23 jan 2020
Abbas warns U.S. and Israel from 'crossing red lines' in outline if published, a senior official close to the Palestinian president said he puts faith in Europe and China rather than Arab nations
Palestinian Authority officials claimed that the decision to present U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan stems from "internal Israeli political self-interests," said a senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday.
During a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence invited Netanyahu and Blue & White party leader Benny Gantz to Washington next week to present the details of the Trump administration's long-delayed "Deal of the Century" outline.
On Thursday, Abbas warned Israel and the U.S. not to cross "red lines," saying that the Palestinian government will continue to "refuse and resist any American claims of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital."
"The Palestinian position supports ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories whose capital is East Jerusalem," said an official statement from the Palestinian President. "If the U.S. publishes the 'Deal of the Century', the authority will take steps to protect its basic rights."
"It is obvious to us that the presentation of the peace deal is meant to help Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with his elections, we know when personal interests are at play," said the senior official.
"We are in the middle of a process that did not start today," said the official.
"First, they [The U.S.] declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, then they move the embassy to the city, followed by American announcements supporting a legitimization of the West Bank settlements and lately we are witness to the administrations willingness for Israel to annex the Jordan Valley; the announcement today is just the next step."
The official clarified that the Palestinian stance on the matter remains as it has always been: a complete refusal of a one-sided American peace proposal, which Ramallah called unbalanced and vehemently pro-Israeli.
The official went on to warn that the publication of the plan might destabilize the security balance in the West Bank.
"There is no doubt the plan will have an effect on the Palestinian streets," said the official.
"It could cause tension and lead to an escalation, there is a limit to the existing patience for one-sided moves."
And yet, the official did not use radical terminologies such as Intifada or any other kind of violent reactions.
The official revealed that the Palestinian leadership is hoping for support from European nations and China rather than the Arab states.
"We feel isolated and alone," said the official. "Even if Jordan or Egypt refuse to publicly and blatantly come out against the plan, we have the backing of Europe and China behind us, together with other nations."
The official estimated that it is still unlikely that Jordan will support that plan if a sizeable annexation of the border region of the Jordan Valley by Israel is included.
In a joint statement made with Pence, Netanyahu said he was behind the invitation for Gantz to travel with him to Washington because he wanted to reach the widest possible consensus in the talks.
Palestinian Authority officials claimed that the decision to present U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan stems from "internal Israeli political self-interests," said a senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday.
During a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence invited Netanyahu and Blue & White party leader Benny Gantz to Washington next week to present the details of the Trump administration's long-delayed "Deal of the Century" outline.
On Thursday, Abbas warned Israel and the U.S. not to cross "red lines," saying that the Palestinian government will continue to "refuse and resist any American claims of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital."
"The Palestinian position supports ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories whose capital is East Jerusalem," said an official statement from the Palestinian President. "If the U.S. publishes the 'Deal of the Century', the authority will take steps to protect its basic rights."
"It is obvious to us that the presentation of the peace deal is meant to help Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with his elections, we know when personal interests are at play," said the senior official.
"We are in the middle of a process that did not start today," said the official.
"First, they [The U.S.] declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, then they move the embassy to the city, followed by American announcements supporting a legitimization of the West Bank settlements and lately we are witness to the administrations willingness for Israel to annex the Jordan Valley; the announcement today is just the next step."
The official clarified that the Palestinian stance on the matter remains as it has always been: a complete refusal of a one-sided American peace proposal, which Ramallah called unbalanced and vehemently pro-Israeli.
The official went on to warn that the publication of the plan might destabilize the security balance in the West Bank.
"There is no doubt the plan will have an effect on the Palestinian streets," said the official.
"It could cause tension and lead to an escalation, there is a limit to the existing patience for one-sided moves."
And yet, the official did not use radical terminologies such as Intifada or any other kind of violent reactions.
The official revealed that the Palestinian leadership is hoping for support from European nations and China rather than the Arab states.
"We feel isolated and alone," said the official. "Even if Jordan or Egypt refuse to publicly and blatantly come out against the plan, we have the backing of Europe and China behind us, together with other nations."
The official estimated that it is still unlikely that Jordan will support that plan if a sizeable annexation of the border region of the Jordan Valley by Israel is included.
In a joint statement made with Pence, Netanyahu said he was behind the invitation for Gantz to travel with him to Washington because he wanted to reach the widest possible consensus in the talks.
Prime Minister said he requested the Blue & White leader to be included in the meeting hoping to achieve the widest possible consensus while defense minister expressed concern
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue & White party leader Benny Gantz were invited on Thursday to come to Washington on Tuesday next week for the presentation of U.S. President Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century" Middle East peace plan.
Netanyahu received word of the expected invitation from a White House official at the end of the Fifth International Holocaust Forum.
In a joint statement made with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence Netanyahu said he was behind the invitation of Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to Washington because he wanted to reach the widest possible consensus in the talks.
"We just completed a conversation about plans for next week," Pence said after meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
"President Trump asked me to extend an invitation to Prime Minister Netanyahu to come to the White House next week to discuss regional issues as well as the prospect of peace here in the Holy Land," he said.
According to earlier reports, the U.S. plan allows for Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and settlements in Area C. It also allows for a demilitarized Palestinian state, which would include portions of uninhabited and Palestinian spaces in Area C.
A Trump official in Washington said the plan will be presented in the coming days. Another official involved in the matter said the plan was not formulated around Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas's position.
The U.S. peace team, headed by special advisor Jared Kushner and special envoy Avi Berkowitz, had been expected to visit Israel on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the plan with Netanyahu and Gantz, but the visit was canceled at the last minute reportedly due to severe weather conditions and a tight schedule.
The flight to D.C. will take place as the Knesset begins to debate Netanyahu's request for immunity from prosecution on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, but Blue & White officials made their position clear that there is no reason to postpone the Knesset procedure.
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said there may be risks attached to the Trump plan, "President Trump, Jarred Kushner and Ambassador Friedman are close friends of Israel, which might be facing a historic opportunity, alongside serious risks."
A statement released on behalf of Bennett's party Yamina read, "we will not give up territory to the Arabs or allow the foundation of a Palestinian state, we will address the details of the plan as they come to light."
The head of the Binyamin Regional Council Yisrael Gantz says such a Palestinian state “endangers the state of Israel, the settler community will fight it with all our rights.”
Peace Now organization officials said that “any proposal that does not include the formation of a Palestinian state according to the 1967 borders and the evacuation of solitary settlements is a deception that will end up in the dustbin of history.”
In July 2019, the Trump administration published the economic part of the plan in Bahrain.
Neither Israeli or Palestinian officials were present at the presentation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue & White party leader Benny Gantz were invited on Thursday to come to Washington on Tuesday next week for the presentation of U.S. President Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century" Middle East peace plan.
Netanyahu received word of the expected invitation from a White House official at the end of the Fifth International Holocaust Forum.
In a joint statement made with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence Netanyahu said he was behind the invitation of Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to Washington because he wanted to reach the widest possible consensus in the talks.
"We just completed a conversation about plans for next week," Pence said after meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
"President Trump asked me to extend an invitation to Prime Minister Netanyahu to come to the White House next week to discuss regional issues as well as the prospect of peace here in the Holy Land," he said.
According to earlier reports, the U.S. plan allows for Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and settlements in Area C. It also allows for a demilitarized Palestinian state, which would include portions of uninhabited and Palestinian spaces in Area C.
A Trump official in Washington said the plan will be presented in the coming days. Another official involved in the matter said the plan was not formulated around Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas's position.
The U.S. peace team, headed by special advisor Jared Kushner and special envoy Avi Berkowitz, had been expected to visit Israel on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the plan with Netanyahu and Gantz, but the visit was canceled at the last minute reportedly due to severe weather conditions and a tight schedule.
The flight to D.C. will take place as the Knesset begins to debate Netanyahu's request for immunity from prosecution on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, but Blue & White officials made their position clear that there is no reason to postpone the Knesset procedure.
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said there may be risks attached to the Trump plan, "President Trump, Jarred Kushner and Ambassador Friedman are close friends of Israel, which might be facing a historic opportunity, alongside serious risks."
A statement released on behalf of Bennett's party Yamina read, "we will not give up territory to the Arabs or allow the foundation of a Palestinian state, we will address the details of the plan as they come to light."
The head of the Binyamin Regional Council Yisrael Gantz says such a Palestinian state “endangers the state of Israel, the settler community will fight it with all our rights.”
Peace Now organization officials said that “any proposal that does not include the formation of a Palestinian state according to the 1967 borders and the evacuation of solitary settlements is a deception that will end up in the dustbin of history.”
In July 2019, the Trump administration published the economic part of the plan in Bahrain.
Neither Israeli or Palestinian officials were present at the presentation.
Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi warned today that Israel's annexation of the Jordan Valley in the occupied Palestinian territories would blow up the foundations of the peace process and destroy the two-state solution, ending all chances of achieving peace.
Safadi told Jordanian News Agency (Petra) that the ongoing Israeli measures to expand settlements, confiscate Palestinian land, and declare plans to annex the Palestinian part of the Jordan Valley are illegal measures that violate international law and kill hope that peace can be achieved.
Safadi warned that Israel's efforts to undermine the two-state solution through its illegal measures aimed at imposing new facts on the ground, threaten to kill all chances of achieving a lasting peace.
The minister pointed out that King Abdullah II has been spearheading intensive and continuous efforts to launch an effective international movement to resolve the conflict on the basis of a two-state solution, and to confirm the centrality of the Palestinian issue.
He maintained that Jordan will continue to work with the international community and in coordination with Arab countries to achieve peace on the foundations that guarantee its viability and acceptance by the region's peoples.
The minister also warned that “the killing of hope for peace means fueling despair, undermining moderation, allowing extremism to prevail, and pushing the region towards more conflict and violence.”
Safadi also warned of the consequences of the Israeli violations against Muslim and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.
He stressed that protecting the holy sites and addressing all Israeli attempts to attack them is a sustainable action through direct engagement with the international community and in international organizations such as the United Nations and UNESCO.
Safadi further pointed out that Jordan continues to work with the international community to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and ensure that it continues to carry out its duty towards Palestinian refugees as mandated by the UN.
Safadi told Jordanian News Agency (Petra) that the ongoing Israeli measures to expand settlements, confiscate Palestinian land, and declare plans to annex the Palestinian part of the Jordan Valley are illegal measures that violate international law and kill hope that peace can be achieved.
Safadi warned that Israel's efforts to undermine the two-state solution through its illegal measures aimed at imposing new facts on the ground, threaten to kill all chances of achieving a lasting peace.
The minister pointed out that King Abdullah II has been spearheading intensive and continuous efforts to launch an effective international movement to resolve the conflict on the basis of a two-state solution, and to confirm the centrality of the Palestinian issue.
He maintained that Jordan will continue to work with the international community and in coordination with Arab countries to achieve peace on the foundations that guarantee its viability and acceptance by the region's peoples.
The minister also warned that “the killing of hope for peace means fueling despair, undermining moderation, allowing extremism to prevail, and pushing the region towards more conflict and violence.”
Safadi also warned of the consequences of the Israeli violations against Muslim and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.
He stressed that protecting the holy sites and addressing all Israeli attempts to attack them is a sustainable action through direct engagement with the international community and in international organizations such as the United Nations and UNESCO.
Safadi further pointed out that Jordan continues to work with the international community to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and ensure that it continues to carry out its duty towards Palestinian refugees as mandated by the UN.
21 jan 2020
Billions of US taxpayers’ dollars will continue to be funneled into Israel in the next fiscal year, and for many years in the foreseeable future.
Republican and Democratic Senators have recently ensured just that, passing a bill aimed at providing Israel with $3.3 billion in aid every year.
The Bill, co-sponsored by Democratic Senator Chris Coons and Republican Senator Marco Rubio, was passed on 9 January, only one day after Iran struck US positions in Iraq. Enthusiasm to push the Bill forward was meant to be an assurance to Tel Aviv from Washington that the US is committed to Israel’s security and military superiority in the Middle East.
Despite a palpable sense of war fatigue among all Americans, regardless of their political leaning, their country continues to sink deeper into Middle East conflicts simply because it is unable – or perhaps unwilling — to challenge Israel’s benefactors across the US government. “What’s good for Israel is good for America” continues to be the supreme maxim within Washington’s political elites, despite the fact that such irrational thinking has wrought disasters on the Middle East as a whole, and is finally forcing a hasty and humiliating American retreat.
The latest aid package to Israel will officially put into law a “Memorandum of Understanding” that was reached between the right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Barack Obama administration in 2016. At the time, Obama had offered Israel the largest military aid package in US history.
Senator Rubio explained the passing of the recent Bill in terms of the “unprecedented threats” that are supposedly faced by Israel. Coons, meanwhile, said that “the events of the past few days [the US-Iran escalation], were a stark reminder of the importance of US assistance to Israel’s security.”
What is particularly odd about Coons’ statement is the fact that it was not Israel, but US positions in Iraq that were struck by Iranian missiles, and that they were fired in response to the killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.
Yet, the American taxpayers’ funding of Israel’s military adventures continues unabated, despite the rapidly changing political reality in the Middle East, and the shifting US role in the region. This confirms further that the blind US support of Israel is not motivated by a centralized, distinctly American, strategy that aims to serve US interests. Instead, the unconditional – and, often, self-defeating — US government funding of the Israeli war machine is linked largely to domestic American politics and, indeed, the unparalleled power wielded by the pro-Israel lobby in the United States.
According to the public policy research institute of the United States Congress, the Congressional Research Centre (CRS), between 1946 and 2019 (including the requested funds for 2020) US aid to Israel has exceeded $142 billion.
Most of this immense sum of money — over $101 billion — went directly to the Israeli military budget, while over $34 billion and $7 billion went to Israel in terms of economic aid and missile defense funding respectively.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that the US no longer possesses a well-defined and centralized strategy in the Middle East; President Donald Trump changes American priorities from one speech or tweet to the next. However, the one consistent key phrase in whatever political agenda happens to be championed by Washington in the region at any particular time is: “Israel’s security”.
This precarious term seems to be linked to every American action pertaining to the Middle East, as it has for decades under every American administration, without exception. Wars have been launched or funded in the name of Israel’s security; human rights have been violated on a massive scale; the five-decade — and counting — military occupation of Palestine, the protracted siege of the impoverished Gaza Strip and much more, have all been carried out, defended and sustained in the name of Israel’s security.
US aid to Israel — the occupying state — continues, while all American aid to the Palestinians — the people under Israeli occupation — has been cut off, including the $300 million annual donations to the UN Agency responsible for the welfare of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
The Agency has provided education, healthcare, and shelter for millions of refugees since 1949, but is now, bizarrely, seen by both Israel and the US as “an obstacle to peace”.
Inexplicably, Israel receives roughly “one-third of the American foreign-aid budget, even though (it) comprises just .001 percent of the world’s population and already has one of the world’s higher per capita incomes,” wrote Professor Stephen Zunes in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.
This massive budget includes much more than the $3.3 billion of annual funding, but the other amounts and perks rarely make headlines. Anywhere between $500 million to $800 million is given to Israel every year as part of a missile defense package; an additional $1 billion benefits Israel in the form of tax-deductible donations, while $500 billion is invested in Israeli bonds.
Then there are the loan guarantees, where the US government assumes the responsibility for billions of dollars that Israel can access as a borrower from international creditors. If Israel defaults on its loans, it is the legal responsibility of the US government to offset the interest on the borrowed money.
Since 1982, Israel has been receiving US aid as a lump sum, as opposed to scheduled payments, as happens with other countries. To fulfill its self-imposed obligations to Israel, the US government borrows the money and is thus left to pay interest on the loans. “Israel even lends some of this money back through US treasury bills and collects the additional interest,” Zunes explained.
US relations with Israel are not governed by the kind of political wisdom that is predicated on mutual benefit. But they are not entirely irrational either, as the American ruling classes have aligned their interests, their perception of the Middle East and their country’s role in that region with that of Israel, thanks to years of media and official indoctrination.
Despite the fact that the US is retreating from the region, lacking strategy and future vision, lawmakers in Washington are congratulating themselves on passing yet another generous aid package to Israel. They feel proud of their great feat because, in their confused thinking, a ‘secured’ Israel is the only guarantor of US dominance in the Middle East. That is a theory that has been proven false, time and time again.
– Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of five books. His latest is “These Chains Will Be Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons” (Clarity Press, Atlanta). Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA), Istanbul Zaim University (IZU). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net
Republican and Democratic Senators have recently ensured just that, passing a bill aimed at providing Israel with $3.3 billion in aid every year.
The Bill, co-sponsored by Democratic Senator Chris Coons and Republican Senator Marco Rubio, was passed on 9 January, only one day after Iran struck US positions in Iraq. Enthusiasm to push the Bill forward was meant to be an assurance to Tel Aviv from Washington that the US is committed to Israel’s security and military superiority in the Middle East.
Despite a palpable sense of war fatigue among all Americans, regardless of their political leaning, their country continues to sink deeper into Middle East conflicts simply because it is unable – or perhaps unwilling — to challenge Israel’s benefactors across the US government. “What’s good for Israel is good for America” continues to be the supreme maxim within Washington’s political elites, despite the fact that such irrational thinking has wrought disasters on the Middle East as a whole, and is finally forcing a hasty and humiliating American retreat.
The latest aid package to Israel will officially put into law a “Memorandum of Understanding” that was reached between the right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Barack Obama administration in 2016. At the time, Obama had offered Israel the largest military aid package in US history.
Senator Rubio explained the passing of the recent Bill in terms of the “unprecedented threats” that are supposedly faced by Israel. Coons, meanwhile, said that “the events of the past few days [the US-Iran escalation], were a stark reminder of the importance of US assistance to Israel’s security.”
What is particularly odd about Coons’ statement is the fact that it was not Israel, but US positions in Iraq that were struck by Iranian missiles, and that they were fired in response to the killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.
Yet, the American taxpayers’ funding of Israel’s military adventures continues unabated, despite the rapidly changing political reality in the Middle East, and the shifting US role in the region. This confirms further that the blind US support of Israel is not motivated by a centralized, distinctly American, strategy that aims to serve US interests. Instead, the unconditional – and, often, self-defeating — US government funding of the Israeli war machine is linked largely to domestic American politics and, indeed, the unparalleled power wielded by the pro-Israel lobby in the United States.
According to the public policy research institute of the United States Congress, the Congressional Research Centre (CRS), between 1946 and 2019 (including the requested funds for 2020) US aid to Israel has exceeded $142 billion.
Most of this immense sum of money — over $101 billion — went directly to the Israeli military budget, while over $34 billion and $7 billion went to Israel in terms of economic aid and missile defense funding respectively.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that the US no longer possesses a well-defined and centralized strategy in the Middle East; President Donald Trump changes American priorities from one speech or tweet to the next. However, the one consistent key phrase in whatever political agenda happens to be championed by Washington in the region at any particular time is: “Israel’s security”.
This precarious term seems to be linked to every American action pertaining to the Middle East, as it has for decades under every American administration, without exception. Wars have been launched or funded in the name of Israel’s security; human rights have been violated on a massive scale; the five-decade — and counting — military occupation of Palestine, the protracted siege of the impoverished Gaza Strip and much more, have all been carried out, defended and sustained in the name of Israel’s security.
US aid to Israel — the occupying state — continues, while all American aid to the Palestinians — the people under Israeli occupation — has been cut off, including the $300 million annual donations to the UN Agency responsible for the welfare of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
The Agency has provided education, healthcare, and shelter for millions of refugees since 1949, but is now, bizarrely, seen by both Israel and the US as “an obstacle to peace”.
Inexplicably, Israel receives roughly “one-third of the American foreign-aid budget, even though (it) comprises just .001 percent of the world’s population and already has one of the world’s higher per capita incomes,” wrote Professor Stephen Zunes in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.
This massive budget includes much more than the $3.3 billion of annual funding, but the other amounts and perks rarely make headlines. Anywhere between $500 million to $800 million is given to Israel every year as part of a missile defense package; an additional $1 billion benefits Israel in the form of tax-deductible donations, while $500 billion is invested in Israeli bonds.
Then there are the loan guarantees, where the US government assumes the responsibility for billions of dollars that Israel can access as a borrower from international creditors. If Israel defaults on its loans, it is the legal responsibility of the US government to offset the interest on the borrowed money.
Since 1982, Israel has been receiving US aid as a lump sum, as opposed to scheduled payments, as happens with other countries. To fulfill its self-imposed obligations to Israel, the US government borrows the money and is thus left to pay interest on the loans. “Israel even lends some of this money back through US treasury bills and collects the additional interest,” Zunes explained.
US relations with Israel are not governed by the kind of political wisdom that is predicated on mutual benefit. But they are not entirely irrational either, as the American ruling classes have aligned their interests, their perception of the Middle East and their country’s role in that region with that of Israel, thanks to years of media and official indoctrination.
Despite the fact that the US is retreating from the region, lacking strategy and future vision, lawmakers in Washington are congratulating themselves on passing yet another generous aid package to Israel. They feel proud of their great feat because, in their confused thinking, a ‘secured’ Israel is the only guarantor of US dominance in the Middle East. That is a theory that has been proven false, time and time again.
– Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of five books. His latest is “These Chains Will Be Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons” (Clarity Press, Atlanta). Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA), Istanbul Zaim University (IZU). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net
20 jan 2020
Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly pushing for the U.S. administration to present the peace plan before the vote; while Benny Gantz opposes such a move, raising concerns over election intervention
U.S. President Donald is weighing whether to release his administration's Middle East peace plan ahead of the March 2 general election, Channel 13 reported Sunday.
The launch of the so-called “deal of the century” has been delayed repeatedly by the political uncertainty in Israel, which will hold an unprecedented third vote in the span of a single year.
The first part of the proposal was presented last summer during the "Peace to Prosperity" workshop in Manama, Bahrain.
It dealt exclusively with financial incentives for the Palestinians in case a peace plan was concluded.
The publication of the other part, which deals with the political dimensions of a proposed solution, was repeatedly delayed due to the lack of a full-fledged elected government in Jerusalem.
Trump is expected to make a final decision in the coming days as he holds talks with his peace team in Washington and regional leaders in the Arab world at the Davos World Economic Forum, set to begin on Monday.
Making the decision public will take into consideration several factors.
Senior officials with knowledge on the subject told Channel 13 that one of the main factors is Trump's upcoming impeachment proceedings in the Senate.
The most important consideration, however, will be made following the expected meeting between Senior White House Advisor Jared Kushner and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue & White party head Benny Gantz, later this week in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu is reportedly pushing for the administration to present the peace plan before the vote, while Gantz opposes such a move, raising concerns over election intervention.
U.S. President Donald is weighing whether to release his administration's Middle East peace plan ahead of the March 2 general election, Channel 13 reported Sunday.
The launch of the so-called “deal of the century” has been delayed repeatedly by the political uncertainty in Israel, which will hold an unprecedented third vote in the span of a single year.
The first part of the proposal was presented last summer during the "Peace to Prosperity" workshop in Manama, Bahrain.
It dealt exclusively with financial incentives for the Palestinians in case a peace plan was concluded.
The publication of the other part, which deals with the political dimensions of a proposed solution, was repeatedly delayed due to the lack of a full-fledged elected government in Jerusalem.
Trump is expected to make a final decision in the coming days as he holds talks with his peace team in Washington and regional leaders in the Arab world at the Davos World Economic Forum, set to begin on Monday.
Making the decision public will take into consideration several factors.
Senior officials with knowledge on the subject told Channel 13 that one of the main factors is Trump's upcoming impeachment proceedings in the Senate.
The most important consideration, however, will be made following the expected meeting between Senior White House Advisor Jared Kushner and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue & White party head Benny Gantz, later this week in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu is reportedly pushing for the administration to present the peace plan before the vote, while Gantz opposes such a move, raising concerns over election intervention.
Madeeha Araj/PNN
The National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements stated, in its latest weekly report , that the far-right Israeli Defense Minister, Naftali Bennett announced, last week, the approval of seven nature reserves in the West Bank, with an area of 130,000-State dunams — 20,000 of which ones belong to Palestinian citizens.
Bennett’s announcement also included approval for expansion of 12 already existing and approved by the Civil Administration in 2008.
The announcement included Wadi Al-Malha Reserve, 14,236 dunams; Wadi Tireza Reserve, 200 dunams; and Wadi Ogh Reserve, 5,700 dunams — all private Palestinian lands.
Bennett claimed that his ministry continues to develop the Jewish settlement in Area C “with actions, but not with words,” adding that, in Judea and Samaria, there are picturesque natural sites to be expanded and new ones be established, soon.
In his announcement, Bennett also called on Civil Administration to transfer the new nature reserves’ responsibility to the Nature and Gardens’ Authority, so that it can be opened before the public. Bennett’s announcement mentioned a large number of sites, including the Surek Cave, also known as the High Halimat Cave or the Candles Cave, near Beit Sorek; Wadi al-Muqlaq, on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives, in Jerusalem; Wadi-Malha, to the southern Jordan River; and Wadi Al-Far’a, the gateway to the northern Jordan Valley.
Moreover, Bennett also announced the expansion of 12 existing natural reserves, namely the mountain peaks located west of the Dead Sea; Fsayil & Um Zoka, in the Jordan Valley; Ein al-Fashkhah, adjacent to the Dead Sea; Kharouba village, east of Ramla and inside the West Bank; Wadi Silvadora, north of the Dead Sea; Ghadir Mountain, east of Tubas; Eioun Kana, north of the Dead Sea; Wadi Al-Malha, in the middle of the Jordan Valley; and Qumran, in the Jericho area — which means placing a hand on large areas of Palestinian land classified as Area C.
According to B’Tselem’s data, Israel announced that about 20% of the Jordan Valley has become “natural reserves, and national parks.”
In general, there are 700 km2 in the West Bank that have been declared natural reserves, in addition to 78 km2 as forests, so that the percentage of those lands reaches 13.7% of the total area of the West Bank. This is to say 59 nature reserves, most of which are located in Area C, according to the Oslo Agreement, but under Israeli control, which is subject to use for the benefit of settlements in the northern Jordan Valley — areas that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is promoting for his plan to impose Israeli sovereignty, there, if he wins the elections — the nature reserves in Wadi Qana, Salfit, and others in the Bethlehem and Hebron governorates.
With this in mind, the matter is clearly not limited to nature reserves, but also includes military bases or state lands.
Within the context of settlement projects, Israeli occupation authorities issued military orders to seize 350 dunams of agricultural land from Al-Khader and Artas villages, to the south of Bethlehem and specifically in the Bakush, Dhahr Ein, Hammad, Al-Shagv, Zakandah, Ein Al-Qasis, Shushahla, and Rajm areas, with the aim of expanding the bypass settlement road n. 60.
This means razing and rubbering more land, as well as adding 150-meter recoil, preventing farmers from accessing their lands.
Israeli authorities seized 127 dunams of land in Burqin and Kafr al-Dik, to the west of Salfit, under the pretext of it being state property. Israeli forces began implementing the second stage of establishing a new water line on the lands of the Qalqila Governorate, which extends from the 1948 line to Nablus, for the purpose of watering settlements.
This seven-kilometer project was announced in 2018, and entails the destruction of more than 1,000 olive trees and the confiscation of one hundred dunams of lands.
In Nablus, groups of settlers gathered on a number of roads, especially the Hawara and Yitzhar roads, and in the Orif lands, disrupting study at Orif Secondary School. At the same time, settlers attacked residential houses with stones, in the Madama village, and tried to climb their roofs, but people from around the villages came to help.
In Salfit, occupation authorities announced, earlier, the expansion of the Bruakhin settlement by adding hundreds of new settlement units. This prompted the settlers, there, to bulldoze 127 dunams in the Thahr Subh area, on the northern side of Hajah town, classified as a state land located in Areas B & C, although its owners possess documents which prove their ownership.
The National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements stated, in its latest weekly report , that the far-right Israeli Defense Minister, Naftali Bennett announced, last week, the approval of seven nature reserves in the West Bank, with an area of 130,000-State dunams — 20,000 of which ones belong to Palestinian citizens.
Bennett’s announcement also included approval for expansion of 12 already existing and approved by the Civil Administration in 2008.
The announcement included Wadi Al-Malha Reserve, 14,236 dunams; Wadi Tireza Reserve, 200 dunams; and Wadi Ogh Reserve, 5,700 dunams — all private Palestinian lands.
Bennett claimed that his ministry continues to develop the Jewish settlement in Area C “with actions, but not with words,” adding that, in Judea and Samaria, there are picturesque natural sites to be expanded and new ones be established, soon.
In his announcement, Bennett also called on Civil Administration to transfer the new nature reserves’ responsibility to the Nature and Gardens’ Authority, so that it can be opened before the public. Bennett’s announcement mentioned a large number of sites, including the Surek Cave, also known as the High Halimat Cave or the Candles Cave, near Beit Sorek; Wadi al-Muqlaq, on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives, in Jerusalem; Wadi-Malha, to the southern Jordan River; and Wadi Al-Far’a, the gateway to the northern Jordan Valley.
Moreover, Bennett also announced the expansion of 12 existing natural reserves, namely the mountain peaks located west of the Dead Sea; Fsayil & Um Zoka, in the Jordan Valley; Ein al-Fashkhah, adjacent to the Dead Sea; Kharouba village, east of Ramla and inside the West Bank; Wadi Silvadora, north of the Dead Sea; Ghadir Mountain, east of Tubas; Eioun Kana, north of the Dead Sea; Wadi Al-Malha, in the middle of the Jordan Valley; and Qumran, in the Jericho area — which means placing a hand on large areas of Palestinian land classified as Area C.
According to B’Tselem’s data, Israel announced that about 20% of the Jordan Valley has become “natural reserves, and national parks.”
In general, there are 700 km2 in the West Bank that have been declared natural reserves, in addition to 78 km2 as forests, so that the percentage of those lands reaches 13.7% of the total area of the West Bank. This is to say 59 nature reserves, most of which are located in Area C, according to the Oslo Agreement, but under Israeli control, which is subject to use for the benefit of settlements in the northern Jordan Valley — areas that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is promoting for his plan to impose Israeli sovereignty, there, if he wins the elections — the nature reserves in Wadi Qana, Salfit, and others in the Bethlehem and Hebron governorates.
With this in mind, the matter is clearly not limited to nature reserves, but also includes military bases or state lands.
Within the context of settlement projects, Israeli occupation authorities issued military orders to seize 350 dunams of agricultural land from Al-Khader and Artas villages, to the south of Bethlehem and specifically in the Bakush, Dhahr Ein, Hammad, Al-Shagv, Zakandah, Ein Al-Qasis, Shushahla, and Rajm areas, with the aim of expanding the bypass settlement road n. 60.
This means razing and rubbering more land, as well as adding 150-meter recoil, preventing farmers from accessing their lands.
Israeli authorities seized 127 dunams of land in Burqin and Kafr al-Dik, to the west of Salfit, under the pretext of it being state property. Israeli forces began implementing the second stage of establishing a new water line on the lands of the Qalqila Governorate, which extends from the 1948 line to Nablus, for the purpose of watering settlements.
This seven-kilometer project was announced in 2018, and entails the destruction of more than 1,000 olive trees and the confiscation of one hundred dunams of lands.
In Nablus, groups of settlers gathered on a number of roads, especially the Hawara and Yitzhar roads, and in the Orif lands, disrupting study at Orif Secondary School. At the same time, settlers attacked residential houses with stones, in the Madama village, and tried to climb their roofs, but people from around the villages came to help.
In Salfit, occupation authorities announced, earlier, the expansion of the Bruakhin settlement by adding hundreds of new settlement units. This prompted the settlers, there, to bulldoze 127 dunams in the Thahr Subh area, on the northern side of Hajah town, classified as a state land located in Areas B & C, although its owners possess documents which prove their ownership.
15 jan 2020
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry today condemned in a statement remarks by Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett in which he announced the establishment of what he referred to as “nature reserve” settlements in the occupied West Bank and said that it will take this matter up with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
“The Foreign Ministry condemns in the strongest terms Bennett’s colonialist and expansionist decisions and affirms that the so-called nature reserves are just another scheme for the appropriation and seizure of Palestinian land,” it said, adding that “this goes in the end for the benefit of shoring up settlements in the occupied West Bank.”
It said “it will approach the ICC to inform it of the legal dangers of Bennett’s declaration as part and parcel of the settlements file that will bring Bennett and others like him in front of the ICC.”
The ICC Prosecutor said recently that she will start an investigation into Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, which she said could be looked at war crimes.
“The Foreign Ministry condemns in the strongest terms Bennett’s colonialist and expansionist decisions and affirms that the so-called nature reserves are just another scheme for the appropriation and seizure of Palestinian land,” it said, adding that “this goes in the end for the benefit of shoring up settlements in the occupied West Bank.”
It said “it will approach the ICC to inform it of the legal dangers of Bennett’s declaration as part and parcel of the settlements file that will bring Bennett and others like him in front of the ICC.”
The ICC Prosecutor said recently that she will start an investigation into Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, which she said could be looked at war crimes.
