26 may 2014
Israel on Monday approved plans for 50 new settler homes in annexed East Jerusalem as Pope Francis wrapped up a visit to the region, city officials said.
"The municipality has given the green light to build 50 new housing units in five buildings in Har Homa," city Councillor Yosef Pepe Alalu told AFP.
Har Homa is a settlement neighborhood in the southern sector of East Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War then annexed, in a move not recognized by the international community.
The settlement was built in 1997 on a wooded hill top known as Jabal Abu Ghneim.
It was the first such announcement of Israeli plans to build on land seized in 1967 since the collapse last month of the US-led peace talks.
The talks had struggled to make headway due to an unrelenting flow of Israeli settlement announcements, which were roundly condemned by the PLO and international community.
Figures quoted by Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now show that during the nine months of talks, Israel approved plans for nearly 14,000 new settler homes.
The last time Israel pushed plans for new construction was on April 1 with the re-issuing of tenders for more than 700 new homes in Gilo in East Jerusalem.
The PLO has said they will not return to the crisis-hit talks without a complete settlement freeze.
But Israel has flatly refused, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting the notion that settlement building ran counter to peace efforts, saying he never agreed to any "restraints on construction" throughout the talks.
"The municipality has given the green light to build 50 new housing units in five buildings in Har Homa," city Councillor Yosef Pepe Alalu told AFP.
Har Homa is a settlement neighborhood in the southern sector of East Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War then annexed, in a move not recognized by the international community.
The settlement was built in 1997 on a wooded hill top known as Jabal Abu Ghneim.
It was the first such announcement of Israeli plans to build on land seized in 1967 since the collapse last month of the US-led peace talks.
The talks had struggled to make headway due to an unrelenting flow of Israeli settlement announcements, which were roundly condemned by the PLO and international community.
Figures quoted by Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now show that during the nine months of talks, Israel approved plans for nearly 14,000 new settler homes.
The last time Israel pushed plans for new construction was on April 1 with the re-issuing of tenders for more than 700 new homes in Gilo in East Jerusalem.
The PLO has said they will not return to the crisis-hit talks without a complete settlement freeze.
But Israel has flatly refused, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting the notion that settlement building ran counter to peace efforts, saying he never agreed to any "restraints on construction" throughout the talks.
Late Sunday afternoon Pope Francis arrived in Tel Aviv, where he urged Israeli President Shimon Peres and other authorities to adopt a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Renewing the appeal made by former pontiff Benedict XVI, Pope Francis called for “universal recognition” of “the right of the State of Israel to exist and flourish in peace and security within internationally recognized borders.”
“At the same time, there must also be a recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to a sovereign homeland and their right to live with dignity and with freedom of movement. The 'Two State Solution' must become reality and not remain merely a dream,” he urged those gathered at the Ben Gourion Airport in Tel Aviv on May 25.
The Pope’s speech to Palestinian leaders in Bethlehem early in the day expressed the same call for a peaceful solution.
Pope Francis reiterated his invitation to prayer in the Vatican, which he had also offered to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Both Abbas and Peres have accepted and will join him sometime in June.
The Pontiff noted improving relations between the Vatican and the State of Israel, expressing his prayerful best wishes to “all the people of Israel” that “their aspirations of peace and prosperity will achieve fulfillment.
He described his journey as a pilgrimage to a land of “immense spiritual significance for a great part of humanity,” praying that “this blessed land may be one which has no place for those who, by exploiting and absolutizing the value of their own religious tradition, prove intolerant and violent towards those of others.”
Pope Francis’ words were emphatic, imploring “those in positions of responsibility to leave no stone unturned in the search for equitable solutions to complex problems.”
“The path of dialogue, reconciliation and peace must constantly be taken up anew, courageously and tirelessly. There is simply no other way,” he stressed.
Before his speech, the Holy Father had been welcomed by both Israeli President Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu spoke of his gratitude to Pope Francis for his closeness to the Jewish people, particularly visible in his co-authorship of a book with Argentinian Rabbi Abraham Skorka.
The Prime Minister assured the Pontiff of Israel’s desire for peace, describing the state as an “island of tolerance” where they are committed to freedom of religion.
Pope Francis also acknowledged his desire to “promote an education in which exclusion and confrontation give way to inclusion and encounter.”
He lamented the many victims of anti-semitism in the Holocaust, saying, “I beg God that there will never be another such crime, which also counted among its victims many Christians and others.”
The pontiff closed his remarks by offering “a warm and fraternal greeting” to the local bishops and Christian faithful – assuring them that they are in his prayers.
“I encourage them to persevere in their quiet witness of faith and hope in the service of reconciliation and forgiveness, following the teaching and example of the Lord Jesus, who gave his life to bring about peace between God and man, and between brothers,” he said.
“At the same time, there must also be a recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to a sovereign homeland and their right to live with dignity and with freedom of movement. The 'Two State Solution' must become reality and not remain merely a dream,” he urged those gathered at the Ben Gourion Airport in Tel Aviv on May 25.
The Pope’s speech to Palestinian leaders in Bethlehem early in the day expressed the same call for a peaceful solution.
Pope Francis reiterated his invitation to prayer in the Vatican, which he had also offered to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Both Abbas and Peres have accepted and will join him sometime in June.
The Pontiff noted improving relations between the Vatican and the State of Israel, expressing his prayerful best wishes to “all the people of Israel” that “their aspirations of peace and prosperity will achieve fulfillment.
He described his journey as a pilgrimage to a land of “immense spiritual significance for a great part of humanity,” praying that “this blessed land may be one which has no place for those who, by exploiting and absolutizing the value of their own religious tradition, prove intolerant and violent towards those of others.”
Pope Francis’ words were emphatic, imploring “those in positions of responsibility to leave no stone unturned in the search for equitable solutions to complex problems.”
“The path of dialogue, reconciliation and peace must constantly be taken up anew, courageously and tirelessly. There is simply no other way,” he stressed.
Before his speech, the Holy Father had been welcomed by both Israeli President Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu spoke of his gratitude to Pope Francis for his closeness to the Jewish people, particularly visible in his co-authorship of a book with Argentinian Rabbi Abraham Skorka.
The Prime Minister assured the Pontiff of Israel’s desire for peace, describing the state as an “island of tolerance” where they are committed to freedom of religion.
Pope Francis also acknowledged his desire to “promote an education in which exclusion and confrontation give way to inclusion and encounter.”
He lamented the many victims of anti-semitism in the Holocaust, saying, “I beg God that there will never be another such crime, which also counted among its victims many Christians and others.”
The pontiff closed his remarks by offering “a warm and fraternal greeting” to the local bishops and Christian faithful – assuring them that they are in his prayers.
“I encourage them to persevere in their quiet witness of faith and hope in the service of reconciliation and forgiveness, following the teaching and example of the Lord Jesus, who gave his life to bring about peace between God and man, and between brothers,” he said.
25 may 2014
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has boasted about how he has defied the United States by building Jewish squatter colonies “in a smart way, in a quiet way”, +972 Magazine’s Noam Sheizaf reports.
Addressing young Likud supporters, Netanyahu said: “I was threatened in Washington: ‘not one brick’ [of Jewish squatter colony construction]… after five years, we built a little more than one brick…”
Asked “about peace talks with the Palestinians”, Netanyahu joked: “about the – what?” to which the audience responded by breaking out into laughter.
According to Sheizaf, Netanyahu’s quotes were posted online by Akiva Lamm, a Likud member from Kiryat Arba, a Jewish squatter colony near Hebron. Sheizaf reports that Lamm had asked Netanyahu a question on the lack of new construction in his home squatter colony, and on Israel’s prisoner releases during the American-led negotiations with the Palestinians. This was Netanyahu’s reply – as translated by Sheizaf:
When I entered the Prime Minister’s Office for my second term, I was summoned to Washington. “Not one brick,” they told me [referring to squatter colony construction in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem]. I was threatened specifically: “Not one brick.” The pressure from the international community and the Americans was enormous. I don’t think anyone in Israel was under such pressure. And still, after five years on the job, we built a little more than “one brick”. But the important thing is to do it in a smart way, in a quiet way, without inflammatory statements.
Do you think it’s a problem for me to say, “I am a hero, I am strong, I don’t care about anything, what do I care what the world says?’” I don’t have any problem saying that, but it would be a lie. Whoever tells you that doesn’t deserve to be prime minister; he is a populist. This is not a feature leader. A leader knows to stand up to international pressure by manoeuvring.
Imagine yourself standing on a hill overlooking the whole valley. You get to see all the obstacles below from above – some from the right and some from the left – and then when you walk down, you know exactly where to go in order to avoid the obstacles. What matters is that we continue to head straight toward our goal, even if one time we walk right and another time walk left.
Sheizaf relates that Netanyahu then went on to speak about how important US support is, and how well his speeches were received by the US Congress. This, he said, reminded Lamm of similar remarks Netanyahu made 10 years ago, when he explained how he was able to manipulate the Clinton administration and debunk the Oslo accords.
What will it take for the American people to wake up and realize that Israel is not only devouring their hard-earned tax dollars to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity, but, for gratitude, is spitting in their faces and boasting about taking the US for a ride?
Addressing young Likud supporters, Netanyahu said: “I was threatened in Washington: ‘not one brick’ [of Jewish squatter colony construction]… after five years, we built a little more than one brick…”
Asked “about peace talks with the Palestinians”, Netanyahu joked: “about the – what?” to which the audience responded by breaking out into laughter.
According to Sheizaf, Netanyahu’s quotes were posted online by Akiva Lamm, a Likud member from Kiryat Arba, a Jewish squatter colony near Hebron. Sheizaf reports that Lamm had asked Netanyahu a question on the lack of new construction in his home squatter colony, and on Israel’s prisoner releases during the American-led negotiations with the Palestinians. This was Netanyahu’s reply – as translated by Sheizaf:
When I entered the Prime Minister’s Office for my second term, I was summoned to Washington. “Not one brick,” they told me [referring to squatter colony construction in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem]. I was threatened specifically: “Not one brick.” The pressure from the international community and the Americans was enormous. I don’t think anyone in Israel was under such pressure. And still, after five years on the job, we built a little more than “one brick”. But the important thing is to do it in a smart way, in a quiet way, without inflammatory statements.
Do you think it’s a problem for me to say, “I am a hero, I am strong, I don’t care about anything, what do I care what the world says?’” I don’t have any problem saying that, but it would be a lie. Whoever tells you that doesn’t deserve to be prime minister; he is a populist. This is not a feature leader. A leader knows to stand up to international pressure by manoeuvring.
Imagine yourself standing on a hill overlooking the whole valley. You get to see all the obstacles below from above – some from the right and some from the left – and then when you walk down, you know exactly where to go in order to avoid the obstacles. What matters is that we continue to head straight toward our goal, even if one time we walk right and another time walk left.
Sheizaf relates that Netanyahu then went on to speak about how important US support is, and how well his speeches were received by the US Congress. This, he said, reminded Lamm of similar remarks Netanyahu made 10 years ago, when he explained how he was able to manipulate the Clinton administration and debunk the Oslo accords.
What will it take for the American people to wake up and realize that Israel is not only devouring their hard-earned tax dollars to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity, but, for gratitude, is spitting in their faces and boasting about taking the US for a ride?
Israeli newspaper Hayom, according to the Palestinian News Network (PNN), reports that Naftali Bennett, Israeli Minister of Economy and head of the Jewish Home Party, has suggested in an article he wrote for the Wall Street Journal to demolish a portion of the Israeli "separation wall" in a move to annex Area C to the state of Israel, as well as giving its residents full Israeli citizenship.
According to the plan, Palestinian authorities would be left with Areas A and B to build their state.
Bennett wrote that many Israelis think the wall is the reason for the decrease in terrorist activities in Israel; however, he would argue that the true impetus behind the decrease is Israeli military intelligence, and because the army enjoys complete freedom of movement in the West Bank.
Therefore, the PNN reports, he concludes that Israel will be safer and better off without the wall.
According to the plan, Palestinian authorities would be left with Areas A and B to build their state.
Bennett wrote that many Israelis think the wall is the reason for the decrease in terrorist activities in Israel; however, he would argue that the true impetus behind the decrease is Israeli military intelligence, and because the army enjoys complete freedom of movement in the West Bank.
Therefore, the PNN reports, he concludes that Israel will be safer and better off without the wall.
A senior Palestinian official told US media on Sunday that the PLO had accepted an invitation to attend talks with an Israeli delegation at the Vatican.
A member of the PLO executive committee was quoted by CNN and The Associated Press as agreeing to the request, which came as Pope Francis visited the occupied West Bank.
Francis extended the invitation at a mass Sunday in Bethlehem's Manger Square.
"In this, the birthplace of the Prince of Peace, I wish to invite you, President Mahmoud Abbas, together with (Israeli) President Shimon Peres, to join me in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace."
He added: "I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer."
PLO executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi told CNN that Abbas would go to the Vatican.
The Israeli president's office also welcomed the invitation, CNN reported.
"President Peres has always supported, and will continue to support, any attempts to progress the cause of peace," a statement from Peres' office was quoted as saying.
A PLO spokesman told Ma'an that he was unable to confirm or deny the reports.
Peace talks broke down in April when Israel abruptly withdrew its negotiator, offering a pretext that it could not negotiate with a Palestinian government that included Hamas.
The Israeli withdrawal followed a deal signed between the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank and the Islamist faction which rules Gaza.
A member of the PLO executive committee was quoted by CNN and The Associated Press as agreeing to the request, which came as Pope Francis visited the occupied West Bank.
Francis extended the invitation at a mass Sunday in Bethlehem's Manger Square.
"In this, the birthplace of the Prince of Peace, I wish to invite you, President Mahmoud Abbas, together with (Israeli) President Shimon Peres, to join me in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace."
He added: "I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer."
PLO executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi told CNN that Abbas would go to the Vatican.
The Israeli president's office also welcomed the invitation, CNN reported.
"President Peres has always supported, and will continue to support, any attempts to progress the cause of peace," a statement from Peres' office was quoted as saying.
A PLO spokesman told Ma'an that he was unable to confirm or deny the reports.
Peace talks broke down in April when Israel abruptly withdrew its negotiator, offering a pretext that it could not negotiate with a Palestinian government that included Hamas.
The Israeli withdrawal followed a deal signed between the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank and the Islamist faction which rules Gaza.
Live report: Pope Francis visits Bethlehem
15:06 Palestinian officials have reportedly accepted a papal invitation to attend a Vatican meeting with an Israeli delegation, CNN reported minutes ago.
CNN quoted an unnamed PLO executive committee member as saying that the Palestinians were willing to take up an offer made by the Pope earlier today during his visit to Bethlehem.
15:06 Palestinian officials have reportedly accepted a papal invitation to attend a Vatican meeting with an Israeli delegation, CNN reported minutes ago.
CNN quoted an unnamed PLO executive committee member as saying that the Palestinians were willing to take up an offer made by the Pope earlier today during his visit to Bethlehem.
The following is the official translation of the full text of Pope Francis' speech at the Palestinian president palace beside Mahmoud Abbas Sunday morning.
Mr President,
Dear Friends,
I thank President Mahmoud Abbas for his kind welcome and I offer cordial greetings to the representatives of the government and the entire Palestinian people. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to be here with you today in the birthplace of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. I thank all of you for your warm reception.
For decades the Middle East has known the tragic consequences of a protracted conflict which has inflicted many wounds so difficult to heal. Even in the absence of violence, the climate of instability and a lack of mutual understanding have produced insecurity, the violation of rights, isolation and the flight of entire communities, conflicts, shortages and sufferings of every sort.
In expressing my closeness to those who suffer most from this conflict, I wish to state my heartfelt conviction that the time has come to put an end to this situation which has become increasingly unacceptable. For the good of all, there is a need to intensify efforts and initiatives aimed at creating the conditions for a stable peace based on justice, on the recognition of the rights of every individual, and on mutual security. The time has come for everyone to find the courage to be generous and creative in the service of the common good, the courage to forge a peace which rests on the acknowledgment by all of the right of two States to exist and to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders.
To this end, I can only express my profound hope that all will refrain from initiatives and actions which contradict the stated desire to reach a true agreement, and that peace will be pursued with tireless determination and tenacity. Peace will bring countless benefits for the peoples of this region and for the world as a whole. And so it must resolutely be pursued, even if each side has to make certain sacrifices.
I pray that the Palestinian and Israeli peoples and their respective leaders will undertake this promising journey of peace with the same courage and steadfastness needed for every journey. Peace in security and mutual trust will become the stable frame of reference for confronting and resolving every other problem, and thus provide an opportunity for a balanced development, one which can serve as a model for other crisis areas.
Here I would like to say a word about the active Christian community which contributes significantly to the common good of society, sharing in the joys and sufferings of the whole people. Christians desire to continue in this role as full citizens, along with their fellow citizens, whom they regard as their brothers and sisters.
Mr President, you are known as a man of peace and a peacemaker. Our recent meeting in the Vatican and my presence today in Palestine attest to the good relations existing between the Holy See and the State of Palestine. I trust that these relations can further develop for the good of all. In this regard, I express my appreciation for the efforts being made to draft an agreement between the parties regarding various aspects of the life of the Catholic community in this country, with particular attention to religious freedom. Respect for this fundamental human right is, in fact, one of the essential conditions for peace, fraternity and harmony. It tells the world that it is possible and necessary to build harmony and understanding between different cultures and religions. It also testifies to the fact that, since the important things we share are so many, it is possible to find a means of serene, ordered and peaceful coexistence, accepting our differences and rejoicing that, as children of the one God, we are all brothers and sisters.
Mr President, dear friends gathered here in Bethlehem: may Almighty God bless you, protect you and grant you the wisdom and strength needed to continue courageously along the path to peace, so that swords will be turned into ploughshares and this land will once more flourish in prosperity and concord. Salaam!
Mr President,
Dear Friends,
I thank President Mahmoud Abbas for his kind welcome and I offer cordial greetings to the representatives of the government and the entire Palestinian people. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to be here with you today in the birthplace of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. I thank all of you for your warm reception.
For decades the Middle East has known the tragic consequences of a protracted conflict which has inflicted many wounds so difficult to heal. Even in the absence of violence, the climate of instability and a lack of mutual understanding have produced insecurity, the violation of rights, isolation and the flight of entire communities, conflicts, shortages and sufferings of every sort.
In expressing my closeness to those who suffer most from this conflict, I wish to state my heartfelt conviction that the time has come to put an end to this situation which has become increasingly unacceptable. For the good of all, there is a need to intensify efforts and initiatives aimed at creating the conditions for a stable peace based on justice, on the recognition of the rights of every individual, and on mutual security. The time has come for everyone to find the courage to be generous and creative in the service of the common good, the courage to forge a peace which rests on the acknowledgment by all of the right of two States to exist and to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders.
To this end, I can only express my profound hope that all will refrain from initiatives and actions which contradict the stated desire to reach a true agreement, and that peace will be pursued with tireless determination and tenacity. Peace will bring countless benefits for the peoples of this region and for the world as a whole. And so it must resolutely be pursued, even if each side has to make certain sacrifices.
I pray that the Palestinian and Israeli peoples and their respective leaders will undertake this promising journey of peace with the same courage and steadfastness needed for every journey. Peace in security and mutual trust will become the stable frame of reference for confronting and resolving every other problem, and thus provide an opportunity for a balanced development, one which can serve as a model for other crisis areas.
Here I would like to say a word about the active Christian community which contributes significantly to the common good of society, sharing in the joys and sufferings of the whole people. Christians desire to continue in this role as full citizens, along with their fellow citizens, whom they regard as their brothers and sisters.
Mr President, you are known as a man of peace and a peacemaker. Our recent meeting in the Vatican and my presence today in Palestine attest to the good relations existing between the Holy See and the State of Palestine. I trust that these relations can further develop for the good of all. In this regard, I express my appreciation for the efforts being made to draft an agreement between the parties regarding various aspects of the life of the Catholic community in this country, with particular attention to religious freedom. Respect for this fundamental human right is, in fact, one of the essential conditions for peace, fraternity and harmony. It tells the world that it is possible and necessary to build harmony and understanding between different cultures and religions. It also testifies to the fact that, since the important things we share are so many, it is possible to find a means of serene, ordered and peaceful coexistence, accepting our differences and rejoicing that, as children of the one God, we are all brothers and sisters.
Mr President, dear friends gathered here in Bethlehem: may Almighty God bless you, protect you and grant you the wisdom and strength needed to continue courageously along the path to peace, so that swords will be turned into ploughshares and this land will once more flourish in prosperity and concord. Salaam!
23 may 2014
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, attacked Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, accusing him of obstructing direct “peace talks”, and said Israel is weighing unilateral moves that would include limited withdrawals from some West Bank areas.
The Likud Party leader said peace talks have failed, and that “there is no Palestinian partner in the peace process”, and alleged that Abbas made no efforts to advance towards comprehensive peace with Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu stated that Tel Aviv is considering a number of unilateral moves, but also said Israel is also concerned that “a unilateral move in the West Bank would bring Hamas to power, similar to what happened in the Gaza Strip”.
Hamas garnered an overwhelming victory in the 2006 legislative election, before Israel shunned it, besieged Gaza, kidnapped and imprisoned most of the elected legislators and officials.
He said Tel Aviv is not interested in a Palestinian State, “that would be sponsored by Iran”, and at the same time, Israel does not want to become a bi-national state, as it wants to maintain “its Jewish identity”.
Netanyahu also rejected any notion that political talks with the Palestinians have collapsed due to Israel’s settlement construction and expansion activities in the occupied West Bank, including in and around occupied East Jerusalem.
He said that Israel has been building and expanding settlements in the West Bank, especially during the past twenty years, because “those settlements will forever remain under Israeli sovereignty”, and “will not impact the shape of the future Palestinian State”.
Commenting on the latest Palestinian reconciliation agreement, including the agreement to form an interim unity government that would prepare for elections, Netanyahu said that Abbas chose to reconcile with Hamas, a movement regarded by both Israel and the United States, as a “terrorist group”, therefore, “the Palestinian President proved he is not interested in peace.”
He also accused Abbas of taking a hardline stance, and of not showing any flexibility in direct talks with Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, Israeli daily Haaretz said that Netanyahu intends to start, next week, a round of talks with ministers of his government regarding unilateral moves Tel Aviv would take as an “alternative to the deteriorating peace talks with the Palestinians”.
Israel is refusing to hold serious talks with the Palestinians regarding essential final status issues topped by the future of occupied Jerusalem, borders, natural resources, the Jordan Valley and the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees.
It also insists on what it calls its “right” to build and expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank, in and around occupied Jerusalem, in direct violation of International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Israeli soldiers, and fanatic Israeli settlers, are also ongoing with their daily violations and abuse against the Palestinians, their homes, lands and their holy sites.
The Likud Party leader said peace talks have failed, and that “there is no Palestinian partner in the peace process”, and alleged that Abbas made no efforts to advance towards comprehensive peace with Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu stated that Tel Aviv is considering a number of unilateral moves, but also said Israel is also concerned that “a unilateral move in the West Bank would bring Hamas to power, similar to what happened in the Gaza Strip”.
Hamas garnered an overwhelming victory in the 2006 legislative election, before Israel shunned it, besieged Gaza, kidnapped and imprisoned most of the elected legislators and officials.
He said Tel Aviv is not interested in a Palestinian State, “that would be sponsored by Iran”, and at the same time, Israel does not want to become a bi-national state, as it wants to maintain “its Jewish identity”.
Netanyahu also rejected any notion that political talks with the Palestinians have collapsed due to Israel’s settlement construction and expansion activities in the occupied West Bank, including in and around occupied East Jerusalem.
He said that Israel has been building and expanding settlements in the West Bank, especially during the past twenty years, because “those settlements will forever remain under Israeli sovereignty”, and “will not impact the shape of the future Palestinian State”.
Commenting on the latest Palestinian reconciliation agreement, including the agreement to form an interim unity government that would prepare for elections, Netanyahu said that Abbas chose to reconcile with Hamas, a movement regarded by both Israel and the United States, as a “terrorist group”, therefore, “the Palestinian President proved he is not interested in peace.”
He also accused Abbas of taking a hardline stance, and of not showing any flexibility in direct talks with Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, Israeli daily Haaretz said that Netanyahu intends to start, next week, a round of talks with ministers of his government regarding unilateral moves Tel Aviv would take as an “alternative to the deteriorating peace talks with the Palestinians”.
Israel is refusing to hold serious talks with the Palestinians regarding essential final status issues topped by the future of occupied Jerusalem, borders, natural resources, the Jordan Valley and the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees.
It also insists on what it calls its “right” to build and expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank, in and around occupied Jerusalem, in direct violation of International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Israeli soldiers, and fanatic Israeli settlers, are also ongoing with their daily violations and abuse against the Palestinians, their homes, lands and their holy sites.
Israeli Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz said he intends to submit a draft law expanding the boundaries of occupied Jerusalem, to include the settlement blocs of Maaleh Adumim and the Gush Etzion.
The Likud Party official said his plan aims at what he called “preserving the Jewish identity” of occupied Jerusalem.
He said that, as Israel will be marking “Jerusalem Day”, (47 years since it illegally annexed occupied Jerusalem), it will also be promoting a plan that would expand the borders of Jerusalem, and strengthen its “Jewish identity”.
Katz will also support declaring what he called “The Greater Jerusalem”, after declaring settlement blocs and settlements, including those far from Jerusalem, as part of the “Greater capital of Israel”, the Israel Today News Website said.
It added that Maaleh Aumim settlement block, Gush Etzion settlement block, Betar Illit and Givat Zeev settlements will be part of the jurisdiction of Jerusalem.
He said this plan aims at creating a centralized council that protects the independence of each settlement, but Jerusalem will be a metropolis, similar to “Greater Paris”, and “Greater London”.
His plan comes amidst deadlocked Palestinian-Israeli political talks, and amidst a serious increase in draft laws that target occupied Jerusalem, in addition to laws calling for annexing Area C in the occupied West Bank to become part of the state.
Meanwhile, Israeli Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel said he expects the settler popular, in the occupied West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, to witness a %50 increase in population by the year 2019.
The plan is another Israeli blow to political talks, that have repeatedly failed due to Israel’s ongoing violations, settlement activities, and aims at a further isolation of the Palestinians living in occupied East Jerusalem, and various areas of the West Bank.
* Area C of the occupied West Bank is around %74 of the entire occupied territories, and falls under complete Israeli military occupation, security control, and is largely used for the illegal construction and expansion of Jewish-only settlements, in direct violation of International Law.
Under the Wye River Agreement, Israel was supposed to withdraw from an additional %13 of the occupied West Bank, which could have effectively reduced Area C to around %61, but Israel’s governments continued to violate agreements signed with the Palestinian Authority.
While the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank and Israel are supposed to be holding talks on Israel’s full withdrawal from all of the occupied territories, including occupied East Jerusalem, and while talks were “progressing" in the 1990’s and various agreements were signed”, Israel launched one of the most massive waves of illegal construction and expansion of Jewish settlements through illegal annexation of Palestinian lands and private property.
Around 99% of Area C are under heavy restrictions by Israel, off-limited to the Palestinians, as Israel’s settlements occupy around 68%, 21% are closed Israeli military zones, and around 9% is allocated for “natural reserves”.
It is virtually impossible for the Palestinians in Area C to obtain construction permits from the Israeli Authorities, while construction and expansion of Jewish settlements have been encouraged and supported by Israel’s different governments.
The illegal Israeli Annexation Wall came to further isolate the occupied territories, preventing hundreds of thousands of villagers and farmers from entering their own land, isolated behind the Wall, while many Palestinian communities have been totally encircled, and isolated, by the Wall.
The Likud Party official said his plan aims at what he called “preserving the Jewish identity” of occupied Jerusalem.
He said that, as Israel will be marking “Jerusalem Day”, (47 years since it illegally annexed occupied Jerusalem), it will also be promoting a plan that would expand the borders of Jerusalem, and strengthen its “Jewish identity”.
Katz will also support declaring what he called “The Greater Jerusalem”, after declaring settlement blocs and settlements, including those far from Jerusalem, as part of the “Greater capital of Israel”, the Israel Today News Website said.
It added that Maaleh Aumim settlement block, Gush Etzion settlement block, Betar Illit and Givat Zeev settlements will be part of the jurisdiction of Jerusalem.
He said this plan aims at creating a centralized council that protects the independence of each settlement, but Jerusalem will be a metropolis, similar to “Greater Paris”, and “Greater London”.
His plan comes amidst deadlocked Palestinian-Israeli political talks, and amidst a serious increase in draft laws that target occupied Jerusalem, in addition to laws calling for annexing Area C in the occupied West Bank to become part of the state.
Meanwhile, Israeli Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel said he expects the settler popular, in the occupied West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, to witness a %50 increase in population by the year 2019.
The plan is another Israeli blow to political talks, that have repeatedly failed due to Israel’s ongoing violations, settlement activities, and aims at a further isolation of the Palestinians living in occupied East Jerusalem, and various areas of the West Bank.
* Area C of the occupied West Bank is around %74 of the entire occupied territories, and falls under complete Israeli military occupation, security control, and is largely used for the illegal construction and expansion of Jewish-only settlements, in direct violation of International Law.
Under the Wye River Agreement, Israel was supposed to withdraw from an additional %13 of the occupied West Bank, which could have effectively reduced Area C to around %61, but Israel’s governments continued to violate agreements signed with the Palestinian Authority.
While the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank and Israel are supposed to be holding talks on Israel’s full withdrawal from all of the occupied territories, including occupied East Jerusalem, and while talks were “progressing" in the 1990’s and various agreements were signed”, Israel launched one of the most massive waves of illegal construction and expansion of Jewish settlements through illegal annexation of Palestinian lands and private property.
Around 99% of Area C are under heavy restrictions by Israel, off-limited to the Palestinians, as Israel’s settlements occupy around 68%, 21% are closed Israeli military zones, and around 9% is allocated for “natural reserves”.
It is virtually impossible for the Palestinians in Area C to obtain construction permits from the Israeli Authorities, while construction and expansion of Jewish settlements have been encouraged and supported by Israel’s different governments.
The illegal Israeli Annexation Wall came to further isolate the occupied territories, preventing hundreds of thousands of villagers and farmers from entering their own land, isolated behind the Wall, while many Palestinian communities have been totally encircled, and isolated, by the Wall.
22 may 2014
By John V. Whitbeck
John V. Whitbeck is an international lawyer who has advised the Palestinian negotiating team in negotiations with Israel.
Now that the American-monopolized "peace process" has expired, Europe should seize the initiative and try to do something useful for Israelis, Palestinians and peace.
If European states still believe that a decent "two-state solution" is conceivable, several useful initiatives are immediately available. They could support and reinforce the current two-state legality by joining the 134 states which have already extended diplomatic recognition to the State of Palestine. They could also require Israelis seeking visas to visit their countries to produce documentary evidence that they are not resident in occupied Palestine.
Most constructively, they could impose economic sanctions on Israel and intensify them until Israel complies with international law and relevant UN resolutions and ends the 47-year-long occupation.
If European states are unwilling to take such initiatives or if they have concluded, not unreasonably, that a decent "two-state solution" is no longer conceivable and that the only issue now is whether the current one-state reality will continue to be an apartheid reality or can be transformed into a democratic one, they should reflect upon their own histories and responsibilities in order to identify the most useful way forward.
The harsh reality is that Zionism is, and has always been, an anti-Semite's dream come true, offering the hope that one's own country's Jews can be induced to leave and move elsewhere.
The British politician Arthur J. Balfour, who gave his name to the fateful 1917 declaration, was an earnest supporter of the 1905 Alien Act, which was specifically designed to stem the inflow into Britain of Jews fleeing from persecution in czarist Russia.
Subsequently, in the aftermath of the Holocaust, a wholly European abomination, European governments, as well as those of the United States, Canada and Australia, shamefully brushed aside Arab pleas to treat the resettlement of displaced Jews as a duty and obligation for the whole world and refused to relax their immigration restrictions, thereby forcing most of them to seek to build new lives in Palestine, even though many would have preferred to settle elsewhere.
Rather than continuing to oppose justice, human decency and international law through unquestioning support for an ethno-religious-supremacist, settler-colonial experiment, European states, which are no longer anti-Semitic, could and should be opening their doors wide to any and all Israeli Jews who might be tempted to build a new and better life for themselves and their children, with less injustice and less insecurity, by returning to their countries of origin or emigrating to other countries of their choice, offering them immediate residency rights, generous resettlement assistance and a fast track to citizenship (if they do not already have it).
Such genuine "Laws of Return" would be profoundly philo-Semitic, pro-Jewish and, yes, anti-Zionist. They would reflect a moral, ethical and self-interested recognition that political Zionism, like certain other prominent 20th century "isms" which once captured the imaginations of millions, was a tragically bad idea -- not simply for those innocents caught and trampled in its path but also for those who embraced it -- which, even if sustainable with Western support, does not deserve to be sustained and which has already caused and, if perpetuated, will continue to cause profound problems for the Western world and its relations with the rest of the world.
Western states like to call for "confidence-building measures" from Israelis, Palestinians and other Arabs without offering any themselves. A multinational initiative to atone for Europe's past sins against Jews by welcoming Israeli Jews to resettle in European states would constitute a hugely constructive confidence-building measure which should, logically, be opposed only by people who are either anti-Semites or Zionists -- or both.
John V. Whitbeck is an international lawyer who has advised the Palestinian negotiating team in negotiations with Israel.
Now that the American-monopolized "peace process" has expired, Europe should seize the initiative and try to do something useful for Israelis, Palestinians and peace.
If European states still believe that a decent "two-state solution" is conceivable, several useful initiatives are immediately available. They could support and reinforce the current two-state legality by joining the 134 states which have already extended diplomatic recognition to the State of Palestine. They could also require Israelis seeking visas to visit their countries to produce documentary evidence that they are not resident in occupied Palestine.
Most constructively, they could impose economic sanctions on Israel and intensify them until Israel complies with international law and relevant UN resolutions and ends the 47-year-long occupation.
If European states are unwilling to take such initiatives or if they have concluded, not unreasonably, that a decent "two-state solution" is no longer conceivable and that the only issue now is whether the current one-state reality will continue to be an apartheid reality or can be transformed into a democratic one, they should reflect upon their own histories and responsibilities in order to identify the most useful way forward.
The harsh reality is that Zionism is, and has always been, an anti-Semite's dream come true, offering the hope that one's own country's Jews can be induced to leave and move elsewhere.
The British politician Arthur J. Balfour, who gave his name to the fateful 1917 declaration, was an earnest supporter of the 1905 Alien Act, which was specifically designed to stem the inflow into Britain of Jews fleeing from persecution in czarist Russia.
Subsequently, in the aftermath of the Holocaust, a wholly European abomination, European governments, as well as those of the United States, Canada and Australia, shamefully brushed aside Arab pleas to treat the resettlement of displaced Jews as a duty and obligation for the whole world and refused to relax their immigration restrictions, thereby forcing most of them to seek to build new lives in Palestine, even though many would have preferred to settle elsewhere.
Rather than continuing to oppose justice, human decency and international law through unquestioning support for an ethno-religious-supremacist, settler-colonial experiment, European states, which are no longer anti-Semitic, could and should be opening their doors wide to any and all Israeli Jews who might be tempted to build a new and better life for themselves and their children, with less injustice and less insecurity, by returning to their countries of origin or emigrating to other countries of their choice, offering them immediate residency rights, generous resettlement assistance and a fast track to citizenship (if they do not already have it).
Such genuine "Laws of Return" would be profoundly philo-Semitic, pro-Jewish and, yes, anti-Zionist. They would reflect a moral, ethical and self-interested recognition that political Zionism, like certain other prominent 20th century "isms" which once captured the imaginations of millions, was a tragically bad idea -- not simply for those innocents caught and trampled in its path but also for those who embraced it -- which, even if sustainable with Western support, does not deserve to be sustained and which has already caused and, if perpetuated, will continue to cause profound problems for the Western world and its relations with the rest of the world.
Western states like to call for "confidence-building measures" from Israelis, Palestinians and other Arabs without offering any themselves. A multinational initiative to atone for Europe's past sins against Jews by welcoming Israeli Jews to resettle in European states would constitute a hugely constructive confidence-building measure which should, logically, be opposed only by people who are either anti-Semites or Zionists -- or both.
In the land which, until 1948, was called Palestine, democracy and equal rights in a unitary state, coupled with freedom of choice and attractive options for resettlement elsewhere for those who would prefer not to live in such a state, should offer more realistic hope for peace with some measure of justice than continued recycling of a partition-based "peace process" which is widely recognized to have been a cynical exercise in killing time and which, even if "successful," would simply legitimize, reward and perpetuate ethnic cleansing, racism and apartheid -- scarcely a recipe for lasting peace, let alone for any measure of justice.
Old assumptions, including the irreversible "success" of the Zionist experiment, should now be questioned. Even once heretical ideas, including the peaceful rollback of the Zionist experiment -- at least in its current, aggressively exclusivist, "nation-state of the Jewish people" form -- and its replacement by democracy through voluntary personal choice rather than through violence, should now be considered.
If Western politicians cared more about the welfare and happiness of individual Jewish human beings than they do about the money and ability to hurt them of a few wealthy and powerful Zionists, most of whom live comfortably and safely far from the Middle East, democracy, equal rights and freedom of choice, all principles to which Western states profess devotion, might actually come to the "Holy Land."
To encourage European states to act, the governments of Muslim states from which Jewish citizens emigrated to Israel could and should issue a new, post-Balfour declaration that their own former Jewish citizens, as well as their descendants, are welcome to return to their countries of origin and publicly call upon European states to follow their example.
Old assumptions, including the irreversible "success" of the Zionist experiment, should now be questioned. Even once heretical ideas, including the peaceful rollback of the Zionist experiment -- at least in its current, aggressively exclusivist, "nation-state of the Jewish people" form -- and its replacement by democracy through voluntary personal choice rather than through violence, should now be considered.
If Western politicians cared more about the welfare and happiness of individual Jewish human beings than they do about the money and ability to hurt them of a few wealthy and powerful Zionists, most of whom live comfortably and safely far from the Middle East, democracy, equal rights and freedom of choice, all principles to which Western states profess devotion, might actually come to the "Holy Land."
To encourage European states to act, the governments of Muslim states from which Jewish citizens emigrated to Israel could and should issue a new, post-Balfour declaration that their own former Jewish citizens, as well as their descendants, are welcome to return to their countries of origin and publicly call upon European states to follow their example.
The Israeli minister of economy and the leader of Jewish home party Naftali Bennett
The Israeli minister of economy and the leader of Jewish home party Naftali Bennett suggested a new plan for peace in Palestine calling to dismantle the security barrier in the West Bank and letting Palestinians govern themselves. In an interview Wednesday with Wall Street Journal Bennett said that Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas, explaining that he will promote a Stability Plan throughout Israel's new Knesset legislative session.
" Palestinians living in certain portions of the West Bank (known as Area A and Area B) should govern themselves. They should hold their own elections, run their own schools, issue their own building permits and manage their own health-care system. In short, they should run their own lives. Israel should not interfere in day-to-day governance," he said.
He explained that to achieve this plan Israel must allow Palestinians complete freedom of movement, which requires removing all roadblocks and checkpoints in the West Bank. In particular, Israel should dismantle the security barrier erected throughout the last decade to defend against what he claimed Palestinian terror attacks during the Second Intifada.
He went on saying that Israeli occupation should work with the international community to promote the Palestinian economic development in areas A and B. According to him waiting for perfect solution to the conflict has affected the Palestinian economy.Up to his plan Israeli occupation would annex the remaining part of West Bank which is known as Area C and exercise sovereignty over it likes the occupied east Jerusalem and Golan Heights. It also would offer the full Israeli citizenship to the Palestinians who live there.
" This arrangement might not be the utopian peace Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat imagined when they shook hands in the White House Rose. Garden in 1993. But it offers Palestinians independent government and prosperity, while ensuring Israeli security and stability," he said
The Israeli minister of economy and the leader of Jewish home party Naftali Bennett suggested a new plan for peace in Palestine calling to dismantle the security barrier in the West Bank and letting Palestinians govern themselves. In an interview Wednesday with Wall Street Journal Bennett said that Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas, explaining that he will promote a Stability Plan throughout Israel's new Knesset legislative session.
" Palestinians living in certain portions of the West Bank (known as Area A and Area B) should govern themselves. They should hold their own elections, run their own schools, issue their own building permits and manage their own health-care system. In short, they should run their own lives. Israel should not interfere in day-to-day governance," he said.
He explained that to achieve this plan Israel must allow Palestinians complete freedom of movement, which requires removing all roadblocks and checkpoints in the West Bank. In particular, Israel should dismantle the security barrier erected throughout the last decade to defend against what he claimed Palestinian terror attacks during the Second Intifada.
He went on saying that Israeli occupation should work with the international community to promote the Palestinian economic development in areas A and B. According to him waiting for perfect solution to the conflict has affected the Palestinian economy.Up to his plan Israeli occupation would annex the remaining part of West Bank which is known as Area C and exercise sovereignty over it likes the occupied east Jerusalem and Golan Heights. It also would offer the full Israeli citizenship to the Palestinians who live there.
" This arrangement might not be the utopian peace Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat imagined when they shook hands in the White House Rose. Garden in 1993. But it offers Palestinians independent government and prosperity, while ensuring Israeli security and stability," he said