19 jan 2014
President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday that despite US Secretary of State John Kerry's efforts, Palestine has so far gotten nothing out of the ongoing peace negotiations with Israel.
"The problem is with the Israeli side and not with us," Abbas said in an interview on Moroccan television following the Al-Quds Committee meeting in Marrakesh.
He spoke the same day Israeli army radio announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had proposed to Kerry that Israel annex a fourth settlement bloc within the West Bank, amounting to approximately 13 percent of the internationally recognized Palestinian territory.
Abbas called this kind of shift in borders "unacceptable."
Calling Israeli settlers "invaders" with "no right" to Palestinian land, he stressed that Palestinians living inside what is now Israel "were on the land 1,500 years before Israel was established."
This is why Palestine can never recognize Israel as a "Jewish state," Abbas said.
"We demand is what was given to us by the international community" in 1967, he added, though he acknowledged that limited land swaps would be acceptable.
'Try me, and then we can talk'
Nevertheless, the head of the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority was not as pessimistic about reconciliation with Hamas.
If Hamas agrees to hold elections, there will be reconciliation "tomorrow," Abbas said.
He said Hamas has "used the excuse" that the Americans and Israelis -- who consider the Islamist faction a "terrorist organization" -- would refuse to negotiate with the PLO if Hamas were included, and thus would pressure Abbas against reconciliation.
"We will not take the Americans and Israelis into consideration," Abbas said. "To (Hamas) I say try me, and then we can talk."
Peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians were relaunched in July under the auspices of the US after nearly three years of impasse.
Israel's government has announced the construction of thousands of housing units in illegal settlements since peace talks began.
The division between Hamas and Fatah began in 2006, when Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections.
In the following year, clashes erupted between the two factions, leaving Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of parts of the occupied West Bank.
The groups have made failed attempts at national reconciliation for years, most recently in 2012, when they signed two agreements -- one in Cairo and a subsequent one in Doha -- which have as of yet been entirely unimplemented.
"The problem is with the Israeli side and not with us," Abbas said in an interview on Moroccan television following the Al-Quds Committee meeting in Marrakesh.
He spoke the same day Israeli army radio announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had proposed to Kerry that Israel annex a fourth settlement bloc within the West Bank, amounting to approximately 13 percent of the internationally recognized Palestinian territory.
Abbas called this kind of shift in borders "unacceptable."
Calling Israeli settlers "invaders" with "no right" to Palestinian land, he stressed that Palestinians living inside what is now Israel "were on the land 1,500 years before Israel was established."
This is why Palestine can never recognize Israel as a "Jewish state," Abbas said.
"We demand is what was given to us by the international community" in 1967, he added, though he acknowledged that limited land swaps would be acceptable.
'Try me, and then we can talk'
Nevertheless, the head of the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority was not as pessimistic about reconciliation with Hamas.
If Hamas agrees to hold elections, there will be reconciliation "tomorrow," Abbas said.
He said Hamas has "used the excuse" that the Americans and Israelis -- who consider the Islamist faction a "terrorist organization" -- would refuse to negotiate with the PLO if Hamas were included, and thus would pressure Abbas against reconciliation.
"We will not take the Americans and Israelis into consideration," Abbas said. "To (Hamas) I say try me, and then we can talk."
Peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians were relaunched in July under the auspices of the US after nearly three years of impasse.
Israel's government has announced the construction of thousands of housing units in illegal settlements since peace talks began.
The division between Hamas and Fatah began in 2006, when Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections.
In the following year, clashes erupted between the two factions, leaving Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of parts of the occupied West Bank.
The groups have made failed attempts at national reconciliation for years, most recently in 2012, when they signed two agreements -- one in Cairo and a subsequent one in Doha -- which have as of yet been entirely unimplemented.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told US Secretary of State John Kerry that he wants to annex a fourth bloc of West Bank settlements, army radio reported on Sunday.
Until now, Israel has always spoken of its intention to annex three blocs of settlements in any future agreement with the Palestinians: the Etzion bloc in the south; Maale Adumim to the east of Jerusalem; and the Ariel bloc in the north.
The report said Netanyahu was proposing that Israel also keep hold of a group of settlements deep in the West Bank -- Beit El, Ofra and Psagot -- which lie to the north and east of Ramallah, the radio said.
A settlement bloc is an area where clusters of settlements have been established in relatively close proximity to one another, in which the majority of the West Bank's 367,000 settlers currently live.
If Israel was to keep hold of the "Beit El bloc" as well as the others, it would mean annexing a total of 13 percent of the occupied West Bank, the radio said, describing it as a "very large percentage" of the territory.
"In the negotiating room, Netanyahu is talking about 13 percent of territory," the radio's diplomatic correspondent Ilil Shahar said, quoting sources close to Netanyahu.
"Netanyahu is proposing to a (land) swap of three to four percent then paying for the rest," she said.
In previous rounds of negotiations, former prime minister Ehud Barak in 2001 spoke of Israel annexing six to eight percent, and in 2008, then premier Ehud Olmert spoke about seven percent.
The Palestinians want to keep Israel's annexation of land they want for a future state to an absolute minimum, and have spoken of a maximum land swap of about two percent.
Netanyahu's office refused to comment on the report.
Shaul Arieli, an expert on mapping and the future Israeli-Palestinian borders described the proposal as unfeasible.
"If we're really talking about 13 percent, we're talking about an idea that's a non-starter from the Palestinian point of view," he told the radio.
"Israel does not have the ability to compensate the Palestinians at that level, our potential for compensation is not more than three to four percent, and of course the idea of paying is unacceptable."
Israel and the Palestinians embarked upon a nine-month track of direct negotiations at the urging of US Secretary of State John Kerry, at the end of July, which appear to have made little progress.
Currently, Kerry's main focus is trying to get the sides to agree on a framework to guide the negotiations forward in the coming months.
Although the term "settlement bloc" has been used by Israeli leaders for years, the parameters of such areas have never been clearly defined, with the best indicator of their location being the looping route of the sprawling West Bank barrier.
The phrase is a euphemism for those settlements that are supposedly within the Israeli national "consensus" as being the areas that should and likely will remain part of Israel under any future peace agreement, according to settlement watchdog Peace Now.
Until now, Israel has always spoken of its intention to annex three blocs of settlements in any future agreement with the Palestinians: the Etzion bloc in the south; Maale Adumim to the east of Jerusalem; and the Ariel bloc in the north.
The report said Netanyahu was proposing that Israel also keep hold of a group of settlements deep in the West Bank -- Beit El, Ofra and Psagot -- which lie to the north and east of Ramallah, the radio said.
A settlement bloc is an area where clusters of settlements have been established in relatively close proximity to one another, in which the majority of the West Bank's 367,000 settlers currently live.
If Israel was to keep hold of the "Beit El bloc" as well as the others, it would mean annexing a total of 13 percent of the occupied West Bank, the radio said, describing it as a "very large percentage" of the territory.
"In the negotiating room, Netanyahu is talking about 13 percent of territory," the radio's diplomatic correspondent Ilil Shahar said, quoting sources close to Netanyahu.
"Netanyahu is proposing to a (land) swap of three to four percent then paying for the rest," she said.
In previous rounds of negotiations, former prime minister Ehud Barak in 2001 spoke of Israel annexing six to eight percent, and in 2008, then premier Ehud Olmert spoke about seven percent.
The Palestinians want to keep Israel's annexation of land they want for a future state to an absolute minimum, and have spoken of a maximum land swap of about two percent.
Netanyahu's office refused to comment on the report.
Shaul Arieli, an expert on mapping and the future Israeli-Palestinian borders described the proposal as unfeasible.
"If we're really talking about 13 percent, we're talking about an idea that's a non-starter from the Palestinian point of view," he told the radio.
"Israel does not have the ability to compensate the Palestinians at that level, our potential for compensation is not more than three to four percent, and of course the idea of paying is unacceptable."
Israel and the Palestinians embarked upon a nine-month track of direct negotiations at the urging of US Secretary of State John Kerry, at the end of July, which appear to have made little progress.
Currently, Kerry's main focus is trying to get the sides to agree on a framework to guide the negotiations forward in the coming months.
Although the term "settlement bloc" has been used by Israeli leaders for years, the parameters of such areas have never been clearly defined, with the best indicator of their location being the looping route of the sprawling West Bank barrier.
The phrase is a euphemism for those settlements that are supposedly within the Israeli national "consensus" as being the areas that should and likely will remain part of Israel under any future peace agreement, according to settlement watchdog Peace Now.
Muslim nations urged the international community Saturday to put pressure on Israel to stop building Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, at the end of talks in Morocco.
The Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee made the call amid heightened concerns settlements could undermine US-brokered peace talks that resumed in July after becoming bogged down three years earlier over the construction drive.
"The international community must ... put pressure on Israel to stop the illegal and provocative settlement construction," a statement said at the end of the two-day meeting in Marrakesh.
That "will create a favorable context for the pursuit of peace negotiations" between Israel and the Palestinians, and for relations between Israel, its Arab neighbors and the Muslim world, the statement added.
The panel also praised the United States as a "serious" broker of the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The committee was founded by the pan-Muslim Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1975 to resist the confiscation of Palestinian land and assets in Jerusalem.
Chairman King Mohamed VI of Morocco opened the meeting Friday by calling for "a strong mobilization of our own means and resources ... to defend the Holy City."
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas later claimed Israel was using the peace talks as a "cover" to expand settlements in the West Bank.
Concerns over settlement construction returned to the fore last week when Israel announced plans to build 1,800 new settler homes in the West Bank, including annexed Arab East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.
The announcement came only days after the latest peace mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who criticized the settlements as "illegitimate" and "unhelpful."
The controversial decision prompted Britain, Italy, France and Spain to summon Israeli ambassadors in protest, with the Jewish state calling in European ambassadors on Friday in a tit-for-tat move.
After Israel unveiled the plans, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon launched a tirade against Secretary of State John Kerry for his "obsession" with brokering a framework peace deal by April, sparking a diplomatic spat with Washington.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the European Union of a "hypocritical" attitude toward the peace process, saying it should be more concerned by Palestinian militancy than Israeli housing construction.
The international community considers all settlements built on land seized by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War to be illegal.
Meanwhile the financial arm of the Jerusalem Committee, Bayt Mal al-Qods, called on the 57 members of the OIC to provide financial contributions to fund health, education and social projects in the Holy City.
The financial commission carried out 130 projects in Jerusalem between 2008-2012 worth $30 million in the health, housing, education and other sectors.
The Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee made the call amid heightened concerns settlements could undermine US-brokered peace talks that resumed in July after becoming bogged down three years earlier over the construction drive.
"The international community must ... put pressure on Israel to stop the illegal and provocative settlement construction," a statement said at the end of the two-day meeting in Marrakesh.
That "will create a favorable context for the pursuit of peace negotiations" between Israel and the Palestinians, and for relations between Israel, its Arab neighbors and the Muslim world, the statement added.
The panel also praised the United States as a "serious" broker of the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The committee was founded by the pan-Muslim Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1975 to resist the confiscation of Palestinian land and assets in Jerusalem.
Chairman King Mohamed VI of Morocco opened the meeting Friday by calling for "a strong mobilization of our own means and resources ... to defend the Holy City."
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas later claimed Israel was using the peace talks as a "cover" to expand settlements in the West Bank.
Concerns over settlement construction returned to the fore last week when Israel announced plans to build 1,800 new settler homes in the West Bank, including annexed Arab East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.
The announcement came only days after the latest peace mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who criticized the settlements as "illegitimate" and "unhelpful."
The controversial decision prompted Britain, Italy, France and Spain to summon Israeli ambassadors in protest, with the Jewish state calling in European ambassadors on Friday in a tit-for-tat move.
After Israel unveiled the plans, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon launched a tirade against Secretary of State John Kerry for his "obsession" with brokering a framework peace deal by April, sparking a diplomatic spat with Washington.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the European Union of a "hypocritical" attitude toward the peace process, saying it should be more concerned by Palestinian militancy than Israeli housing construction.
The international community considers all settlements built on land seized by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War to be illegal.
Meanwhile the financial arm of the Jerusalem Committee, Bayt Mal al-Qods, called on the 57 members of the OIC to provide financial contributions to fund health, education and social projects in the Holy City.
The financial commission carried out 130 projects in Jerusalem between 2008-2012 worth $30 million in the health, housing, education and other sectors.
18 jan 2014
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas warned on Friday against Israel using peace talks as a "cover" to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Abbas was speaking in Morocco at a meeting of the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee amid heightened concern by Arab and Western nations over new Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
The US-brokered peace talks must "not serve as a cover for the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories," said Abbas.
Israel last week announced plans to build some 1,800 new homes for Jewish settlers in the West Bank, including annexed East Jerusalem.
The announcement came only days after the latest peace mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who slammed the settlements as "illegitimate" and "unhelpful."
The controversial decision prompted Britain, Italy, France, and Spain to summon Israeli ambassadors in protest, with Israel calling in European ambassadors on Friday in a tit-for-tat move.
"There can be no peace without stability, nor agreement without occupied east Jerusalem being recognized as the capital of the Palestinian state," Abbas said.
The Al-Quds Committee was founded by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1975 to resist the confiscation of Palestinian land and assets in Jerusalem.
Speaking at the opening of the two-day meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco's King Mohamed VI, as president of the committee, called for "a strong mobilization of our own means and resources ... to defend the Holy City."
After Israel unveiled its new settlement plans last week a furious row erupted with the United States, when Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon launched a bitter personal tirade against Secretary of State John Kerry for his "obsession" with brokering a framework peace deal with the Palestinians by April.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday accused the European Union of a "hypocritical" attitude toward the Middle East peace process, saying it should be more concerned by Palestinian militancy than Israeli housing construction.
The international community considers all settlements to be illegal that were built on land seized by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War.
The Palestinians want any peace deal to recognize borders based on the lines that existed before then, when Israel captured the West Bank, including east Jerusalem.
Abbas was speaking in Morocco at a meeting of the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee amid heightened concern by Arab and Western nations over new Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
The US-brokered peace talks must "not serve as a cover for the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories," said Abbas.
Israel last week announced plans to build some 1,800 new homes for Jewish settlers in the West Bank, including annexed East Jerusalem.
The announcement came only days after the latest peace mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who slammed the settlements as "illegitimate" and "unhelpful."
The controversial decision prompted Britain, Italy, France, and Spain to summon Israeli ambassadors in protest, with Israel calling in European ambassadors on Friday in a tit-for-tat move.
"There can be no peace without stability, nor agreement without occupied east Jerusalem being recognized as the capital of the Palestinian state," Abbas said.
The Al-Quds Committee was founded by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1975 to resist the confiscation of Palestinian land and assets in Jerusalem.
Speaking at the opening of the two-day meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco's King Mohamed VI, as president of the committee, called for "a strong mobilization of our own means and resources ... to defend the Holy City."
After Israel unveiled its new settlement plans last week a furious row erupted with the United States, when Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon launched a bitter personal tirade against Secretary of State John Kerry for his "obsession" with brokering a framework peace deal with the Palestinians by April.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday accused the European Union of a "hypocritical" attitude toward the Middle East peace process, saying it should be more concerned by Palestinian militancy than Israeli housing construction.
The international community considers all settlements to be illegal that were built on land seized by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War.
The Palestinians want any peace deal to recognize borders based on the lines that existed before then, when Israel captured the West Bank, including east Jerusalem.
17 jan 2014
Finance minister tackles numerous pressing issues in Tel Aviv event, says settlements should be funded until evacuated, rabbis should not meddle in issues unrelated to halacha, 'his brother' Bennett was demoted to 'cousin'
In what state is the relationship between Yesh Atid chairman and Habayit Bayehudi chairman, why are the settlements still funded by the State and what will be their future – Finance Minister Yair Lapid addressed all of these pressing questions Friday morning at a Tel Aviv panel event.
When Lapid was asked about the issue of women's recruitment to the army and his past remarks noting that he would act to dismiss the chief rabbis for going against female IDF recruitment, he said: "I am not the minister responsible for (the chief rabbis), Naftali Bennett is." The interviewer then comically noted: "Our brother"; yet Lapid cynically replied: "He has been demoted to cousin," and stressed he believes Bennett should act on this matter.
"We are in an unprecedented struggle on the matter of equality of burden, and I don't think it is right for the rabbis to say they forbid women from serving in the army. This cannot be and we will act against it, unless they retract their remarks."
Lapid was asked about his opinion regarding the offshore bank account held by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the island of Jersey, and responded: "Since the State comptroller said he would look into the matter, it is improper for the finance minister to address this issue beforehand." In regards to the affair involving Rabbi Pinto and senior police officers, Lapid provided an interesting commentary:
"On an economic level, I want to draw the attention to the fact that the three Israeli tycoons that were notorious for consulting with rabbis are Moti Zisser, Nochi Dankner and Ilan Ben Dov. What is common to all three, apart from consulting with rabbis, is that their empires fell apart."
Lapid added: "It saddens me to see Judaism turn into a combination of charms and interference in matters unrelated to them. If I have a rabbi, it's Rabbi Shai Piron. If you'd ask him what's the most rabbinical thing he ever did, it'd be adopting a disabled child, because that's what a true rabbi does. He doesn't sit with all sorts of high-ranked officers or tycoons and advises them on matters unrelated to Judaism or halacha." These mixes are not good."
Lapid stressed that he is not very familiar with the details of the affair but was hopeful that "the senior police officials did nothing wrong. I don't think it only stains the police, but the chief rabbinate as well. The mixing of these two areas is unfit."
'Get rid of Palestinians'
Lapid was later asked about the political negotiation and the document that will soon be brought to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by US Secretary of State John Kerry.
"There will be an outline to the framework agreement which will be discussed in the negotiations," Lapid said. "It doesn't mean you agree to anything, it doesn't mean we think Jerusalem should be divided. It only means that these subjects are under debate as well and we don't need to be the ones who are insubordinate."
"We say – peace is not the issue, we need to get rid of the Palestinians. It threatens us, it chokes us. Ultimately the State of Israel cannot continue on while unnaturally absorbing four million Palestinians. Eventually they will tell us, 'if you don't want to give us a country of our own, let us vote.' And then, if we let them vote, it will be the end of the Jewish state. If we won't let them – it will be the end of a democratic Israel, and I won't allow that to happen."
Lapid added: "We will have to pay a price for this breakup. The price now only means they will open up a series of issues within the negotiations, and then we will explain to what we agree and to what we disagree."
The finance minister showed his support of PM Netanyahu: "I'm in the coalition because this is where things get done. And Yesh Atid bolsters the negotiations and supports the prime minister because he is running them correctly. It is not going to be easy, and every time we're asked why we don't resign from the government, I'll say – to keep it going, not for it to end."
Despite the political vision he presented, Lapid explained that until the settlements are evacuated, they must be properly funded: "Most of the budget for the Settlements Division is transferred to the Galilee and the Negev. And no new settlements are being established.
The agreement requires the evacuation of 80,000-90,000 settlers. It is not only going to change the country, it's going to change you and me. It will be the biggest Israeli drama since the State's establishment, in terms of what it does to us. It's going to be a drama that will tear us from the inside, but until that happens, there are people, good Israeli citizens, who live there, and I think it is perfectly fine to transfer money to continue their lives."
When asked about the remarks made by Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon about Kerry, he said: "It is indecent. Give credit to the defense minister that he thought he was talking in a private conversation, but even in such conversation he shouldn't speak this way, and I am glad he apologized because that was the right thing to have done."
In what state is the relationship between Yesh Atid chairman and Habayit Bayehudi chairman, why are the settlements still funded by the State and what will be their future – Finance Minister Yair Lapid addressed all of these pressing questions Friday morning at a Tel Aviv panel event.
When Lapid was asked about the issue of women's recruitment to the army and his past remarks noting that he would act to dismiss the chief rabbis for going against female IDF recruitment, he said: "I am not the minister responsible for (the chief rabbis), Naftali Bennett is." The interviewer then comically noted: "Our brother"; yet Lapid cynically replied: "He has been demoted to cousin," and stressed he believes Bennett should act on this matter.
"We are in an unprecedented struggle on the matter of equality of burden, and I don't think it is right for the rabbis to say they forbid women from serving in the army. This cannot be and we will act against it, unless they retract their remarks."
Lapid was asked about his opinion regarding the offshore bank account held by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the island of Jersey, and responded: "Since the State comptroller said he would look into the matter, it is improper for the finance minister to address this issue beforehand." In regards to the affair involving Rabbi Pinto and senior police officers, Lapid provided an interesting commentary:
"On an economic level, I want to draw the attention to the fact that the three Israeli tycoons that were notorious for consulting with rabbis are Moti Zisser, Nochi Dankner and Ilan Ben Dov. What is common to all three, apart from consulting with rabbis, is that their empires fell apart."
Lapid added: "It saddens me to see Judaism turn into a combination of charms and interference in matters unrelated to them. If I have a rabbi, it's Rabbi Shai Piron. If you'd ask him what's the most rabbinical thing he ever did, it'd be adopting a disabled child, because that's what a true rabbi does. He doesn't sit with all sorts of high-ranked officers or tycoons and advises them on matters unrelated to Judaism or halacha." These mixes are not good."
Lapid stressed that he is not very familiar with the details of the affair but was hopeful that "the senior police officials did nothing wrong. I don't think it only stains the police, but the chief rabbinate as well. The mixing of these two areas is unfit."
'Get rid of Palestinians'
Lapid was later asked about the political negotiation and the document that will soon be brought to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by US Secretary of State John Kerry.
"There will be an outline to the framework agreement which will be discussed in the negotiations," Lapid said. "It doesn't mean you agree to anything, it doesn't mean we think Jerusalem should be divided. It only means that these subjects are under debate as well and we don't need to be the ones who are insubordinate."
"We say – peace is not the issue, we need to get rid of the Palestinians. It threatens us, it chokes us. Ultimately the State of Israel cannot continue on while unnaturally absorbing four million Palestinians. Eventually they will tell us, 'if you don't want to give us a country of our own, let us vote.' And then, if we let them vote, it will be the end of the Jewish state. If we won't let them – it will be the end of a democratic Israel, and I won't allow that to happen."
Lapid added: "We will have to pay a price for this breakup. The price now only means they will open up a series of issues within the negotiations, and then we will explain to what we agree and to what we disagree."
The finance minister showed his support of PM Netanyahu: "I'm in the coalition because this is where things get done. And Yesh Atid bolsters the negotiations and supports the prime minister because he is running them correctly. It is not going to be easy, and every time we're asked why we don't resign from the government, I'll say – to keep it going, not for it to end."
Despite the political vision he presented, Lapid explained that until the settlements are evacuated, they must be properly funded: "Most of the budget for the Settlements Division is transferred to the Galilee and the Negev. And no new settlements are being established.
The agreement requires the evacuation of 80,000-90,000 settlers. It is not only going to change the country, it's going to change you and me. It will be the biggest Israeli drama since the State's establishment, in terms of what it does to us. It's going to be a drama that will tear us from the inside, but until that happens, there are people, good Israeli citizens, who live there, and I think it is perfectly fine to transfer money to continue their lives."
When asked about the remarks made by Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon about Kerry, he said: "It is indecent. Give credit to the defense minister that he thought he was talking in a private conversation, but even in such conversation he shouldn't speak this way, and I am glad he apologized because that was the right thing to have done."
Israel called in European ambassadors in a tit-for-tat move Friday after four EU states lodged formal protests against the right-wing government's drive to expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the European Union of a "hypocritical" attitude toward the Middle East process, saying it should be more concerned by Palestinian militancy than Israeli housing construction.
The new spat with Europe follows a furious public row with key ally the United States after Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon launched a bitter personal tirade against Secretary of State John Kerry for his "obsession" with brokering a framework peace deal with the Palestinians by April.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who lives in an illegal settlement, ordered the ambassadors of Britain, France, Italy and Spain be called in to "stress to them that their perpetual one-sided stance against Israel and in favor of the Palestinians is unacceptable and creates the impression they are only seeking ways to blame Israel," his spokesman said.
"Beyond being biased, unbalanced and ignoring the reality on the ground, the positions held by these states significantly harm the possibility of reaching some sort of agreement between the sides," a statement said.
Lieberman's spokesman said the envoys were being summoned for Friday.
Another Israeli official told AFP that calling in ambassadors for the same day was a rare move indicative of the degree of offense caused.
Last Friday, Israel announced plans for some 1,800 homes in the West Bank, including annexed East Jerusalem, just days after the latest peace mission by Kerry, his 10th visit to the region in less than a year.
Israeli ambassadors in London, Rome and Paris were called in over the plans on Thursday, with the ambassador in Madrid summoned for Friday.
Netanyahu hit out at the move by the four governments.
"The EU calls our ambassadors in because of the construction of a few houses? When did the EU call in the Palestinian ambassadors about incitement that calls for Israel's destruction?" Netanyahu asked foreign correspondents at a Thursday reception.
Netanyahu said this "imbalance ... pushes peace further away," and insisted Israel's settlement expansion plans should not be seen as counter-productive to the efforts under way since last July to reach a deal with the Palestinians.
"We are keeping in line exactly with the understandings we undertook at the beginning of the talks," he said at the reception. "It was also equally clear that Israel undertook no restraints on construction."
Israel's European spat comes hot on the heels of a furious row with its US ally over Yaalon's tirade against Kerry, which the White House described as "inappropriate" and "offensive".
Yaalon later apologized but the spat underlined the estrangement between the longtime allies which has already seen angry public rows over Iran policy and Israel's defiant drive to expand its settlements even while peace talks with the Palestinians are under way.
Kerry has focused his latest efforts specifically on security, with his team proposing a detailed plan for arrangements on the border between Jordan and a future Palestinian state.
On Thursday, Netanyahu met King Abdullah II in Amman for talks on the peace process and future security arrangements.
"Any peace agreement in the region has to assure that the border between Israel and Jordan... is always a tranquil and safe border," Netanyahu said of the Jordan Valley.
"That is an interest for us, I think for the Palestinians as well and certainly for Jordan."
Israel demands a long-term troop presence in the Jordan Valley, which forms a third of the occupied West Bank. Palestinians will not countenance any open-ended deployment and have called instead for an international force.
All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law and are considered one of the major obstacles in reaching a final status agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the European Union of a "hypocritical" attitude toward the Middle East process, saying it should be more concerned by Palestinian militancy than Israeli housing construction.
The new spat with Europe follows a furious public row with key ally the United States after Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon launched a bitter personal tirade against Secretary of State John Kerry for his "obsession" with brokering a framework peace deal with the Palestinians by April.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who lives in an illegal settlement, ordered the ambassadors of Britain, France, Italy and Spain be called in to "stress to them that their perpetual one-sided stance against Israel and in favor of the Palestinians is unacceptable and creates the impression they are only seeking ways to blame Israel," his spokesman said.
"Beyond being biased, unbalanced and ignoring the reality on the ground, the positions held by these states significantly harm the possibility of reaching some sort of agreement between the sides," a statement said.
Lieberman's spokesman said the envoys were being summoned for Friday.
Another Israeli official told AFP that calling in ambassadors for the same day was a rare move indicative of the degree of offense caused.
Last Friday, Israel announced plans for some 1,800 homes in the West Bank, including annexed East Jerusalem, just days after the latest peace mission by Kerry, his 10th visit to the region in less than a year.
Israeli ambassadors in London, Rome and Paris were called in over the plans on Thursday, with the ambassador in Madrid summoned for Friday.
Netanyahu hit out at the move by the four governments.
"The EU calls our ambassadors in because of the construction of a few houses? When did the EU call in the Palestinian ambassadors about incitement that calls for Israel's destruction?" Netanyahu asked foreign correspondents at a Thursday reception.
Netanyahu said this "imbalance ... pushes peace further away," and insisted Israel's settlement expansion plans should not be seen as counter-productive to the efforts under way since last July to reach a deal with the Palestinians.
"We are keeping in line exactly with the understandings we undertook at the beginning of the talks," he said at the reception. "It was also equally clear that Israel undertook no restraints on construction."
Israel's European spat comes hot on the heels of a furious row with its US ally over Yaalon's tirade against Kerry, which the White House described as "inappropriate" and "offensive".
Yaalon later apologized but the spat underlined the estrangement between the longtime allies which has already seen angry public rows over Iran policy and Israel's defiant drive to expand its settlements even while peace talks with the Palestinians are under way.
Kerry has focused his latest efforts specifically on security, with his team proposing a detailed plan for arrangements on the border between Jordan and a future Palestinian state.
On Thursday, Netanyahu met King Abdullah II in Amman for talks on the peace process and future security arrangements.
"Any peace agreement in the region has to assure that the border between Israel and Jordan... is always a tranquil and safe border," Netanyahu said of the Jordan Valley.
"That is an interest for us, I think for the Palestinians as well and certainly for Jordan."
Israel demands a long-term troop presence in the Jordan Valley, which forms a third of the occupied West Bank. Palestinians will not countenance any open-ended deployment and have called instead for an international force.
All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law and are considered one of the major obstacles in reaching a final status agreement.
On Friday (Today), Israeli Foreign Minister Lieberman summoned the ambassadors of four European countries to protest the move of chastizing the announcement of 1400 new Israeli settlements.
The foreign minister called upon the four states' envoys in order to severely rebuke the ambassadors for their "he one-sided position they constantly take against Israel and in favor of the Palestinians,” the Jerusalem Post reports.
The attack by the Israeli Minister is also due to the fact that 2014 have been declared “Palestinian Solidarity Year”, a move that has not pleased Israel.
Earlier on, the Israeli envoy of the UN has complained about this move, which was set in motion by Secretary-General-Designate Ban Ki-moon.
Lieberman also said that, “"Israel is making great effort to allow the dialogue with the Palestinians to continue and the position these states are taking, beyond it being biased and unbalanced, is significantly harming the chances of reaching an accord.”
The foreign minister called upon the four states' envoys in order to severely rebuke the ambassadors for their "he one-sided position they constantly take against Israel and in favor of the Palestinians,” the Jerusalem Post reports.
The attack by the Israeli Minister is also due to the fact that 2014 have been declared “Palestinian Solidarity Year”, a move that has not pleased Israel.
Earlier on, the Israeli envoy of the UN has complained about this move, which was set in motion by Secretary-General-Designate Ban Ki-moon.
Lieberman also said that, “"Israel is making great effort to allow the dialogue with the Palestinians to continue and the position these states are taking, beyond it being biased and unbalanced, is significantly harming the chances of reaching an accord.”
US Secretary of State John Kerry is succombing to Israeli demands on key issues in the peace process according to Nabil Shaath, member of Fatah Central Committee.
“Today, you will see Mr. Kerry going back and forth, discussing nothing but two issues. The two issues have never been in our agenda: the Jewishness of the state [of Israel] and the Jordan [Valley]”, Shaath said at a press conference in Ramallah, adding that the Palestinian authority will never be agreed upon by the Palestinian Authories.
The Palestinian leaders refuse to recognice Israel as a Jewish state since it most probably would reclude the right of return for Palestinian refugees.
”You think any Palestinian leader in his right mind can ever accept this?" said Shaath.
The other sticking point is that Israel insists to keep control over the Jordan Valley and the border to Jordan. The Palestinian leaders, however, refuse to accept any Israeli military presence in a future Palestinian state but would agree on an agreement where an international security force controled the border area between the West Bank and Jordan.
The demands from Israel on these two issues makes Nabil Shaath doubt if the Israelis are serious in trying to reach a peace agreement.
"Is this simply instated to make it impossible for any Palestinian leader to sign a peace agreement with Israel?", said Shaath.
“Today, you will see Mr. Kerry going back and forth, discussing nothing but two issues. The two issues have never been in our agenda: the Jewishness of the state [of Israel] and the Jordan [Valley]”, Shaath said at a press conference in Ramallah, adding that the Palestinian authority will never be agreed upon by the Palestinian Authories.
The Palestinian leaders refuse to recognice Israel as a Jewish state since it most probably would reclude the right of return for Palestinian refugees.
”You think any Palestinian leader in his right mind can ever accept this?" said Shaath.
The other sticking point is that Israel insists to keep control over the Jordan Valley and the border to Jordan. The Palestinian leaders, however, refuse to accept any Israeli military presence in a future Palestinian state but would agree on an agreement where an international security force controled the border area between the West Bank and Jordan.
The demands from Israel on these two issues makes Nabil Shaath doubt if the Israelis are serious in trying to reach a peace agreement.
"Is this simply instated to make it impossible for any Palestinian leader to sign a peace agreement with Israel?", said Shaath.
Australian Foreign Minister said in an interview with the “Times Of Israel” newspaper that the international community should refrain from labelling Israeli’s settlements in the West Bank as illegal, and claimed that Israel “has the right to build its settlements”.
Julie Bishop strongly denounced European countries that are “pressuring” Israel into stopping its illegitimate settlement activities, and said that she would like to see “which International Law declared those settlements illegal”.
Her statements completely ignore the Fourth Geneva Convention Article Number 49 that states, “The occupying power shall not move parts of its civilian population into territory it occupies”.
In addition, the UN Security Council issued at least six resolutions, ignored by Israel, stating that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to the occupied territories, including resolution number 465 that describes Israel’s settlement activities as clear violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The resolution states that Israel is seriously violating the Fourth Geneva Convention, article number 49, regarding the protection of civilians.
It says, “The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its civilian population into the territory it occupies”.
Commenting on direct political talks between Israel and the Palestinians, the Australian FM said that “she supports the talks” and that it is “counterproductive to adopt positions that could lead to the collapse of talks”.
She added that the “disputes” regarding Israel’s settlement activities are clear indications of the importance of talks in an attempt to achieve a comprehensive agreement.
The United States repeatedly denounced Israel’s settlement activities in occupied Palestine, yet, in February 2011, the Obama Administration vetoed a resolution that was meant to describe all of its settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as illegal.
Back then, US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said Israel’s settlements are illegitimate, and in 2013, Secretary of State John Kerry described Israel’s settlements as illegitimate.
The United States grants Israel more than $3.6 Billion of annual aid, in addition to hundreds of millions collected by lobbies and other pro-Israel campaigns.
Israel’s settlements and its Annexation Wall have deprived thousands of Palestinians access to their own lands, led to the illegal annexation of large areas of Palestinian lands, and turned into the occupied territories into isolated cantons separated from each other.
Settlements are built in vital and fertile areas of occupied Palestine, such as the Jordan Valley, on and around Palestinians farmlands and orchards, in addition to occupying mountains and hilltops, to ensure Israel has full control of natural resources, hills, valleys and are preventing the expansion of Palestinian communities.
Settlements and the Wall are illegitimate unilateral Israel moves meant to preclude final status peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, as they are imposing Israel’s own agenda and its version of facts on the ground.
Julie Bishop strongly denounced European countries that are “pressuring” Israel into stopping its illegitimate settlement activities, and said that she would like to see “which International Law declared those settlements illegal”.
Her statements completely ignore the Fourth Geneva Convention Article Number 49 that states, “The occupying power shall not move parts of its civilian population into territory it occupies”.
In addition, the UN Security Council issued at least six resolutions, ignored by Israel, stating that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to the occupied territories, including resolution number 465 that describes Israel’s settlement activities as clear violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The resolution states that Israel is seriously violating the Fourth Geneva Convention, article number 49, regarding the protection of civilians.
It says, “The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its civilian population into the territory it occupies”.
Commenting on direct political talks between Israel and the Palestinians, the Australian FM said that “she supports the talks” and that it is “counterproductive to adopt positions that could lead to the collapse of talks”.
She added that the “disputes” regarding Israel’s settlement activities are clear indications of the importance of talks in an attempt to achieve a comprehensive agreement.
The United States repeatedly denounced Israel’s settlement activities in occupied Palestine, yet, in February 2011, the Obama Administration vetoed a resolution that was meant to describe all of its settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as illegal.
Back then, US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said Israel’s settlements are illegitimate, and in 2013, Secretary of State John Kerry described Israel’s settlements as illegitimate.
The United States grants Israel more than $3.6 Billion of annual aid, in addition to hundreds of millions collected by lobbies and other pro-Israel campaigns.
Israel’s settlements and its Annexation Wall have deprived thousands of Palestinians access to their own lands, led to the illegal annexation of large areas of Palestinian lands, and turned into the occupied territories into isolated cantons separated from each other.
Settlements are built in vital and fertile areas of occupied Palestine, such as the Jordan Valley, on and around Palestinians farmlands and orchards, in addition to occupying mountains and hilltops, to ensure Israel has full control of natural resources, hills, valleys and are preventing the expansion of Palestinian communities.
Settlements and the Wall are illegitimate unilateral Israel moves meant to preclude final status peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, as they are imposing Israel’s own agenda and its version of facts on the ground.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the European Union Thursday for calling in ambassadors over plans for some 1,800 new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Netanyahu's angry remarks come hot on the heels of a public spat between his defense minister and US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is energetically pushing Israel and the Palestinians toward a framework for a peace agreement.
"This is hypocritical. The EU calls our ambassadors in because of the construction of a few houses? When did the EU call in the Palestinian ambassadors about incitement that calls for Israel's destruction?" Netanyahu asked foreign correspondents at his annual new year reception.
"It's time to stop this hypocrisy," he said. "This imbalance ... doesn't advance peace; I think it pushes peace further away."
Netanyahu's government announced plans for the new homes in the West Bank, including annexed East Jerusalem, just days after the latest peace mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry who has slammed them as "illegitimate" and "unhelpful."
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had said she was "deeply concerned" over the move, adding that settlements were "illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make the two-state solution impossible."
Foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP that Israeli ambassadors in London, Rome and Paris were summoned "in protest" over the settlement plans, which were unveiled last Friday.
Palmor said that the move was coordinated between the three governments and that it was possible other European governments might have matched the move.
A spokesman for the British Foreign Office told AFP the Israeli ambassador was summoned "over the Israeli government's recent decision to announce new settlement tenders."
A spokesperson for the Spanish foreign ministry said the Israeli envoy was summoned for Friday.
Netanyahu rejected the notion settlement construction ran counter to peace efforts.
"We are keeping in line exactly with the understandings we undertook at the beginning of the talks," he said at the reception. "It was also equally clear that Israel undertook no restraints on construction."
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in contravention of international law.
The Palestinian negotiating team resigned in protest against continued Israeli settlement construction in mid-November, dealing a major blow to negotiations between Israel and the PLO that had already been stalled.
Kerry, who has already made 10 trips to the region in less than a year in a quest for a framework agreement, was the target of a personal diatribe by Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon earlier this week that sparked a furious row between the allies.
Yaalon reportedly described the top US diplomat's drive for a peace deal as the "obsession" of a man with a "sense of messianism," comments the White House described as "offensive."
Yaalon later apologized but the spat underlined the estrangement between the longtime allies which has already seen angry public rows over Iran policy and Israel's defiant drive to expand its settlements in the midst of peace talks with the Palestinians, launched in July and set to last till the end of April.
Kerry has focused his latest efforts specifically on security, with his team proposing a detailed plan for arrangements on the border between Jordan and a future Palestinian state.
Netanyahu met King Abdullah II in Amman on Thursday for what he described as "an excellent meeting ... we have excellent relations."
"Any peace agreement in the region has to assure that the border between Israel and Jordan ... is always a tranquil and safe border," he said of the Jordan Valley. "That is an interest for us, I think for the Palestinians as well and certainly for Jordan."
Israel demands a long-term troop presence on the Jordan Valley border. Palestinians will not countenance any open-ended deployment and have called instead for an international force.
Netanyahu's angry remarks come hot on the heels of a public spat between his defense minister and US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is energetically pushing Israel and the Palestinians toward a framework for a peace agreement.
"This is hypocritical. The EU calls our ambassadors in because of the construction of a few houses? When did the EU call in the Palestinian ambassadors about incitement that calls for Israel's destruction?" Netanyahu asked foreign correspondents at his annual new year reception.
"It's time to stop this hypocrisy," he said. "This imbalance ... doesn't advance peace; I think it pushes peace further away."
Netanyahu's government announced plans for the new homes in the West Bank, including annexed East Jerusalem, just days after the latest peace mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry who has slammed them as "illegitimate" and "unhelpful."
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had said she was "deeply concerned" over the move, adding that settlements were "illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make the two-state solution impossible."
Foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP that Israeli ambassadors in London, Rome and Paris were summoned "in protest" over the settlement plans, which were unveiled last Friday.
Palmor said that the move was coordinated between the three governments and that it was possible other European governments might have matched the move.
A spokesman for the British Foreign Office told AFP the Israeli ambassador was summoned "over the Israeli government's recent decision to announce new settlement tenders."
A spokesperson for the Spanish foreign ministry said the Israeli envoy was summoned for Friday.
Netanyahu rejected the notion settlement construction ran counter to peace efforts.
"We are keeping in line exactly with the understandings we undertook at the beginning of the talks," he said at the reception. "It was also equally clear that Israel undertook no restraints on construction."
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in contravention of international law.
The Palestinian negotiating team resigned in protest against continued Israeli settlement construction in mid-November, dealing a major blow to negotiations between Israel and the PLO that had already been stalled.
Kerry, who has already made 10 trips to the region in less than a year in a quest for a framework agreement, was the target of a personal diatribe by Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon earlier this week that sparked a furious row between the allies.
Yaalon reportedly described the top US diplomat's drive for a peace deal as the "obsession" of a man with a "sense of messianism," comments the White House described as "offensive."
Yaalon later apologized but the spat underlined the estrangement between the longtime allies which has already seen angry public rows over Iran policy and Israel's defiant drive to expand its settlements in the midst of peace talks with the Palestinians, launched in July and set to last till the end of April.
Kerry has focused his latest efforts specifically on security, with his team proposing a detailed plan for arrangements on the border between Jordan and a future Palestinian state.
Netanyahu met King Abdullah II in Amman on Thursday for what he described as "an excellent meeting ... we have excellent relations."
"Any peace agreement in the region has to assure that the border between Israel and Jordan ... is always a tranquil and safe border," he said of the Jordan Valley. "That is an interest for us, I think for the Palestinians as well and certainly for Jordan."
Israel demands a long-term troop presence on the Jordan Valley border. Palestinians will not countenance any open-ended deployment and have called instead for an international force.