19 jan 2014
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told US Secretary of State John Kerry that he wants to annex a fourth bloc of West Bank settlements, army radio reported on Sunday.
Until now, Israel has always spoken of its intention to annex three blocs of settlements in any future agreement with the Palestinians: the Etzion bloc in the south; Maale Adumim to the east of Jerusalem; and the Ariel bloc in the north.
The report said Netanyahu was proposing that Israel also keep hold of a group of settlements deep in the West Bank -- Beit El, Ofra and Psagot -- which lie to the north and east of Ramallah, the radio said.
A settlement bloc is an area where clusters of settlements have been established in relatively close proximity to one another, in which the majority of the West Bank's 367,000 settlers currently live.
If Israel was to keep hold of the "Beit El bloc" as well as the others, it would mean annexing a total of 13 percent of the occupied West Bank, the radio said, describing it as a "very large percentage" of the territory.
"In the negotiating room, Netanyahu is talking about 13 percent of territory," the radio's diplomatic correspondent Ilil Shahar said, quoting sources close to Netanyahu.
"Netanyahu is proposing to a (land) swap of three to four percent then paying for the rest," she said.
In previous rounds of negotiations, former prime minister Ehud Barak in 2001 spoke of Israel annexing six to eight percent, and in 2008, then premier Ehud Olmert spoke about seven percent.
The Palestinians want to keep Israel's annexation of land they want for a future state to an absolute minimum, and have spoken of a maximum land swap of about two percent.
Netanyahu's office refused to comment on the report.
Shaul Arieli, an expert on mapping and the future Israeli-Palestinian borders described the proposal as unfeasible.
"If we're really talking about 13 percent, we're talking about an idea that's a non-starter from the Palestinian point of view," he told the radio.
"Israel does not have the ability to compensate the Palestinians at that level, our potential for compensation is not more than three to four percent, and of course the idea of paying is unacceptable."
Israel and the Palestinians embarked upon a nine-month track of direct negotiations at the urging of US Secretary of State John Kerry, at the end of July, which appear to have made little progress.
Currently, Kerry's main focus is trying to get the sides to agree on a framework to guide the negotiations forward in the coming months.
Although the term "settlement bloc" has been used by Israeli leaders for years, the parameters of such areas have never been clearly defined, with the best indicator of their location being the looping route of the sprawling West Bank barrier.
The phrase is a euphemism for those settlements that are supposedly within the Israeli national "consensus" as being the areas that should and likely will remain part of Israel under any future peace agreement, according to settlement watchdog Peace Now.
Until now, Israel has always spoken of its intention to annex three blocs of settlements in any future agreement with the Palestinians: the Etzion bloc in the south; Maale Adumim to the east of Jerusalem; and the Ariel bloc in the north.
The report said Netanyahu was proposing that Israel also keep hold of a group of settlements deep in the West Bank -- Beit El, Ofra and Psagot -- which lie to the north and east of Ramallah, the radio said.
A settlement bloc is an area where clusters of settlements have been established in relatively close proximity to one another, in which the majority of the West Bank's 367,000 settlers currently live.
If Israel was to keep hold of the "Beit El bloc" as well as the others, it would mean annexing a total of 13 percent of the occupied West Bank, the radio said, describing it as a "very large percentage" of the territory.
"In the negotiating room, Netanyahu is talking about 13 percent of territory," the radio's diplomatic correspondent Ilil Shahar said, quoting sources close to Netanyahu.
"Netanyahu is proposing to a (land) swap of three to four percent then paying for the rest," she said.
In previous rounds of negotiations, former prime minister Ehud Barak in 2001 spoke of Israel annexing six to eight percent, and in 2008, then premier Ehud Olmert spoke about seven percent.
The Palestinians want to keep Israel's annexation of land they want for a future state to an absolute minimum, and have spoken of a maximum land swap of about two percent.
Netanyahu's office refused to comment on the report.
Shaul Arieli, an expert on mapping and the future Israeli-Palestinian borders described the proposal as unfeasible.
"If we're really talking about 13 percent, we're talking about an idea that's a non-starter from the Palestinian point of view," he told the radio.
"Israel does not have the ability to compensate the Palestinians at that level, our potential for compensation is not more than three to four percent, and of course the idea of paying is unacceptable."
Israel and the Palestinians embarked upon a nine-month track of direct negotiations at the urging of US Secretary of State John Kerry, at the end of July, which appear to have made little progress.
Currently, Kerry's main focus is trying to get the sides to agree on a framework to guide the negotiations forward in the coming months.
Although the term "settlement bloc" has been used by Israeli leaders for years, the parameters of such areas have never been clearly defined, with the best indicator of their location being the looping route of the sprawling West Bank barrier.
The phrase is a euphemism for those settlements that are supposedly within the Israeli national "consensus" as being the areas that should and likely will remain part of Israel under any future peace agreement, according to settlement watchdog Peace Now.
Hamas movement denounced the position of the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that supports settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory. The movement said: "We, in Hamas, strongly condemn the statements made by the Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, and we consider them a retreat from her country's previous position that refused settlement."
It added that Bishop's remarks show that her country is siding with the Israeli occupation's settlement schemes and the displacement of Palestinians from their own land.
Hamas urged the Australian Foreign Minister to review her position that supports the crimes committed against the Palestinian people and land.
It added that Bishop's remarks show that her country is siding with the Israeli occupation's settlement schemes and the displacement of Palestinians from their own land.
Hamas urged the Australian Foreign Minister to review her position that supports the crimes committed against the Palestinian people and land.
Muslim nations urged the international community Saturday to put pressure on Israel to stop building Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, at the end of talks in Morocco.
The Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee made the call amid heightened concerns settlements could undermine US-brokered peace talks that resumed in July after becoming bogged down three years earlier over the construction drive.
"The international community must ... put pressure on Israel to stop the illegal and provocative settlement construction," a statement said at the end of the two-day meeting in Marrakesh.
That "will create a favorable context for the pursuit of peace negotiations" between Israel and the Palestinians, and for relations between Israel, its Arab neighbors and the Muslim world, the statement added.
The panel also praised the United States as a "serious" broker of the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The committee was founded by the pan-Muslim Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1975 to resist the confiscation of Palestinian land and assets in Jerusalem.
Chairman King Mohamed VI of Morocco opened the meeting Friday by calling for "a strong mobilization of our own means and resources ... to defend the Holy City."
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas later claimed Israel was using the peace talks as a "cover" to expand settlements in the West Bank.
Concerns over settlement construction returned to the fore last week when Israel announced plans to build 1,800 new settler homes in the West Bank, including annexed Arab East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.
The announcement came only days after the latest peace mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who criticized the settlements as "illegitimate" and "unhelpful."
The controversial decision prompted Britain, Italy, France and Spain to summon Israeli ambassadors in protest, with the Jewish state calling in European ambassadors on Friday in a tit-for-tat move.
After Israel unveiled the plans, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon launched a tirade against Secretary of State John Kerry for his "obsession" with brokering a framework peace deal by April, sparking a diplomatic spat with Washington.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the European Union of a "hypocritical" attitude toward the peace process, saying it should be more concerned by Palestinian militancy than Israeli housing construction.
The international community considers all settlements built on land seized by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War to be illegal.
Meanwhile the financial arm of the Jerusalem Committee, Bayt Mal al-Qods, called on the 57 members of the OIC to provide financial contributions to fund health, education and social projects in the Holy City.
The financial commission carried out 130 projects in Jerusalem between 2008-2012 worth $30 million in the health, housing, education and other sectors.
The Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee made the call amid heightened concerns settlements could undermine US-brokered peace talks that resumed in July after becoming bogged down three years earlier over the construction drive.
"The international community must ... put pressure on Israel to stop the illegal and provocative settlement construction," a statement said at the end of the two-day meeting in Marrakesh.
That "will create a favorable context for the pursuit of peace negotiations" between Israel and the Palestinians, and for relations between Israel, its Arab neighbors and the Muslim world, the statement added.
The panel also praised the United States as a "serious" broker of the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The committee was founded by the pan-Muslim Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1975 to resist the confiscation of Palestinian land and assets in Jerusalem.
Chairman King Mohamed VI of Morocco opened the meeting Friday by calling for "a strong mobilization of our own means and resources ... to defend the Holy City."
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas later claimed Israel was using the peace talks as a "cover" to expand settlements in the West Bank.
Concerns over settlement construction returned to the fore last week when Israel announced plans to build 1,800 new settler homes in the West Bank, including annexed Arab East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.
The announcement came only days after the latest peace mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who criticized the settlements as "illegitimate" and "unhelpful."
The controversial decision prompted Britain, Italy, France and Spain to summon Israeli ambassadors in protest, with the Jewish state calling in European ambassadors on Friday in a tit-for-tat move.
After Israel unveiled the plans, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon launched a tirade against Secretary of State John Kerry for his "obsession" with brokering a framework peace deal by April, sparking a diplomatic spat with Washington.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the European Union of a "hypocritical" attitude toward the peace process, saying it should be more concerned by Palestinian militancy than Israeli housing construction.
The international community considers all settlements built on land seized by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War to be illegal.
Meanwhile the financial arm of the Jerusalem Committee, Bayt Mal al-Qods, called on the 57 members of the OIC to provide financial contributions to fund health, education and social projects in the Holy City.
The financial commission carried out 130 projects in Jerusalem between 2008-2012 worth $30 million in the health, housing, education and other sectors.
18 jan 2014
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas warned on Friday against Israel using peace talks as a "cover" to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Abbas was speaking in Morocco at a meeting of the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee amid heightened concern by Arab and Western nations over new Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
The US-brokered peace talks must "not serve as a cover for the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories," said Abbas.
Israel last week announced plans to build some 1,800 new homes for Jewish settlers in the West Bank, including annexed East Jerusalem.
The announcement came only days after the latest peace mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who slammed the settlements as "illegitimate" and "unhelpful."
The controversial decision prompted Britain, Italy, France, and Spain to summon Israeli ambassadors in protest, with Israel calling in European ambassadors on Friday in a tit-for-tat move.
"There can be no peace without stability, nor agreement without occupied east Jerusalem being recognized as the capital of the Palestinian state," Abbas said.
The Al-Quds Committee was founded by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1975 to resist the confiscation of Palestinian land and assets in Jerusalem.
Speaking at the opening of the two-day meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco's King Mohamed VI, as president of the committee, called for "a strong mobilization of our own means and resources ... to defend the Holy City."
After Israel unveiled its new settlement plans last week a furious row erupted with the United States, when Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon launched a bitter personal tirade against Secretary of State John Kerry for his "obsession" with brokering a framework peace deal with the Palestinians by April.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday accused the European Union of a "hypocritical" attitude toward the Middle East peace process, saying it should be more concerned by Palestinian militancy than Israeli housing construction.
The international community considers all settlements to be illegal that were built on land seized by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War.
The Palestinians want any peace deal to recognize borders based on the lines that existed before then, when Israel captured the West Bank, including east Jerusalem.
Abbas was speaking in Morocco at a meeting of the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee amid heightened concern by Arab and Western nations over new Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
The US-brokered peace talks must "not serve as a cover for the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories," said Abbas.
Israel last week announced plans to build some 1,800 new homes for Jewish settlers in the West Bank, including annexed East Jerusalem.
The announcement came only days after the latest peace mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who slammed the settlements as "illegitimate" and "unhelpful."
The controversial decision prompted Britain, Italy, France, and Spain to summon Israeli ambassadors in protest, with Israel calling in European ambassadors on Friday in a tit-for-tat move.
"There can be no peace without stability, nor agreement without occupied east Jerusalem being recognized as the capital of the Palestinian state," Abbas said.
The Al-Quds Committee was founded by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1975 to resist the confiscation of Palestinian land and assets in Jerusalem.
Speaking at the opening of the two-day meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco's King Mohamed VI, as president of the committee, called for "a strong mobilization of our own means and resources ... to defend the Holy City."
After Israel unveiled its new settlement plans last week a furious row erupted with the United States, when Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon launched a bitter personal tirade against Secretary of State John Kerry for his "obsession" with brokering a framework peace deal with the Palestinians by April.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday accused the European Union of a "hypocritical" attitude toward the Middle East peace process, saying it should be more concerned by Palestinian militancy than Israeli housing construction.
The international community considers all settlements to be illegal that were built on land seized by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War.
The Palestinians want any peace deal to recognize borders based on the lines that existed before then, when Israel captured the West Bank, including east Jerusalem.
17 jan 2014
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Israel called in European ambassadors in a tit-for-tat move Friday after four EU states lodged formal protests against the right-wing government's drive to expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the European Union of a "hypocritical" attitude toward the Middle East process, saying it should be more concerned by Palestinian militancy than Israeli housing construction. The new spat with Europe follows a furious public row with key ally the United States after Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon launched a bitter personal tirade against Secretary of State John Kerry for his "obsession" with brokering a framework peace deal with the Palestinians by April. |
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who lives in an illegal settlement, ordered the ambassadors of Britain, France, Italy and Spain be called in to "stress to them that their perpetual one-sided stance against Israel and in favor of the Palestinians is unacceptable and creates the impression they are only seeking ways to blame Israel," his spokesman said.
"Beyond being biased, unbalanced and ignoring the reality on the ground, the positions held by these states significantly harm the possibility of reaching some sort of agreement between the sides," a statement said.
Lieberman's spokesman said the envoys were being summoned for Friday.
Another Israeli official told AFP that calling in ambassadors for the same day was a rare move indicative of the degree of offense caused.
Last Friday, Israel announced plans for some 1,800 homes in the West Bank, including annexed East Jerusalem, just days after the latest peace mission by Kerry, his 10th visit to the region in less than a year.
Israeli ambassadors in London, Rome and Paris were called in over the plans on Thursday, with the ambassador in Madrid summoned for Friday.
Netanyahu hit out at the move by the four governments.
"The EU calls our ambassadors in because of the construction of a few houses? When did the EU call in the Palestinian ambassadors about incitement that calls for Israel's destruction?" Netanyahu asked foreign correspondents at a Thursday reception.
Netanyahu said this "imbalance ... pushes peace further away," and insisted Israel's settlement expansion plans should not be seen as counter-productive to the efforts under way since last July to reach a deal with the Palestinians.
"We are keeping in line exactly with the understandings we undertook at the beginning of the talks," he said at the reception. "It was also equally clear that Israel undertook no restraints on construction."
Israel's European spat comes hot on the heels of a furious row with its US ally over Yaalon's tirade against Kerry, which the White House described as "inappropriate" and "offensive".
Yaalon later apologized but the spat underlined the estrangement between the longtime allies which has already seen angry public rows over Iran policy and Israel's defiant drive to expand its settlements even while peace talks with the Palestinians are under way.
Kerry has focused his latest efforts specifically on security, with his team proposing a detailed plan for arrangements on the border between Jordan and a future Palestinian state.
On Thursday, Netanyahu met King Abdullah II in Amman for talks on the peace process and future security arrangements.
"Any peace agreement in the region has to assure that the border between Israel and Jordan... is always a tranquil and safe border," Netanyahu said of the Jordan Valley.
"That is an interest for us, I think for the Palestinians as well and certainly for Jordan."
Israel demands a long-term troop presence in the Jordan Valley, which forms a third of the occupied West Bank. Palestinians will not countenance any open-ended deployment and have called instead for an international force.
All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law and are considered one of the major obstacles in reaching a final status agreement.
"Beyond being biased, unbalanced and ignoring the reality on the ground, the positions held by these states significantly harm the possibility of reaching some sort of agreement between the sides," a statement said.
Lieberman's spokesman said the envoys were being summoned for Friday.
Another Israeli official told AFP that calling in ambassadors for the same day was a rare move indicative of the degree of offense caused.
Last Friday, Israel announced plans for some 1,800 homes in the West Bank, including annexed East Jerusalem, just days after the latest peace mission by Kerry, his 10th visit to the region in less than a year.
Israeli ambassadors in London, Rome and Paris were called in over the plans on Thursday, with the ambassador in Madrid summoned for Friday.
Netanyahu hit out at the move by the four governments.
"The EU calls our ambassadors in because of the construction of a few houses? When did the EU call in the Palestinian ambassadors about incitement that calls for Israel's destruction?" Netanyahu asked foreign correspondents at a Thursday reception.
Netanyahu said this "imbalance ... pushes peace further away," and insisted Israel's settlement expansion plans should not be seen as counter-productive to the efforts under way since last July to reach a deal with the Palestinians.
"We are keeping in line exactly with the understandings we undertook at the beginning of the talks," he said at the reception. "It was also equally clear that Israel undertook no restraints on construction."
Israel's European spat comes hot on the heels of a furious row with its US ally over Yaalon's tirade against Kerry, which the White House described as "inappropriate" and "offensive".
Yaalon later apologized but the spat underlined the estrangement between the longtime allies which has already seen angry public rows over Iran policy and Israel's defiant drive to expand its settlements even while peace talks with the Palestinians are under way.
Kerry has focused his latest efforts specifically on security, with his team proposing a detailed plan for arrangements on the border between Jordan and a future Palestinian state.
On Thursday, Netanyahu met King Abdullah II in Amman for talks on the peace process and future security arrangements.
"Any peace agreement in the region has to assure that the border between Israel and Jordan... is always a tranquil and safe border," Netanyahu said of the Jordan Valley.
"That is an interest for us, I think for the Palestinians as well and certainly for Jordan."
Israel demands a long-term troop presence in the Jordan Valley, which forms a third of the occupied West Bank. Palestinians will not countenance any open-ended deployment and have called instead for an international force.
All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law and are considered one of the major obstacles in reaching a final status agreement.
On Friday (Today), Israeli Foreign Minister Lieberman summoned the ambassadors of four European countries to protest the move of chastizing the announcement of 1400 new Israeli settlements.
The foreign minister called upon the four states' envoys in order to severely rebuke the ambassadors for their "he one-sided position they constantly take against Israel and in favor of the Palestinians,” the Jerusalem Post reports.
The attack by the Israeli Minister is also due to the fact that 2014 have been declared “Palestinian Solidarity Year”, a move that has not pleased Israel.
Earlier on, the Israeli envoy of the UN has complained about this move, which was set in motion by Secretary-General-Designate Ban Ki-moon.
Lieberman also said that, “"Israel is making great effort to allow the dialogue with the Palestinians to continue and the position these states are taking, beyond it being biased and unbalanced, is significantly harming the chances of reaching an accord.”
The foreign minister called upon the four states' envoys in order to severely rebuke the ambassadors for their "he one-sided position they constantly take against Israel and in favor of the Palestinians,” the Jerusalem Post reports.
The attack by the Israeli Minister is also due to the fact that 2014 have been declared “Palestinian Solidarity Year”, a move that has not pleased Israel.
Earlier on, the Israeli envoy of the UN has complained about this move, which was set in motion by Secretary-General-Designate Ban Ki-moon.
Lieberman also said that, “"Israel is making great effort to allow the dialogue with the Palestinians to continue and the position these states are taking, beyond it being biased and unbalanced, is significantly harming the chances of reaching an accord.”
Australian Foreign Minister said in an interview with the “Times Of Israel” newspaper that the international community should refrain from labelling Israeli’s settlements in the West Bank as illegal, and claimed that Israel “has the right to build its settlements”.
Julie Bishop strongly denounced European countries that are “pressuring” Israel into stopping its illegitimate settlement activities, and said that she would like to see “which International Law declared those settlements illegal”.
Her statements completely ignore the Fourth Geneva Convention Article Number 49 that states, “The occupying power shall not move parts of its civilian population into territory it occupies”.
In addition, the UN Security Council issued at least six resolutions, ignored by Israel, stating that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to the occupied territories, including resolution number 465 that describes Israel’s settlement activities as clear violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The resolution states that Israel is seriously violating the Fourth Geneva Convention, article number 49, regarding the protection of civilians.
It says, “The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its civilian population into the territory it occupies”.
Commenting on direct political talks between Israel and the Palestinians, the Australian FM said that “she supports the talks” and that it is “counterproductive to adopt positions that could lead to the collapse of talks”.
She added that the “disputes” regarding Israel’s settlement activities are clear indications of the importance of talks in an attempt to achieve a comprehensive agreement.
The United States repeatedly denounced Israel’s settlement activities in occupied Palestine, yet, in February 2011, the Obama Administration vetoed a resolution that was meant to describe all of its settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as illegal.
Back then, US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said Israel’s settlements are illegitimate, and in 2013, Secretary of State John Kerry described Israel’s settlements as illegitimate.
The United States grants Israel more than $3.6 Billion of annual aid, in addition to hundreds of millions collected by lobbies and other pro-Israel campaigns.
Israel’s settlements and its Annexation Wall have deprived thousands of Palestinians access to their own lands, led to the illegal annexation of large areas of Palestinian lands, and turned into the occupied territories into isolated cantons separated from each other.
Settlements are built in vital and fertile areas of occupied Palestine, such as the Jordan Valley, on and around Palestinians farmlands and orchards, in addition to occupying mountains and hilltops, to ensure Israel has full control of natural resources, hills, valleys and are preventing the expansion of Palestinian communities.
Settlements and the Wall are illegitimate unilateral Israel moves meant to preclude final status peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, as they are imposing Israel’s own agenda and its version of facts on the ground.
Julie Bishop strongly denounced European countries that are “pressuring” Israel into stopping its illegitimate settlement activities, and said that she would like to see “which International Law declared those settlements illegal”.
Her statements completely ignore the Fourth Geneva Convention Article Number 49 that states, “The occupying power shall not move parts of its civilian population into territory it occupies”.
In addition, the UN Security Council issued at least six resolutions, ignored by Israel, stating that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to the occupied territories, including resolution number 465 that describes Israel’s settlement activities as clear violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The resolution states that Israel is seriously violating the Fourth Geneva Convention, article number 49, regarding the protection of civilians.
It says, “The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its civilian population into the territory it occupies”.
Commenting on direct political talks between Israel and the Palestinians, the Australian FM said that “she supports the talks” and that it is “counterproductive to adopt positions that could lead to the collapse of talks”.
She added that the “disputes” regarding Israel’s settlement activities are clear indications of the importance of talks in an attempt to achieve a comprehensive agreement.
The United States repeatedly denounced Israel’s settlement activities in occupied Palestine, yet, in February 2011, the Obama Administration vetoed a resolution that was meant to describe all of its settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as illegal.
Back then, US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said Israel’s settlements are illegitimate, and in 2013, Secretary of State John Kerry described Israel’s settlements as illegitimate.
The United States grants Israel more than $3.6 Billion of annual aid, in addition to hundreds of millions collected by lobbies and other pro-Israel campaigns.
Israel’s settlements and its Annexation Wall have deprived thousands of Palestinians access to their own lands, led to the illegal annexation of large areas of Palestinian lands, and turned into the occupied territories into isolated cantons separated from each other.
Settlements are built in vital and fertile areas of occupied Palestine, such as the Jordan Valley, on and around Palestinians farmlands and orchards, in addition to occupying mountains and hilltops, to ensure Israel has full control of natural resources, hills, valleys and are preventing the expansion of Palestinian communities.
Settlements and the Wall are illegitimate unilateral Israel moves meant to preclude final status peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, as they are imposing Israel’s own agenda and its version of facts on the ground.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the European Union Thursday for calling in ambassadors over plans for some 1,800 new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Netanyahu's angry remarks come hot on the heels of a public spat between his defense minister and US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is energetically pushing Israel and the Palestinians toward a framework for a peace agreement.
"This is hypocritical. The EU calls our ambassadors in because of the construction of a few houses? When did the EU call in the Palestinian ambassadors about incitement that calls for Israel's destruction?" Netanyahu asked foreign correspondents at his annual new year reception.
"It's time to stop this hypocrisy," he said. "This imbalance ... doesn't advance peace; I think it pushes peace further away."
Netanyahu's government announced plans for the new homes in the West Bank, including annexed East Jerusalem, just days after the latest peace mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry who has slammed them as "illegitimate" and "unhelpful."
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had said she was "deeply concerned" over the move, adding that settlements were "illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make the two-state solution impossible."
Foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP that Israeli ambassadors in London, Rome and Paris were summoned "in protest" over the settlement plans, which were unveiled last Friday.
Palmor said that the move was coordinated between the three governments and that it was possible other European governments might have matched the move.
A spokesman for the British Foreign Office told AFP the Israeli ambassador was summoned "over the Israeli government's recent decision to announce new settlement tenders."
A spokesperson for the Spanish foreign ministry said the Israeli envoy was summoned for Friday.
Netanyahu rejected the notion settlement construction ran counter to peace efforts.
"We are keeping in line exactly with the understandings we undertook at the beginning of the talks," he said at the reception. "It was also equally clear that Israel undertook no restraints on construction."
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in contravention of international law.
The Palestinian negotiating team resigned in protest against continued Israeli settlement construction in mid-November, dealing a major blow to negotiations between Israel and the PLO that had already been stalled.
Kerry, who has already made 10 trips to the region in less than a year in a quest for a framework agreement, was the target of a personal diatribe by Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon earlier this week that sparked a furious row between the allies.
Yaalon reportedly described the top US diplomat's drive for a peace deal as the "obsession" of a man with a "sense of messianism," comments the White House described as "offensive."
Yaalon later apologized but the spat underlined the estrangement between the longtime allies which has already seen angry public rows over Iran policy and Israel's defiant drive to expand its settlements in the midst of peace talks with the Palestinians, launched in July and set to last till the end of April.
Kerry has focused his latest efforts specifically on security, with his team proposing a detailed plan for arrangements on the border between Jordan and a future Palestinian state.
Netanyahu met King Abdullah II in Amman on Thursday for what he described as "an excellent meeting ... we have excellent relations."
"Any peace agreement in the region has to assure that the border between Israel and Jordan ... is always a tranquil and safe border," he said of the Jordan Valley. "That is an interest for us, I think for the Palestinians as well and certainly for Jordan."
Israel demands a long-term troop presence on the Jordan Valley border. Palestinians will not countenance any open-ended deployment and have called instead for an international force.
Netanyahu's angry remarks come hot on the heels of a public spat between his defense minister and US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is energetically pushing Israel and the Palestinians toward a framework for a peace agreement.
"This is hypocritical. The EU calls our ambassadors in because of the construction of a few houses? When did the EU call in the Palestinian ambassadors about incitement that calls for Israel's destruction?" Netanyahu asked foreign correspondents at his annual new year reception.
"It's time to stop this hypocrisy," he said. "This imbalance ... doesn't advance peace; I think it pushes peace further away."
Netanyahu's government announced plans for the new homes in the West Bank, including annexed East Jerusalem, just days after the latest peace mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry who has slammed them as "illegitimate" and "unhelpful."
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had said she was "deeply concerned" over the move, adding that settlements were "illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make the two-state solution impossible."
Foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP that Israeli ambassadors in London, Rome and Paris were summoned "in protest" over the settlement plans, which were unveiled last Friday.
Palmor said that the move was coordinated between the three governments and that it was possible other European governments might have matched the move.
A spokesman for the British Foreign Office told AFP the Israeli ambassador was summoned "over the Israeli government's recent decision to announce new settlement tenders."
A spokesperson for the Spanish foreign ministry said the Israeli envoy was summoned for Friday.
Netanyahu rejected the notion settlement construction ran counter to peace efforts.
"We are keeping in line exactly with the understandings we undertook at the beginning of the talks," he said at the reception. "It was also equally clear that Israel undertook no restraints on construction."
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in contravention of international law.
The Palestinian negotiating team resigned in protest against continued Israeli settlement construction in mid-November, dealing a major blow to negotiations between Israel and the PLO that had already been stalled.
Kerry, who has already made 10 trips to the region in less than a year in a quest for a framework agreement, was the target of a personal diatribe by Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon earlier this week that sparked a furious row between the allies.
Yaalon reportedly described the top US diplomat's drive for a peace deal as the "obsession" of a man with a "sense of messianism," comments the White House described as "offensive."
Yaalon later apologized but the spat underlined the estrangement between the longtime allies which has already seen angry public rows over Iran policy and Israel's defiant drive to expand its settlements in the midst of peace talks with the Palestinians, launched in July and set to last till the end of April.
Kerry has focused his latest efforts specifically on security, with his team proposing a detailed plan for arrangements on the border between Jordan and a future Palestinian state.
Netanyahu met King Abdullah II in Amman on Thursday for what he described as "an excellent meeting ... we have excellent relations."
"Any peace agreement in the region has to assure that the border between Israel and Jordan ... is always a tranquil and safe border," he said of the Jordan Valley. "That is an interest for us, I think for the Palestinians as well and certainly for Jordan."
Israel demands a long-term troop presence on the Jordan Valley border. Palestinians will not countenance any open-ended deployment and have called instead for an international force.
16 jan 2014
The US Consulate General in Jerusalem on Thursday hinted at a second incident in days of Israeli criticism of US Secretary of State John Kerry.
On its Facebook account, the consulate linked to a story on an Israeli news site that refuted claims by Israeli Minister of Housing Uri Ariel that Kerry approved his plan to build 1,400 new settlement units in the West Bank.
The story quoted a US official as saying: "Our position on settlements has not changed, and we have consistently communicated our objection both publicly and directly to the Israelis on settlement announcements."
"In case you missed it on Monday, the U.S. official in this story got it right," the consulate noted.
Days earlier, after the Israeli defense minister undermined Kerry's efforts to finalize a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, the State Department asked Israel's prime minister to publicly express his disagreement.
Though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave no official comment, he seemed to exert pressure on the minister, Moshe Yaalon, whose office issued a statement of apology Wednesday.
Yaalon had described Kerry Tuesday as having an "obsession" with Middle East peace. In a private conversation with Israeli officials, Yaalon said Kerry's plan was "not worth the paper it was written on."
On its Facebook account, the consulate linked to a story on an Israeli news site that refuted claims by Israeli Minister of Housing Uri Ariel that Kerry approved his plan to build 1,400 new settlement units in the West Bank.
The story quoted a US official as saying: "Our position on settlements has not changed, and we have consistently communicated our objection both publicly and directly to the Israelis on settlement announcements."
"In case you missed it on Monday, the U.S. official in this story got it right," the consulate noted.
Days earlier, after the Israeli defense minister undermined Kerry's efforts to finalize a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, the State Department asked Israel's prime minister to publicly express his disagreement.
Though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave no official comment, he seemed to exert pressure on the minister, Moshe Yaalon, whose office issued a statement of apology Wednesday.
Yaalon had described Kerry Tuesday as having an "obsession" with Middle East peace. In a private conversation with Israeli officials, Yaalon said Kerry's plan was "not worth the paper it was written on."
15 jan 2014
The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) is planning to establish hundreds of new agricultural projects in the occupied Syrian Golan heights, Hebrew press reported. The Walla Hebrew website said on Tuesday that the Israeli government had endorsed in its last Sunday meeting a five-year plan to develop new agricultural areas in the Golan to be used by Jewish farmers.
It said that the government would open 750 new agricultural projects in that period to the tune of 115 million dollars including the cost of removing mines and the establishment of water networks.
The website said that the plan envisages the reclamation of around 30,000 dunums near to the Jewish settlements to encourage tourism and farming and to create new work opportunities.
It said that the government would open 750 new agricultural projects in that period to the tune of 115 million dollars including the cost of removing mines and the establishment of water networks.
The website said that the plan envisages the reclamation of around 30,000 dunums near to the Jewish settlements to encourage tourism and farming and to create new work opportunities.
14 jan 2014
The Israeli Minister of Housing and Construction, Uri Ariel
"The publication of the latest tenders for new homes were coordinated with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and that he approved of them." the Israeli Minister of Housing and Construction, Uri Ariel , said.
"Even if the United States does not approve of the construction, it will continue," he added. "The United States is our greatest ally, but they also sometimes take actions we do not approve of."
The announcement was made Friday with the approval of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and came on the heels of the release of 26 Palestinian prisoners.
Last week, the Israel Land Authority and Ministry of Construction and Housing announced the publication of 1,400 new construction tenders east of Jerusalem, and several areas in the West Bank.
"The publication of the latest tenders for new homes were coordinated with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and that he approved of them." the Israeli Minister of Housing and Construction, Uri Ariel , said.
"Even if the United States does not approve of the construction, it will continue," he added. "The United States is our greatest ally, but they also sometimes take actions we do not approve of."
The announcement was made Friday with the approval of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and came on the heels of the release of 26 Palestinian prisoners.
Last week, the Israel Land Authority and Ministry of Construction and Housing announced the publication of 1,400 new construction tenders east of Jerusalem, and several areas in the West Bank.
12 jan 2014
Chancellor Angela Merkel with Israel's Perez
Israeli daily Maariv said in its Sunday edition that Germany is seeking to get rid of the historical burden towards the Jews and to make normal relations with Israel.
The daily interpreted this as yet another deterioration in the relations with the Europe and a drop of the last pro-Israel European strongholds, given Germany’s opposition to colonial settlement building in the occupied West Bank.
The relations started to deteriorate in September 2012, when Israel pinned hopes on Germany to thwart the Palestinian endeavor to gain membership in the UN.
However, Israel wasn’t able to recruit the European countries to realize that objective, the daily said, which angered the Israeli state. It added that Germany has no trust in Netanyahu as one who believes in a two-state solution, arguing that he inherited his father’s belief that Israel’s land is undividable, which further adds to Israel’s isolation.
That belief, according to the Maariv, heralds Israel’s loss of Germany, its dearest ally in Europe.
Israeli daily Maariv said in its Sunday edition that Germany is seeking to get rid of the historical burden towards the Jews and to make normal relations with Israel.
The daily interpreted this as yet another deterioration in the relations with the Europe and a drop of the last pro-Israel European strongholds, given Germany’s opposition to colonial settlement building in the occupied West Bank.
The relations started to deteriorate in September 2012, when Israel pinned hopes on Germany to thwart the Palestinian endeavor to gain membership in the UN.
However, Israel wasn’t able to recruit the European countries to realize that objective, the daily said, which angered the Israeli state. It added that Germany has no trust in Netanyahu as one who believes in a two-state solution, arguing that he inherited his father’s belief that Israel’s land is undividable, which further adds to Israel’s isolation.
That belief, according to the Maariv, heralds Israel’s loss of Germany, its dearest ally in Europe.
Palestinian farmers said that the Israeli occupation authority uses nowadays heavy construction vehicles and explosives to level the Palestinian land around the illegal industrial settlement of Ariel in order to expand the settlement for the building of more factories. They added that these settlement expansion works are taking place on Palestinian annexed lands near the farms of Abu Kayed and Abu Basal, west of Salfit city, noting that the expansion of this settlement would reduce the green areas used for grazing cattle.
These annexed lands belong to Salfit city and the towns of Kifl Hares and Bruqin.
The Hebrew radio had quoted Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that everyone knows that the settlement blocs of Ariel, Gush Etzion and Ma'ale Adumim would always remain part of the Israeli state as it is the case with Jerusalem.
These annexed lands belong to Salfit city and the towns of Kifl Hares and Bruqin.
The Hebrew radio had quoted Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that everyone knows that the settlement blocs of Ariel, Gush Etzion and Ma'ale Adumim would always remain part of the Israeli state as it is the case with Jerusalem.
The European Union's foreign policy supremo said Saturday she was "deeply concerned" by what she said were "illegal" Israeli plans for more than 1,800 new settler homes.
"I was deeply concerned to hear the latest announcement by the Israeli authorities to advance settlement plans once more," Catherine Ashton said in a statement.
She added the settlements were "illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make the two-state solution impossible."
She reiterated her call on Israel to cease its settlement building and said current efforts at peace talks were a "unique opportunity" for both sides.
On Friday, Tel Aviv unveiled proposals for 1,076 units in annexed east Jerusalem and 801 in the occupied West Bank in a move the Palestinians said was aimed at forcing the United States to abandon its push towards Middle East peace.
The internationally recognized Palestinian territories of which the West Bank and East Jerusalem form a part have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.
"I was deeply concerned to hear the latest announcement by the Israeli authorities to advance settlement plans once more," Catherine Ashton said in a statement.
She added the settlements were "illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make the two-state solution impossible."
She reiterated her call on Israel to cease its settlement building and said current efforts at peace talks were a "unique opportunity" for both sides.
On Friday, Tel Aviv unveiled proposals for 1,076 units in annexed east Jerusalem and 801 in the occupied West Bank in a move the Palestinians said was aimed at forcing the United States to abandon its push towards Middle East peace.
The internationally recognized Palestinian territories of which the West Bank and East Jerusalem form a part have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.
