point.
In an address to his right-wing Likud party late Wednesday, Netanyahu blamed the Palestinians for the absence of peace, and promised there would be no let-up in construction on land they want for a future state in an apparent rebuff to US pressure.
And in Ramallah, presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina accused Israel of a "dangerous escalation" after two Palestinians were shot dead in separate arrest raids by Israeli troops in the northern West Bank, calling the violence a deliberate attempt to scupper peace talks.
"This dangerous Israeli escalation aims to thwart American and international efforts to move forward with the peace process, and leads the negotiations to a dead end," Abu Rudeina said in a statement published by the official WAFA news agency.
His remarks were made after the Palestinians were killed in the cities of Jenin and Qalqilya.
On Wednesday night, troops killed an Islamic Jihad militant in a confrontation in Jenin refugee camp, sources on both sides said.
In a statement, the army said troops had gone in "to arrest a suspect" but opened fire after being hit by gunfire, home-made grenades and explosive devices.
Several Palestinians were wounded in the exchange and one died on the way to hospital.
Palestinian security sources said the Israelis were undercover, disguised as employees of the PalTel phone company.
Several hours later, a Palestinian security officer was shot dead just before dawn during an exchange of fire in Qaliqilya, the army said, describing him as a "known gunman" responsible for firing at troops.
Palestinian sources said the man, an intelligence officer, was shot three times in the chest as he was on his way home.
The latest deaths raised to 28 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli troops this year.
'We will not stop building'
Meanwhile, just 10 days before releasing another 26 veteran Palestinian prisoners in line with commitments to Washington, Netanyahu vowed that Israel would continue developing the settlements.
"We will not stop, even for a moment, building our country and becoming stronger, and developing ... the settlement enterprise," he said in remarks broadcast by army radio Thursday.
His comments followed a report by the Haaretz news website that US Secretary of State John Kerry had urged Netanyahu and his cabinet "to exercise maximum restraint in announcing new construction", in tandem with the impending prisoner release on Dec. 29.
Two previous rounds of prisoner releases in August and October were accompanied by Israeli announcements of fresh construction, sparking deep anger in Ramallah.
This week, in an opinion piece in Israel HaYom newspaper, former peace negotiator Yossi Beilin said Kerry had warned President Mahmoud Abbas that Netanyahu was planning to unveil 2,000 new housing units when the prisoners are freed.
Earlier this month, reports emerged that Washington was trying to delay the planned prisoner release, with Haaretz suggesting it was an attempt "to avert the looming crisis" which would be sparked by any such construction announcement.
But Netanyahu appeared resolute in his remarks made late on Wednesday, blaming the absence of any peace agreement on the Palestinians' refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
"I know that people keep telling us that there is no peace because of the settlements, because of our presence in Judaea and Samaria and it's not true," he said, using the biblical term for the West Bank.
"There is no peace because of the ongoing opposition to the existence of a national Jewish homeland within any borders, and we have the right to a state just like any other people."
Bloodshed, settlements hike pressure on Mideast talks
The struggling Middle East peace talks have come under further pressure after Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to push more settlement construction.
Despite relentless US efforts to coax Israel and the Palestinians into reaching an elusive peace agreement, tensions between the two sides have shown little sign of abating as the negotiations, which are scheduled to last nine months, have limped past the halfway point.
After Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in separate arrest raids in the northern West Bank late Wednesday and early Thursday, outgoing Palestinian negotiator Mohammad Shtayyeh said the "so-called bilateral Palestinian-Israeli negotiations are not going to take us anywhere".
"There is a strong party and there is a weak party, and the Israelis want to dictate rather than negotiate," he told journalists at a dinner in the West Bank.
"The Israelis want to replace occupation by force with occupation by an invitation, with our signature, and it will never happen."
In Ramallah, presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina accused Israel of trying to scupper peace talks with the two shootings in Jenin and Qalqilya.
"This dangerous Israeli escalation aims to thwart American and international efforts to move forward with the peace process, and leads the negotiations to a dead end," Abu Rudeina said in a statement published by the official WAFA news agency.
In an address to his rightwing Likud party late on Wednesday, Netanyahu blamed the Palestinians for the lack of peace, and promised there would be no let-up in construction on land they want for a future state.
In the first of the two shootings, Israeli troops killed an Islamic Jihad militant in a confrontation in Jenin refugee camp Wednesday night, said sources on both sides.
In a statement, the army said troops had gone in "to arrest a suspect" but opened fire after coming under attack with gunfire, home-made grenades and explosive devices.
Several Palestinians were wounded in the exchange and one died on the way to hospital.
Palestinian security sources told AFP the Israelis were undercover, disguised as employees of the PalTel phone company.
Several hours later, a Palestinian security officer was shot dead just before dawn during an exchange of fire in Qalqilya, the army said, describing him as a "known gunman" responsible for firing at troops.
Palestinian sources said the man, an intelligence officer, was shot three times in the chest as he was on his way home.
The latest deaths raised to 28 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli troops this year.
Meanwhile, just 10 days before releasing another 26 veteran Palestinian prisoners in line with commitments to Washington, Netanyahu vowed that Israel would continue developing the settlements.
"We will not stop, even for a moment, building our country and becoming stronger, and developing ... the settlement enterprise," he said in remarks broadcast by army radio on Thursday.
He said the obstacle to peace was "the ongoing opposition to the existence of a national Jewish homeland within any borders".
His comments followed a report by the Haaretz news website that US Secretary of State John Kerry had urged Netanyahu and his cabinet "to exercise maximum restraint in announcing new construction", in tandem with the impending prisoner release on Dec. 29.
Two previous rounds of prisoner releases in August and October were accompanied by Israeli announcements of fresh construction, sparking deep anger in Ramallah.
This week, in an opinion piece in Israel HaYom newspaper, former peace negotiator Yossi Beilin said Kerry had warned Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas that Netanyahu was planning to unveil 2,000 new housing units when the prisoners are freed.
Earlier this month, reports emerged that Washington was trying to delay the planned prisoner release.
Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot meanwhile said Thursday Pope Francis would make a brief visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories from May 25, his first to the Holy Land.
The struggling Middle East peace talks came under further pressure Thursday after Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to push more settlement construction.
Despite relentless US efforts to coax Israel and the Palestinians into reaching an elusive peace agreement, tensions between the two sides showed little sign of abating as the negotiations, which are scheduled to last nine months, limped past the halfway point.
In an address to his right-wing Likud party late Wednesday, Netanyahu blamed the Palestinians for the absence of peace, and promised there would be no let-up in construction on land they want for a future state in an apparent rebuff to US pressure.
And in Ramallah, presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina accused Israel of a "dangerous escalation" after two Palestinians were shot dead in separate arrest raids by Israeli troops in the northern West Bank, calling the violence a deliberate attempt to scupper peace talks.
"This dangerous Israeli escalation aims to thwart American and international efforts to move forward with the peace process, and leads the negotiations to a dead end," Abu Rudeina said in a statement published by the official WAFA news agency.
His remarks were made after the Palestinians were killed in the cities of Jenin and Qalqilya.
On Wednesday night, troops killed an Islamic Jihad militant in a confrontation in Jenin refugee camp, sources on both sides said.
In a statement, the army said troops had gone in "to arrest a suspect" but opened fire after being hit by gunfire, home-made grenades and explosive devices.
Several Palestinians were wounded in the exchange and one died on the way to hospital.
Palestinian security sources said the Israelis were undercover, disguised as employees of the PalTel phone company.
Several hours later, a Palestinian security officer was shot dead just before dawn during an exchange of fire in Qaliqilya, the army said, describing him as a "known gunman" responsible for firing at troops.
Palestinian sources said the man, an intelligence officer, was shot three times in the chest as he was on his way home.
The latest deaths raised to 28 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli troops this year.
'We will not stop building'
Meanwhile, just 10 days before releasing another 26 veteran Palestinian prisoners in line with commitments to Washington, Netanyahu vowed that Israel would continue developing the settlements.
"We will not stop, even for a moment, building our country and becoming stronger, and developing ... the settlement enterprise," he said in remarks broadcast by army radio Thursday.
His comments followed a report by the Haaretz news website that US Secretary of State John Kerry had urged Netanyahu and his cabinet "to exercise maximum restraint in announcing new construction", in tandem with the impending prisoner release on Dec. 29.
Two previous rounds of prisoner releases in August and October were accompanied by Israeli announcements of fresh construction, sparking deep anger in Ramallah.
This week, in an opinion piece in Israel HaYom newspaper, former peace negotiator Yossi Beilin said Kerry had warned President Mahmoud Abbas that Netanyahu was planning to unveil 2,000 new housing units when the prisoners are freed.
Earlier this month, reports emerged that Washington was trying to delay the planned prisoner release, with Haaretz suggesting it was an attempt "to avert the looming crisis" which would be sparked by any such construction announcement.
But Netanyahu appeared resolute in his remarks made late on Wednesday, blaming the absence of any peace agreement on the Palestinians' refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
"I know that people keep telling us that there is no peace because of the settlements, because of our presence in Judaea and Samaria and it's not true," he said, using the biblical term for the West Bank.
"There is no peace because of the ongoing opposition to the existence of a national Jewish homeland within any borders, and we have the right to a state just like any other people."
Bloodshed, settlements hike pressure on Mideast talks
The struggling Middle East peace talks have come under further pressure after Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to push more settlement construction.
Despite relentless US efforts to coax Israel and the Palestinians into reaching an elusive peace agreement, tensions between the two sides have shown little sign of abating as the negotiations, which are scheduled to last nine months, have limped past the halfway point.
After Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in separate arrest raids in the northern West Bank late Wednesday and early Thursday, outgoing Palestinian negotiator Mohammad Shtayyeh said the "so-called bilateral Palestinian-Israeli negotiations are not going to take us anywhere".
"There is a strong party and there is a weak party, and the Israelis want to dictate rather than negotiate," he told journalists at a dinner in the West Bank.
"The Israelis want to replace occupation by force with occupation by an invitation, with our signature, and it will never happen."
In Ramallah, presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina accused Israel of trying to scupper peace talks with the two shootings in Jenin and Qalqilya.
"This dangerous Israeli escalation aims to thwart American and international efforts to move forward with the peace process, and leads the negotiations to a dead end," Abu Rudeina said in a statement published by the official WAFA news agency.
In an address to his rightwing Likud party late on Wednesday, Netanyahu blamed the Palestinians for the lack of peace, and promised there would be no let-up in construction on land they want for a future state.
In the first of the two shootings, Israeli troops killed an Islamic Jihad militant in a confrontation in Jenin refugee camp Wednesday night, said sources on both sides.
In a statement, the army said troops had gone in "to arrest a suspect" but opened fire after coming under attack with gunfire, home-made grenades and explosive devices.
Several Palestinians were wounded in the exchange and one died on the way to hospital.
Palestinian security sources told AFP the Israelis were undercover, disguised as employees of the PalTel phone company.
Several hours later, a Palestinian security officer was shot dead just before dawn during an exchange of fire in Qalqilya, the army said, describing him as a "known gunman" responsible for firing at troops.
Palestinian sources said the man, an intelligence officer, was shot three times in the chest as he was on his way home.
The latest deaths raised to 28 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli troops this year.
Meanwhile, just 10 days before releasing another 26 veteran Palestinian prisoners in line with commitments to Washington, Netanyahu vowed that Israel would continue developing the settlements.
"We will not stop, even for a moment, building our country and becoming stronger, and developing ... the settlement enterprise," he said in remarks broadcast by army radio on Thursday.
He said the obstacle to peace was "the ongoing opposition to the existence of a national Jewish homeland within any borders".
His comments followed a report by the Haaretz news website that US Secretary of State John Kerry had urged Netanyahu and his cabinet "to exercise maximum restraint in announcing new construction", in tandem with the impending prisoner release on Dec. 29.
Two previous rounds of prisoner releases in August and October were accompanied by Israeli announcements of fresh construction, sparking deep anger in Ramallah.
This week, in an opinion piece in Israel HaYom newspaper, former peace negotiator Yossi Beilin said Kerry had warned Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas that Netanyahu was planning to unveil 2,000 new housing units when the prisoners are freed.
Earlier this month, reports emerged that Washington was trying to delay the planned prisoner release.
Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot meanwhile said Thursday Pope Francis would make a brief visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories from May 25, his first to the Holy Land.
Member of the Central Committee of the Fateh Movement, Fathi Abu Eshtayya, denounced the ongoing Israeli assaults, and stated that the army killed 31 Palestinians, kidnapped at least 500, and demolished 208 homes since direct peace talks between Tel Aviv and Ramallah were resumed in June this year.
His statements came during a press conference held Thursday December 19, 2013 in the Beit Jala city, west of the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Several international diplomats, local and international reporters attended.
Eshtayya said that peace talks aim at ending the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine, and establishing a Palestinian state on all territories captured in 1967, with occupied East Jerusalem as its capital.
The official said that Israeli soldiers continued their invasions and assaults against the Palestinian communities in different parts of the occupied West Bank, Gaza Strip, and occupied East Jerusalem, leading to this large number of casualties, arrests and destruction of homes and property.
He added that Tel Aviv has a different idea for “peace” in the Middle East and is acting on sabotaging all attempts to accomplish this goal.
“Israel is still building and expanding its illegal settlements, it is acting on foiling all attempts to accomplish peace”, Eshtayya stated, “It is using peace talks to tell the world it wants peace to avoid international pressure, but at the same time acts against the efforts to reach peace”.
“We are not looking for just an agreement, we want a true and just agreement based on international legitimacy and our fundamental rights”, the Palestinian official said, “A comprehensive agreement that brings justice, and establishes an independent, sovereign country”.
He also thanked U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for what he called “relentless efforts to achieve peace”, and the positive stances of the European Union and the Quartet Committee that support the two-state solution, and called on them to step-up their decision to boycott Israel’s settlements in occupied Palestine, not only settlement products.
Furthermore, Eshtayya said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be heading to Cairo this Saturday “to demonstrate the developments of peace talks” to convening Arab Foreign Ministers at the Arab League.
His statements came during a press conference held Thursday December 19, 2013 in the Beit Jala city, west of the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Several international diplomats, local and international reporters attended.
Eshtayya said that peace talks aim at ending the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine, and establishing a Palestinian state on all territories captured in 1967, with occupied East Jerusalem as its capital.
The official said that Israeli soldiers continued their invasions and assaults against the Palestinian communities in different parts of the occupied West Bank, Gaza Strip, and occupied East Jerusalem, leading to this large number of casualties, arrests and destruction of homes and property.
He added that Tel Aviv has a different idea for “peace” in the Middle East and is acting on sabotaging all attempts to accomplish this goal.
“Israel is still building and expanding its illegal settlements, it is acting on foiling all attempts to accomplish peace”, Eshtayya stated, “It is using peace talks to tell the world it wants peace to avoid international pressure, but at the same time acts against the efforts to reach peace”.
“We are not looking for just an agreement, we want a true and just agreement based on international legitimacy and our fundamental rights”, the Palestinian official said, “A comprehensive agreement that brings justice, and establishes an independent, sovereign country”.
He also thanked U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for what he called “relentless efforts to achieve peace”, and the positive stances of the European Union and the Quartet Committee that support the two-state solution, and called on them to step-up their decision to boycott Israel’s settlements in occupied Palestine, not only settlement products.
Furthermore, Eshtayya said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be heading to Cairo this Saturday “to demonstrate the developments of peace talks” to convening Arab Foreign Ministers at the Arab League.
19 dec 2013
It seems that a final deal between Palestine and the Israelis will not be reached by the end of the nine month period set up for the talks, but a framework agreement could be reached, Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat told reporters on Wednesday.
Pointing out that the deal could only be reached if the Israelis would cooperate, Erekat stated that a framework which would “"specify the borders, percentage of the land swaps, security arrangements, Jerusalem status, refugees" and other important issues, might be reached during this time the Jerusalem Post reports.
"Once you reach the framework agreement, then between that day to reach a comprehensive treaty, on all core issues you would need six to 12 months in the best case” Erekat stated.
The negotiator is backing up US Secretary of State John Kerry as the person who could lead the two sides to an agreement.
Erekat however, also added that the Israelis are sabotaging the negotiations with unreasonable behaviour.
He ended his statement by talking about the plans for the creation of a future unity government. Here he stated that there would be no Palestinian state without the Gaza Strip and that the future elections would see the two sides set aside their differences.
Pointing out that the deal could only be reached if the Israelis would cooperate, Erekat stated that a framework which would “"specify the borders, percentage of the land swaps, security arrangements, Jerusalem status, refugees" and other important issues, might be reached during this time the Jerusalem Post reports.
"Once you reach the framework agreement, then between that day to reach a comprehensive treaty, on all core issues you would need six to 12 months in the best case” Erekat stated.
The negotiator is backing up US Secretary of State John Kerry as the person who could lead the two sides to an agreement.
Erekat however, also added that the Israelis are sabotaging the negotiations with unreasonable behaviour.
He ended his statement by talking about the plans for the creation of a future unity government. Here he stated that there would be no Palestinian state without the Gaza Strip and that the future elections would see the two sides set aside their differences.
Nafe' Saadi &Saleh Samir Yassin
The Palestinian government condemned the killing of two Palestinians in a cool blood by Israeli forces in Jenin and Qalqilia in the West Bank.
The general manger of the Government Media Office, Salama Ma’rouf, said that the Israeli occupation committed its crimes under the cover of ongoing negotiations with the Palestinians Authority(PA) in Ramallah.
He consider the killing of both Saleh Samir Yassin, from Qalqilia and Nafe' Saadi from Jenin as a crime and Israel must be punished by the international community.
Ma’rouf called on Mahmoud Abbas to stop the negotiations, implement Cairo agreement and start procedures to form a national unity government.
He called on the international community and human right organizations to bring Israeli occupation leaders to justice to prevent them from committing more crimes against Palestinians.
On Wednesday at night, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a young Palestinian man in Jenin, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, on Thursday at dawn they killed a Palestinian security officer in Qalqilia city.
The Palestinian government condemned the killing of two Palestinians in a cool blood by Israeli forces in Jenin and Qalqilia in the West Bank.
The general manger of the Government Media Office, Salama Ma’rouf, said that the Israeli occupation committed its crimes under the cover of ongoing negotiations with the Palestinians Authority(PA) in Ramallah.
He consider the killing of both Saleh Samir Yassin, from Qalqilia and Nafe' Saadi from Jenin as a crime and Israel must be punished by the international community.
Ma’rouf called on Mahmoud Abbas to stop the negotiations, implement Cairo agreement and start procedures to form a national unity government.
He called on the international community and human right organizations to bring Israeli occupation leaders to justice to prevent them from committing more crimes against Palestinians.
On Wednesday at night, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a young Palestinian man in Jenin, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, on Thursday at dawn they killed a Palestinian security officer in Qalqilia city.
Hamas representative in Lebanon Ali Baraka has received a delegation from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) headed by its political bureau member Marwan Abd al-A'al to congratulate him on the 26th anniversary of Hamas movement. The two movement's representatives discussed during the meeting Palestinian national issues particularly refugees' issue in Lebanon.
The two Palestinian factions' representatives renewed their total rejection to negotiation path, warning of a second Oslo accord in light the US continued pressures.
Hamas and PFLP representatives stressed the need to achieve national reconciliation and to put an end to the internal division and to rebuild the PLO on national and democratic basis, calling for drafting a national strategy in support of resistance option.
The two parties stressed the need for neutralizing Palestinian presence away from the Lebanese internal conflicts, denouncing attempts to target Lebanon's security and stability.
They also renewed their adherence to the right of return and their rejection to deportation attempts, calling for rehabilitating Nahr al-Bared refugee camp.
The two Palestinian factions' representatives renewed their total rejection to negotiation path, warning of a second Oslo accord in light the US continued pressures.
Hamas and PFLP representatives stressed the need to achieve national reconciliation and to put an end to the internal division and to rebuild the PLO on national and democratic basis, calling for drafting a national strategy in support of resistance option.
The two parties stressed the need for neutralizing Palestinian presence away from the Lebanese internal conflicts, denouncing attempts to target Lebanon's security and stability.
They also renewed their adherence to the right of return and their rejection to deportation attempts, calling for rehabilitating Nahr al-Bared refugee camp.
The Israeli Government of Benjamin Netanyahu rejected an American request to freeze settlement construction and expansion activities in the occupied West Bank, and occupied Jerusalem, as part of the effort to ensure the continuation of direct peace talks.
Israeli sources reported that the U.S Administration asked Tel Aviv to refrain from announcing new projects in its illegal settlements after the release of the third phase of Palestinian detainees by the end of this month.
The White House stated that the issue is of a great concern to the Palestinians, and could lead to toppling direct political talks between Tel Aviv and Ramallah.
Talking to the Likud party conference on Wednesday evening, Netanyahu said his administration is “committed to building and expanding settlements”, and that Tel Aviv “will not be pressured into halting its settlement activities”.
“We are building, and working in full gear”, he stated, “We will build and develop, everywhere, including in the settlements.
Israeli sources said that Tel Aviv is acting “according to agreements reached by Washington”.
The Israeli decision followed a letter sent by the European Union demanding Tel Aviv to stop its settlement activities, particularly amidst the release of the third phase of veteran Palestinian detainees on December 29.
Israel’s settlement activities are illegal under International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention to which Israel is a signatory.
Settlements and the apartheid wall are devastating the Palestinian economy, and turned the Palestinian territories into isolated cantons, separating the residents from each other and their lands, and are blocking geographical contiguity between Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank.
Tel Aviv refused to release any of the 27 detainees during the first and second phases in which it released, back in mid-August 26 veteran detainees (14 from Gaza and 12 from the West bank, and in late October when it released 26 veteran detainees (21 from Gaza and five from the West Bank).
More veteran detainees are to be released March 28 2014, as part of the mediated deal reached by the US to ensure the resumption of direct political dialogue.
Various Israeli officials of the Israeli Government of Benjamin Netanyahu have been calling for voiding the agreement.
Israeli sources reported that the U.S Administration asked Tel Aviv to refrain from announcing new projects in its illegal settlements after the release of the third phase of Palestinian detainees by the end of this month.
The White House stated that the issue is of a great concern to the Palestinians, and could lead to toppling direct political talks between Tel Aviv and Ramallah.
Talking to the Likud party conference on Wednesday evening, Netanyahu said his administration is “committed to building and expanding settlements”, and that Tel Aviv “will not be pressured into halting its settlement activities”.
“We are building, and working in full gear”, he stated, “We will build and develop, everywhere, including in the settlements.
Israeli sources said that Tel Aviv is acting “according to agreements reached by Washington”.
The Israeli decision followed a letter sent by the European Union demanding Tel Aviv to stop its settlement activities, particularly amidst the release of the third phase of veteran Palestinian detainees on December 29.
Israel’s settlement activities are illegal under International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention to which Israel is a signatory.
Settlements and the apartheid wall are devastating the Palestinian economy, and turned the Palestinian territories into isolated cantons, separating the residents from each other and their lands, and are blocking geographical contiguity between Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank.
Tel Aviv refused to release any of the 27 detainees during the first and second phases in which it released, back in mid-August 26 veteran detainees (14 from Gaza and 12 from the West bank, and in late October when it released 26 veteran detainees (21 from Gaza and five from the West Bank).
More veteran detainees are to be released March 28 2014, as part of the mediated deal reached by the US to ensure the resumption of direct political dialogue.
Various Israeli officials of the Israeli Government of Benjamin Netanyahu have been calling for voiding the agreement.