15 dec 2019
The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) are planning to confiscate dozens of dunums of Palestinian farmland south of Qalqilya in the West Bank, a Palestinian activist said on Sunday.
Activist Mohammed Abu al-Sheikh said that the IOA has put forward a plan to expand settler road "55" near Alfei Menashe settlement, south of Qalqilya City, which means dozens of dunums of Palestinian farmland are threatened with illegal seizure.
Recently the IOA has unlawfully grabbed thousands of dunums of privately-owned Palestinian land in the West Bank in favor of settlement expansion projects.
Activist Mohammed Abu al-Sheikh said that the IOA has put forward a plan to expand settler road "55" near Alfei Menashe settlement, south of Qalqilya City, which means dozens of dunums of Palestinian farmland are threatened with illegal seizure.
Recently the IOA has unlawfully grabbed thousands of dunums of privately-owned Palestinian land in the West Bank in favor of settlement expansion projects.
13 dec 2019
A statistical report issued by the Christian-Islamic Committee to Defend Jerusalem and the Islamic Cooperation organization, showed that excavations under Jerusalem since 1967 have reached 104, 4 of which are under or around the Al-Aqsa mosque, 5 in Silwan, 5 in the Old City, and 8 in other sites, also 57 fossils and tunnels penetrate the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The above mentioned organizations warned of the danger of building a huge Jewish-only cemetery under the ancient cemetery that extends from Mount of Olives to the town Silwan, with an area of more than 1,600 square meters with a depth of 50 meters, can accommodate more than 23,000 graves at a cost of $90 million, the Palestine News Network reported.
The Authority’s report in Jerusalem monitored 29 settlements, 15 in the eastern part and the rest in the western part. In total, there are 43 settlements on 46 thousand dunams aiming to change the nature of Jerusalem through excavations.
Al-Aqsa is now surrounded by 105 synagogues. There are 107 mosques in Jerusalem, including 43 in the Old City, as well as 95 Christian churches.
Hanna Issa, Secretary-General of the Christian-Islamic Committee for the Support of Jerusalem and Holy Sites, said that the most dangerous statement of US President Donald Trump’s decision, on 6-12-2017, is not only the transfer of the capital, but that the city of Jerusalem is Jewish, denying the Christian and Islamic presence in the city. He indicated that what the Israeli occupation is doing under under Al-Aqsa is building an entire city.
Isa continued: “All of this comes within a programmed framework with the aim of emptying the city of Jerusalem of its indigenous people, creating a new Jewish character, and establishing the greater capital of Israel on an area of 600 square kilometers.”
Representative of the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Palestine, Ahmed Al-Ruwaidi, said that “in the context of media and cultural efforts, we seek to highlight the Islamic and Arab identity of Jerusalem and to address Israeli policies aimed at judaizing” the city.
He reiterated the organizations firm commitment to cooperation and solidarity, foremost of which is the issue of Al-Quds, as its central issue for finding a just end to the Israeli occupation.
In turn, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestinian homes, Muhammad Hussein, said, “In all the eras that the Arabs have maintained their presence in Jerusalem, they have proven that Jerusalem is theirs, despite all the nations and invaders that passed through it, because today the Israeli occupation passes through it by building excavations.”
He explained that the excavations began in Jerusalem before 1967, and researchers realize that it started through a British school of archeology that was present in Jerusalem, and the first was in the Wadi Hilweh region, and then continued to demolish the Mughrabi neighborhood, which the Israeli occupation turned into a gateway to aggression most days.
A member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, head of the Jerusalem Department, Adnan Al-Husseini, stressed that the excavations in Jerusalem are part of a large conspiracy within chapters that began in the 1967, and we are seeing the results of this stage through unprecedented occupation practices.
In turn, the Moroccan Ambassador to the State of Palestine, Mohamed Hamzawy, expressed his country’s continued support for the people of Jerusalem, with all legal means available to impose international legal legitimacy, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem, and the blessed Al Aqsa Mosque, a sincere endowment for Muslims.
The above mentioned organizations warned of the danger of building a huge Jewish-only cemetery under the ancient cemetery that extends from Mount of Olives to the town Silwan, with an area of more than 1,600 square meters with a depth of 50 meters, can accommodate more than 23,000 graves at a cost of $90 million, the Palestine News Network reported.
The Authority’s report in Jerusalem monitored 29 settlements, 15 in the eastern part and the rest in the western part. In total, there are 43 settlements on 46 thousand dunams aiming to change the nature of Jerusalem through excavations.
Al-Aqsa is now surrounded by 105 synagogues. There are 107 mosques in Jerusalem, including 43 in the Old City, as well as 95 Christian churches.
Hanna Issa, Secretary-General of the Christian-Islamic Committee for the Support of Jerusalem and Holy Sites, said that the most dangerous statement of US President Donald Trump’s decision, on 6-12-2017, is not only the transfer of the capital, but that the city of Jerusalem is Jewish, denying the Christian and Islamic presence in the city. He indicated that what the Israeli occupation is doing under under Al-Aqsa is building an entire city.
Isa continued: “All of this comes within a programmed framework with the aim of emptying the city of Jerusalem of its indigenous people, creating a new Jewish character, and establishing the greater capital of Israel on an area of 600 square kilometers.”
Representative of the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Palestine, Ahmed Al-Ruwaidi, said that “in the context of media and cultural efforts, we seek to highlight the Islamic and Arab identity of Jerusalem and to address Israeli policies aimed at judaizing” the city.
He reiterated the organizations firm commitment to cooperation and solidarity, foremost of which is the issue of Al-Quds, as its central issue for finding a just end to the Israeli occupation.
In turn, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestinian homes, Muhammad Hussein, said, “In all the eras that the Arabs have maintained their presence in Jerusalem, they have proven that Jerusalem is theirs, despite all the nations and invaders that passed through it, because today the Israeli occupation passes through it by building excavations.”
He explained that the excavations began in Jerusalem before 1967, and researchers realize that it started through a British school of archeology that was present in Jerusalem, and the first was in the Wadi Hilweh region, and then continued to demolish the Mughrabi neighborhood, which the Israeli occupation turned into a gateway to aggression most days.
A member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, head of the Jerusalem Department, Adnan Al-Husseini, stressed that the excavations in Jerusalem are part of a large conspiracy within chapters that began in the 1967, and we are seeing the results of this stage through unprecedented occupation practices.
In turn, the Moroccan Ambassador to the State of Palestine, Mohamed Hamzawy, expressed his country’s continued support for the people of Jerusalem, with all legal means available to impose international legal legitimacy, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem, and the blessed Al Aqsa Mosque, a sincere endowment for Muslims.
9 dec 2019
Member states of the European Union (EU) cannot stay unresponsive towards the situation in Palestine and Israel’s violations against international law, Slovenia's Foreign Minister Miro Cerar said on Sunday.
Speaking during his meeting with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki on the sidelines of the Mediterranean Dialogues conference in the Italian capital, Rome, the Slovenian FM said the new EU leadership would not remain silent towards the injustice being done to the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people.
The Slovenian official stressed his country’s position in support of the two-state solution and its condemnation of Israel’s illegal settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Cerar also pledged that Slovenia would do its best to speak up for Palestine in international meetings and conferences.
Speaking during his meeting with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki on the sidelines of the Mediterranean Dialogues conference in the Italian capital, Rome, the Slovenian FM said the new EU leadership would not remain silent towards the injustice being done to the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people.
The Slovenian official stressed his country’s position in support of the two-state solution and its condemnation of Israel’s illegal settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Cerar also pledged that Slovenia would do its best to speak up for Palestine in international meetings and conferences.
Ambassador Zhai Jun, the special envoy of the Chinese government on the Middle East, affirmed his country's rejection of all Israeli settlement measures, especially those aimed at annexing the Jordan Valley and Judaizing the Old City of al-Khalil in the occupied West Bank.
Jun told journalists at the headquarters of the Chinese embassy in Ramallah that Israel should stop all measures that would escalate violence in the occupied Palestinian territories, including settlement expansion and its practices in Jerusalem.
Regarding US unilateral decisions, the Chinese envoy said that the US administration had adopted recently a bullying approach in international relations through assaulting international justice and acting unilaterally, causing successive blows to the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis.
He stressed that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's remarks on the legitimacy of settlements in the West Bank violate the international law.
He said that US officials had made many irresponsible statements regarding issues in the Middle East, which he said would not serve peace and security in the region.
He accused the US administration of straining the situation in the Middle East through what he described as its unilateral, selfish and arrogant positions and steps, especially when it moved its embassy to Jerusalem and abandoned its obligations towards the peace process.
The Chinese official called on the US side should assume its responsibility and play a constructive and positive role in the Middle East instead of playing a negative role regarding the Palestinian question.
He also called on the Israeli side to refrain from its actions that escalate the situation and have a detrimental impact on the peace process in the Middle East.
He affirmed the Chinese government's firm position regarding the Palestinian cause, including the internationally endorsed two-state solution, pledging to do his best to reactivate the peace process and build communication in this regard with all parties concerned.
Jun told journalists at the headquarters of the Chinese embassy in Ramallah that Israel should stop all measures that would escalate violence in the occupied Palestinian territories, including settlement expansion and its practices in Jerusalem.
Regarding US unilateral decisions, the Chinese envoy said that the US administration had adopted recently a bullying approach in international relations through assaulting international justice and acting unilaterally, causing successive blows to the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis.
He stressed that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's remarks on the legitimacy of settlements in the West Bank violate the international law.
He said that US officials had made many irresponsible statements regarding issues in the Middle East, which he said would not serve peace and security in the region.
He accused the US administration of straining the situation in the Middle East through what he described as its unilateral, selfish and arrogant positions and steps, especially when it moved its embassy to Jerusalem and abandoned its obligations towards the peace process.
The Chinese official called on the US side should assume its responsibility and play a constructive and positive role in the Middle East instead of playing a negative role regarding the Palestinian question.
He also called on the Israeli side to refrain from its actions that escalate the situation and have a detrimental impact on the peace process in the Middle East.
He affirmed the Chinese government's firm position regarding the Palestinian cause, including the internationally endorsed two-state solution, pledging to do his best to reactivate the peace process and build communication in this regard with all parties concerned.
7 dec 2019
Mike Pompeo
The resolution states that only the outcome of a two-state solution that enhances stability and security for Israel and Palestinians can both ensure the state of Israel’s survival as a Jewish and democratic state and fulfill the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own
The House of Representatives on Friday approved a resolution in contradiction to the administration's position on settlements and calling for the United States' efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a negotiated two-state solution.
The vote took place less than one month after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's announcement that the administration has reversed its position regarding the legality of West Bank settlements.
"This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that only a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can ensure Israel's survival as a secure Jewish and democratic state and fulfill the legitimate aspirations for a Palestinian state." the resolution reads.
It also expresses the sense that any U.S. proposal to achieve a just, stable, and lasting solution should expressly endorse a two-state solution and discourage steps that would put a peaceful resolution further out of reach.
The motion was introduced by Representative Alan S. Lowenthal (D.) and had some Republican support.
The motions passed with 226 votes to 188
The resolution states that only the outcome of a two-state solution that enhances stability and security for Israel, Palestinians, and their neighbors can both ensure the state of Israel’s survival as a Jewish and democratic state and fulfill the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own.
It also stated that the United States proposal to achieve a just, stable, and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should expressly endorse a two-state solution as its objective and discourage steps by either side that would put a peaceful end to the conflict further out of reach, including unilateral annexation of territory or efforts to achieve Palestinian statehood status outside the framework of negotiations with Israel.
The President of JStreet, Jeremy Ben Ami posted on twitter that with this vote, "the majority of lawmakers have rejected the Trump administration’s embrace of the Israeli settlement movement’s agenda, which undermines US interests, imperils Israel’s future and tramples on Palestinian rights.”
The resolution was opposed by Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib who accused Israel of perpetuating “inequality, ethnic discrimination, and inhumane conditions.”
Tlaib also said that “Israel’s Nation-State law, which states that only Jews have the right to self-determination has eliminated the political rights of the Palestinian people and effectively made them second-class citizens.”
The resolution states that only the outcome of a two-state solution that enhances stability and security for Israel and Palestinians can both ensure the state of Israel’s survival as a Jewish and democratic state and fulfill the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own
The House of Representatives on Friday approved a resolution in contradiction to the administration's position on settlements and calling for the United States' efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a negotiated two-state solution.
The vote took place less than one month after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's announcement that the administration has reversed its position regarding the legality of West Bank settlements.
"This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that only a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can ensure Israel's survival as a secure Jewish and democratic state and fulfill the legitimate aspirations for a Palestinian state." the resolution reads.
It also expresses the sense that any U.S. proposal to achieve a just, stable, and lasting solution should expressly endorse a two-state solution and discourage steps that would put a peaceful resolution further out of reach.
The motion was introduced by Representative Alan S. Lowenthal (D.) and had some Republican support.
The motions passed with 226 votes to 188
The resolution states that only the outcome of a two-state solution that enhances stability and security for Israel, Palestinians, and their neighbors can both ensure the state of Israel’s survival as a Jewish and democratic state and fulfill the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own.
It also stated that the United States proposal to achieve a just, stable, and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should expressly endorse a two-state solution as its objective and discourage steps by either side that would put a peaceful end to the conflict further out of reach, including unilateral annexation of territory or efforts to achieve Palestinian statehood status outside the framework of negotiations with Israel.
The President of JStreet, Jeremy Ben Ami posted on twitter that with this vote, "the majority of lawmakers have rejected the Trump administration’s embrace of the Israeli settlement movement’s agenda, which undermines US interests, imperils Israel’s future and tramples on Palestinian rights.”
The resolution was opposed by Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib who accused Israel of perpetuating “inequality, ethnic discrimination, and inhumane conditions.”
Tlaib also said that “Israel’s Nation-State law, which states that only Jews have the right to self-determination has eliminated the political rights of the Palestinian people and effectively made them second-class citizens.”
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned a controversial plan by Israel to build a new settlement in the heart of the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron, the Palestine News Network reported.
Naftali Bennett, right-wing Israeli minister of military affairs, said on Sunday, that the new settlement, to be constructed at the site of a wholesale market complex used by Palestinians, will “double” the number of settlers in Hebron.
Under the construction project, the old market stalls will be demolished to make way for new shops and residential buildings.
Currently, approximately 200,000 Palestinians live Hebron, alongside, but separate from, about 800 illegal Israeli settlers, guarded by hundreds of Israeli soldiers.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, OIC Secretary General, Yusuf bin Ahmed al-Uthaymeen said the Israeli decision to “is a flagrant breach of international law, the Geneva Accord and relevant UN resolutions, and undermines peace efforts.”
He also urged the international community and the UN Security Council to take “resolute action” towards ending Israeli settlement policies.
Earlier, Saeb Erekat, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) secretary general, said the project was the “first tangible result of the US decision to legitimize colonization.”
He was referring to US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo’s announcement last month that the establishment of settlements in the occupied West Bank “is not per se inconsistent with international law.”
Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now also condemned Hebron settlement plan as an addition to the “ugliest face of Israel’s control in the occupied territories.”
“In order to maintain the presence of 800 settlers among a quarter of a million Palestinians, entire streets in Hebron are closed to Palestinians, denying them freedom of movement,” Peace Now said in a statement.
More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank.
Emboldened by US President Donald Trump’s all-out support, Israel has stepped up its settlement construction activities in defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which pronounced settlements across the West Bank “a flagrant violation under international law.”
Naftali Bennett, right-wing Israeli minister of military affairs, said on Sunday, that the new settlement, to be constructed at the site of a wholesale market complex used by Palestinians, will “double” the number of settlers in Hebron.
Under the construction project, the old market stalls will be demolished to make way for new shops and residential buildings.
Currently, approximately 200,000 Palestinians live Hebron, alongside, but separate from, about 800 illegal Israeli settlers, guarded by hundreds of Israeli soldiers.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, OIC Secretary General, Yusuf bin Ahmed al-Uthaymeen said the Israeli decision to “is a flagrant breach of international law, the Geneva Accord and relevant UN resolutions, and undermines peace efforts.”
He also urged the international community and the UN Security Council to take “resolute action” towards ending Israeli settlement policies.
Earlier, Saeb Erekat, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) secretary general, said the project was the “first tangible result of the US decision to legitimize colonization.”
He was referring to US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo’s announcement last month that the establishment of settlements in the occupied West Bank “is not per se inconsistent with international law.”
Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now also condemned Hebron settlement plan as an addition to the “ugliest face of Israel’s control in the occupied territories.”
“In order to maintain the presence of 800 settlers among a quarter of a million Palestinians, entire streets in Hebron are closed to Palestinians, denying them freedom of movement,” Peace Now said in a statement.
More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank.
Emboldened by US President Donald Trump’s all-out support, Israel has stepped up its settlement construction activities in defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which pronounced settlements across the West Bank “a flagrant violation under international law.”
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