19 july 2013
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has rejected a proposal to return to the Middle East peace talks.
On Friday, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri rejected the proposal by US Secretary of State John Kerry for the resumption of talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, AFP reported.
"Hamas rejects Kerry's announcement of a return to talks and considers the Palestinian Authority's return to negotiations with the occupation to be at odds with the national consensus," the Hamas spokesman said.
Zuhri stated that acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas had no legitimate right to resume talks with Israel.
Hamas Interior Ministry spokesman Ihab al-Ghassin said that "whoever negotiates on the part of the people who is not chosen by them, represents only himself. The Palestinian people will not accept this."
Kerry has visited the Middle East six times in an effort to resume talks, which have been stalled since 2010 due to the illegal expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The presence and continued expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine has created a major obstacle for the efforts to establish peace in the Middle East.
More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 illegal settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds in 1967.
The United Nations and most countries regard the Israeli settlements as illegal because the territories were captured by Israel in a war in 1967 and are hence subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbids construction on occupied lands.
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has rejected a proposal to return to the Middle East peace talks.
On Friday, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri rejected the proposal by US Secretary of State John Kerry for the resumption of talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, AFP reported.
"Hamas rejects Kerry's announcement of a return to talks and considers the Palestinian Authority's return to negotiations with the occupation to be at odds with the national consensus," the Hamas spokesman said.
Zuhri stated that acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas had no legitimate right to resume talks with Israel.
Hamas Interior Ministry spokesman Ihab al-Ghassin said that "whoever negotiates on the part of the people who is not chosen by them, represents only himself. The Palestinian people will not accept this."
Kerry has visited the Middle East six times in an effort to resume talks, which have been stalled since 2010 due to the illegal expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The presence and continued expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine has created a major obstacle for the efforts to establish peace in the Middle East.
More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 illegal settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds in 1967.
The United Nations and most countries regard the Israeli settlements as illegal because the territories were captured by Israel in a war in 1967 and are hence subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbids construction on occupied lands.
The Israeli Planning and Building Committee issued on Thursday permits to build 16 settlement buildings, comprising 165 housing units, in the settlement of Neve Yaakov built on Palestinian lands in occupied Jerusalem. Settlement expert researcher Ahmed Sab Laban explained in a press statement that the new settlement units will expand Neve Yaakov settlement toward the nearby settlement of Pisgat Ze'ev.
These units will be constructed in a strategic area on the lands separating the two settlements, and aim to separate the northern borders of Jerusalem from the West Bank.
Sab Laban added that these units represent part of a larger plan to expand Neve Yaakov settlement, which was launched and approved in 2008 and provides for the construction of 393 housing units.
He also pointed out that with the beginning of 2009 the Israeli Ministry of Housing issued tenders for the construction of these units.
The researcher said that this project represents in one of its aspects a part of the policy of racial discrimination against the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The Israeli authorities do not allow Palestinians in East Jerusalem to build houses with more than four floors and refuse to issue building permits to Palestinians.
He pointed out that the occupation authorities began, in a site close to the place of constructions of the new settlement units, preparation for infrastructure for the new settlement project aimed at expanding Pisgat Ze'ev settlement towards the town of Beit Hanina by adding 625 new settlement units.
These units will be constructed in a strategic area on the lands separating the two settlements, and aim to separate the northern borders of Jerusalem from the West Bank.
Sab Laban added that these units represent part of a larger plan to expand Neve Yaakov settlement, which was launched and approved in 2008 and provides for the construction of 393 housing units.
He also pointed out that with the beginning of 2009 the Israeli Ministry of Housing issued tenders for the construction of these units.
The researcher said that this project represents in one of its aspects a part of the policy of racial discrimination against the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The Israeli authorities do not allow Palestinians in East Jerusalem to build houses with more than four floors and refuse to issue building permits to Palestinians.
He pointed out that the occupation authorities began, in a site close to the place of constructions of the new settlement units, preparation for infrastructure for the new settlement project aimed at expanding Pisgat Ze'ev settlement towards the town of Beit Hanina by adding 625 new settlement units.
Obama urges Netanyahu to resume negotiations with PA
The White House reported that US President Barack Obama spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone and urged him to work toward resuming negotiations with the Palestinians as soon as possible.
The White House reported that US President Barack Obama spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone and urged him to work toward resuming negotiations with the Palestinians as soon as possible.
Quarry in Mount Avital, Golan Heights. To lose funding
Despite Israeli leaders' appeals, European Union releases guidelines denying Israeli entities operating beyond Green Line of EU funding. Decision to go into effect next year
The European Union on Friday issued its official guidelines on the funding of Israeli projects beyond the Green Line which will dramatically reduce the ability of Israeli entities operating in the West Bank to receive grants and prizes from EU states. The guidelines will go into effect in the beginning of next year.
The EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also issued a statement in which it was stated that, “Today the EU published a document that reiterates the long-held position that bilateral agreements with Israel do not cover the territory that came under Israel's administration in June 1967.
"This is meant to clarify the EU's position in advance of negotiations of agreements with Israel during the forthcoming financial perspective commencing in 2014.
"In no way will this prejudge the outcome of peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. It has been the EU's long held position that it will recognise changes made to the borders once agreed by both parties.
"The EU is deeply committed to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and fully supports Secretary Kerry's intense efforts to restart negotiations at a particularly delicate stage. In this way, the EU hopes to further contribute to an atmosphere conducive to a meaningful and sustainable negotiation leading to a peace agreement between the parties."
Ashton further added that the EU looks forward to working and consulting with Israel on a broad range of bilateral issues, and has invited Israel to hold discussions on the territorial scope of agreements with the EU that are currently under preparation."
Israel led a failed campaign to postpone the release of the guidelines. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed to various European leaders as did President Shimon Peres.
Netanyahu anyahu called a meeting with Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett stressing that "We will not follow any demands regarding our borders. These issues will be resolved only through direct negotiations."
The European decision followed months of discussions at the various EU bodies. Europe warned Israel many times of possible sanctions against settlements but Jerusalem tended to disregard such threats.
The guidelines will have a dramatic effect on various projects but will not affect funding of institutions that employ settlers. Entities that are based inside Israel will continue to enjoy EU cooperation as will government agencies and ministries some of which are physically located beyond the Green Line.
Related stories:
Despite Israeli leaders' appeals, European Union releases guidelines denying Israeli entities operating beyond Green Line of EU funding. Decision to go into effect next year
The European Union on Friday issued its official guidelines on the funding of Israeli projects beyond the Green Line which will dramatically reduce the ability of Israeli entities operating in the West Bank to receive grants and prizes from EU states. The guidelines will go into effect in the beginning of next year.
The EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also issued a statement in which it was stated that, “Today the EU published a document that reiterates the long-held position that bilateral agreements with Israel do not cover the territory that came under Israel's administration in June 1967.
"This is meant to clarify the EU's position in advance of negotiations of agreements with Israel during the forthcoming financial perspective commencing in 2014.
"In no way will this prejudge the outcome of peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. It has been the EU's long held position that it will recognise changes made to the borders once agreed by both parties.
"The EU is deeply committed to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and fully supports Secretary Kerry's intense efforts to restart negotiations at a particularly delicate stage. In this way, the EU hopes to further contribute to an atmosphere conducive to a meaningful and sustainable negotiation leading to a peace agreement between the parties."
Ashton further added that the EU looks forward to working and consulting with Israel on a broad range of bilateral issues, and has invited Israel to hold discussions on the territorial scope of agreements with the EU that are currently under preparation."
Israel led a failed campaign to postpone the release of the guidelines. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed to various European leaders as did President Shimon Peres.
Netanyahu anyahu called a meeting with Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett stressing that "We will not follow any demands regarding our borders. These issues will be resolved only through direct negotiations."
The European decision followed months of discussions at the various EU bodies. Europe warned Israel many times of possible sanctions against settlements but Jerusalem tended to disregard such threats.
The guidelines will have a dramatic effect on various projects but will not affect funding of institutions that employ settlers. Entities that are based inside Israel will continue to enjoy EU cooperation as will government agencies and ministries some of which are physically located beyond the Green Line.
Related stories:
EU says will recognize Israel border changes once PA agrees
The European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton issued a statement after the EU formally issued the settlement ban document. "This is meant to clarify the EU's position in advance of negotiations of agreements with Israel during the forthcoming financial perspective commencing in 2014," Ashton's statement said.
It was further added, "In no way will this prejudge the outcome of peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. It has been the EU's long held position that it will recognise changes made to the borders once agreed by both parties. The EU fully supports Secretary Kerry's intense efforts to restart negotiations at a particularly delicate stage.
The European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton issued a statement after the EU formally issued the settlement ban document. "This is meant to clarify the EU's position in advance of negotiations of agreements with Israel during the forthcoming financial perspective commencing in 2014," Ashton's statement said.
It was further added, "In no way will this prejudge the outcome of peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. It has been the EU's long held position that it will recognise changes made to the borders once agreed by both parties. The EU fully supports Secretary Kerry's intense efforts to restart negotiations at a particularly delicate stage.
A man walks in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Beit El.
Israel met the ambassadors of Britain and France, and Germany's deputy envoy over plans by the EU to ban its 28 members from having any dealings with Jewish settlements, an official said on Friday.
Israel warned the envoys of a serious crisis between it and the European Union over the move, the high-ranking foreign ministry official told AFP.
"The British and French ambassadors and German number two were invited yesterday to the ministry... for discussions on the EU guidelines," he said.
"We asked the ambassadors to tell their capitals that no Israeli government would accept these conditions, and they could provoke a serious crisis with Israel," he warned.
The guidelines, published in the EU's Official Journal Friday morning, forbid EU member states from funding or dealing with entities in territories occupied by Israel in 1967.
Germany and France confirmed the Thursday meetings but the British embassy did not immediately comment.
Christophe Bigot, France's ambassador in Tel Aviv, said the Israeli foreign ministry's director, Rafi Barak, had called the meetings.
"The Israelis informed us of their concerns" over the EU plan, he said. "I reminded them that the new guidelines were a continuation of European policy on settlements."
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also said in a Friday statement that the guidelines simply "reiterates the long-held position that bilateral agreements with Israel do not cover the territory that came under Israel's administration in June 1967."
The preamble to the guidelines says that "the EU does not recognize Israel's sovereignty over... the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including east Jerusalem... and does not consider them to be part of Israel's territory, irrespective of their legal status under domestic law".
The guidelines apply to "grants, prizes and financial instruments," it adds.
"Only Israeli entities having their place of establishment within Israel's pre-1967 borders will be considered eligible as final recipients" of this kind of funding.
Of particular concern to officials was a scientific cooperation deal with the EU, "Horizon 2020", which would generate investments worth hundreds of millions of dollars in Israeli technology companies, Haaretz newspaper quoted a foreign ministry official as saying.
More than 80 percent of Israelis are opposed to the new EU guidelines, according to a survey published Friday by pro-government newspaper Israel Hayom.
Settlement building in the territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War is illegal under international law.
Israel met the ambassadors of Britain and France, and Germany's deputy envoy over plans by the EU to ban its 28 members from having any dealings with Jewish settlements, an official said on Friday.
Israel warned the envoys of a serious crisis between it and the European Union over the move, the high-ranking foreign ministry official told AFP.
"The British and French ambassadors and German number two were invited yesterday to the ministry... for discussions on the EU guidelines," he said.
"We asked the ambassadors to tell their capitals that no Israeli government would accept these conditions, and they could provoke a serious crisis with Israel," he warned.
The guidelines, published in the EU's Official Journal Friday morning, forbid EU member states from funding or dealing with entities in territories occupied by Israel in 1967.
Germany and France confirmed the Thursday meetings but the British embassy did not immediately comment.
Christophe Bigot, France's ambassador in Tel Aviv, said the Israeli foreign ministry's director, Rafi Barak, had called the meetings.
"The Israelis informed us of their concerns" over the EU plan, he said. "I reminded them that the new guidelines were a continuation of European policy on settlements."
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also said in a Friday statement that the guidelines simply "reiterates the long-held position that bilateral agreements with Israel do not cover the territory that came under Israel's administration in June 1967."
The preamble to the guidelines says that "the EU does not recognize Israel's sovereignty over... the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including east Jerusalem... and does not consider them to be part of Israel's territory, irrespective of their legal status under domestic law".
The guidelines apply to "grants, prizes and financial instruments," it adds.
"Only Israeli entities having their place of establishment within Israel's pre-1967 borders will be considered eligible as final recipients" of this kind of funding.
Of particular concern to officials was a scientific cooperation deal with the EU, "Horizon 2020", which would generate investments worth hundreds of millions of dollars in Israeli technology companies, Haaretz newspaper quoted a foreign ministry official as saying.
More than 80 percent of Israelis are opposed to the new EU guidelines, according to a survey published Friday by pro-government newspaper Israel Hayom.
Settlement building in the territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War is illegal under international law.
US Secretary of State John Kerry was to dash to the West Bank on Friday to meet President Mahmoud Abbas as he battled to salvage his Middle East peace bid.
A Palestinian official announced the surprise move after Kerry met twice with Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat on Friday morning in his Amman hotel.
A senior US State Department official confirmed the report saying: "Secretary Kerry will travel to Ramallah this afternoon to meet with President Abbas."
The whirlwind diplomacy came after the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah rejected Kerry's proposals for a framework to guide the relaunch of peace talks with the Israelis stalled for nearly three years.
Erekat had planned to tell Kerry that a return to talks could not happen based on his plan, a Palestinian official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"Erekat will inform Kerry that without a clear basis on the 1967 borders, a settlement freeze and a clear position on the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the Palestinian side thinks there will be no talks," he said.
Their first meeting lasted barely 45 minutes, but Kerry and Erekat then went back into talks which lasted over an hour and half, State Department officials said.
Shortly after the second talks broke up, a Palestinian official told AFP that Kerry was now traveling to the West Bank.
"Kerry will go at 3 p.m. today to meet Abbas, traveling by Jordanian helicopter," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The setback to Kerry's peace push came from the Revolutionary Council of Abbas's own Fatah movement, which demanded changes to the US plan.
The broader Palestine Liberation Organization, which also includes leftwing factions less sympathetic towards a compromise, said it was also drawing up a formal response to Kerry's proposals.
Talks collapsed completely in September 2010 when Israel refused to keep up a freeze on settlement building on occupied Palestinian land.
A State Department official said in a statement issued just after midnight that serious Palestinian debate over resuming talks was "appropriate and encouraging."
Kerry arrived in the Jordanian capital on Tuesday and has met twice already with Abbas. He also won endorsement from the Arab League for his proposals to resume talks.
Kerry's plan would have seen Israel, now ruled by a coalition that has tilted sharply to the right after elections early this year, make only a tacit commitment to slow settlement construction in Palestine, not the publicly announced freeze long demanded by Abbas.
On Wednesday, the US envoy had expressed cautious optimism that he was making progress.
But he acknowledged that there were still differences over "the language" governing any resumption of talks.
It is the top US diplomat's sixth visit to the region since he took office in February, to try to broker a compromise to resume direct negotiations.
US President Barack Obama on Thursday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume talks.
"The president encouraged Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue to work with Secretary Kerry to resume negotiations with the Palestinians as soon as possible," the White House said in a statement, after the two leaders spoke by telephone.
An Israeli newspaper editorial pinned the blame squarely on the Palestinians for any setback in Kerry's peace push.
"The Palestinians again did what they do best: they shot themselves in the foot and then cried that it hurt," Alex Fishman wrote in Yediot Aharonot.
But commentator Shimon Shiffer, writing in the same paper, said the Israeli government presented just as much of an obstacle to peace.
"Netanyahu is today shackled with a coalition that makes it impossible for him to budge a millimeter," he wrote.
Kerry's latest peace bid has also been complicated by new European Union guidelines for its 28 member states that will block all funding of Jewish settlements.
A Palestinian official announced the surprise move after Kerry met twice with Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat on Friday morning in his Amman hotel.
A senior US State Department official confirmed the report saying: "Secretary Kerry will travel to Ramallah this afternoon to meet with President Abbas."
The whirlwind diplomacy came after the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah rejected Kerry's proposals for a framework to guide the relaunch of peace talks with the Israelis stalled for nearly three years.
Erekat had planned to tell Kerry that a return to talks could not happen based on his plan, a Palestinian official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"Erekat will inform Kerry that without a clear basis on the 1967 borders, a settlement freeze and a clear position on the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the Palestinian side thinks there will be no talks," he said.
Their first meeting lasted barely 45 minutes, but Kerry and Erekat then went back into talks which lasted over an hour and half, State Department officials said.
Shortly after the second talks broke up, a Palestinian official told AFP that Kerry was now traveling to the West Bank.
"Kerry will go at 3 p.m. today to meet Abbas, traveling by Jordanian helicopter," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The setback to Kerry's peace push came from the Revolutionary Council of Abbas's own Fatah movement, which demanded changes to the US plan.
The broader Palestine Liberation Organization, which also includes leftwing factions less sympathetic towards a compromise, said it was also drawing up a formal response to Kerry's proposals.
Talks collapsed completely in September 2010 when Israel refused to keep up a freeze on settlement building on occupied Palestinian land.
A State Department official said in a statement issued just after midnight that serious Palestinian debate over resuming talks was "appropriate and encouraging."
Kerry arrived in the Jordanian capital on Tuesday and has met twice already with Abbas. He also won endorsement from the Arab League for his proposals to resume talks.
Kerry's plan would have seen Israel, now ruled by a coalition that has tilted sharply to the right after elections early this year, make only a tacit commitment to slow settlement construction in Palestine, not the publicly announced freeze long demanded by Abbas.
On Wednesday, the US envoy had expressed cautious optimism that he was making progress.
But he acknowledged that there were still differences over "the language" governing any resumption of talks.
It is the top US diplomat's sixth visit to the region since he took office in February, to try to broker a compromise to resume direct negotiations.
US President Barack Obama on Thursday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume talks.
"The president encouraged Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue to work with Secretary Kerry to resume negotiations with the Palestinians as soon as possible," the White House said in a statement, after the two leaders spoke by telephone.
An Israeli newspaper editorial pinned the blame squarely on the Palestinians for any setback in Kerry's peace push.
"The Palestinians again did what they do best: they shot themselves in the foot and then cried that it hurt," Alex Fishman wrote in Yediot Aharonot.
But commentator Shimon Shiffer, writing in the same paper, said the Israeli government presented just as much of an obstacle to peace.
"Netanyahu is today shackled with a coalition that makes it impossible for him to budge a millimeter," he wrote.
Kerry's latest peace bid has also been complicated by new European Union guidelines for its 28 member states that will block all funding of Jewish settlements.
US Secretary of State John Kerry met Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat in Jordan Friday to discuss resuming peace talks with Israel, officials said, with chances of an immediate breakthrough appearing slim before he leaves later on Friday.
The Palestinian leadership on Thursday did not accept Kerry's latest proposal to restart the talks that have been stalled since 2010, but signaled they were leaving the door open for him to continue his peace push.
Kerry, on his sixth peacemaking visit to the region since March, met Erekat in Amman to discuss Palestinian terms for restarting the talks. Kerry was due to fly back to the United States later on Friday.
He has given no details on where he believes the two sides might give ground, although after talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan on Wednesday, he said the gaps had narrowed "very significantly".
A senior Palestinian official speaking on condition of anonymity said Erekat was expected to tell Kerry that the Palestinians appreciate his efforts and "call upon the United States to ask the two sides to resume negotiations on the basis of the two-state solution, recognizing the 1967 borders".
Israel has balked at the Palestinians' demands and says talks should start with no preconditions.
Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Ze'ev Elkin said Friday that to establish a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders would be "suicidal."
"A negotiation in which you first say what you are willing to give up ... is not the kind of negotiation that leads to good results in the Middle East," Elkin told Israel Radio.
US President Barack Obama spoke by telephone on Thursday with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and urged him to resume peace talks with Palestinians, the White House said in a statement.
The telephone call was part of regular consultations between the two leaders, the White House said.
"The President encouraged Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue to work with Secretary Kerry to resume negotiations with the Palestinians as soon as possible," the White House said, noting the leaders also talked about security issues in Egypt, Iran and Syria.
The Palestinian leadership on Thursday did not accept Kerry's latest proposal to restart the talks that have been stalled since 2010, but signaled they were leaving the door open for him to continue his peace push.
Kerry, on his sixth peacemaking visit to the region since March, met Erekat in Amman to discuss Palestinian terms for restarting the talks. Kerry was due to fly back to the United States later on Friday.
He has given no details on where he believes the two sides might give ground, although after talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan on Wednesday, he said the gaps had narrowed "very significantly".
A senior Palestinian official speaking on condition of anonymity said Erekat was expected to tell Kerry that the Palestinians appreciate his efforts and "call upon the United States to ask the two sides to resume negotiations on the basis of the two-state solution, recognizing the 1967 borders".
Israel has balked at the Palestinians' demands and says talks should start with no preconditions.
Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Ze'ev Elkin said Friday that to establish a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders would be "suicidal."
"A negotiation in which you first say what you are willing to give up ... is not the kind of negotiation that leads to good results in the Middle East," Elkin told Israel Radio.
US President Barack Obama spoke by telephone on Thursday with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and urged him to resume peace talks with Palestinians, the White House said in a statement.
The telephone call was part of regular consultations between the two leaders, the White House said.
"The President encouraged Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue to work with Secretary Kerry to resume negotiations with the Palestinians as soon as possible," the White House said, noting the leaders also talked about security issues in Egypt, Iran and Syria.
Reuters has reported that U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, will be flying back to the United States on Friday without a positive breakthrough in the stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, and without any plans that would revive these talks.
Before his departure, Kerry likely to phone Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, without closing the door in front of possible direct separate meetings with the two leaders.
He said that he managed to achieve some progress in his talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, but not sufficient to restart direct talks.
Reuters has reported that President Abbas held a meeting with a number of leaders of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), in the central West Bank city of Ramallah, but did not come up with any decision, but Abbas formed a committee that would discuss ideas presented by Kerry.
The PLO wanted to present a final response to Kerry, but the committee seems to be unable to reach any decisive conclusion.
The PLO said that the offers presented by Kerry were insufficient, especially since Israel is refusing to hold peace that is based on its withdrawal from the Palestinian territories captured in 1967, adding that the state must be on boundaries that were drawn before the June 4 1967 six-day war.
Kerry remained optimistic in his statements despite the absence of any concrete breakthrough, and only said that the gap between Israel and the Palestinians “has narrowed significantly”.
Furthermore, the White House stated that there are no current plans or initiatives that would restart direct peace talks, and that Kerry will likely hold talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders before leaving the area Friday. It is unclear whether that talks will be held in person or by phone.
Although Kerry did not declare initiatives, his extensive talks during the six tours in the Middle East since March caught the attention of the Arab League.
He spoke of the Arab Peace Initiative, approved by the 22 countries of the Arab League in 2002 offering peace and normalization with Tel Aviv in return for its withdrawal from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
However, despite a confirmation from the Arab League regarding considering land swap on either side of the border, Tel Aviv said its borders are indefensible, and continued to insist that its settlement blocs in the West Bank, including in and around occupied East Jerusalem, should always remain part of Israel.
Leaders of the Palestinian Liberation Organization were not encouraged by the proposals of Kerry, especially since he failed to present any initiatives, and failed focus on Israel’s illegal settlement activities, and its ongoing violations.
Reuters said that, according to Palestinians officials close to Abbas, the President might drop the demand that Israel should halt its settlement activities due to what has been described as slowdown in constructions in Jewish settlements.
Before his departure, Kerry likely to phone Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, without closing the door in front of possible direct separate meetings with the two leaders.
He said that he managed to achieve some progress in his talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, but not sufficient to restart direct talks.
Reuters has reported that President Abbas held a meeting with a number of leaders of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), in the central West Bank city of Ramallah, but did not come up with any decision, but Abbas formed a committee that would discuss ideas presented by Kerry.
The PLO wanted to present a final response to Kerry, but the committee seems to be unable to reach any decisive conclusion.
The PLO said that the offers presented by Kerry were insufficient, especially since Israel is refusing to hold peace that is based on its withdrawal from the Palestinian territories captured in 1967, adding that the state must be on boundaries that were drawn before the June 4 1967 six-day war.
Kerry remained optimistic in his statements despite the absence of any concrete breakthrough, and only said that the gap between Israel and the Palestinians “has narrowed significantly”.
Furthermore, the White House stated that there are no current plans or initiatives that would restart direct peace talks, and that Kerry will likely hold talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders before leaving the area Friday. It is unclear whether that talks will be held in person or by phone.
Although Kerry did not declare initiatives, his extensive talks during the six tours in the Middle East since March caught the attention of the Arab League.
He spoke of the Arab Peace Initiative, approved by the 22 countries of the Arab League in 2002 offering peace and normalization with Tel Aviv in return for its withdrawal from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
However, despite a confirmation from the Arab League regarding considering land swap on either side of the border, Tel Aviv said its borders are indefensible, and continued to insist that its settlement blocs in the West Bank, including in and around occupied East Jerusalem, should always remain part of Israel.
Leaders of the Palestinian Liberation Organization were not encouraged by the proposals of Kerry, especially since he failed to present any initiatives, and failed focus on Israel’s illegal settlement activities, and its ongoing violations.
Reuters said that, according to Palestinians officials close to Abbas, the President might drop the demand that Israel should halt its settlement activities due to what has been described as slowdown in constructions in Jewish settlements.
Differences Are Still Wide
U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, stated that the gap between the Israeli and Palestinian stances regarding the resumption of direct peace talks is narrowing, and added that he hopes direct peace talks can resume soon.
Yet, the White House said that the situation remains unclear, and that President Mahmoud Abbas is leaning towards accepting the American proposals, but also wants a Palestinian decision made by the political factions of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), including the Fateh movement he heads.
Israeli Ynet News, has reported that talks of resuming direct negotiations are still "rumors", and that all related parties agreed not to reveal to the media details on the current moves.
During a press conference with his Jordanian counterpart, Nasser Joudah in Amman, Kerry said that the gap obstructing talks is now minimal.
“We are approaching our goal”, he said, “I still hope Israel and the Palestinians will sit together in direct talks soon”.
Kerry also said ensuring Israel’s security is a top priority, and added that Tel Aviv will not sign the Arab Peace Initiative without guaranteeing its security and interests.
The U.S. official refused to comment on reporters’ questions regarding the “economic plan to revive the Palestinian economy through a $4 billion development plan”, and only stated that “the U.S. is determined to improve the economic situation and significantly reduce unemployment.”
He also urged Israel to carefully study the Arab Peace Initiative that was presented in 2002. The Initiative offered peace and full normalization with Tel Aviv in return from its full withdrawal from the territories it occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem. Israel rejected the plan and demanded significant medications.
Kerry said that “Israel needs to carefully weigh the initiative as 22 Arab countries, and 35 Islamic countries, promised peace and normalization with Tel Aviv.
The Initiative was approved during the Arab Summit in Beirut in 2002. Besides offering full recognition with Israel, the Initiative calls for a “fair solution” to the issue of the Palestinian refugees, without insisting on the implementation of all related International resolutions.
Israel insists that its settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank and occupied Jerusalem are part of the state, and refuses to fully withdraw from Palestinian territories it captured in 1967, including East Jerusalem. Tel Aviv also refuses to hold talks on vital final status issues such as border, and natural resources.
U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, stated that the gap between the Israeli and Palestinian stances regarding the resumption of direct peace talks is narrowing, and added that he hopes direct peace talks can resume soon.
Yet, the White House said that the situation remains unclear, and that President Mahmoud Abbas is leaning towards accepting the American proposals, but also wants a Palestinian decision made by the political factions of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), including the Fateh movement he heads.
Israeli Ynet News, has reported that talks of resuming direct negotiations are still "rumors", and that all related parties agreed not to reveal to the media details on the current moves.
During a press conference with his Jordanian counterpart, Nasser Joudah in Amman, Kerry said that the gap obstructing talks is now minimal.
“We are approaching our goal”, he said, “I still hope Israel and the Palestinians will sit together in direct talks soon”.
Kerry also said ensuring Israel’s security is a top priority, and added that Tel Aviv will not sign the Arab Peace Initiative without guaranteeing its security and interests.
The U.S. official refused to comment on reporters’ questions regarding the “economic plan to revive the Palestinian economy through a $4 billion development plan”, and only stated that “the U.S. is determined to improve the economic situation and significantly reduce unemployment.”
He also urged Israel to carefully study the Arab Peace Initiative that was presented in 2002. The Initiative offered peace and full normalization with Tel Aviv in return from its full withdrawal from the territories it occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem. Israel rejected the plan and demanded significant medications.
Kerry said that “Israel needs to carefully weigh the initiative as 22 Arab countries, and 35 Islamic countries, promised peace and normalization with Tel Aviv.
The Initiative was approved during the Arab Summit in Beirut in 2002. Besides offering full recognition with Israel, the Initiative calls for a “fair solution” to the issue of the Palestinian refugees, without insisting on the implementation of all related International resolutions.
Israel insists that its settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank and occupied Jerusalem are part of the state, and refuses to fully withdraw from Palestinian territories it captured in 1967, including East Jerusalem. Tel Aviv also refuses to hold talks on vital final status issues such as border, and natural resources.
18 july 2013
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A political analyst says the latest threat by the European Union (EU) to impose financial ban on Israeli organizations operating in the occupied West Bank will not really change anything on the ground and will not put pressure on Israel to stop its settlement expansion activities, Press TV reports.
In an exclusive interview with Press TV on Thursday, Abd al-Sattar Qassem -- professor of political science at An-Najah National University in the West Bank city of Nablus, stated that Europeans usually make certain statements about Israel’s settlement activities in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, but they hardly take any effective measures against the Israeli regime. |
Qassem further noted that the presence of powerful pro-Israeli lobbies in Europe and the US unwavering support for Israel prevent European states from adopting any practical anti-Israeli measure.
He said Europeans are divided on how to solve the Palestinian issue, arguing that Washington and Tel Aviv monopolize ideas and policies concerning relationship with Palestinians and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Israeli settlements are considered illegal by the UN and most countries because the territories were captured by Israel in a 1967 war and are hence seen as being subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.
Israel agreed to freeze settlement construction under the Roadmap for Peace in 2002. But it has failed to comply with that commitment despite repeated and widespread international condemnation.
Not only has the presence and continued expansion of these settlements been a major source of international criticism against Israel, but they are also considered one of the main obstacles to Middle East peace.
More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem).
He said Europeans are divided on how to solve the Palestinian issue, arguing that Washington and Tel Aviv monopolize ideas and policies concerning relationship with Palestinians and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Israeli settlements are considered illegal by the UN and most countries because the territories were captured by Israel in a 1967 war and are hence seen as being subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.
Israel agreed to freeze settlement construction under the Roadmap for Peace in 2002. But it has failed to comply with that commitment despite repeated and widespread international condemnation.
Not only has the presence and continued expansion of these settlements been a major source of international criticism against Israel, but they are also considered one of the main obstacles to Middle East peace.
More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem).
Israel's refusal to hold negotiations based on 1967 borders destroyed US Secretary of State John Kerry's efforts to restart peace talks, a senior Fatah leader said Thursday.
Amin Maqboul, secretary-general of Fatah's revolutionary council, said Israel's rejection of 1967 borders as the basis of negotiations signaled that Israel had no intention of stopping settlement building in Palestine.
Kerry on Thursday extended his sixth visit to the region in as many months, hoping for a breakthrough on resuming direct negotiations. He met with President Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan for two rounds of intensive talks on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Maqboul told Ma'an that Palestinian leaders had reached a consensus with Kerry that for talks to resume, Israel must agree to negotiate on 1967 lines, release an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners and stop settlement building.
The Palestinian negotiators asked Kerry to present the demands to Israel. Fatah's Central Committee, which met on Thursday to discuss Kerry's plan, said the Palestinian demands must be met in writing and not just verbally, Maqboul said.
The Fatah leader said the Palestinians were expecting to return to talks in the coming days, but that Israel's rejection of 1967 borders and its refusal to stop settlement building nixed the possibility of resuming negotiations.
Maqboul said Israel had agreed to release 250 Palestinian prisoners, and to release Palestinians detained before the 1993 Oslo Accords in stages once talks resume.
PLO Executive Committee member Wasel Abu Yousef said Palestinian factions were forced to refuse to return to talks because Israel would not announce a settlement freeze or recognize the Palestinian state.
Abu Yousef told Ma'an that the Palestinian leadership expected Israel's rightist government to demolish Palestinian hopes of statehood.
The Palestinian people will refuse negotiations without a clear framework, Abu Yousef said, adding that the alternative was to head to the United Nations and request to join international bodies where they could seek legal action against Israel.
Amin Maqboul, secretary-general of Fatah's revolutionary council, said Israel's rejection of 1967 borders as the basis of negotiations signaled that Israel had no intention of stopping settlement building in Palestine.
Kerry on Thursday extended his sixth visit to the region in as many months, hoping for a breakthrough on resuming direct negotiations. He met with President Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan for two rounds of intensive talks on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Maqboul told Ma'an that Palestinian leaders had reached a consensus with Kerry that for talks to resume, Israel must agree to negotiate on 1967 lines, release an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners and stop settlement building.
The Palestinian negotiators asked Kerry to present the demands to Israel. Fatah's Central Committee, which met on Thursday to discuss Kerry's plan, said the Palestinian demands must be met in writing and not just verbally, Maqboul said.
The Fatah leader said the Palestinians were expecting to return to talks in the coming days, but that Israel's rejection of 1967 borders and its refusal to stop settlement building nixed the possibility of resuming negotiations.
Maqboul said Israel had agreed to release 250 Palestinian prisoners, and to release Palestinians detained before the 1993 Oslo Accords in stages once talks resume.
PLO Executive Committee member Wasel Abu Yousef said Palestinian factions were forced to refuse to return to talks because Israel would not announce a settlement freeze or recognize the Palestinian state.
Abu Yousef told Ma'an that the Palestinian leadership expected Israel's rightist government to demolish Palestinian hopes of statehood.
The Palestinian people will refuse negotiations without a clear framework, Abu Yousef said, adding that the alternative was to head to the United Nations and request to join international bodies where they could seek legal action against Israel.
Palestinian leaders will vote Thursday on a US plan under which peace talks with Israel will not depend on a settlement ban, a key Palestinian demand, a PLO official said.
The vote by the Palestinian leadership comes after US Secretary of State John Kerry reported a narrowing of the gaps between Israel and the Palestinians and as Israeli President Shimon Peres estimated the two sides are "within touching distance".
"The most important of Kerry's proposals is a renewal of talks without a halt or freeze in settlement," the official told AFP.
He said that Kerry's plan states that if settlement building continues during the talks, the Palestinians could renew their requests to join international bodies where they could seek legal action against Israel.
Previously the United States has consistently opposed such "unilateral" Palestinian action.
The official said that President Mahmoud Abbas was to convene members of his Fatah movement in the West Bank city of Ramallah to vote on Kerry's initiative.
After that, at about 3 p.m., he would ask leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization to decide on the proposals from Kerry, who met twice this week with Abbas in Jordan.
The Palestinians have until now said that they will not renew peace talks, which have been stalled for three years, until Israel agrees to accept as a baseline the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, when it occupied the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
They have insisted that Israel freeze all settlement construction in the occupied lands, including in East Jerusalem, which it annexed in a move never recognized by the international community.
Israel rejects such "preconditions".
Peres made his comments in a statement in which he called on the European Union to delay adopting settlement funding curbs, saying this could jeopardize the diplomatic negotiations.
"From the latest information at my disposal, Secretary of State John Kerry has succeeded in advancing the chances of renewing peace talks. We are within touching distance," he said in a statement.
"The coming days are critical. Wait with your decision, give priority to peace," Peres said.
The European Union is to publish new guidelines for its 28 member states on Friday that will block all funding of, or dealings with, Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
A US State Department official said Kerry had decided to delay his return to the United States, which had been scheduled for Thursday.
"Secretary Kerry will remain in Amman on Thursday night to determine if there is additional work that requires his presence before he returns to the United States," the official said.
In a further sign of a possible breakthrough, Israeli army radio said Thursday the military is preparing to lift some restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank.
"It appears that in the next few days the future of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians will be determined," an army radio reporter said.
"In the light of security assessments, two roads in the territories are expected shortly to be opened to Palestinian traffic; one north of Ramallah and one close to Beit Haggai," he added, referring to a settlement near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
Following his meetings with Abbas and after outlining his latest peace proposals to Arab League officials in Amman on Wednesday, Kerry reported a narrowing of the gaps between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Through hard and deliberate, patient work, and most importantly through quiet work, we have been able to narrow those gaps very significantly," the top US diplomat told reporters.
"We continue to get closer and I continue to be hopeful that the two sides will come to sit at the same table," he added, standing alongside his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh.
The US envoy, who has made the resumption of Middle East peace talks a priority since he took office on February 1, acknowledged that differences remained between the two sides, despite his dogged shuttle diplomacy which saw him hold hours of talks with both Abbas and Netanyahu on his visit last month.
"There are still some elements and some language that needs to be agreed upon and worked out. This is normal, and I'm not going to detail specifics," he said.
There are no immediate plans for Kerry to visit Israel and meet Netanyahu.
Palestinian official: Negotiation renewal without settlement freeze
US Secretary of State John Kerry’s formula to renew direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians does not include a formal declaration to freeze construction in the settlements, a Palestinian official said. He said the PA leadership will convene this afternoon under President Mahmoud Abbas to vote on whether to accept the offer.
The vote by the Palestinian leadership comes after US Secretary of State John Kerry reported a narrowing of the gaps between Israel and the Palestinians and as Israeli President Shimon Peres estimated the two sides are "within touching distance".
"The most important of Kerry's proposals is a renewal of talks without a halt or freeze in settlement," the official told AFP.
He said that Kerry's plan states that if settlement building continues during the talks, the Palestinians could renew their requests to join international bodies where they could seek legal action against Israel.
Previously the United States has consistently opposed such "unilateral" Palestinian action.
The official said that President Mahmoud Abbas was to convene members of his Fatah movement in the West Bank city of Ramallah to vote on Kerry's initiative.
After that, at about 3 p.m., he would ask leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization to decide on the proposals from Kerry, who met twice this week with Abbas in Jordan.
The Palestinians have until now said that they will not renew peace talks, which have been stalled for three years, until Israel agrees to accept as a baseline the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, when it occupied the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
They have insisted that Israel freeze all settlement construction in the occupied lands, including in East Jerusalem, which it annexed in a move never recognized by the international community.
Israel rejects such "preconditions".
Peres made his comments in a statement in which he called on the European Union to delay adopting settlement funding curbs, saying this could jeopardize the diplomatic negotiations.
"From the latest information at my disposal, Secretary of State John Kerry has succeeded in advancing the chances of renewing peace talks. We are within touching distance," he said in a statement.
"The coming days are critical. Wait with your decision, give priority to peace," Peres said.
The European Union is to publish new guidelines for its 28 member states on Friday that will block all funding of, or dealings with, Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
A US State Department official said Kerry had decided to delay his return to the United States, which had been scheduled for Thursday.
"Secretary Kerry will remain in Amman on Thursday night to determine if there is additional work that requires his presence before he returns to the United States," the official said.
In a further sign of a possible breakthrough, Israeli army radio said Thursday the military is preparing to lift some restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank.
"It appears that in the next few days the future of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians will be determined," an army radio reporter said.
"In the light of security assessments, two roads in the territories are expected shortly to be opened to Palestinian traffic; one north of Ramallah and one close to Beit Haggai," he added, referring to a settlement near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
Following his meetings with Abbas and after outlining his latest peace proposals to Arab League officials in Amman on Wednesday, Kerry reported a narrowing of the gaps between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Through hard and deliberate, patient work, and most importantly through quiet work, we have been able to narrow those gaps very significantly," the top US diplomat told reporters.
"We continue to get closer and I continue to be hopeful that the two sides will come to sit at the same table," he added, standing alongside his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh.
The US envoy, who has made the resumption of Middle East peace talks a priority since he took office on February 1, acknowledged that differences remained between the two sides, despite his dogged shuttle diplomacy which saw him hold hours of talks with both Abbas and Netanyahu on his visit last month.
"There are still some elements and some language that needs to be agreed upon and worked out. This is normal, and I'm not going to detail specifics," he said.
There are no immediate plans for Kerry to visit Israel and meet Netanyahu.
Palestinian official: Negotiation renewal without settlement freeze
US Secretary of State John Kerry’s formula to renew direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians does not include a formal declaration to freeze construction in the settlements, a Palestinian official said. He said the PA leadership will convene this afternoon under President Mahmoud Abbas to vote on whether to accept the offer.
Palestinian vehicles are stuck in traffic on the main road linking Ramallah with al-Bireh in the West Bank.
The Israeli military is preparing to lift some restrictions on Palestinian movement in advance of possible renewed peace talks, army radio said on Thursday.
"It appears that in the next few days the future of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians will be determined," its reporter said.
"In the light of security assessments, two roads in the territories are expected shortly to be opened to Palestinian traffic; one north of Ramallah and one close to Beit Haggai," he added, referring to a settlement near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
The radio quoted the military spokesman's office as saying that the plans were a gesture for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and not linked to peace efforts.
The office did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment.
President Mahmoud Abbas was to meet senior members of his Palestine Liberation Organization in the West Bank city of Ramallah later on Thursday to brief them on his meetings in Jordan with US Secretary of State John Kerry, a Palestinian official said.
Kerry said Wednesday that his intense diplomacy in six visits to the Middle East was bearing fruit, narrowing gaps between Israel and the Palestinians.
The Palestinians have said that they will not renew peace talks, stalled for almost three years, until Israel agrees to accept as a baseline the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, when it occupied the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
They say Israel needs to freeze all settlement construction in the occupied lands, including in east Jerusalem, which it annexed in a move never recognized by the international community.
Israel rejects such "preconditions".
Regional Development Minister Silvan Shalom told the radio that easing some restrictions on Palestinians' daily lives did not constitute bowing to preconditions.
"I think that in the framework of opening negotiations, if we carry out what is known as confidence-building measures which do not endanger security, such things have always been possible as part of a larger context," he said.
"If it is the judgement of security officials that such a thing does not damage security, then of course we have the possibility to do that."
The Israeli military is preparing to lift some restrictions on Palestinian movement in advance of possible renewed peace talks, army radio said on Thursday.
"It appears that in the next few days the future of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians will be determined," its reporter said.
"In the light of security assessments, two roads in the territories are expected shortly to be opened to Palestinian traffic; one north of Ramallah and one close to Beit Haggai," he added, referring to a settlement near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
The radio quoted the military spokesman's office as saying that the plans were a gesture for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and not linked to peace efforts.
The office did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment.
President Mahmoud Abbas was to meet senior members of his Palestine Liberation Organization in the West Bank city of Ramallah later on Thursday to brief them on his meetings in Jordan with US Secretary of State John Kerry, a Palestinian official said.
Kerry said Wednesday that his intense diplomacy in six visits to the Middle East was bearing fruit, narrowing gaps between Israel and the Palestinians.
The Palestinians have said that they will not renew peace talks, stalled for almost three years, until Israel agrees to accept as a baseline the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, when it occupied the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
They say Israel needs to freeze all settlement construction in the occupied lands, including in east Jerusalem, which it annexed in a move never recognized by the international community.
Israel rejects such "preconditions".
Regional Development Minister Silvan Shalom told the radio that easing some restrictions on Palestinians' daily lives did not constitute bowing to preconditions.
"I think that in the framework of opening negotiations, if we carry out what is known as confidence-building measures which do not endanger security, such things have always been possible as part of a larger context," he said.
"If it is the judgement of security officials that such a thing does not damage security, then of course we have the possibility to do that."
Hamas movement warned the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah against retuning to negotiations with Israel after news surfaced of a new American drive to re-launch those negotiations. Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, said in a statement on Thursday that his movement refused a return to negotiations with occupation.
He said that the PA return to negotiations would be in violation of the national stand, adding that Israel benefits from negotiations in providing a cover for its settlement drive and Judaization efforts.
The spokesman said that Hamas rejected the Arab foreign ministers’ stance that pressure for a return to negotiations with the Israeli occupation, adding that they should support Palestinian steadfastness rather than pressing the Palestinians to offer more concessions.
US secretary of state John Kerry had plans to announce the re-launch of negotiations between the two parties.
He said that the PA return to negotiations would be in violation of the national stand, adding that Israel benefits from negotiations in providing a cover for its settlement drive and Judaization efforts.
The spokesman said that Hamas rejected the Arab foreign ministers’ stance that pressure for a return to negotiations with the Israeli occupation, adding that they should support Palestinian steadfastness rather than pressing the Palestinians to offer more concessions.
US secretary of state John Kerry had plans to announce the re-launch of negotiations between the two parties.
Kerry to remain in Amman amid signs of progress in efforts to resume peace talks. Israeli official says in possible announcement top US diplomat will describe future Palestine within 1967 borders existing alongside 'Jewish state' of Israel; Netanyahu spokesman denies report
Israel has agreed to a proposed formula for new peace talks with the Palestinians under which the border of their future state would be along lines that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, but with agreed land swaps, an Israeli official said on Thursday.
The official said that, were the Palestinians to accept the formula, it would be announced by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who would also describe the future Palestine as existing alongside a "Jewish state" of Israel. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied the report.
It was further reported Thursday that Kerry has prolonged his Middle East visit amid signs of progress in his efforts to kickstart direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Secretary Kerry will remain in Amman on Thursday night to determine if there is additional work that requires his presence before he returns to the United States," the State Department official said.
In a further sign of a possible breakthrough in Kerry's intense diplomatic efforts to get the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table after a three-year break, Israeli army radio said Thursday the military is preparing to lift some restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank.
"It appears that in the next few days the future of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians will be determined," army radio's reporter for the Palestinian territories reported.
"In the light of security assessments, two roads in the territories are expected shortly to be opened to Palestinian traffic; one north of Ramallah and one close to Beit Haggai," he added, referring to a settlement near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
The radio quoted the military spokesman's office as saying that the plans were a gesture for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and not linked to peace efforts.
The gestures come as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas prepared to meet senior members of his Palestine Liberation Organization in the West Bank city of Ramallah later on Thursday to brief them on his meetings in Jordan with Kerry, a Palestinian official said.
Kerry, who was due to end his visit to Jordan on Thursday, was awaiting the outcome of that meeting before deciding his next step, a US official indicated.
Following his meetings with Abbas and after outlining his latest peace proposals to Arab League officials in Amman, Kerry reported a narrowing of the gaps between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Through hard and deliberate, patient work, and most importantly through quiet work, we have been able to narrow those gaps very significantly," the top US diplomat told reporters.
"We continue to get closer and I continue to be hopeful that the two sides will come to sit at the same table," he added, standing alongside his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh.
The US envoy, who has made the resumption of Middle East peace talks a priority since he took office on February 1, acknowledged that differences remained between the two sides, despite his dogged shuttle diplomacy which saw him hold hours of talks with both Abbas and Netanyahu on his visit last month.
"There are still some elements and some language that needs to be agreed upon and worked out. This is normal, and I'm not going to detail specifics," he said.
The Palestinians insist that they will not return to the negotiating table until Israel agrees to accept as a baseline the lines that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, when it occupied the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
They say Israel needs to freeze all settlement construction in the occupied lands, including in east Jerusalem, which it annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.
Israel rejects such "preconditions."
As yet it is understood there is no Israeli agreement to meet demands for either a settlement freeze or a prisoner release.
A team of experts has been drawing up a plan to attract some $4 billion in private investment to shore up the struggling Palestinian economy, which Kerry repeated could boost GDP by 50% over three years.
A Palestinian official, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP things were moving and Kerry was "determined" to announce a resumption of talks before he leaves the region.
But the atmosphere has been clouded by an EU decision barring any investment in Jewish settlement projects which has incensed Israel.
In a phone call with Kerry on Wednesday, Netanyahu said the EU move was "damaging efforts to restart the talks" with the Palestinians, an Israeli official said.
There are no immediate plans for Kerry to visit Israel and meet Netanyahu.
Israel has agreed to a proposed formula for new peace talks with the Palestinians under which the border of their future state would be along lines that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, but with agreed land swaps, an Israeli official said on Thursday.
The official said that, were the Palestinians to accept the formula, it would be announced by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who would also describe the future Palestine as existing alongside a "Jewish state" of Israel. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied the report.
It was further reported Thursday that Kerry has prolonged his Middle East visit amid signs of progress in his efforts to kickstart direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Secretary Kerry will remain in Amman on Thursday night to determine if there is additional work that requires his presence before he returns to the United States," the State Department official said.
In a further sign of a possible breakthrough in Kerry's intense diplomatic efforts to get the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table after a three-year break, Israeli army radio said Thursday the military is preparing to lift some restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank.
"It appears that in the next few days the future of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians will be determined," army radio's reporter for the Palestinian territories reported.
"In the light of security assessments, two roads in the territories are expected shortly to be opened to Palestinian traffic; one north of Ramallah and one close to Beit Haggai," he added, referring to a settlement near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
The radio quoted the military spokesman's office as saying that the plans were a gesture for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and not linked to peace efforts.
The gestures come as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas prepared to meet senior members of his Palestine Liberation Organization in the West Bank city of Ramallah later on Thursday to brief them on his meetings in Jordan with Kerry, a Palestinian official said.
Kerry, who was due to end his visit to Jordan on Thursday, was awaiting the outcome of that meeting before deciding his next step, a US official indicated.
Following his meetings with Abbas and after outlining his latest peace proposals to Arab League officials in Amman, Kerry reported a narrowing of the gaps between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Through hard and deliberate, patient work, and most importantly through quiet work, we have been able to narrow those gaps very significantly," the top US diplomat told reporters.
"We continue to get closer and I continue to be hopeful that the two sides will come to sit at the same table," he added, standing alongside his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh.
The US envoy, who has made the resumption of Middle East peace talks a priority since he took office on February 1, acknowledged that differences remained between the two sides, despite his dogged shuttle diplomacy which saw him hold hours of talks with both Abbas and Netanyahu on his visit last month.
"There are still some elements and some language that needs to be agreed upon and worked out. This is normal, and I'm not going to detail specifics," he said.
The Palestinians insist that they will not return to the negotiating table until Israel agrees to accept as a baseline the lines that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, when it occupied the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
They say Israel needs to freeze all settlement construction in the occupied lands, including in east Jerusalem, which it annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.
Israel rejects such "preconditions."
As yet it is understood there is no Israeli agreement to meet demands for either a settlement freeze or a prisoner release.
A team of experts has been drawing up a plan to attract some $4 billion in private investment to shore up the struggling Palestinian economy, which Kerry repeated could boost GDP by 50% over three years.
A Palestinian official, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP things were moving and Kerry was "determined" to announce a resumption of talks before he leaves the region.
But the atmosphere has been clouded by an EU decision barring any investment in Jewish settlement projects which has incensed Israel.
In a phone call with Kerry on Wednesday, Netanyahu said the EU move was "damaging efforts to restart the talks" with the Palestinians, an Israeli official said.
There are no immediate plans for Kerry to visit Israel and meet Netanyahu.
Israeli President Shimon Peres called on the EU Thursday to delay adopting settlement funding curbs as Palestinians and Israelis inch toward fresh peace talks.
"The coming days are critical," his office quoted him as saying in a statement. "Wait with your decision, give priority to peace."
The European Union is to publish new guidelines for its 28 member states on Friday that will block all funding of, or dealings with, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is in neighboring Jordan on his latest bid to revive direct negotiations between Israel and the PLO and warned that the EU was "damaging efforts to restart the talks".
Peres on Thursday said there were signs of progress in Kerry's shuttle diplomacy.
"From the latest information at my disposal, Secretary of State John Kerry has succeeded in advancing the chances of renewing peace talks," the statement quoted him as saying. "We are within touching distance."
"I appeal to our friends in Europe...do not lead a process of irresponsible sanctions which will torpedo diplomatic negotiations," he said.
The EU's office in Israel said on Thursday that Kerry, Peres and Netanyahu all called European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso on Wednesday night to discuss the guidelines.
It said in a statement that the EU is ready to negotiate with Israel regarding their planned entry into force from January 1 next year.
"Following a request from Israeli authorities the EU stands ready to engage in consultations on their implementation," it said.
"The coming days are critical," his office quoted him as saying in a statement. "Wait with your decision, give priority to peace."
The European Union is to publish new guidelines for its 28 member states on Friday that will block all funding of, or dealings with, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is in neighboring Jordan on his latest bid to revive direct negotiations between Israel and the PLO and warned that the EU was "damaging efforts to restart the talks".
Peres on Thursday said there were signs of progress in Kerry's shuttle diplomacy.
"From the latest information at my disposal, Secretary of State John Kerry has succeeded in advancing the chances of renewing peace talks," the statement quoted him as saying. "We are within touching distance."
"I appeal to our friends in Europe...do not lead a process of irresponsible sanctions which will torpedo diplomatic negotiations," he said.
The EU's office in Israel said on Thursday that Kerry, Peres and Netanyahu all called European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso on Wednesday night to discuss the guidelines.
It said in a statement that the EU is ready to negotiate with Israel regarding their planned entry into force from January 1 next year.
"Following a request from Israeli authorities the EU stands ready to engage in consultations on their implementation," it said.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has prolonged his Middle East visit, an official said Thursday, amid signs of progress in his efforts to kickstart direct talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
"Secretary Kerry will remain in Amman on Thursday night to determine if there is additional work that requires his presence before he returns to the United States," the State Department official said.
In a further sign of a possible breakthrough in Kerry's intense diplomatic efforts to get the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table after a three-year break, Israeli army radio said Thursday the military is preparing to lift some restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank.
"It appears that in the next few days the future of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians will be determined," an army radio reporter said.
"In the light of security assessments, two roads in the territories are expected shortly to be opened to Palestinian traffic; one north of Ramallah and one close to Beit Haggai," he added, referring to a settlement near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
The radio quoted the military spokesman's office as saying that the plans were a gesture for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and not linked to peace efforts.
The gestures come as President Mahmoud Abbas prepared to meet senior PLO members in the West Bank city of Ramallah later on Thursday to brief them on his meetings in Jordan with Kerry, a Palestinian official said.
Kerry, who was due to end his visit to Jordan on Thursday, was awaiting the outcome of that meeting before deciding his next step, a US official indicated.
Following his meetings with Abbas and after outlining his latest peace proposals to Arab League officials in Amman, Kerry reported a narrowing of the gaps between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Through hard and deliberate, patient work, and most importantly through quiet work, we have been able to narrow those gaps very significantly," the top US diplomat told reporters.
"We continue to get closer and I continue to be hopeful that the two sides will come to sit at the same table," he added, standing alongside his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh.
The US envoy, who has made the resumption of Middle East peace talks a priority since he took office on February 1, acknowledged that differences remained between the two sides, despite his dogged shuttle diplomacy which saw him hold hours of talks with both Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his visit last month.
"There are still some elements and some language that needs to be agreed upon and worked out. This is normal, and I'm not going to detail specifics," he said.
The PLO insists it will not return to the negotiating table until Israel agrees to accept as a baseline the lines that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, when it occupied the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
It says Israel needs to freeze all settlement construction in the occupied lands, including in East Jerusalem, which it annexed in a move never recognized by the international community.
Israel rejects such "preconditions".
As yet it is understood there is no Israeli agreement to meet demands for either a settlement freeze or a prisoner release.
A team of experts has been drawing up a plan to attract some $4 billion in private investment to shore up the struggling Palestinian economy, which Kerry repeated could boost GDP by 50 percent over three years.
A Palestinian official, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP things were moving and Kerry was "determined" to announce a resumption of talks before he leaves the region.
But the atmosphere has been clouded by an EU decision barring any investment in Jewish settlement projects which has incensed Israel.
In a phone call with Kerry on Wednesday, Netanyahu said the EU move was "damaging efforts to restart the talks" with the Palestinians, an Israeli official said.
There are no immediate plans for Kerry to visit Israel and meet Netanyahu.
"Secretary Kerry will remain in Amman on Thursday night to determine if there is additional work that requires his presence before he returns to the United States," the State Department official said.
In a further sign of a possible breakthrough in Kerry's intense diplomatic efforts to get the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table after a three-year break, Israeli army radio said Thursday the military is preparing to lift some restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank.
"It appears that in the next few days the future of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians will be determined," an army radio reporter said.
"In the light of security assessments, two roads in the territories are expected shortly to be opened to Palestinian traffic; one north of Ramallah and one close to Beit Haggai," he added, referring to a settlement near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
The radio quoted the military spokesman's office as saying that the plans were a gesture for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and not linked to peace efforts.
The gestures come as President Mahmoud Abbas prepared to meet senior PLO members in the West Bank city of Ramallah later on Thursday to brief them on his meetings in Jordan with Kerry, a Palestinian official said.
Kerry, who was due to end his visit to Jordan on Thursday, was awaiting the outcome of that meeting before deciding his next step, a US official indicated.
Following his meetings with Abbas and after outlining his latest peace proposals to Arab League officials in Amman, Kerry reported a narrowing of the gaps between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Through hard and deliberate, patient work, and most importantly through quiet work, we have been able to narrow those gaps very significantly," the top US diplomat told reporters.
"We continue to get closer and I continue to be hopeful that the two sides will come to sit at the same table," he added, standing alongside his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh.
The US envoy, who has made the resumption of Middle East peace talks a priority since he took office on February 1, acknowledged that differences remained between the two sides, despite his dogged shuttle diplomacy which saw him hold hours of talks with both Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his visit last month.
"There are still some elements and some language that needs to be agreed upon and worked out. This is normal, and I'm not going to detail specifics," he said.
The PLO insists it will not return to the negotiating table until Israel agrees to accept as a baseline the lines that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, when it occupied the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
It says Israel needs to freeze all settlement construction in the occupied lands, including in East Jerusalem, which it annexed in a move never recognized by the international community.
Israel rejects such "preconditions".
As yet it is understood there is no Israeli agreement to meet demands for either a settlement freeze or a prisoner release.
A team of experts has been drawing up a plan to attract some $4 billion in private investment to shore up the struggling Palestinian economy, which Kerry repeated could boost GDP by 50 percent over three years.
A Palestinian official, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP things were moving and Kerry was "determined" to announce a resumption of talks before he leaves the region.
But the atmosphere has been clouded by an EU decision barring any investment in Jewish settlement projects which has incensed Israel.
In a phone call with Kerry on Wednesday, Netanyahu said the EU move was "damaging efforts to restart the talks" with the Palestinians, an Israeli official said.
There are no immediate plans for Kerry to visit Israel and meet Netanyahu.
New EU guidelines barring its 28 members from funding projects in settlements mean Israel must move towards resuming peace talks instead of stalling, or risk international isolation, officials and commentators say.
The guidelines forbid dealing with or funding Israeli entities that lie outside Israel proper and beyond the so-called 1967 Green Line -- that is, in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Gaza and the Golan Heights.
They also require any future signed agreements to recognize that these areas are not part of Israel.
This creates a dilemma for Israel over whether to continue occupying the West Bank and risk damaging its relations with the international community -- not to mention its trade prospects -- or to comply fully.
And compliance would by default mean a move towards negotiating a peace with the Palestinians, commentators and officials said on Wednesday.
Justice minister and chief peace negotiator Tzipi Livni, who warned earlier this month that the European Union would begin boycotting Israel if there was no progress on peace efforts, said the guidelines were a clear warning.
"The policy of stagnation on the Palestinian issue is creating a void the international community is trying to fill," she told public radio.
"I hope this constitutes a warning signal that will lead to a resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians."
Opposition and Labor party leader Shelly Yachimovich told public radio Israel faced "international isolation" by trying to maintain the status quo on the Palestinian issue.
And the effects of the new guidelines, which are to be implemented from January 2014, could include the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars for Israel, media said.
Haaretz newspaper said the "moment of truth" was approaching for Israel's peace talks policy.
"Israel's government needs to decide if it is ready to continue to endanger the country's future for the sake of continuing the occupation," it warned.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected what he called "external dictates on our borders."
He also said the Europeans appeared to have a distorted sense of priorities, saying in a statement that the settlement and Palestinian issues were not as urgent as "the Syrian civil war or Iran's race to obtain nuclear weapons."
Many in the cabinet also railed against the EU guidelines, with ministers in Netanyahu's Likud party saying the initiative would undermine efforts by US Secretary of State John Kerry to bring about a resumption of peace talks, which have stalled since 2010.
"Nothing good will come of this decision, certainly not regarding talks with the Palestinians, who will use it as a pretext not to come to the negotiating table," said Communications Minister Gilan Erdan.
"It's a decision void of any logic whilst Kerry tries to restart talks," he told public radio.
But Yediot Aharonot newspaper insisted, in a Wednesday editorial, that Netanyahu must move to resume peace talks, and stop stalling.
"The tangle that is now coming to light with Europe requires Netanyahu to make decisions of historic dimensions," it said.
The Palestinians, meanwhile, have welcomed the guidelines, with both foreign minister Riyad al-Malki and Gaza rulers Hamas on Wednesday praising the EU decision.
"This hugely helps the Palestinians and their position. It is a very important message for us... we welcome this step," Malki said in a newspaper interview.
And an official Hamas statement praised the decision, saying it is "a step in the right direction and pressures the occupation.
The guidelines forbid dealing with or funding Israeli entities that lie outside Israel proper and beyond the so-called 1967 Green Line -- that is, in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Gaza and the Golan Heights.
They also require any future signed agreements to recognize that these areas are not part of Israel.
This creates a dilemma for Israel over whether to continue occupying the West Bank and risk damaging its relations with the international community -- not to mention its trade prospects -- or to comply fully.
And compliance would by default mean a move towards negotiating a peace with the Palestinians, commentators and officials said on Wednesday.
Justice minister and chief peace negotiator Tzipi Livni, who warned earlier this month that the European Union would begin boycotting Israel if there was no progress on peace efforts, said the guidelines were a clear warning.
"The policy of stagnation on the Palestinian issue is creating a void the international community is trying to fill," she told public radio.
"I hope this constitutes a warning signal that will lead to a resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians."
Opposition and Labor party leader Shelly Yachimovich told public radio Israel faced "international isolation" by trying to maintain the status quo on the Palestinian issue.
And the effects of the new guidelines, which are to be implemented from January 2014, could include the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars for Israel, media said.
Haaretz newspaper said the "moment of truth" was approaching for Israel's peace talks policy.
"Israel's government needs to decide if it is ready to continue to endanger the country's future for the sake of continuing the occupation," it warned.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected what he called "external dictates on our borders."
He also said the Europeans appeared to have a distorted sense of priorities, saying in a statement that the settlement and Palestinian issues were not as urgent as "the Syrian civil war or Iran's race to obtain nuclear weapons."
Many in the cabinet also railed against the EU guidelines, with ministers in Netanyahu's Likud party saying the initiative would undermine efforts by US Secretary of State John Kerry to bring about a resumption of peace talks, which have stalled since 2010.
"Nothing good will come of this decision, certainly not regarding talks with the Palestinians, who will use it as a pretext not to come to the negotiating table," said Communications Minister Gilan Erdan.
"It's a decision void of any logic whilst Kerry tries to restart talks," he told public radio.
But Yediot Aharonot newspaper insisted, in a Wednesday editorial, that Netanyahu must move to resume peace talks, and stop stalling.
"The tangle that is now coming to light with Europe requires Netanyahu to make decisions of historic dimensions," it said.
The Palestinians, meanwhile, have welcomed the guidelines, with both foreign minister Riyad al-Malki and Gaza rulers Hamas on Wednesday praising the EU decision.
"This hugely helps the Palestinians and their position. It is a very important message for us... we welcome this step," Malki said in a newspaper interview.
And an official Hamas statement praised the decision, saying it is "a step in the right direction and pressures the occupation.
PLO Negotiations Affairs Department distributed on Wednesday, a Fact Sheet prepared for a visiting EU Parliamentarian Delegation in May 2013. It is entitled "EU Trade with Israeli Settlements":
The transfer by an Occupying Power of parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies constitutes a grave breach of the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention and violates the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Such acts are war crimes under international law. Yet this has been the policy of the Government of the State of Israel since the beginning of its occupation in 1967. Forty-six years later, the Israeli settlement enterprise in the Occupied State of Palestine is a profitable undertaking based on the theft and colonization of Palestinian land and natural resources with seemingly no political, legal, or diplomatic cost for Israel. This must change.
The European Union (EU) is Israel's largest import and export market. In 2011, trade between Israel and the EU amounted to €29.4 billion (USD 38.7 billion), of which €12.6 billion (USD 16.6 billion) came from Israeli exports. These figures include trade with Israeli settlements, all of which are illegal according to international law. While official import and export statistics do not reveal the exact volume of exports from the Israeli settlements to the EU, the most recent estimated value is €229 million (USD 300 million) per year.
Agricultural products, mostly grown in the Jordan Valley, are one of the main exports of Israeli settlements. Fresh fruits, such as grapes and dates, as well as vegetables, make up a high proportion of the settlement goods exported to the EU. For example, more than 80% of dates and approximately 70% of grapes produced by the illegal Jordan Valley settlements are directed for export.
The EU – Israel Association Agreement, which gives Israel a number of trade benefits, but from which Israeli settlements are supposed to be excluded due to the fact they are situated illegally in the occupied State of Palestine, is conditioned upon progress in the Peace Process and Israel's respect of human rights norms. Israel is in blatant violation of these conditions but faces no consequences beyond condemnatory statements.
In fact, in 2012, despite Israel's ongoing settlement construction, the EU-Israel Association Council, one of two bodies established to monitor the implementation of the Association agreement, approved 60 concrete activities in over 15 specific fields, including cooperation with a number of EU agencies.
CONTINUE READING THE FACT SHEET
The transfer by an Occupying Power of parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies constitutes a grave breach of the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention and violates the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Such acts are war crimes under international law. Yet this has been the policy of the Government of the State of Israel since the beginning of its occupation in 1967. Forty-six years later, the Israeli settlement enterprise in the Occupied State of Palestine is a profitable undertaking based on the theft and colonization of Palestinian land and natural resources with seemingly no political, legal, or diplomatic cost for Israel. This must change.
The European Union (EU) is Israel's largest import and export market. In 2011, trade between Israel and the EU amounted to €29.4 billion (USD 38.7 billion), of which €12.6 billion (USD 16.6 billion) came from Israeli exports. These figures include trade with Israeli settlements, all of which are illegal according to international law. While official import and export statistics do not reveal the exact volume of exports from the Israeli settlements to the EU, the most recent estimated value is €229 million (USD 300 million) per year.
Agricultural products, mostly grown in the Jordan Valley, are one of the main exports of Israeli settlements. Fresh fruits, such as grapes and dates, as well as vegetables, make up a high proportion of the settlement goods exported to the EU. For example, more than 80% of dates and approximately 70% of grapes produced by the illegal Jordan Valley settlements are directed for export.
The EU – Israel Association Agreement, which gives Israel a number of trade benefits, but from which Israeli settlements are supposed to be excluded due to the fact they are situated illegally in the occupied State of Palestine, is conditioned upon progress in the Peace Process and Israel's respect of human rights norms. Israel is in blatant violation of these conditions but faces no consequences beyond condemnatory statements.
In fact, in 2012, despite Israel's ongoing settlement construction, the EU-Israel Association Council, one of two bodies established to monitor the implementation of the Association agreement, approved 60 concrete activities in over 15 specific fields, including cooperation with a number of EU agencies.
CONTINUE READING THE FACT SHEET
P.A. Logo
Israeli Yedioth Aharonoth has reported that the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank presented four main requests to U.S. Secretary of State. John Kerry, to present to Israel for approval before direct peace talks between Ramallah and Tel Aviv can resume.
The paper said that President Mahmoud Abbas asked Kerry to inform Israel that the P.A. wants an airport for light planes and helicopters, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, and significantly large tourism projects totally run by the Palestinians near the Dead Sea.
Granting the Palestinians access Dead Sea means that Israel will be required to reassign control of lands in area C, under full Israeli control, to become area B under Israeli military control and Palestinian civil control.
The Palestinians are not allowed to build in Area C in the occupied West Bank, and require prior Israeli military and civil approval.
The third demand presented to Kerry is allowing the Palestinians to search for Natural Gas, in Palestinian territorial waters, in front of the shores of the Gaza Strip.
The fourth demand is increasing the number of work permits in Israel to residents of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The Ynet stated that Israel will likely reject the Palestinian demands, especially the request to build the light airport near Ramallah, and the tourism project near the Dead Sea as Israel rejects reassigning control in the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea.
The United States is trying to ensure the resumption of direct peace talks between Ramallah and Tel Aviv, is also evaluating the security situation in the region, and trying to find a solution to monetary and economic aid to the P.A.
Israel reportedly agreed to release detainees held since before the First Oslo Agreement of 1993. The release would be carried out on different stages, and allegedly accepted economic incentives presented by the United States to the Palestinians.
Talking on condition of anonymity, a senior Palestinian official stated that Kerry wants to declare the resumption of direct talks before he leaves the region this Friday.
Israeli Yedioth Aharonoth has reported that the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank presented four main requests to U.S. Secretary of State. John Kerry, to present to Israel for approval before direct peace talks between Ramallah and Tel Aviv can resume.
The paper said that President Mahmoud Abbas asked Kerry to inform Israel that the P.A. wants an airport for light planes and helicopters, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, and significantly large tourism projects totally run by the Palestinians near the Dead Sea.
Granting the Palestinians access Dead Sea means that Israel will be required to reassign control of lands in area C, under full Israeli control, to become area B under Israeli military control and Palestinian civil control.
The Palestinians are not allowed to build in Area C in the occupied West Bank, and require prior Israeli military and civil approval.
The third demand presented to Kerry is allowing the Palestinians to search for Natural Gas, in Palestinian territorial waters, in front of the shores of the Gaza Strip.
The fourth demand is increasing the number of work permits in Israel to residents of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The Ynet stated that Israel will likely reject the Palestinian demands, especially the request to build the light airport near Ramallah, and the tourism project near the Dead Sea as Israel rejects reassigning control in the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea.
The United States is trying to ensure the resumption of direct peace talks between Ramallah and Tel Aviv, is also evaluating the security situation in the region, and trying to find a solution to monetary and economic aid to the P.A.
Israel reportedly agreed to release detainees held since before the First Oslo Agreement of 1993. The release would be carried out on different stages, and allegedly accepted economic incentives presented by the United States to the Palestinians.
Talking on condition of anonymity, a senior Palestinian official stated that Kerry wants to declare the resumption of direct talks before he leaves the region this Friday.
