25 sept 2014
|
|
President of the United States, Barack Obama, addressed in his speech before the United Nations General assembly the Palestinian-Israeli "conflict", saying that "Leadership will be necessary to address the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis" because it was the main reason to many greater conflicts in the region.
"The violence engulfing the region today has made too many Israelis ready to abandon the hard work of peace," he said. "That's something worthy of reflection within Israel", in a line that was not in his prepared text. Obama said that the US will always seek to achieve peace, despite the darkness of the situation. He added that the inability to achieve peace |
negatively affected the situation in Iraq, Syria, and Libya.
He added, "But let's be clear: the status quo in the West Bank and Gaza is not sustainable. We cannot afford to turn away from this effort – not when rockets are fired at innocent Israelis, or the lives of so many Palestinian children are taken from us in Gaza."
He finally said that he will defend both Palestinians and Israelis, in order to have two states live side by side in peace.
He added, "But let's be clear: the status quo in the West Bank and Gaza is not sustainable. We cannot afford to turn away from this effort – not when rockets are fired at innocent Israelis, or the lives of so many Palestinian children are taken from us in Gaza."
He finally said that he will defend both Palestinians and Israelis, in order to have two states live side by side in peace.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Tuesday that, "Israel does not negotiate with others, but dictates to them," Anadolu news agency reported.
Erekat was speaking to journalists while accompanying Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas at the UN General Assembly in New York.
Commenting on Israel's killing of two Palestinians just hours before the resumption of indirect Palestinian-Israeli ceasefire talks, he said: "This morning, Israel assassinated two Palestinians while there is a ceasefire in place. This sets off a dangerous alarm."
He added: "The other issue is that Israel has appropriated 4,000 dunams (1,000 acres) of Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank and is bidding for the building of new settlements at a time when the whole world is fighting terrorism. Israel is the source of evil in the region."
According to Anadolu, the PA official also called Israel "a burden on the world" and said that winning the anti-terrorism battle lies in "draining the spring of terrorism–Israel".
Erekat explained that the Palestinian message to the UN is to put a timeline for ending the Israeli occupation and set a certain date for the establishment of an independent Palestine state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
He said that all the efforts of the PA president are concentrating on this message.
Israeli occupation forces killed two Palestinians on Tuesday at dawn in the southern West Bank city of Hebron. The two, according to the occupation authorities, were accused of kidnapping three Israeli settlers who went missing on 12 June and were later found dead.
Erekat was speaking to journalists while accompanying Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas at the UN General Assembly in New York.
Commenting on Israel's killing of two Palestinians just hours before the resumption of indirect Palestinian-Israeli ceasefire talks, he said: "This morning, Israel assassinated two Palestinians while there is a ceasefire in place. This sets off a dangerous alarm."
He added: "The other issue is that Israel has appropriated 4,000 dunams (1,000 acres) of Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank and is bidding for the building of new settlements at a time when the whole world is fighting terrorism. Israel is the source of evil in the region."
According to Anadolu, the PA official also called Israel "a burden on the world" and said that winning the anti-terrorism battle lies in "draining the spring of terrorism–Israel".
Erekat explained that the Palestinian message to the UN is to put a timeline for ending the Israeli occupation and set a certain date for the establishment of an independent Palestine state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
He said that all the efforts of the PA president are concentrating on this message.
Israeli occupation forces killed two Palestinians on Tuesday at dawn in the southern West Bank city of Hebron. The two, according to the occupation authorities, were accused of kidnapping three Israeli settlers who went missing on 12 June and were later found dead.
7 sept 2014
The Ahrar center for prisoners' studies and human rights said Israel had killed and assassinated 50 Palestinian citizens in the occupied lands during the last nine-month peace talks with the Palestinian Authority (PA). Director of the center Fouad Al-Khafsh said that the Israeli killing machine becomes more brutal during the time of peace negotiations, stressing that regardless of peacetime or wartime, Israel always finds ways to shed Palestinian blood.
Khafsh added that during the months of peace negotiations between the PA and Israel from August 2013 to March 2014, the latter killed 50 Palestinians in different areas of the occupied territories.
Despite that number of victims, the PA did not withdraw from the negotiations or make diplomatic moves to rally an international position against such Israeli crimes, the director of the center said.
Such Palestinian passivity encouraged Israel to persist in the killing of the Palestinians and to wage another genocidal war on the population in Gaza, he added
Khafsh added that during the months of peace negotiations between the PA and Israel from August 2013 to March 2014, the latter killed 50 Palestinians in different areas of the occupied territories.
Despite that number of victims, the PA did not withdraw from the negotiations or make diplomatic moves to rally an international position against such Israeli crimes, the director of the center said.
Such Palestinian passivity encouraged Israel to persist in the killing of the Palestinians and to wage another genocidal war on the population in Gaza, he added
5 sept 2014
The US administration turned down Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas's new political initiative for solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but it asked for more time for internal consultations, informed sources told al-Quds newspaper on Thursday. A high-level delegation led by chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and PA general intelligence chief Majed Faraj are still in Washington to revive the peace process.
The US administration described the initiative as a unilateral move and asked for more time to consider it.
The Palestinian delegation met last Wednesday with US secretary of state John Kerry and other officials and tabled Abbas's peace plan, and will continue its meetings in Washington on Thursday before leaving for occupied Palestine to brief Abbas on the results of the visit.
The US administration described the initiative as a unilateral move and asked for more time to consider it.
The Palestinian delegation met last Wednesday with US secretary of state John Kerry and other officials and tabled Abbas's peace plan, and will continue its meetings in Washington on Thursday before leaving for occupied Palestine to brief Abbas on the results of the visit.
6 july 2014
Hamas called on PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas to call off his participation in an Israeli conference to be held in Tel Aviv on Tuesday at a time when a spate of online campaigns calling for Abbas’s departure has been launched. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement on Monday that any potential involvement by Abbas in the scheduled seminar is a serious blow to the feelings of Palestinians, particularly in the wake of the unspeakable homicide of the Palestinian child Abu Khdeir.
Abbas’s silence over Israeli crimes in Gaza, the West Bank and Occupied Jerusalem has generated a fuss among scores of Facebookers and users of other social networking websites, all calling on Abbas to step down.
Several new online pages and campaigns have been launched under such slogans as “Abbas go home” and “Abbas does not represent me”. The initiative has been highly acclaimed by thousands of fans voicing their disapproval over Abbas’s reluctant positions.
“Abbas must step down right now!” the Information Ministry undersecretary in Gaza, Ihab al-Ghasin, said as he slammed Abbas’s unresponsiveness to the Israeli crimes and his compliant coordination with the Israeli security apparatuses.
While Abbas has strongly condemned the kidnap of three Israeli soldiers near al-Khalil and vowed to bring them back alive by all means and to punish the perpetrators, he has, however, showed no sympathy or concern with the burning of a Palestinian child alive and only issued a terse statement asking Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to condemn the incident.
For his part, Taher al-Nunu, former media advisor to the Ministerial Council in Gaza, said: “A leadership that does not represent its own people should definitely leave the chair.”
“Your political agenda is a real disappointment that has not managed to heal the rift, but rather deepened it with each and every new day. Is Palestine an experimental lab? In a nutshell, you’d better walk out because you’ve not been up to your allotted mission,” Nunu declared in a message to Abbas.
Writer and political analyst Adnan Abu Amer dubbed Abu Mazen (Abbas) the biggest loser, confirming: “As far as I know, Abbas is going through a state of incomparable isolation that he has never witnessed before. Most of the members of (Fatah) Central Committee are not of the same positions as his.”
Abu Amer recalled the message of al-Jazeera reporter Jivara al-Badri in which she told Abbas: “Why on earth haven’t you been moved an inch by the awful slaughter of the child Abu Khdeir. Excuse me Mr. President but your apathy this time is a sword stabbed in Muhammad’s heart and his colleagues.”
Abbas’s silence over Israeli crimes in Gaza, the West Bank and Occupied Jerusalem has generated a fuss among scores of Facebookers and users of other social networking websites, all calling on Abbas to step down.
Several new online pages and campaigns have been launched under such slogans as “Abbas go home” and “Abbas does not represent me”. The initiative has been highly acclaimed by thousands of fans voicing their disapproval over Abbas’s reluctant positions.
“Abbas must step down right now!” the Information Ministry undersecretary in Gaza, Ihab al-Ghasin, said as he slammed Abbas’s unresponsiveness to the Israeli crimes and his compliant coordination with the Israeli security apparatuses.
While Abbas has strongly condemned the kidnap of three Israeli soldiers near al-Khalil and vowed to bring them back alive by all means and to punish the perpetrators, he has, however, showed no sympathy or concern with the burning of a Palestinian child alive and only issued a terse statement asking Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to condemn the incident.
For his part, Taher al-Nunu, former media advisor to the Ministerial Council in Gaza, said: “A leadership that does not represent its own people should definitely leave the chair.”
“Your political agenda is a real disappointment that has not managed to heal the rift, but rather deepened it with each and every new day. Is Palestine an experimental lab? In a nutshell, you’d better walk out because you’ve not been up to your allotted mission,” Nunu declared in a message to Abbas.
Writer and political analyst Adnan Abu Amer dubbed Abu Mazen (Abbas) the biggest loser, confirming: “As far as I know, Abbas is going through a state of incomparable isolation that he has never witnessed before. Most of the members of (Fatah) Central Committee are not of the same positions as his.”
Abu Amer recalled the message of al-Jazeera reporter Jivara al-Badri in which she told Abbas: “Why on earth haven’t you been moved an inch by the awful slaughter of the child Abu Khdeir. Excuse me Mr. President but your apathy this time is a sword stabbed in Muhammad’s heart and his colleagues.”
5 july 2014
Palestinian businessman and economic developer Munib al-Masri said Saturday that he would not take part in an annual peace conference hosted by an Israeli newspaper.
The Israel Peace Conference sponsored by Haaretz, an independent Israeli newspaper, offers the platform for leaders to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and how to achieve peace.
“The Israel Conference on Peace is intended to restore the missing dialogue to public debate in Israel,” Haaretz says.
Al-Masri says that “this was planned over two months ago and I wanted to discuss a just peace in accordance with an independent Palestinian state on the borders of 1967 with Jerusalem as its capital, the refugees’ cause according to resolution 194.”
“We want Israel to know that we will not accept any less than that”, al-Masri added.
However, he highlighted Saturday that after the latest "crimes" that have been committed, especially the kidnapping and killing of “the child Muhammed Abu Khdeir,” he informed the moderators of the conference that he would not take part.
He said the decision was in respect and consideration for the Palestinians’ feelings and “in protest against these crimes.”
He denied reports that he and Palestinian delegates visited the family of one of the three Israeli settlers who were kidnapped and killed. He said “enough disbelief and distrust; it is absurd to publish anything without referring to the original source.”
“The complexities of the internal situation, the justice of the Palestinian cause and the awareness of the Palestinian people are factors that will not allow the fifth column to take our eyes away from Jerusalem and the liberation and independence of Palestine.”
The Israel Peace Conference sponsored by Haaretz, an independent Israeli newspaper, offers the platform for leaders to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and how to achieve peace.
“The Israel Conference on Peace is intended to restore the missing dialogue to public debate in Israel,” Haaretz says.
Al-Masri says that “this was planned over two months ago and I wanted to discuss a just peace in accordance with an independent Palestinian state on the borders of 1967 with Jerusalem as its capital, the refugees’ cause according to resolution 194.”
“We want Israel to know that we will not accept any less than that”, al-Masri added.
However, he highlighted Saturday that after the latest "crimes" that have been committed, especially the kidnapping and killing of “the child Muhammed Abu Khdeir,” he informed the moderators of the conference that he would not take part.
He said the decision was in respect and consideration for the Palestinians’ feelings and “in protest against these crimes.”
He denied reports that he and Palestinian delegates visited the family of one of the three Israeli settlers who were kidnapped and killed. He said “enough disbelief and distrust; it is absurd to publish anything without referring to the original source.”
“The complexities of the internal situation, the justice of the Palestinian cause and the awareness of the Palestinian people are factors that will not allow the fifth column to take our eyes away from Jerusalem and the liberation and independence of Palestine.”
19 june 2014
Australian's foreign minister met Arab and Islamic ambassadors Thursday to try to soothe concerns over Canberra's stance on East Jerusalem, insisting there was no policy change despite moves to stop referring to it as "occupied".
The meeting followed fury after Attorney-General George Brandis said the term would not be used as it carried pejorative implications and was neither appropriate nor useful.
Eighteen diplomats from countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia protested and warned of possible trade sanctions.
Australia's export trade with the Middle East accounts for billions of dollars annually, particularly in wheat and meat.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said there had been a "constructive" discussion and released a letter to the diplomats re-affirming there was no change in the government's position on the legal status of the Palestinian Territories.
"Our position is consistent with relevant UN resolutions adopted over many years, including UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338," it read.
"Senator Brandis' statement was about nomenclature, and was not a comment on the legal status of the Palestinian Territories."
While avoiding the term "occupied" altogether, it added that Australia continued to be a strong supporter of a two-state solution "with Israel and a Palestinian state existing side by side in peace and security".
The diplomats were furious with the comments on East Jerusalem, which was annexed by Israel in a move never recognized by the international community, and concerned that it was a "substantial policy shift".
The international community views all Israeli construction on land seized in 1967, including the West Bank, as illegal and a major obstacle to a negotiated peace agreement.
The head of the Palestinian delegation to Canberra Izzat Abdulhadi said he was satisfied with the way the meeting went.
"The foreign minister was very clear about it today, that, yes, East Jerusalem is occupied. She repeated it several times," he told Sky News.
Abdulhadi added that it appeared Brandis, who said Australia would no longer call East Jerusalem occupied but disputed, had overstepped the mark.
"The other important development was that she said that from now on ... the policy of Australia is declared by either herself or the prime minister only."
The meeting followed fury after Attorney-General George Brandis said the term would not be used as it carried pejorative implications and was neither appropriate nor useful.
Eighteen diplomats from countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia protested and warned of possible trade sanctions.
Australia's export trade with the Middle East accounts for billions of dollars annually, particularly in wheat and meat.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said there had been a "constructive" discussion and released a letter to the diplomats re-affirming there was no change in the government's position on the legal status of the Palestinian Territories.
"Our position is consistent with relevant UN resolutions adopted over many years, including UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338," it read.
"Senator Brandis' statement was about nomenclature, and was not a comment on the legal status of the Palestinian Territories."
While avoiding the term "occupied" altogether, it added that Australia continued to be a strong supporter of a two-state solution "with Israel and a Palestinian state existing side by side in peace and security".
The diplomats were furious with the comments on East Jerusalem, which was annexed by Israel in a move never recognized by the international community, and concerned that it was a "substantial policy shift".
The international community views all Israeli construction on land seized in 1967, including the West Bank, as illegal and a major obstacle to a negotiated peace agreement.
The head of the Palestinian delegation to Canberra Izzat Abdulhadi said he was satisfied with the way the meeting went.
"The foreign minister was very clear about it today, that, yes, East Jerusalem is occupied. She repeated it several times," he told Sky News.
Abdulhadi added that it appeared Brandis, who said Australia would no longer call East Jerusalem occupied but disputed, had overstepped the mark.
"The other important development was that she said that from now on ... the policy of Australia is declared by either herself or the prime minister only."
18 june 2014
Israeli soldiers stand next to a poster of President Mahmoud Abbas during a search for three Israeli teenagers believed kidnapped by Palestinian militants, on June 18, 2014 in the West Bank village of Tapuah, west of Hebron
Hamas slammed President Mahmoud Abbas' support for security coordination with Israel on Wednesday, as Israel pursued a manhunt for three teens believed to have been kidnapped last Thursday.
"President Abbas' statements on security coordination with Israel are unjustified, harmful to Palestinian reconciliation ... and a psychological blow to the thousands of Palestinian prisoners suffering a slow death in the occupation's jails," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.
"These statements are based solely on the Israeli narrative, without presenting any true information," Abu Zuhri added.
His comments came after Abbas said security coordination with Israel was in the Palestinians' "interest" and pledged there would be no new intifada, or uprising.
"Those who kidnapped the three teenagers want to destroy us. We will hold them accountable," Abbas told an Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Jeddah.
"The three teens are human beings like us and they should be returned to their families," he added.
Abbas said he would be willing to start a new round of negotiations for 9 months if 30 veteran Palestinian prisoners detained before the Oslo Accords were released and Israel froze settlement construction for three months.
Any such talks should focus on agreeing on borders, he said, adding that the PA has been in contact with US officials about resuming talks.
Israel used the reconciliation deal between the PA and Hamas to foil peace talks, he added.
Since the teenagers disappeared on Thursday evening, Israeli troops have arrested some 240 Palestinians, mostly Hamas members, in mass raids across the occupied West Bank.
So far, there has been no formal claim of responsibility, and Hamas has dismissed Israel's accusations as "stupid."
It was Hamas' sharpest criticism of Abbas since the Islamist movement signed a unity deal with the PLO, which is dominated by Abbas' Fatah party, aiming to end seven years of rival administrations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged the international community to press Abbas to end his reconciliation deal with Hamas, citing the kidnapping as proof the movement's "terrorist" activities make it an unsuitable political partner.
On June 2, Abbas appointed a unity government made up of independents, which is committed to renouncing violence.
Hamas slammed President Mahmoud Abbas' support for security coordination with Israel on Wednesday, as Israel pursued a manhunt for three teens believed to have been kidnapped last Thursday.
"President Abbas' statements on security coordination with Israel are unjustified, harmful to Palestinian reconciliation ... and a psychological blow to the thousands of Palestinian prisoners suffering a slow death in the occupation's jails," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.
"These statements are based solely on the Israeli narrative, without presenting any true information," Abu Zuhri added.
His comments came after Abbas said security coordination with Israel was in the Palestinians' "interest" and pledged there would be no new intifada, or uprising.
"Those who kidnapped the three teenagers want to destroy us. We will hold them accountable," Abbas told an Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Jeddah.
"The three teens are human beings like us and they should be returned to their families," he added.
Abbas said he would be willing to start a new round of negotiations for 9 months if 30 veteran Palestinian prisoners detained before the Oslo Accords were released and Israel froze settlement construction for three months.
Any such talks should focus on agreeing on borders, he said, adding that the PA has been in contact with US officials about resuming talks.
Israel used the reconciliation deal between the PA and Hamas to foil peace talks, he added.
Since the teenagers disappeared on Thursday evening, Israeli troops have arrested some 240 Palestinians, mostly Hamas members, in mass raids across the occupied West Bank.
So far, there has been no formal claim of responsibility, and Hamas has dismissed Israel's accusations as "stupid."
It was Hamas' sharpest criticism of Abbas since the Islamist movement signed a unity deal with the PLO, which is dominated by Abbas' Fatah party, aiming to end seven years of rival administrations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged the international community to press Abbas to end his reconciliation deal with Hamas, citing the kidnapping as proof the movement's "terrorist" activities make it an unsuitable political partner.
On June 2, Abbas appointed a unity government made up of independents, which is committed to renouncing violence.
Israel gave approval Wednesday for the construction of 172 new homes for Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem, a city councilor said, nearly two weeks after it announced thousands.
"The municipality approved this morning the construction of 172 apartments in Har Homa," Jerusalem city councilor Yosef Pepe Alalu told AFP.
"This is the final stage before construction, and is the continuation of a policy that harms the peace process."
"The municipality approved this morning the construction of 172 apartments in Har Homa," Jerusalem city councilor Yosef Pepe Alalu told AFP.
"This is the final stage before construction, and is the continuation of a policy that harms the peace process."
15 june 2014
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, pictured during her visit to The Hague, on March 24, 2014
Australia's foreign minister will meet ambassadors angered by the country's decision to stop referring to East Jerusalem as "occupied," Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Sunday as he stressed there was "no change in policy."
Australia has been warned of possible Arab trade sanctions after last week's move, which Attorney-General George Brandis said was made because the term "occupied" carried pejorative implications and was neither appropriate nor useful.
But the decision has sparked fury in the Arab world, and on Thursday 18 diplomats from countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia protested to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra.
Israel seized East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, in a move never recognized by the international community. Palestinians, meanwhile, envision East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
Abbott, speaking in Houston as part of an official trip to the United States, said Australia was "very happy to clarify the position and on trade".
"My understanding is that there is going to be a meeting between some of the ambassadors and Foreign Minister (Julie) Bishop in a couple of days' time," the prime minister said.
"We are very happy to clarify the position and on trade. People trade with us because we are a good trading partner... Nothing that has happened in the last couple of days could detract from that."
The head of the Palestinian delegation to Canberra warned Friday that Australia could face trade sanctions by Arab nations over the new stance.
Australia's export trade with the Middle East accounts for billions of dollars annually, particularly in wheat and meat, with Qatar and Jordan major markets for live sheep.
Abbott said there was "absolutely no change" to Australia's policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the shift on East Jerusalem was "simply a terminological clarification."
"We strongly support a two-state solution," he said. "We are giving, I think, Aus$56 million ($53 million) in aid this year to Palestine. No change in policy."
Israel has hailed the Australian move as "refreshing."
The Palestinians claim Arab East Jerusalem as the capital of their promised state.
The international community views Israeli construction on land seized in 1967, including East Jerusalem, as illegal and a major obstacle to a peace agreement.
Bishop on Sunday blamed the opposition Labor Party for the uproar, telling Ten News it was a "complete and utter overreaction."
Australia's foreign minister will meet ambassadors angered by the country's decision to stop referring to East Jerusalem as "occupied," Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Sunday as he stressed there was "no change in policy."
Australia has been warned of possible Arab trade sanctions after last week's move, which Attorney-General George Brandis said was made because the term "occupied" carried pejorative implications and was neither appropriate nor useful.
But the decision has sparked fury in the Arab world, and on Thursday 18 diplomats from countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia protested to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra.
Israel seized East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, in a move never recognized by the international community. Palestinians, meanwhile, envision East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
Abbott, speaking in Houston as part of an official trip to the United States, said Australia was "very happy to clarify the position and on trade".
"My understanding is that there is going to be a meeting between some of the ambassadors and Foreign Minister (Julie) Bishop in a couple of days' time," the prime minister said.
"We are very happy to clarify the position and on trade. People trade with us because we are a good trading partner... Nothing that has happened in the last couple of days could detract from that."
The head of the Palestinian delegation to Canberra warned Friday that Australia could face trade sanctions by Arab nations over the new stance.
Australia's export trade with the Middle East accounts for billions of dollars annually, particularly in wheat and meat, with Qatar and Jordan major markets for live sheep.
Abbott said there was "absolutely no change" to Australia's policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the shift on East Jerusalem was "simply a terminological clarification."
"We strongly support a two-state solution," he said. "We are giving, I think, Aus$56 million ($53 million) in aid this year to Palestine. No change in policy."
Israel has hailed the Australian move as "refreshing."
The Palestinians claim Arab East Jerusalem as the capital of their promised state.
The international community views Israeli construction on land seized in 1967, including East Jerusalem, as illegal and a major obstacle to a peace agreement.
Bishop on Sunday blamed the opposition Labor Party for the uproar, telling Ten News it was a "complete and utter overreaction."
13 june 2014
88 US senators out of 535 congress members have opposed US financial aid to the Palestinian unity government.
These senators have sent a letter to president Obama slamming the continued US aid to the newly formed Palestinian unity government, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said Thursday.
In their letter, the senator said the law is clear and warned US president that their chamber, the senate, would reconsider future aid.
The senators called on US president Barack Obama to pressure Palestinian authority president Mahmoud Abbas to revoke his reconciliation agreement with Hamas and resume peace talks with Israelis.
These senators have sent a letter to president Obama slamming the continued US aid to the newly formed Palestinian unity government, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said Thursday.
In their letter, the senator said the law is clear and warned US president that their chamber, the senate, would reconsider future aid.
The senators called on US president Barack Obama to pressure Palestinian authority president Mahmoud Abbas to revoke his reconciliation agreement with Hamas and resume peace talks with Israelis.
10 june 2014
By JOSEF FEDERMAN and DAN PERRY
The collapse of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks has laid bare deep divisions in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition that John Kerry's determined but ill-fated diplomacy had allowed to be papered over.
Key coalition allies are demanding a government initiative to extract Israel from the West Bank, while others say now is the moment for enhanced Jewish settlement and even annexation of some areas. The likely short-term outcome is a period of protracted gridlock in which hopes for peace will remain in deep freeze, and some are sensing that a government collapse and even early elections may follow suit.
"This coalition is definitely problematic," Tzipi Livni, leader of the "Movement" party and until recently Israel's chief peace negotiator, told Israel Radio on Monday.
In many ways, the coalition has been problematic since taking office in March 2013. Its members include a dovish party committed to peace with the Palestinians, a centrist party focused on domestic affairs and nationalistic elements who oppose any concessions to the Palestinians.
The resumption of peace talks last July enabled this assemblage to put its differences on hold - and forge a coalition that was convenient and, for the nine months of Kerry's labors, politically defensible. But the talks collapsed in April, as many observers had expected, and now the fissures are re-emerging with rival factions proposing wildly different ideas on how to proceed.
Last week's formation of a Palestinian unity government, backed by both President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah and the Hamas militant group, has only added to those divisions.
Economics Minister Naftali Bennett, leader of the pro-settler "Jewish Home" party, told a prestigious security conference on Sunday that Israel should annex large parts of the West Bank, occupied territory that is almost universally seen as the heartland of a future Palestinian state. Such a move would trigger an international uproar against Israel. The 2 million-odd Palestinians in non-annexed areas would be given enhanced autonomy, he offered.
"The time has come to think differently in a creative way on how to make a better future for Israeli citizens and the Arabs of Judea and Samaria," Bennett said, using the biblical term for the West Bank.
Speaking to the same conference, Finance Minister Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid (There Is a Future) party, said Israel should halt settlement construction deep inside the West Bank and in any case withdraw from areas that it does not expect to keep under a peace agreement. He said such moves would clear the way for a final agreement and negotiated borders with the Palestinians.
In his toughest comments, Lapid vowed to bring down the coalition if Israel attempts to annex "even a single settlement" unilaterally. "Yesh Atid will not only leave the government - it will also topple it," he said.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman lamented Monday that it "doesn't look good" for top officials to be sending such different messages. "We need to adopt one clear political plan that will bind all the government components," he said. "I propose that it be done as soon as possible."
Doing so won't be easy, since the disagreements cut at the very character of Israel and the essence of a longstanding internal debate.
The Palestinians claim all of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem - areas captured by Israel in 1967 - for a future state. The Israelis, rather than presenting a counter-claim, are deeply torn among themselves.
Netanyahu and his rightist allies suggested Monday that offering "concessions" without the promise of a return is foolish, and evidence of inexperience. But they confront a conceptual disagreement: for his coalition allies Livni and Lapid, handing over most of the Palestinian areas is not, in fact, a concession. That's because most Israeli demographers agree that without the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, the Palestinian population, combined with Israel's own Arab minority, will soon equal and even outnumber Jews. In time partition would become impossible, undermining Israel's character as a democracy with a Jewish majority and yielding a "binational" state, they say.
"There are only two options, and nobody should mislead you about this," Livni said Sunday. "My choice, as it has always been, is a Jewish democratic state."
Hard-liners support settlements and a continued presence in the West Bank on security and religious grounds.
Throughout his current tenure as prime minister, which began in 2009 and continued with a razor-thin re-election in 2013, Netanyahu has sent mixed signals. On one hand, he has endorsed the idea of a Palestinian state, saying a binational state must be avoided. Yet he has presided over the construction of thousands of Jewish settlement homes built in areas claimed by the Palestinians, confusing even close allies about his true intentions.
Even since peace talks collapsed, Netanyahu has given no indication about where he wants to lead the country. He has dropped hints of taking some sort of unilateral action. But he has also said he would never duplicate Israel's 2005 unilateral pullout from Gaza, which cleared the way for Hamas militants to seize control of the territory and turn it into a base for rocket attacks on Israel.
Ironically, Netanyahu may have gained some time thanks to the formation of the new Palestinian government. The international community has rebuffed Netanyahu's calls to shun the new government - but he also seems to face little pressure to revive peace talks. Instead, the U.S. and European Union have decided to give the government a chance while they examine whether it remains committed to peace with Israel, as Abbas has promised.
Dov Lipman, a Yesh Atid lawmaker, said Lapid also wants to study the new Palestinian government's program and is in no rush to bring down the Israeli coalition. But he said if the situation reaches a point where the party feels peace talks can be restarted, Yesh Atid would consider pulling out.
Reuven Hazan, of the political science department at Hebrew University, said that with the Israeli parliament entering a summer recess, followed by Jewish holidays in the fall and then U.S. midterm elections, quick movement was unlikely, and might depend on the Americans.
"The decision has to be made by Obama and Kerry if they want to take their last two years and try to tackle a problem that nobody else has been able to solve in several decades," he said.
The collapse of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks has laid bare deep divisions in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition that John Kerry's determined but ill-fated diplomacy had allowed to be papered over.
Key coalition allies are demanding a government initiative to extract Israel from the West Bank, while others say now is the moment for enhanced Jewish settlement and even annexation of some areas. The likely short-term outcome is a period of protracted gridlock in which hopes for peace will remain in deep freeze, and some are sensing that a government collapse and even early elections may follow suit.
"This coalition is definitely problematic," Tzipi Livni, leader of the "Movement" party and until recently Israel's chief peace negotiator, told Israel Radio on Monday.
In many ways, the coalition has been problematic since taking office in March 2013. Its members include a dovish party committed to peace with the Palestinians, a centrist party focused on domestic affairs and nationalistic elements who oppose any concessions to the Palestinians.
The resumption of peace talks last July enabled this assemblage to put its differences on hold - and forge a coalition that was convenient and, for the nine months of Kerry's labors, politically defensible. But the talks collapsed in April, as many observers had expected, and now the fissures are re-emerging with rival factions proposing wildly different ideas on how to proceed.
Last week's formation of a Palestinian unity government, backed by both President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah and the Hamas militant group, has only added to those divisions.
Economics Minister Naftali Bennett, leader of the pro-settler "Jewish Home" party, told a prestigious security conference on Sunday that Israel should annex large parts of the West Bank, occupied territory that is almost universally seen as the heartland of a future Palestinian state. Such a move would trigger an international uproar against Israel. The 2 million-odd Palestinians in non-annexed areas would be given enhanced autonomy, he offered.
"The time has come to think differently in a creative way on how to make a better future for Israeli citizens and the Arabs of Judea and Samaria," Bennett said, using the biblical term for the West Bank.
Speaking to the same conference, Finance Minister Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid (There Is a Future) party, said Israel should halt settlement construction deep inside the West Bank and in any case withdraw from areas that it does not expect to keep under a peace agreement. He said such moves would clear the way for a final agreement and negotiated borders with the Palestinians.
In his toughest comments, Lapid vowed to bring down the coalition if Israel attempts to annex "even a single settlement" unilaterally. "Yesh Atid will not only leave the government - it will also topple it," he said.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman lamented Monday that it "doesn't look good" for top officials to be sending such different messages. "We need to adopt one clear political plan that will bind all the government components," he said. "I propose that it be done as soon as possible."
Doing so won't be easy, since the disagreements cut at the very character of Israel and the essence of a longstanding internal debate.
The Palestinians claim all of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem - areas captured by Israel in 1967 - for a future state. The Israelis, rather than presenting a counter-claim, are deeply torn among themselves.
Netanyahu and his rightist allies suggested Monday that offering "concessions" without the promise of a return is foolish, and evidence of inexperience. But they confront a conceptual disagreement: for his coalition allies Livni and Lapid, handing over most of the Palestinian areas is not, in fact, a concession. That's because most Israeli demographers agree that without the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, the Palestinian population, combined with Israel's own Arab minority, will soon equal and even outnumber Jews. In time partition would become impossible, undermining Israel's character as a democracy with a Jewish majority and yielding a "binational" state, they say.
"There are only two options, and nobody should mislead you about this," Livni said Sunday. "My choice, as it has always been, is a Jewish democratic state."
Hard-liners support settlements and a continued presence in the West Bank on security and religious grounds.
Throughout his current tenure as prime minister, which began in 2009 and continued with a razor-thin re-election in 2013, Netanyahu has sent mixed signals. On one hand, he has endorsed the idea of a Palestinian state, saying a binational state must be avoided. Yet he has presided over the construction of thousands of Jewish settlement homes built in areas claimed by the Palestinians, confusing even close allies about his true intentions.
Even since peace talks collapsed, Netanyahu has given no indication about where he wants to lead the country. He has dropped hints of taking some sort of unilateral action. But he has also said he would never duplicate Israel's 2005 unilateral pullout from Gaza, which cleared the way for Hamas militants to seize control of the territory and turn it into a base for rocket attacks on Israel.
Ironically, Netanyahu may have gained some time thanks to the formation of the new Palestinian government. The international community has rebuffed Netanyahu's calls to shun the new government - but he also seems to face little pressure to revive peace talks. Instead, the U.S. and European Union have decided to give the government a chance while they examine whether it remains committed to peace with Israel, as Abbas has promised.
Dov Lipman, a Yesh Atid lawmaker, said Lapid also wants to study the new Palestinian government's program and is in no rush to bring down the Israeli coalition. But he said if the situation reaches a point where the party feels peace talks can be restarted, Yesh Atid would consider pulling out.
Reuven Hazan, of the political science department at Hebrew University, said that with the Israeli parliament entering a summer recess, followed by Jewish holidays in the fall and then U.S. midterm elections, quick movement was unlikely, and might depend on the Americans.
"The decision has to be made by Obama and Kerry if they want to take their last two years and try to tackle a problem that nobody else has been able to solve in several decades," he said.
