15 may 2016
Hamas believes that the French initiative that aims to restart the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority carried general and vague ideas.
Speaking to Quds Press on Sunday, Hamas foreign relations chief Osama Hamdan described PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s acceptance of the French initiative as running behind mirage especially since it was publicly rejected by Israel.
Abbas knows very well that negotiations with Israel is a failed option that has no future in light of the continued Judaization schemes and settlement expansion, he stressed.
The French initiative is not clear yet and has no clear plans, Hamdan elaborated. Abbas’s support for the French initiative is a failed attempt to maintain his legitimacy as a chairman for the PA at the international level after losing it at the local level, according to Hamdan.
France had proposed an initiative for “accelerating progress toward a lasting solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” The initiative recognizes an independent and sovereign Palestinian State based on the 1967 borders.
The French proposal sets an 18-month deadline for a negotiated settlement that establishes a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with required land swaps, and recognizes Jerusalem as the common capital of both states.
France’s plan also suggests holding an international peace conference that would crown the process before it begins. PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas declared his total support for the proposal, saying that he made contacts with international and Arab leaders to pave the way for holding the peace conference.
On the other hand, Hamas's foreign relations chief revealed that there is "unpleasant news" about the Doha talks between Hamas and Fatah movements. “We had agreed upon everything during the two first rounds of talks; however, we were surprised by Fatah’s delay in holding the final meeting which was scheduled to finalize the last arrangements,” Hamdan clarified.
Speaking to Quds Press on Sunday, Hamas foreign relations chief Osama Hamdan described PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s acceptance of the French initiative as running behind mirage especially since it was publicly rejected by Israel.
Abbas knows very well that negotiations with Israel is a failed option that has no future in light of the continued Judaization schemes and settlement expansion, he stressed.
The French initiative is not clear yet and has no clear plans, Hamdan elaborated. Abbas’s support for the French initiative is a failed attempt to maintain his legitimacy as a chairman for the PA at the international level after losing it at the local level, according to Hamdan.
France had proposed an initiative for “accelerating progress toward a lasting solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” The initiative recognizes an independent and sovereign Palestinian State based on the 1967 borders.
The French proposal sets an 18-month deadline for a negotiated settlement that establishes a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with required land swaps, and recognizes Jerusalem as the common capital of both states.
France’s plan also suggests holding an international peace conference that would crown the process before it begins. PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas declared his total support for the proposal, saying that he made contacts with international and Arab leaders to pave the way for holding the peace conference.
On the other hand, Hamas's foreign relations chief revealed that there is "unpleasant news" about the Doha talks between Hamas and Fatah movements. “We had agreed upon everything during the two first rounds of talks; however, we were surprised by Fatah’s delay in holding the final meeting which was scheduled to finalize the last arrangements,” Hamdan clarified.
Jean-Marc Ayrault arrived in Jerusalem and Ramallah on Sunday to consult with his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts about efforts to revive the peace process; Netanyahu told weekly cabinet meeting, 'The only way to advance true peace between us and the Palestinians is by means of direct negotiations.'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Israel's objection to the French peace conference initiative in his meeting Sunday morning with France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who is visiting Israel and the West Bank in an effort to revive negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Despite Israeli objection, Ayrault said the summit, tentatively planned for May 30 in Paris, will proceed as planned.
"We must demonstrate that the path that we are proposing will be the one that will allow for an exit out of the extremely serious situation, the impasse which we find ourselves in. I explained to him (Netanyahu) what that means," Ayrault said. "I will not ask him to come to the meeting on May 30, he wasn't invited, only at a second date. So I understand his disagreements but it only convinces me of the need to do something to move this impasse," he said, adding that he spoke "frankly" with the Israeli prime minister.
The Palestinians, who have welcomed the French proposal, also said it will be held as planned. Nabil Abu Rdeneh, an adviser to the Palestinian president said: "The French and Arab efforts are ongoing and are quickly on the right track to hold the international peace conference."
Netanyahu summarized his meeting with Ayrault at outset of the weekly cabinet meeting: "I told (Ayrault) that the only way to advance a true peace between us and the Palestinians is by means of direct negotiations between us and them, without preconditions," adding that "any other attempt only makes peace more remote and gives the Palestinians an escape hatch to avoid confronting the root of the conflict."
The French foreign minister's staff also spoke about the proposed international peace conference after Ayrault and Netanyahu's meeting. "France is operating with complete transparency regarding everything that concerns Israel. That is the point of the foreign minister's visit, and he is carrying out a close dialogue with his Israeli counterparts. Israel was among the first states that the French special envoy visited," they said.
Ayrault's staff added, "We do not intend to determine what the results of the direct talks between the two sides (before they happen). The problem is that currently there are no talks. The foreign minister said that the goal of the French initiative is to unite the international community behind a renewal of its commitment to a two-state solution and the creation of beneficial conditions to revive direct talks between the sides."
The French foreign minister's staff also addressed the Israeli government's criticisms of the recent French vote at UNESCO, which Israel officials said "denies our attachment to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount." They said the foreign minister "has requested that the misunderstanding caused by the French vote at UNESCO regarding the situation in Jerusalem be clarified. He (also) made clear that France's position vis-à-vis Jerusalem has not changed. Jerusalem is a city rooted in the traditions of the three monotheistic religions and belongs to all believers including Jews, Christians, and Muslims. France is committed to freedom of movement and worship in Jerusalem."
Ayrault's staff called on Israeli officials to refrain from making "counterproductive" statements. They said, "Harmful declarations that can be avoided have caused misunderstandings. France is troubled by them. The French prime minister was very clear about this (issue) in his speeches in front of the National Assembly and the Senate."
The foreign minister's staff stated further, "The foreign minister has strongly condemned terror when it strikes Israel, Arab states, or France. And he has expressed solidarity with the victims' families in Israel, which include French families."
Departing Jerusalem, Ayrault spoke of the upcoming Quartet (the USA, Russia, the EU and the UN) report on the frozen peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians. "I told Netanyahu that we don't expect there to be songs praising progress in the peace process," the foreign minister said.
He added that France is preparing the list of countries that will participate in the meeting of foreign ministers, including the Quartet, the Arab League, the UN Security Council and about 20 countries—including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan—without Israeli or Palestinian participation.
Diplomats say that meeting will package all economic incentives and other guarantees that various countries have offered in previous years to create an agenda for a fall peace conference.
"It's clear to us, and I said this to Netanyahu and Abbas, that we cannot take (their) places. They will have to hold direct negotiations, but, because things are stuck, they need external involvement. The goal is to get back to negotiations…Netanyahu doesn't agree that this is correct. I know that there is vehement opposition. That's not new, and it won't discourage us. The summit will convene."
Netanyahu sent a letter to French President François Hollande last week in which he protested the French vote at UNESCO. Netanyahu wrote Hollande, "The organization responsible for safeguarding the world's historic heritage has stooped to rewriting a basic and irrefutable part of human history. While we have no illusions regarding the United Nations' commitment to truth or fairness, we were frankly shocked to witness our French friends raising their hands in favor of this disgraceful decision."
Netanyahu added in his letter, "The international validation of Palestinian efforts to deny Jewish history and to perpetuate the myth of Israel's aggression on the Temple Mount is not only immoral, it is also dangerous." After receiving Netanyahu's letter, Hollande informed the French Jewish community that the decision to support the UNESCO vote was a mistake. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls also called the vote "unfortunate and clumsy."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Israel's objection to the French peace conference initiative in his meeting Sunday morning with France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who is visiting Israel and the West Bank in an effort to revive negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Despite Israeli objection, Ayrault said the summit, tentatively planned for May 30 in Paris, will proceed as planned.
"We must demonstrate that the path that we are proposing will be the one that will allow for an exit out of the extremely serious situation, the impasse which we find ourselves in. I explained to him (Netanyahu) what that means," Ayrault said. "I will not ask him to come to the meeting on May 30, he wasn't invited, only at a second date. So I understand his disagreements but it only convinces me of the need to do something to move this impasse," he said, adding that he spoke "frankly" with the Israeli prime minister.
The Palestinians, who have welcomed the French proposal, also said it will be held as planned. Nabil Abu Rdeneh, an adviser to the Palestinian president said: "The French and Arab efforts are ongoing and are quickly on the right track to hold the international peace conference."
Netanyahu summarized his meeting with Ayrault at outset of the weekly cabinet meeting: "I told (Ayrault) that the only way to advance a true peace between us and the Palestinians is by means of direct negotiations between us and them, without preconditions," adding that "any other attempt only makes peace more remote and gives the Palestinians an escape hatch to avoid confronting the root of the conflict."
The French foreign minister's staff also spoke about the proposed international peace conference after Ayrault and Netanyahu's meeting. "France is operating with complete transparency regarding everything that concerns Israel. That is the point of the foreign minister's visit, and he is carrying out a close dialogue with his Israeli counterparts. Israel was among the first states that the French special envoy visited," they said.
Ayrault's staff added, "We do not intend to determine what the results of the direct talks between the two sides (before they happen). The problem is that currently there are no talks. The foreign minister said that the goal of the French initiative is to unite the international community behind a renewal of its commitment to a two-state solution and the creation of beneficial conditions to revive direct talks between the sides."
The French foreign minister's staff also addressed the Israeli government's criticisms of the recent French vote at UNESCO, which Israel officials said "denies our attachment to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount." They said the foreign minister "has requested that the misunderstanding caused by the French vote at UNESCO regarding the situation in Jerusalem be clarified. He (also) made clear that France's position vis-à-vis Jerusalem has not changed. Jerusalem is a city rooted in the traditions of the three monotheistic religions and belongs to all believers including Jews, Christians, and Muslims. France is committed to freedom of movement and worship in Jerusalem."
Ayrault's staff called on Israeli officials to refrain from making "counterproductive" statements. They said, "Harmful declarations that can be avoided have caused misunderstandings. France is troubled by them. The French prime minister was very clear about this (issue) in his speeches in front of the National Assembly and the Senate."
The foreign minister's staff stated further, "The foreign minister has strongly condemned terror when it strikes Israel, Arab states, or France. And he has expressed solidarity with the victims' families in Israel, which include French families."
Departing Jerusalem, Ayrault spoke of the upcoming Quartet (the USA, Russia, the EU and the UN) report on the frozen peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians. "I told Netanyahu that we don't expect there to be songs praising progress in the peace process," the foreign minister said.
He added that France is preparing the list of countries that will participate in the meeting of foreign ministers, including the Quartet, the Arab League, the UN Security Council and about 20 countries—including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan—without Israeli or Palestinian participation.
Diplomats say that meeting will package all economic incentives and other guarantees that various countries have offered in previous years to create an agenda for a fall peace conference.
"It's clear to us, and I said this to Netanyahu and Abbas, that we cannot take (their) places. They will have to hold direct negotiations, but, because things are stuck, they need external involvement. The goal is to get back to negotiations…Netanyahu doesn't agree that this is correct. I know that there is vehement opposition. That's not new, and it won't discourage us. The summit will convene."
Netanyahu sent a letter to French President François Hollande last week in which he protested the French vote at UNESCO. Netanyahu wrote Hollande, "The organization responsible for safeguarding the world's historic heritage has stooped to rewriting a basic and irrefutable part of human history. While we have no illusions regarding the United Nations' commitment to truth or fairness, we were frankly shocked to witness our French friends raising their hands in favor of this disgraceful decision."
Netanyahu added in his letter, "The international validation of Palestinian efforts to deny Jewish history and to perpetuate the myth of Israel's aggression on the Temple Mount is not only immoral, it is also dangerous." After receiving Netanyahu's letter, Hollande informed the French Jewish community that the decision to support the UNESCO vote was a mistake. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls also called the vote "unfortunate and clumsy."
Haaretz Hebrew newspaper reported that French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault will visit Occupied Jerusalem on Sunday to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in order to discuss the French peace initiative.
The Israeli newspaper website revealed that the visit comes in light of tension in relations between Israel and France on the background of the initiative.
The French initiative aims at holding an international conference calling for resuming political settlement negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians by the end of 2016.
Haaretz pointed out that Foreign Minister Jean-Marc will try to convince PM Netanyahu to accept the initiative.
The latter had lately declared his government’s refusal of the initiative proposed by Paris three weeks ago. The initiative called on over 20 states to hold a meeting of foreign ministers on May 30 with no representatives of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
The Israeli newspaper website revealed that the visit comes in light of tension in relations between Israel and France on the background of the initiative.
The French initiative aims at holding an international conference calling for resuming political settlement negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians by the end of 2016.
Haaretz pointed out that Foreign Minister Jean-Marc will try to convince PM Netanyahu to accept the initiative.
The latter had lately declared his government’s refusal of the initiative proposed by Paris three weeks ago. The initiative called on over 20 states to hold a meeting of foreign ministers on May 30 with no representatives of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
29 apr 2016
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) has questioned the goals of the French peace initiative, voicing its fear that it may undermine the Palestinian people's rights.
According to Quds Press, senior PFLP official Maher al-Taher called for referring the French peace plan to the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to give its opinion about it.
"We have serious doubts about what is being said about it and that this initiative may lead the Palestinian refugees to lose their right of return, so it is natural that it should be presented to the official Palestinian institutions," Taher stated.
"It is something normal that we do not accept an initiative we have not yet seen. We know that France is coordinating with the United States in this regard, and we have doubts that this initiative is not consistent with the UN resolutions," he added.
According to Quds Press, senior PFLP official Maher al-Taher called for referring the French peace plan to the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to give its opinion about it.
"We have serious doubts about what is being said about it and that this initiative may lead the Palestinian refugees to lose their right of return, so it is natural that it should be presented to the official Palestinian institutions," Taher stated.
"It is something normal that we do not accept an initiative we have not yet seen. We know that France is coordinating with the United States in this regard, and we have doubts that this initiative is not consistent with the UN resolutions," he added.
The Supreme Council of Religious Ruling (Fatwa) in Palestine warned of Israeli intents to hold sway over Palestinian buildings in Occupied Jerusalem by altering the Arnona statute.
According to the Fatwa Council, the Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) have already paved the way for the move by notifying Palestinians in Occupied Jerusalem that their estates will be tagged as “abandoned property.”
The Israeli occupation municipality claimed the move aims at motivating Palestinian owners to rent or sell empty buildings.
The council spoke out against such an Israeli scheme, saying it rather makes part of a preplanned agenda to hold sway over Palestinian property in favor of illegal settlers.
The Fatwa Council called on the Palestinian natives of Occupied Jerusalem to stand on their guard to such an Israeli scheme of ethnic cleansing and forced deportation.
The move comes at a time when tension has reached a peak in Occupied Jerusalem as Israeli fanatics have been vandalizing Muslims’ the holy al-Aqsa Mosque on the occasion of the Passover holiday.
The Fatwa Council urged the Muslim worshipers to intensify their presence and maintain vigil at al-Aqsa so as to defend it against the Israeli sacrilegious schemes. The council further denounced Israel’s closure of the Ibrahimi Mosque, in al-Khalil, before the Muslim worshipers while boosting break-ins at the holy site by Israeli fanatics under the pretext of Jewish holidays.
The council appealed to the international community to speak up against Israel’s oppressive policies and violations of Muslims’ right to the freedom of worship.
According to the Fatwa Council, the Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) have already paved the way for the move by notifying Palestinians in Occupied Jerusalem that their estates will be tagged as “abandoned property.”
The Israeli occupation municipality claimed the move aims at motivating Palestinian owners to rent or sell empty buildings.
The council spoke out against such an Israeli scheme, saying it rather makes part of a preplanned agenda to hold sway over Palestinian property in favor of illegal settlers.
The Fatwa Council called on the Palestinian natives of Occupied Jerusalem to stand on their guard to such an Israeli scheme of ethnic cleansing and forced deportation.
The move comes at a time when tension has reached a peak in Occupied Jerusalem as Israeli fanatics have been vandalizing Muslims’ the holy al-Aqsa Mosque on the occasion of the Passover holiday.
The Fatwa Council urged the Muslim worshipers to intensify their presence and maintain vigil at al-Aqsa so as to defend it against the Israeli sacrilegious schemes. The council further denounced Israel’s closure of the Ibrahimi Mosque, in al-Khalil, before the Muslim worshipers while boosting break-ins at the holy site by Israeli fanatics under the pretext of Jewish holidays.
The council appealed to the international community to speak up against Israel’s oppressive policies and violations of Muslims’ right to the freedom of worship.
The Israeli government declared on Thursday its strong refusal of the French initiative to hold an international conference aiming at reviving negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.
The Israeli government called, instead of the initiative, for immediate resuming of direct negotiations with no preconditions.
The office of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that any other diplomatic initiative would take Palestinians away from direct negotiations.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Marc Ayrault declared last week that his country would organize an international ministerial meeting on May 30 in Paris in an attempt to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
The Israeli government called, instead of the initiative, for immediate resuming of direct negotiations with no preconditions.
The office of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that any other diplomatic initiative would take Palestinians away from direct negotiations.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Marc Ayrault declared last week that his country would organize an international ministerial meeting on May 30 in Paris in an attempt to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
27 apr 2016
Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, described the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) withdrawal of the complaint against Israeli illegal settlement activity filed with the UN Security Council as manipulation of the Palestinian Question and demanded the PA to stop it.
The spokesman of Hamas Movement Sami Abu Zuhri called on the PA “to halt its monopolization policy and to respect partnership and political willingness to achieve reconciliation with Palestinian factions, not the Israeli occupation.”
The PA withdrew its draft resolution to the UN Security Council against Israeli settlement claiming that it made the decision in order not to fail the French initiative to hold an international peace conference.
The spokesman of Hamas Movement Sami Abu Zuhri called on the PA “to halt its monopolization policy and to respect partnership and political willingness to achieve reconciliation with Palestinian factions, not the Israeli occupation.”
The PA withdrew its draft resolution to the UN Security Council against Israeli settlement claiming that it made the decision in order not to fail the French initiative to hold an international peace conference.
25 apr 2016
By: Ramzy Baroud
Ramzy Baroud is an internationally-syndicated columnist, author and the founder of PalestineChronicle.com. His latest book is My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story.
“We won’t act like them, we will not use violence or force, we are peaceful, we believe in peace, in peaceful popular resistance.” This was part of a message issued by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in October, only days after a few incidents took place in which Palestinian youth were accused of attacking Israeli soldiers and settlers with knives.
The message would have carried some weight were it not laden with contradictions. On one hand, Abbas’ supposed “peace” quest has only entrenched the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, and all but completely isolated illegally occupied and annexed East Jerusalem.
Moreover, what “peaceful popular resistance” is Abbas, 80, referring to? What war of “peaceful” national liberation has he been leading? And how could a leader, ever so unpopular, be leading a “popular resistance” anyway?
Just two weeks before Abbas made that statement in which he referred to some illusory “popular resistance” under his command, a poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah revealed that a majority of Palestinians, 65% of respondents, want him to resign.
Of course, while Abbas continues to prophesize about some non-existent peace -- as he has done for most of his lucrative career -- Israel continues to wreak havoc on Palestinians, using every means of violence at its disposal.
Granted, Israel’s propensity to maintain its violent occupation cannot be blamed on Abbas. It is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition that should be blamed squarely for the occupation and the mistreatment and humiliation of Palestinians on a daily basis.
However, such truth should not detract from Abbas’ terrible legacy and ongoing misconduct. In fact, some urgent questions must be asked in that regard:
If Abbas is such a peacenik, why is his military budget so disproportionately large?
According to information published by Visualizing Palestine, 31 percent of the PA budget is spent on the military and policing of the West Bank. Compare this to 18 percent on education, 13 percent on health and only 1 percent on agriculture. The latter percentage is particularly troubling, considering that Palestinian land, orchards, and olive groves are the main target for Israel, which usurps the land in order to expand its military zones and illegal settlements.
The huge discrepancy between funds allocated to Palestinian security forces -- which never confront Israel's military occupation, only Palestinian resistance -- and those spent to assist farmers in their “sumoud” (steadfastness) while their land is being targeted and confiscated daily, is a testament to the mixed priorities of Abbas and his Authority.
Even Israel, which is obsessed with its security, and manages several fronts of war and military occupation spends only 22 percent of its total budget on the military, which is still quite high by average standards.
Abbas’ “peace” is, of course, quite selective. He rules over occupied Palestinians with an iron fist, rarely tolerates dissent within his party, Fatah’s, ranks, and has done his utmost to isolate the Gaza Strip and sustain a state of conflict with his enemies in the Hamas movement.
More recently, and due to mere criticism leveled at him by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a prominent Palestinian faction and PLO member, Abbas decided to choke them of funds. In Abbas’ “peaceful” world, there is zero room for tolerance.
The PFLP criticism was a response to statements he made on Israeli television.
In a recent interview, he insisted that security coordination with Israel is a top priority for him. Without such coordination, the PA will find itself “on the brink of collapse,” he told Israel Channel 2 on March 31.
Apart from apprehending suspected Palestinian resisters, the security coordination includes searching school children’s bags for knives, according to the Palestinian leader. “Our security forces are entering schools and checking if students are carrying knives. In one school, we found 70 students with knives, and we told them that this was wrong. I told them I do not want you to kill someone and die; I want you to live and for others to live, too.”
Abbas’ statement on life and death does not, in the least, address the context of oppression, the humiliation of military occupation and the prevailing sense of despair that exists among young Palestinians, caught between a belligerent, violent occupation, and a submissive leadership.
Convincing them not to “kill someone and die,” involved “the security forces arresting the students who were found with knives, questioning them, torturing them, and threatening their families,” wrote Palestinian commentator Munir Shafiq.
“We only need to listen to the experiences of many who were tortured by the Israeli Shabak and the Palestinian security agencies, who said that the Palestinian security agencies are harsher, more barbaric and more brutal than the Shabak,” Shafiq wrote in Arabi21. So much for being “peaceful” and “believing in peace.”
Writing in Rai al-Youm, Kamal Khalf wonders if it is time to look into the legitimacy of Mahmoud Abbas, a man who has ruled with an expired mandate for years. While refraining from any personal attack on Abbas, Khalf raises the possibility whether the PA president’s emotional and psychological well-being in his old age ought to be questioned, especially when one considers some of his latest statements: attacking Palestinian resistance, searching children’s schoolbags, and avowing his love for Israeli music.
When Abbas Zaki, the well-respected member of Fatah's Central Committee, returned from a recent visit to Tehran, he was attacked by Abbas who "accused him of receiving $50,000 from the Iranians and he demanded the money be given to him instead,” he wrote.
The number of Abbas’ bizarre actions and strange statements seem to be increasing with age. It is no secret, of course, that there has been much discussion about succession within Fatah and the PA, once Abbas is no longer in the picture. Until then, such eccentricity should be expected.
However, it is essential that the discussion does not entirely focus on Abbas, for he is merely representative of a whole class of usurpers who have used the Palestinian cause to advance their own positions, wealth and prestige.
There is little evidence to suggest that Abbas’ current position -- soft on the occupation, hard on the Palestinians -- is new, or motivated by age and mental health. For the sake of fairness, the arbitrator of the Oslo accords has been consistent in this regard.
Since Arafat’s death in 2004, and his advent to power through a questionable democratic process in 2005, Abbas has worked laboriously to coexist with the Israeli occupation but failed to co-exist with his own Palestinian rivals.
True, it has been a decade of unmitigated Palestinian leadership failure, but it certainly took more than Abbas to manage that political fiasco. Now, at 80, Abbas seems to have become a scapegoat for a whole class of Palestinians which has worked to manage the occupation and benefit from it.
The views expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect Ma'an News Agency's editorial policy.
Ramzy Baroud is an internationally-syndicated columnist, author and the founder of PalestineChronicle.com. His latest book is My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story.
“We won’t act like them, we will not use violence or force, we are peaceful, we believe in peace, in peaceful popular resistance.” This was part of a message issued by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in October, only days after a few incidents took place in which Palestinian youth were accused of attacking Israeli soldiers and settlers with knives.
The message would have carried some weight were it not laden with contradictions. On one hand, Abbas’ supposed “peace” quest has only entrenched the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, and all but completely isolated illegally occupied and annexed East Jerusalem.
Moreover, what “peaceful popular resistance” is Abbas, 80, referring to? What war of “peaceful” national liberation has he been leading? And how could a leader, ever so unpopular, be leading a “popular resistance” anyway?
Just two weeks before Abbas made that statement in which he referred to some illusory “popular resistance” under his command, a poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah revealed that a majority of Palestinians, 65% of respondents, want him to resign.
Of course, while Abbas continues to prophesize about some non-existent peace -- as he has done for most of his lucrative career -- Israel continues to wreak havoc on Palestinians, using every means of violence at its disposal.
Granted, Israel’s propensity to maintain its violent occupation cannot be blamed on Abbas. It is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition that should be blamed squarely for the occupation and the mistreatment and humiliation of Palestinians on a daily basis.
However, such truth should not detract from Abbas’ terrible legacy and ongoing misconduct. In fact, some urgent questions must be asked in that regard:
If Abbas is such a peacenik, why is his military budget so disproportionately large?
According to information published by Visualizing Palestine, 31 percent of the PA budget is spent on the military and policing of the West Bank. Compare this to 18 percent on education, 13 percent on health and only 1 percent on agriculture. The latter percentage is particularly troubling, considering that Palestinian land, orchards, and olive groves are the main target for Israel, which usurps the land in order to expand its military zones and illegal settlements.
The huge discrepancy between funds allocated to Palestinian security forces -- which never confront Israel's military occupation, only Palestinian resistance -- and those spent to assist farmers in their “sumoud” (steadfastness) while their land is being targeted and confiscated daily, is a testament to the mixed priorities of Abbas and his Authority.
Even Israel, which is obsessed with its security, and manages several fronts of war and military occupation spends only 22 percent of its total budget on the military, which is still quite high by average standards.
Abbas’ “peace” is, of course, quite selective. He rules over occupied Palestinians with an iron fist, rarely tolerates dissent within his party, Fatah’s, ranks, and has done his utmost to isolate the Gaza Strip and sustain a state of conflict with his enemies in the Hamas movement.
More recently, and due to mere criticism leveled at him by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a prominent Palestinian faction and PLO member, Abbas decided to choke them of funds. In Abbas’ “peaceful” world, there is zero room for tolerance.
The PFLP criticism was a response to statements he made on Israeli television.
In a recent interview, he insisted that security coordination with Israel is a top priority for him. Without such coordination, the PA will find itself “on the brink of collapse,” he told Israel Channel 2 on March 31.
Apart from apprehending suspected Palestinian resisters, the security coordination includes searching school children’s bags for knives, according to the Palestinian leader. “Our security forces are entering schools and checking if students are carrying knives. In one school, we found 70 students with knives, and we told them that this was wrong. I told them I do not want you to kill someone and die; I want you to live and for others to live, too.”
Abbas’ statement on life and death does not, in the least, address the context of oppression, the humiliation of military occupation and the prevailing sense of despair that exists among young Palestinians, caught between a belligerent, violent occupation, and a submissive leadership.
Convincing them not to “kill someone and die,” involved “the security forces arresting the students who were found with knives, questioning them, torturing them, and threatening their families,” wrote Palestinian commentator Munir Shafiq.
“We only need to listen to the experiences of many who were tortured by the Israeli Shabak and the Palestinian security agencies, who said that the Palestinian security agencies are harsher, more barbaric and more brutal than the Shabak,” Shafiq wrote in Arabi21. So much for being “peaceful” and “believing in peace.”
Writing in Rai al-Youm, Kamal Khalf wonders if it is time to look into the legitimacy of Mahmoud Abbas, a man who has ruled with an expired mandate for years. While refraining from any personal attack on Abbas, Khalf raises the possibility whether the PA president’s emotional and psychological well-being in his old age ought to be questioned, especially when one considers some of his latest statements: attacking Palestinian resistance, searching children’s schoolbags, and avowing his love for Israeli music.
When Abbas Zaki, the well-respected member of Fatah's Central Committee, returned from a recent visit to Tehran, he was attacked by Abbas who "accused him of receiving $50,000 from the Iranians and he demanded the money be given to him instead,” he wrote.
The number of Abbas’ bizarre actions and strange statements seem to be increasing with age. It is no secret, of course, that there has been much discussion about succession within Fatah and the PA, once Abbas is no longer in the picture. Until then, such eccentricity should be expected.
However, it is essential that the discussion does not entirely focus on Abbas, for he is merely representative of a whole class of usurpers who have used the Palestinian cause to advance their own positions, wealth and prestige.
There is little evidence to suggest that Abbas’ current position -- soft on the occupation, hard on the Palestinians -- is new, or motivated by age and mental health. For the sake of fairness, the arbitrator of the Oslo accords has been consistent in this regard.
Since Arafat’s death in 2004, and his advent to power through a questionable democratic process in 2005, Abbas has worked laboriously to coexist with the Israeli occupation but failed to co-exist with his own Palestinian rivals.
True, it has been a decade of unmitigated Palestinian leadership failure, but it certainly took more than Abbas to manage that political fiasco. Now, at 80, Abbas seems to have become a scapegoat for a whole class of Palestinians which has worked to manage the occupation and benefit from it.
The views expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect Ma'an News Agency's editorial policy.
24 apr 2016
The Israeli ministry of housing said that Israeli settler groups had submitted requests for the development of plots of land behind the separation wall in the West Bank.
According to Israeli news report, the housing ministry would launch a project to build 1,690 housing and industrial units on these lands.
17 million shekels have been earmarked by the Israeli government for the development of these lands in Qalandiya province and Atarot industrial zone, north of Jerusalem.
Specialist in settlement affairs Khalil Tufkaji told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that this project is one of the biggest and oldest Israeli settlement plans in the archive rooms of the Israeli government.
Tufkaji warned that this project would devour entire neighborhoods and areas behind and inside the separation wall and would reshape the map of the northern border of Jerusalem.
According to Israeli news report, the housing ministry would launch a project to build 1,690 housing and industrial units on these lands.
17 million shekels have been earmarked by the Israeli government for the development of these lands in Qalandiya province and Atarot industrial zone, north of Jerusalem.
Specialist in settlement affairs Khalil Tufkaji told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that this project is one of the biggest and oldest Israeli settlement plans in the archive rooms of the Israeli government.
Tufkaji warned that this project would devour entire neighborhoods and areas behind and inside the separation wall and would reshape the map of the northern border of Jerusalem.