22 feb 2016
The Israeli municipal council in Occupied Jerusalem has annexed vast tracts of Palestinian-owned lands in the towns of Shuafat, Anata, and Walaja to expand the segregation wall and declared a plan to expand Ramot settlement.
Khalil Tafakaji, head of maps department at the Arab Studies Society, said that the Israeli minister of finance had issued decrees to seize Palestinian lands in different areas around Jerusalem, including 45 dunums of land in the towns of Shuafat, Anata, and Walaja.
The Israeli minister justified his annexation orders by claiming some of the lands would be seized for security reasons and others would be used for public interest purposes, according to Tafakaji.
The annexed lands in Walaja, south of Jerusalem, would be used to expand the segregation wall and build a new crossing, according to the Israeli minister's claims. Tafakaji expressed his strong belief that the annexation of lands in Walaja town in particular is aimed at isolating Jerusalem from the West Bank.
He also affirmed that the Israeli occupation authority in Jerusalem intends to expand Ramot settlement on more than 419 dunums of Palestinian land in the towns of Lifta, Beit Hanina, and Beit Iksa in Jerusalem. According to the plan, 1,435 new housing units and 240 separate houses (villas) as well as public facilities will be built in the settlement.
Khalil Tafakaji, head of maps department at the Arab Studies Society, said that the Israeli minister of finance had issued decrees to seize Palestinian lands in different areas around Jerusalem, including 45 dunums of land in the towns of Shuafat, Anata, and Walaja.
The Israeli minister justified his annexation orders by claiming some of the lands would be seized for security reasons and others would be used for public interest purposes, according to Tafakaji.
The annexed lands in Walaja, south of Jerusalem, would be used to expand the segregation wall and build a new crossing, according to the Israeli minister's claims. Tafakaji expressed his strong belief that the annexation of lands in Walaja town in particular is aimed at isolating Jerusalem from the West Bank.
He also affirmed that the Israeli occupation authority in Jerusalem intends to expand Ramot settlement on more than 419 dunums of Palestinian land in the towns of Lifta, Beit Hanina, and Beit Iksa in Jerusalem. According to the plan, 1,435 new housing units and 240 separate houses (villas) as well as public facilities will be built in the settlement.
21 feb 2016
US secretary of state John Kerry arrived in Amman on Saturday for meetings with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas in an effort to restart the peace talks and stop the escalating Palestinian intifada (uprising).
This is considered Kerry's second visit to the region during the current intifada. He has tabled, during his first regional tour, ideas allowing the Jewish settlers to enter the Aqsa Mosque and proposing the installation of security cameras in its courtyards in a desperate attempt to ease the tension on the ground.
According to the official Jordanian news agency, Kerry will meet with Jordanian King Abdullah II to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East and the occupied Palestinian territories as well as the mutual relations between the two countries.
The US secretary of state will also meet with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh at the headquarters of the foreign ministry to discuss different issues of mutual interest. For his part, senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Wasel Abu Yousef told Quds Press on Sunday that Abbas and Kerry would meet in Amman on Sunday to explore avenues of reviving the peace process and the Arab peace initiative.
Abbas, Kerry meet in Jordan to discuss latest developments
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met on Sunday with United States Secretary of State John Kerry in the Jordanian capital of Amman, according to official Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Wafa reported that Abbas called on Kerry to pressure Israel to release hunger striking Palestinian journalist Muhammad al-Qiq and to return the remains of Palestinians held by Israeli authorities after being shot dead during the latest wave of upheaval
Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeina said the Palestinian president also spoke with Kerry about his ongoing efforts to organize international powers to come together for a peace conference and in calling or the UN Security Council to condemn illegal Israeli settlement expansion, the statement added.
Rdeina also said Abbas updated Kerry on the latest initiatives for a Palestinian unity government with Hamas, after delegations from the Palestinian Authority and Hamas met in Doha earlier this month.
Rdeina added that Kerry assured Abbas the United States would exert enough efforts to insure the viability of a two-state solution, so as to maintain security and stability in the region.
Israeli media reported that Kerry had no plans of meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his Middle East trip.
Netanyahu met with Kerry and US Vice President Joe Biden last month on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
This is considered Kerry's second visit to the region during the current intifada. He has tabled, during his first regional tour, ideas allowing the Jewish settlers to enter the Aqsa Mosque and proposing the installation of security cameras in its courtyards in a desperate attempt to ease the tension on the ground.
According to the official Jordanian news agency, Kerry will meet with Jordanian King Abdullah II to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East and the occupied Palestinian territories as well as the mutual relations between the two countries.
The US secretary of state will also meet with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh at the headquarters of the foreign ministry to discuss different issues of mutual interest. For his part, senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Wasel Abu Yousef told Quds Press on Sunday that Abbas and Kerry would meet in Amman on Sunday to explore avenues of reviving the peace process and the Arab peace initiative.
Abbas, Kerry meet in Jordan to discuss latest developments
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met on Sunday with United States Secretary of State John Kerry in the Jordanian capital of Amman, according to official Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Wafa reported that Abbas called on Kerry to pressure Israel to release hunger striking Palestinian journalist Muhammad al-Qiq and to return the remains of Palestinians held by Israeli authorities after being shot dead during the latest wave of upheaval
Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeina said the Palestinian president also spoke with Kerry about his ongoing efforts to organize international powers to come together for a peace conference and in calling or the UN Security Council to condemn illegal Israeli settlement expansion, the statement added.
Rdeina also said Abbas updated Kerry on the latest initiatives for a Palestinian unity government with Hamas, after delegations from the Palestinian Authority and Hamas met in Doha earlier this month.
Rdeina added that Kerry assured Abbas the United States would exert enough efforts to insure the viability of a two-state solution, so as to maintain security and stability in the region.
Israeli media reported that Kerry had no plans of meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his Middle East trip.
Netanyahu met with Kerry and US Vice President Joe Biden last month on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
13 feb 2016
The European Parliament (EP’s) Delegation for relations with Palestine, expressed alarm at the deteriorating situation on the ground, calling for an immediate stop to Israeli expansion of settlements, and demolitions, said a press statement by EP delegation.
"Israeli occupation policies are a direct threat to the two-state solution. The expansion of settlements, demolitions, forcible transfers and evictions must stop immediately," Delegation Chair Martina Anderson said.
"Palestinians need hope, freedom and human rights. The way to these is by ending the occupation."
Following the EU guidelines on the indication of origin of goods originating from the territories occupied since 1967 by Israel, the EP delegation, following a four-day official visit, assessed what further action the EU should take regarding settlements in order to comply fully with international law and EU legislation.
The EP delegation asserted, according to WAFA: "The EU must be a player, not only a payer,” stating that, “We are incensed by Israel's increasing number of demolitions of humanitarian structures funded by EU taxpayers. People are losing their homes in the cold and the rain. Israeli policies violate international law and show disrespect for the EU, Israel's biggest trade partner," Chair Anderson said.
International organizations gave witness to the substantial deliberate targeting of EU-funded humanitarian aid structures by Israeli authorities, recently stepped-up apparently in retaliation for the EU guidelines on indication of origin of products from Israeli settlements. These demolitions are hitting hard particularly the rural Bedouin community, said the statement.
Members of the European Parliament further expressed concern at Israel’s use of administrative detention without formal charges.
They cited the 'particularly alarming’ case of Mohammad Al-Qeeq, a journalist on hunger strike for 79 days. To be noted, over 500 other Palestinians, including minors, are currently detained without charge or trial.
Regarding the Palestinian internal reconciliation, the EP delegation affirmed that, "Palestinian reconciliation is more urgent than ever.”
“Elections must be held as soon as possible. A united Palestinian leadership is essential for the two-state solution and for the future of Palestinian youth," Anderson said.
Anderson slammed the Israeli authorities refusal to allow envoy into Gaza as 'unacceptable’. The European Parliament has not been allowed in since 2011.
The cross-party Delegation for Relations with Palestine was in the West Bank from Monday 8 to Friday 12 February. The group reportedly met with high-level Palestinian officials and civil society in East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Susya, Abu Nwar, Jabal al Baba and the Jordan Valley, as well as with UN partners.
On February 6th, The European Union called on Israel 'to halt the demolition of Palestinian housing, some of which was EU-funded, and reiterated its opposition to expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.’
"In the past weeks there have been a number of developments in Area C of the West Bank, which risk undermining the viability of a future Palestinian state and driving the parties yet further apart," the EU diplomatic service said in a statement.
On 18 January Foreign Ministers in the Council conclusions confirmed the EU's firm opposition to Israel's settlement policy and actions taken in this context, including demolitions and confiscation, evictions, forced transfers or restrictions of movement and access.
"Israeli occupation policies are a direct threat to the two-state solution. The expansion of settlements, demolitions, forcible transfers and evictions must stop immediately," Delegation Chair Martina Anderson said.
"Palestinians need hope, freedom and human rights. The way to these is by ending the occupation."
Following the EU guidelines on the indication of origin of goods originating from the territories occupied since 1967 by Israel, the EP delegation, following a four-day official visit, assessed what further action the EU should take regarding settlements in order to comply fully with international law and EU legislation.
The EP delegation asserted, according to WAFA: "The EU must be a player, not only a payer,” stating that, “We are incensed by Israel's increasing number of demolitions of humanitarian structures funded by EU taxpayers. People are losing their homes in the cold and the rain. Israeli policies violate international law and show disrespect for the EU, Israel's biggest trade partner," Chair Anderson said.
International organizations gave witness to the substantial deliberate targeting of EU-funded humanitarian aid structures by Israeli authorities, recently stepped-up apparently in retaliation for the EU guidelines on indication of origin of products from Israeli settlements. These demolitions are hitting hard particularly the rural Bedouin community, said the statement.
Members of the European Parliament further expressed concern at Israel’s use of administrative detention without formal charges.
They cited the 'particularly alarming’ case of Mohammad Al-Qeeq, a journalist on hunger strike for 79 days. To be noted, over 500 other Palestinians, including minors, are currently detained without charge or trial.
Regarding the Palestinian internal reconciliation, the EP delegation affirmed that, "Palestinian reconciliation is more urgent than ever.”
“Elections must be held as soon as possible. A united Palestinian leadership is essential for the two-state solution and for the future of Palestinian youth," Anderson said.
Anderson slammed the Israeli authorities refusal to allow envoy into Gaza as 'unacceptable’. The European Parliament has not been allowed in since 2011.
The cross-party Delegation for Relations with Palestine was in the West Bank from Monday 8 to Friday 12 February. The group reportedly met with high-level Palestinian officials and civil society in East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Susya, Abu Nwar, Jabal al Baba and the Jordan Valley, as well as with UN partners.
On February 6th, The European Union called on Israel 'to halt the demolition of Palestinian housing, some of which was EU-funded, and reiterated its opposition to expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.’
"In the past weeks there have been a number of developments in Area C of the West Bank, which risk undermining the viability of a future Palestinian state and driving the parties yet further apart," the EU diplomatic service said in a statement.
On 18 January Foreign Ministers in the Council conclusions confirmed the EU's firm opposition to Israel's settlement policy and actions taken in this context, including demolitions and confiscation, evictions, forced transfers or restrictions of movement and access.
11 feb 2016
Members of the Knesset on Wednesday argued the possibility of a two-state solution at a special plenum debate, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Palestinian "terror" came from a "culture of death," according to a Knesset press release.
During the debate, the Israeli PM and Israel's Labor party opposition leader Isaac Herzog exchanged criticisms over the "most realistic" way to obtain a two-state solution.
Herzog, who is a strong supporter of the two-state solution, recently announced that he did not think two states were possible under today's political climate, and introduced a plan late last month that would see many Palestinian areas in occupied East Jerusalem cut off from the rest of the city.
"We have a different vision, and as hard as you try, you will not be able to kill it. The two-state vision isn`t dead," Herzog said. "But it won`t happen tomorrow, certainly not as long as you, Mr. Netanyahu and [Palestinian President] Abu Mazen are afraid to make a move."
"Therefore, I am determining that what we can achieve today is security for the citizens of Israel and separation between us and the Palestinians, with actions rather than talk."
Netanyahu said Herzog and the Labor party could not be "trusted" with solutions due to being "years late in understanding" facts on the ground.
"Terror is not a result of occupation,” Netanyahu said. "The terror stems from a culture of death. Its goal is not to free a state, it is to destroy a state."
In response, Herzog argued that the two-state solution "is the only vision that will preserve Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. The alternative is a Jewish-Arab state that will destroy Israel as a Jewish state."
"I know the far right disagrees with me. The far right thinks annexing the territories with their Palestinian residents is the solution,” Herzog said. "Well, who stopped you? You set up a purely rightist government. What are you afraid of?"
Herzog accused Netanyahu's government of putting Israel on a trajectory that would force the country to accept Palestinian's "right of return."
"The radical right want to annex territories and bring millions of Palestinians to the State of Israel," Herzog said.
Zehava Galon, the chairwoman of Meretz, a left-wing Zionist party, criticized Herzog's Labor party for "giving up on the two-state solution."
"The terror wave that has been wreaking havoc here over the past few months is proof of the collapse of the notion that the conflict can be managed. What solution are you proposing," Golan shot back at both parties.
"To surround ourselves with fences? To annex 150,000 Palestinians? Where`s the security? When will the moment come when Israelis and Palestinians will stop being murdered? We are paying the price for your cowardly policy, which assumed that we can continue life here as usual when millions of Palestinians are under occupation and without rights."
During the debate, Israeli media reported that several MKs from the Joint List -- a party composed of four Palestinian-dominated parties -- walked out of the plenum in protest.
The Israeli government has long been criticized for policy that has made a two-state solution impossible, particularly in regards to ongoing settlement expansion in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Netanyahu consistently argues that settlements are not an obstacle to peace despite international condemnation of illegal settlement growth onto private Palestinian land.
Well over 500,000 Israelis are currently living across the occupied Palestinian territory, interconnected by Israeli-only infrastructure that both steals from Palestinian resources and cuts off Palestinian communities from one another.
The Israeli PM's allegations that "terror" stems from a "culture of death" rather than occupation comes despite remarks from UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon last month that it was "human nature" for Palestinians to react violently to Israel's nearly 50-year military occupation.
During the debate, the Israeli PM and Israel's Labor party opposition leader Isaac Herzog exchanged criticisms over the "most realistic" way to obtain a two-state solution.
Herzog, who is a strong supporter of the two-state solution, recently announced that he did not think two states were possible under today's political climate, and introduced a plan late last month that would see many Palestinian areas in occupied East Jerusalem cut off from the rest of the city.
"We have a different vision, and as hard as you try, you will not be able to kill it. The two-state vision isn`t dead," Herzog said. "But it won`t happen tomorrow, certainly not as long as you, Mr. Netanyahu and [Palestinian President] Abu Mazen are afraid to make a move."
"Therefore, I am determining that what we can achieve today is security for the citizens of Israel and separation between us and the Palestinians, with actions rather than talk."
Netanyahu said Herzog and the Labor party could not be "trusted" with solutions due to being "years late in understanding" facts on the ground.
"Terror is not a result of occupation,” Netanyahu said. "The terror stems from a culture of death. Its goal is not to free a state, it is to destroy a state."
In response, Herzog argued that the two-state solution "is the only vision that will preserve Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. The alternative is a Jewish-Arab state that will destroy Israel as a Jewish state."
"I know the far right disagrees with me. The far right thinks annexing the territories with their Palestinian residents is the solution,” Herzog said. "Well, who stopped you? You set up a purely rightist government. What are you afraid of?"
Herzog accused Netanyahu's government of putting Israel on a trajectory that would force the country to accept Palestinian's "right of return."
"The radical right want to annex territories and bring millions of Palestinians to the State of Israel," Herzog said.
Zehava Galon, the chairwoman of Meretz, a left-wing Zionist party, criticized Herzog's Labor party for "giving up on the two-state solution."
"The terror wave that has been wreaking havoc here over the past few months is proof of the collapse of the notion that the conflict can be managed. What solution are you proposing," Golan shot back at both parties.
"To surround ourselves with fences? To annex 150,000 Palestinians? Where`s the security? When will the moment come when Israelis and Palestinians will stop being murdered? We are paying the price for your cowardly policy, which assumed that we can continue life here as usual when millions of Palestinians are under occupation and without rights."
During the debate, Israeli media reported that several MKs from the Joint List -- a party composed of four Palestinian-dominated parties -- walked out of the plenum in protest.
The Israeli government has long been criticized for policy that has made a two-state solution impossible, particularly in regards to ongoing settlement expansion in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Netanyahu consistently argues that settlements are not an obstacle to peace despite international condemnation of illegal settlement growth onto private Palestinian land.
Well over 500,000 Israelis are currently living across the occupied Palestinian territory, interconnected by Israeli-only infrastructure that both steals from Palestinian resources and cuts off Palestinian communities from one another.
The Israeli PM's allegations that "terror" stems from a "culture of death" rather than occupation comes despite remarks from UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon last month that it was "human nature" for Palestinians to react violently to Israel's nearly 50-year military occupation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted that a reinforced fence may be set up around the entirety of the occupied territories, a fence which is similar to the one it is currently building on the territories bordering Jordan.
Netanyahu visited the fence that is under construction on Tuesday, when he said, “At the end of the day,… there will be a fence like this one surrounding its (the occupied territories’) entirety,” The Times of Israel reported.
Israel came into existence in 1948, when it occupied Palestinian land along with vast expanses of other Arab territories during full-fledged military operations. The occupied lands also include Lebanon’s Shebaa Farms and Syria’s Golan Heights.
In 1967, it occupied and later annexed the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem) in a move never recognized by the international community. Tel Aviv withdrew from the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip in 2005, but has been keeping the territory under a crippling siege and regular deadly offensives.
Upon completion, the fence would close off all the occupied territories from non-occupied land, namely Gaza, as well as sovereign territories.
Trying to justify the move, the Israeli premier said, according to Press TV/Al Ray: “In our neighborhood, we need to protect ourselves from the carnivorous animals.”
Netanyahu visited the fence that is under construction on Tuesday, when he said, “At the end of the day,… there will be a fence like this one surrounding its (the occupied territories’) entirety,” The Times of Israel reported.
Israel came into existence in 1948, when it occupied Palestinian land along with vast expanses of other Arab territories during full-fledged military operations. The occupied lands also include Lebanon’s Shebaa Farms and Syria’s Golan Heights.
In 1967, it occupied and later annexed the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem) in a move never recognized by the international community. Tel Aviv withdrew from the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip in 2005, but has been keeping the territory under a crippling siege and regular deadly offensives.
Upon completion, the fence would close off all the occupied territories from non-occupied land, namely Gaza, as well as sovereign territories.
Trying to justify the move, the Israeli premier said, according to Press TV/Al Ray: “In our neighborhood, we need to protect ourselves from the carnivorous animals.”
Reports were recently released on Israeli intents to build a Jewish synagogue beneath the Hamam al-Ein Islamic endowment property, a few meters away from Muslims’ the holy al-Aqsa Mosque.
Sponsors of the bid are set to inaugurate the project sometime in the spring, with the advent of Jewish holidays. Other excavations are expected to be carried out in the area to pave the way for the construction of the site.
The project is sponsored by the Wailing Wall Legacy Fund public company affiliated with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
A series of pictures released by the Q-Press center shows the site as being built at the expense of the Islamic Mamlukiya historical hall beneath the Hamam al-Ein area, a few meters away from al-Aqsa’s Western Wall. A field visit to the area by the Q-Press team kept record of a set of Islamic sites and monuments dating back to the Ottoman Empire and which were transformed into Judaized halls and museums.
Since 2002, the Israeli occupation authorities have been digging beneath and above Hamam al-Ein area and its vicinity in an attempt to wipe out the area’s typically Islamic character.
Sponsors of the bid are set to inaugurate the project sometime in the spring, with the advent of Jewish holidays. Other excavations are expected to be carried out in the area to pave the way for the construction of the site.
The project is sponsored by the Wailing Wall Legacy Fund public company affiliated with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
A series of pictures released by the Q-Press center shows the site as being built at the expense of the Islamic Mamlukiya historical hall beneath the Hamam al-Ein area, a few meters away from al-Aqsa’s Western Wall. A field visit to the area by the Q-Press team kept record of a set of Islamic sites and monuments dating back to the Ottoman Empire and which were transformed into Judaized halls and museums.
Since 2002, the Israeli occupation authorities have been digging beneath and above Hamam al-Ein area and its vicinity in an attempt to wipe out the area’s typically Islamic character.
10 feb 2016
Fatah leader in Nablus Tayseer Nasrallah said Tuesday the Palestinian-Israeli talks have reached a deadlock, calling on the Palestinian factions to back up the ongoing anti-occupation uprising.
Nasrallah said in an exclusive statement to the PIC: “The anti-occupation operations carried out by Palestinian youths are the natural response to Israeli crimes and field executions against the Palestinians.”
According to Nasrallah, the fact that thousands have been marching in the funeral processions of slain Palestinians is a sign of the mass-support for the national struggle for liberation.
He added that as long as the Israeli occupation of Palestine remains a fact on the ground, the intifada will keep going. The Fatah official further said that maintaining peace talks with the Israeli occupation is no longer an option for restoring Palestinians’ national rights.
Nasrallah said in an exclusive statement to the PIC: “The anti-occupation operations carried out by Palestinian youths are the natural response to Israeli crimes and field executions against the Palestinians.”
According to Nasrallah, the fact that thousands have been marching in the funeral processions of slain Palestinians is a sign of the mass-support for the national struggle for liberation.
He added that as long as the Israeli occupation of Palestine remains a fact on the ground, the intifada will keep going. The Fatah official further said that maintaining peace talks with the Israeli occupation is no longer an option for restoring Palestinians’ national rights.
7 feb 2016
Iroshalim Hebrew newspaper disclosed a new settlement project plan to be constructed over a land owned by a the Greek Orthodox Church in Abu Tour district in eastern occupied Jerusalem.
According to Friday's issue of the weekly newspaper, the plan includes luxurious settlement units overlooking the neighborhoods of Occupied Jerusalem in order to attract settlers.
Housing structures and a hotel with an area estimated at ten dunums will be constructed over the plot possessed by the church and was let to Jewish investors one hundred years ago.
About 400 residents signed a petition to object on changing that historic site and underlined that the area has no infrastructure. The plan is still in the first phase of construction, but coordination is going on with Israeli competent authorities, the newspaper stated.
Israeli forces tend to implement settlement projects in Occupied Jerusalem via investment companies and settlement institutions under different names in order to cover its real objectives of establishing new settlements.
Recently, deals with Christians have been made for selling or letting lands to Israeli settlement societies. Such deals sparked debates among the Christian figures who refuse the Israeli occupation and its aggressive practices.
According to Friday's issue of the weekly newspaper, the plan includes luxurious settlement units overlooking the neighborhoods of Occupied Jerusalem in order to attract settlers.
Housing structures and a hotel with an area estimated at ten dunums will be constructed over the plot possessed by the church and was let to Jewish investors one hundred years ago.
About 400 residents signed a petition to object on changing that historic site and underlined that the area has no infrastructure. The plan is still in the first phase of construction, but coordination is going on with Israeli competent authorities, the newspaper stated.
Israeli forces tend to implement settlement projects in Occupied Jerusalem via investment companies and settlement institutions under different names in order to cover its real objectives of establishing new settlements.
Recently, deals with Christians have been made for selling or letting lands to Israeli settlement societies. Such deals sparked debates among the Christian figures who refuse the Israeli occupation and its aggressive practices.
5 feb 2016
An Israeli group known as Saving Jewish Jerusalem called for the immediate establishment of a “security fence” in occupied Jerusalem in order to separate it from its eastern part.
The group was founded by the former cabinet minister Haim Ramon and a number of Knesset members and former army leaders, Maariv Hebrew newspaper revealed.
“Saving Jewish Jerusalem's platform, which will also be presented to the public, calls for handing control of 28 Palestinian villages in East Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority (PA).
The villages in question had been an integral part of the West Bank until Israel annexed them in 1967.”
By removing some 200,000 Palestinians from the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem, the city’s Jews will constitute more than 80% of its residents, and the percentage of Palestinians will drop to less than 20%, from the nearly 40% today, according to the newspaper.
Not only that, the group stresses, revoking the Palestinians’ Israeli residency permits will ease the economic burden these villages impose on the Israeli taxpayer, some 2-3 billion Israeli shekels ($500-$750 million) in social and medical care.
Members of the movement argue that the Palestinian villages are massively detrimental to the prosperity of the Israeli capital in terms of security, demographic balance, standard of living and economic well-being.
The group was founded by the former cabinet minister Haim Ramon and a number of Knesset members and former army leaders, Maariv Hebrew newspaper revealed.
“Saving Jewish Jerusalem's platform, which will also be presented to the public, calls for handing control of 28 Palestinian villages in East Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority (PA).
The villages in question had been an integral part of the West Bank until Israel annexed them in 1967.”
By removing some 200,000 Palestinians from the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem, the city’s Jews will constitute more than 80% of its residents, and the percentage of Palestinians will drop to less than 20%, from the nearly 40% today, according to the newspaper.
Not only that, the group stresses, revoking the Palestinians’ Israeli residency permits will ease the economic burden these villages impose on the Israeli taxpayer, some 2-3 billion Israeli shekels ($500-$750 million) in social and medical care.
Members of the movement argue that the Palestinian villages are massively detrimental to the prosperity of the Israeli capital in terms of security, demographic balance, standard of living and economic well-being.
3 feb 2016
Leader of Israel’s opposition and head of the Zionist Union party, Isaac Herzog met with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Rome, on Wednesday, presenting him with his recent "separation plan", and urging the US to “promote confidence building steps in the Middle East.”
During the meeting in Rome, Herzog pointed towards a two-state solution, telling the top US diplomat that “a separation policy is the only way to move things in the region.”
PNN reports that, during Wednesday’s meeting, Herzog called on the US to support a regional security conference with Egypt, Jordan, Israel and other states, before the end of the Obama administration, “to refuel a regional front against Islamic terror and promote confidence building steps in the Middle East.”
Herzog told Kerry his plan, pointing out that “it will not happen tomorrow morning.”
“The security situation cannot go on. Israelis are being killed in the streets and the world is presenting bizarre initiatives and boycotts,” Herzog added.
Calling for a separation between Israelis and Palestinians in the Jerusalem area as well, Herzog said that some 28 Palestinian villages in the area “have never been part of Jerusalem.” He said that Israel must find a way to physically separate from these villages, “so that they can not come and stab us.”
In addition, Herzog told Army Radio that, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “stuck in place – they are not able to make progress. I don’t see the ability to apply, right now, a two-state agreement.”
The meeting follows a warning from French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius that France will recognize the Palestinian state if no progress is made on two-state solution, in the coming weeks. Netanyahu blasted the warning, arguing that it gives Palestinians no incentive to compromise, and said hoped that the French would “sober up.”
Last month, Herzog stirred controversy when he proposed to unilaterally disengage from West Bank territories, instead of holding negotiations with the Palestinians. He said that, under the current conditions, a two-state solution with the Palestinians was impossible, a departure from the traditional view of his own Labor party, which has over the years pushed for a Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state.
“I wish to separate from as many Palestinians as possible, as quickly as possible,” Herzog said, at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. Instead, he said, several Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem should be separated from the rest of the city, and the separation wall in the West Bank should be completed to include all settlement blocs.
During the meeting in Rome, Herzog pointed towards a two-state solution, telling the top US diplomat that “a separation policy is the only way to move things in the region.”
PNN reports that, during Wednesday’s meeting, Herzog called on the US to support a regional security conference with Egypt, Jordan, Israel and other states, before the end of the Obama administration, “to refuel a regional front against Islamic terror and promote confidence building steps in the Middle East.”
Herzog told Kerry his plan, pointing out that “it will not happen tomorrow morning.”
“The security situation cannot go on. Israelis are being killed in the streets and the world is presenting bizarre initiatives and boycotts,” Herzog added.
Calling for a separation between Israelis and Palestinians in the Jerusalem area as well, Herzog said that some 28 Palestinian villages in the area “have never been part of Jerusalem.” He said that Israel must find a way to physically separate from these villages, “so that they can not come and stab us.”
In addition, Herzog told Army Radio that, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “stuck in place – they are not able to make progress. I don’t see the ability to apply, right now, a two-state agreement.”
The meeting follows a warning from French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius that France will recognize the Palestinian state if no progress is made on two-state solution, in the coming weeks. Netanyahu blasted the warning, arguing that it gives Palestinians no incentive to compromise, and said hoped that the French would “sober up.”
Last month, Herzog stirred controversy when he proposed to unilaterally disengage from West Bank territories, instead of holding negotiations with the Palestinians. He said that, under the current conditions, a two-state solution with the Palestinians was impossible, a departure from the traditional view of his own Labor party, which has over the years pushed for a Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state.
“I wish to separate from as many Palestinians as possible, as quickly as possible,” Herzog said, at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. Instead, he said, several Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem should be separated from the rest of the city, and the separation wall in the West Bank should be completed to include all settlement blocs.
1 feb 2016
Israel's Cabinet voted Sunday to allow non-Orthodox mixed-gender prayer at the Western Wall of al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem, a move opponents said marked a barefaced show of government support for extremist streams of Judaism.
The Quds Information Center said the square where the prayers are to be held is located between the southern corner of the Western Wall and the Maghareba Gate at Muslim’ the holy al-Aqsa Mosque.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly pushed the plan despite stiff opposition by ultra-Orthodox and religious nationalist elements in Israel who are key members of his own government.
The $10 million initiative will build a permanent mixed-gender prayer area where the temporary platform is today. It will also create new entrances to the Western Wall area so both Orthodox and non-Orthodox prayer areas will be given equal prominence.
Head of the Supreme Islamic Council in Occupied Jerusalem, Sheikh Ekrema Sabri, said the Buraq Wall is part and parcel of the al-Aqsa’s Western Wall and has profound implications for Muslims in all corners of the world.
Sheikh Sabri also said that the square adjacent to the Buraq Wall is an Islamic endowment property and a place where Maghrebians had set up roots before it was totally knocked down by the Israeli occupation. He slammed Israeli attempts to wipe out Occupied Jerusalem’s Islamic identity, saying such sacrilegious schemes are just unacceptable.
Lawyer Khaled Zabarqa dubbed the plan a flagrant violation of Muslims’ rights and endowment property in the Buraq area, saying the Israeli occupation has neither legitimacy nor sovereignty over the site.
The Quds Information Center said the square where the prayers are to be held is located between the southern corner of the Western Wall and the Maghareba Gate at Muslim’ the holy al-Aqsa Mosque.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly pushed the plan despite stiff opposition by ultra-Orthodox and religious nationalist elements in Israel who are key members of his own government.
The $10 million initiative will build a permanent mixed-gender prayer area where the temporary platform is today. It will also create new entrances to the Western Wall area so both Orthodox and non-Orthodox prayer areas will be given equal prominence.
Head of the Supreme Islamic Council in Occupied Jerusalem, Sheikh Ekrema Sabri, said the Buraq Wall is part and parcel of the al-Aqsa’s Western Wall and has profound implications for Muslims in all corners of the world.
Sheikh Sabri also said that the square adjacent to the Buraq Wall is an Islamic endowment property and a place where Maghrebians had set up roots before it was totally knocked down by the Israeli occupation. He slammed Israeli attempts to wipe out Occupied Jerusalem’s Islamic identity, saying such sacrilegious schemes are just unacceptable.
Lawyer Khaled Zabarqa dubbed the plan a flagrant violation of Muslims’ rights and endowment property in the Buraq area, saying the Israeli occupation has neither legitimacy nor sovereignty over the site.