- 3 mrt 2010
Nazzal: Israel to approve 30,000 housing units on occupied land
Ramallah - Ma'an - Israeli authorities aim to approve the construction of a 30,000 housing unit for religious Israelis in the industrial area of Atarot and Qalandiya, after excavating the site, the follow-up director of the popular committee against the wall and settlements said Tuesday.
Mohammad Nazzal said the plan was uncovered by an Israeli journalist, who detailed his findings on Israeli TV. The decision, Nazzal said, was reached between the Israeli mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, and members of Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
The new plan is a renewed attempt to "Judaize" Jerusalem and strip Palestinians of their rights in Jerusalem and the West Bank, Nazzal asserted.
Atarot, near the West Bank village of Ramallah, is an Israeli industrial site in occupied East Jerusalem. The Israeli government exercises its authority in the area, despite lacking legal sovereignty over it.
On Tuesday, Barkat delayed a plan that would demolish dozens of Palestinian homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan to make way for a park and tourist attraction.
Soon after Barkat unveiled his sweeping plan for the Silwan neighborhood, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged him to "allow more time for efforts to reach an understanding with the residents of Silwan."
"The prime minister asked me to make every effort to reach an agreement with the residents. Of course, I responded positively to his request," Barkat told reporters on Tuesday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=265474 6 jan 2012, 17:14 , Respect -
Maria 4 mrt 2010
Report: Peace talks to begin this week
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Peace talks between the PLO and Israel could begin on Sunday, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported a day after the Arab League threw its support behind a US initiative to restart negotiations.
The Americans are reportedly hoping both sides will agree to talks ahead of US Vice President Joe Biden's arrival on Monday, which is the same day the country's Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, will arrive in Ramallah, chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat told the Arabic-language newspaper Al-Quds.
The US also applauded a vote by the foreign ministers of the Arab League in Cairo on Wednesday that they would support the American initiative for indirect negotiations, but on a four-month deadline.
President Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile, said the Arab world only supported talks on the condition that the US would offer certain guarantees, interpreted as agreeing to restrain its use of vetoes at the UN Security Council, a common method to stop international resolutions condemning Israeli conduct. Abbas told the London-based daily Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat that the foreign ministers received guarantees, including letters, from US officials.
"The results are good as, most importantly, the Arabs support efforts of resuming indirect negotiations … but they have placed conditions and restrictions; these are important for us and them. The restrictions involve messages for the Americans," Abbas said.
They also dismissed the talks as meaningless absent a settlement freeze. The PLO has ruled out direct peace talks until Israel agrees to stop all construction in West Bank settlements.
US-backed peace negotiations were broken off in late 2008 as Israel launched an assault on the Gaza Strip that left some 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis dead. Since the end of the war, US President Barack Obama’s administration has been attempting to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table.
Arab League foreign ministers said their decision was one final effort to promote peace through negotiations, although some voted against the resolution and others expressed hesitancy.
"Despite the lack of conviction in the seriousness of the Israeli side, the committee sees that it would give the indirect talks the chance as a last attempt and to facilitate the US role," the ministers said in a statement.
Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas leader and de facto Palestinian prime minister, urged the regional body to review its decision, while the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine rejected it outright.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset on Wednesday that "it seems the conditions for proximity talks are ripening," Haaretz quoted him as saying.
"All said and done, the world understands that this government is striving for negotiations. It has made some difficult steps to further these negotiations. It said things and did things," Netanyahu said.
Palestinians have refused "without justification and no reason whatsoever to reenter negotiations," he added.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=265841 6 jan 2012, 17:14 , Respect -
Maria 5 mrt 2010
Erekat: Violence is Israeli response to peace overtures
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Violence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is Israel's answer to the Arab League's offer to renew peace negotiations, chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erakat alleged on Friday, as dozens of Palestinians and Israeli police officers were injured in Jerusalem.
"We see this aggression against our people and holy sites as the Israeli response," Erekat said in a statement, condemning a raid on the yards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, during which Israeli forces fired rubber-coated bullets at protesting worshipers.
An estimated 200 police officers fired tear gas, rubber-coated bullets, and stun grenades as Palestinians threw rocks, witnesses said. The raid, which left as many as 60 Palestinians and 18 Israeli police officers injured, was sparked by confrontations at the Haram Ash-Sharif, or noble sanctuary, which houses the mosque, the third holiest site in Islam that is also revered by Jews.
The violence follows last week's announcement of Israel's intention to construct more housing units in settlements in occupied East Jerusalem as well Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement that Israel would keep the Jordan Valley under its control under any hypothetical peace agreement.
Erekat pointed out that it also comes as the Israeli government adopted a plan to include Palestinian religious and heritage sites on the Israeli national heritage list. "Today's aggression is simply the conclusion of a week where Israel did everything possible to tell us they are not serious about peace," he said.
"Following Arab willingness to engage in proximity talks towards peace, the ball is now in the court of the international community and the United States to take action in response to Israeli aggression and ensure a conductive environment for peace negotiations," he added.
"This can only be done if Israel is held accountable to international law and its obligations under the Road Map, including a full settlement freeze and end to violence," Erekat concluded.
The top PLO official's remarks came after the Office of the President released a statement demanding an end to "this Israeli adventure, which could spark a religious war in the region."
Mahmoud Abbas' office said "Israeli forces are crossing every red line in an attempt to avoid restarting peace negotiations, especially following the decision by the Arab follow-up committee of the Arab League to resume the peace talks."
In a statement, the office added that "President Abbas is following up the events and their developments at Al-Aqsa and is carrying out contacts to put an end to these provocations."
The presidency called on the international community to curb such incursions, which it said could have dangerous consequences not only in the Middle East, but to international security and peace in general.
The compound, believed to be the location where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven and returned, is also the holiest for Jews, who believe it to be the site of the Second Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, and is referred to by Israelis as the Temple Mount.
Disturbances at the mosque are a central reason for the escalation of tensions between the two sides, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) said last Monday in a public condemnation of a prior breach of the holy compound.
While Israeli reports of last week's violence placed blame for recent clashes squarely on Palestinians, PCHR investigations affirmed eyewitness accounts and local news coverage contending that hundreds of Israeli settlers and their supporters, escorted by Israeli security forces, had entered the mosque compound.
PCHR condmened the breach in the "strongest possible terms," and further slammed the "use of excessive force" by Israeli forces against Palestinian civilians who had gathered inside the mosque or attempted to prevent "the provocative entry of settlers into the mosque."
In its condemnation, the organization noted heightened concerns over Israeli control of traditionally Palestinian holy sites, following the declaration by Netanyahu the previous Sunday, of sites within the West Bank as "Israeli heritage" locations. The move sparked fears that Israeli forces would further limit Palestinian access to the landmarks.
"PCHR strongly condemns all disruptive measures taken by [Israeli forces] in East Jerusalem ... [and] calls upon the international community to immediately intervene to force Israel, the occupying power, to stop such measures."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=266266 6 jan 2012, 17:14 , Respect -
Maria 8 mrt 2010
Israel approves West Bank settlement expansion
Bethelehem - Ma'an - The Israeli government authorized the building of 112 new homes in an illegal West Bank settlement on Monday, in spite of a declared halt to settlement expansion in November, Israeli media reported.
Israeli Environment Minister Gilad Erden told Army Radio that the Beitar Illit settlement, near Bethlehem, would see further expansion, but that the latest construction did not constitute a breach of the 10-month partial moratorium.
"At the end of last year, the government decided to freeze construction, but this decision provided for exceptions in cases of safety problems for infrastructure projects started before the freeze ... Such is the case in Beitar Illit," Erdan said.
PLO official slams latest expansion
The PLO's chief of Jerusalem affairs, Ahmad Qrei'a, condemend Israel's latest settlement expansion in the West Bank, stating that it undermined renewed US peace efforts.
The announcement on the eve of US Vice President Joe Biden's arrival in Israel, attempting to rebuild Middle East peace efforts after the PLO Executive Committee agreed to US-backed proximity talks with Israel.
US Middle East envoy George Mitchell arrived on Saturday, as indirect talks are set to begin. Negotiations were broken off in December 2008 when Israel launched its assault on the Gaza Strip.
While the PLO agreed Sunday to indirect talks with Israel, assigning a four-month deadline, it has repeatedly called for a halt to all settlement construction, particularly in East Jerusalem, before returning to talks. The occupied eastern part of the city was not included in Israel's 10-month halt, sparking Palestinian and international condemnation.
Dahlan: Israel to "detonate" opportunity offered by US
Israel's moratorium breach was further condemned by Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Dahlan, who said the Israeli government was "planting land-mines" with indirect talks which are "about to detonate the opportunity which the Palestinian leadership offered to the US, ahead of US Vice President Joe Biden's visit."
Dahlan's statement added that the new residential unit in Beitar Illit "left no room for doubt that the current Israeli government is neither interested in the peace, nor does it care about the US administration and its stance, which states that East Jerusalem should be part of a finalized agreement."
This Israeli decision, according to Dahlan’s statement, proves that Israeli officials "race to satisfy settlers," imposing facts on the ground before proximity talks commence.
"These talks might end up useless since they were preceded with increase of settlement activity."
Israel to compensate settlers
The Israeli cabinet announced on Sunday that the government approved the outline for compensating Israeli citizens living in illegal West Bank settlements "adversely affected" by the 10-month settlement freeze.
Those Israelis eligible for compensation include "those who purchased apartments, to contractors and those with building permits and one-time compensation to those local councils that were adversely affected by the decision," a cabinet statement said, adding that a detailed criteria would be issued in the coming days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu termed the move a "just and humanitarian decision."
Separation wall's construction continues in Bethlehem
The expansion of the Beitar Illit settlement further coincides with the latest construction of Israel's separation wall in Beit Jala, Bethlehem at the beginning of March.
On Sunday, the head of the Popular Committee Against the Wall, Khalid Azza, said once the wall's construction is complete, Beit Jala would be isolated from the neighboring Al-Walaja village, describing the act as "terrorism and piracy against Palestinian land."
"By continuing to build the separation wall in Beit Jalla, the Israeli government will crucify the city, just as Jesus Christ was crucified," he said.
The Israeli High Court of Justice ordered a halt to the wall's construction in the area in 2004, but Azza said the Israeli government "brushes aside" all resolutions and continues to challenge the international community.
An Israeli court issued a stop-order on the wall's construction four days prior, after a petition was filed by Ghayyath Nasser, a lawyer representing the municipality, which stated that the digging undertaken by Israeli forces was illegal, having begun immediately following a land confiscation order without giving landowners the stipulated 45 days to challenge the decision.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=266870
PA condemns authorization of Bethlehem settlements
Ramallah – Ma'an – The Palestinian government in Ramallah condemned Israel's authorization on Monday of dozens of new housing units for a settlement near Bethlehem just hours before US envoy George Mitchell arrived in the region.
The Israeli government will allow the building of 112 new homes in the illegal West Bank settlement of Beitar Illit settlement, in spite of a declared halt to settlement expansion in November, Israeli media reported on Monday.
In a post-meeting statement, the Palestinian Authority cabinet, led by caretaker Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, urged the international community to put pressure on Israel to end the "settler chaos" in the West Bank and to protect Palestinians from attacks.
The condemnation followed remarks by the PLO's chief of Jerusalem affairs, Ahmad Qurei'a, who denounced the latest settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories, stating that it undermined renewed US peace efforts.
Israel's announcement came on the eve of US Vice President Joe Biden's arrival in the country, attempting to rebuild Middle East peace efforts after the PLO Executive Committee agreed to US-backed proximity talks with Israel.
US Middle East envoy George Mitchell arrived on Saturday, as indirect talks are set to begin. Negotiations were broken off in December 2008 when Israel launched its assault on the Gaza Strip.
While the PLO agreed Sunday to indirect talks with Israel, assigning a four-month deadline, it has repeatedly called for a halt to all settlement construction, particularly in East Jerusalem, before returning to talks. The occupied eastern part of the city was not included in Israel's 10-month halt, sparking Palestinian and international condemnation.
At the cabinet meeting, ministers praised the work of the Central Elections Commission in preparation for municipal voting in July. The cabinet urged Palestinians to register for the elections by 16 March before the registration period ends.
Fayyad reviewed the proposed budget for 2010, and gave his preliminary approval for a 3.13-billion dollar sum, half of which allocated for the Gaza Strip, which has operated under a Hamas-led government since 2007.
The Ramallah-based prime minister and minister of finance said the main goal in the coming period would be to reach a point where the PA could cover its needs solely by collecting local taxes. Officials expect revenues to increase by 20 percent this year, largely thanks to administrative reforms in tax collection and economic growth, the cabinet statement said.
According to the minister of finance, approximately 1.9 billion US dollars of international aid will be required for the coming term. He said the PA expected donor countries to fund the deficit in its entirety.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=267131 6 jan 2012, 17:14 , Respect -
Maria 8 mrt 2010
Mitchell: Israel, PLO accept talks
Chicago – Ma'an – US envoy George Mitchell formally announced on Monday that both Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization agreed to begin indirect peace negotiations.
"I’m pleased that the Israeli and Palestinian leadership have accepted indirect talks," he said in a statement.
"We've begun to discuss the structure and scope of these talks and I will return to the region next week to continue our discussions," he also said. "As we've said many times, we hope that these will lead to direct negotiations as soon as possible."
Earlier on Monday, Mitchell discussed his proposal with President Mahmoud Abbas in the the presidential compound in Ramallah.
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leadership voted on Sunday to accept a US proposal for indirect talks mediated by Mitchell with Israel. Mitchell arrived in Israel on Saturday night and held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in West Jerusalem on Sunday.
PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said the meeting with Mitchell did not constitute the beginning of proposed “proximity talks” and that it was “premature” to speak of negotiations. He also said the discussion was “good and constructive.”
Erekat struck a sober tone speaking to reporters after the meeting, calling attention to Israel’s announcement of plans for 112 new housing units in the West Bank settlement of Beitar Illit “despite the great deception called the settlement freeze.” He said this point topped the agenda of the meeting.
He was referring to Israel’s 10-month ban on construction in certain West Bank settlements.
“If every visit will include the announcement of more settlements, unilateral actions, the imposition of facts on the ground, the continuation of assassinations and arrests, the imposition of siege on the ground, it places a question mark on all of our efforts,” Erekat was quoted as saying by the PA news agency WAFA.
Erekat also revealed that Abbas received a letter from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton answering questions about the timeline and the conditions of the proposed peace talks, and what the US will to if Israel refuses to withdraw to its pre-1967 borders.
Biden: US will back Israel
Also on Monday US Vice President Joe Biden began a four-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories by pledging to back Israel in its standoff with Iran.
"Though I cannot answer the hypothetical questions you raised about Iran, I can promise the Israeli people that we will confront, as allies, any security challenge it will face. A nuclear-armed Iran would constitute a threat not only to Israel -- it would also constitute a threat to the United States," Biden told the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, as quoted by Reuters, before departing on his visit.
The US, Biden said, "gives Israel annual military aid worth $3 billion. We revived defense consultations between the two countries, doubled our efforts to ensure Israel preserves its qualitative military edge in the region, expanded our joint exercises and cooperation on missile-defense systems."
According to news reports Biden is not expected to participate in any indirect negotiations between Israel and the PLO.
In his interview with Yedioth, he said the US tried to promote relations between Israel and Muslim countries, and also reiterated US comments on Israel’s partial settlement freeze.
After initially siding with the Palestinians in calling for a total settlement freeze, the US softened its position last year, ultimately embracing the 20-month partial freeze, which does not affect settlements around Jerusalem or construction that was already underway when the policy was announced.
"We certainly believe that when the United States effectively builds bridges with Muslim communities, this allows us to promote our interests, including interests that Israel benefits from," Biden told Yedioth.
"The construction freeze was a unilateral decision by the Israeli government, and it is not part of an agreement with the American administration or with the Palestinians," he said.
"It is not everything that we wanted, but it is an important action that has significant impact on the ground."
Biden was slated to meet Netanyahu on Monday, and with Palestinian leaders in Ramallah on Wednesday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=267021 6 jan 2012, 17:14 , Respect -
Maria 11 mrt 2010
Erekat says settlement move cancelled talks
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Indirect talks with Israel will cease to go forward unless Israeli plans to construct 1,600 homes in East Jerusalem are axed, chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat said Thursday.
The statement followed one by Arab League chief Amr Moussa, who announced Wednesday that "The Palestinian president decided he will not enter into those negotiations now ... the Palestinian side is not ready to negotiate under the present circumstances."
Moussa later told reporters that "The talks have already stopped."
Erekat gave conditions for the resumption of talks, saying "We want to hear from [United States envoy George] Mitchell that Israel has canceled the decision to build housing units before we start the negotiations."
The announcements followed a wave of criticism, from Palestinians and then from visiting US Vice President Joe Biden, who warned that the announcement poisoned the atmosphere necessary for peace talks to continue.
On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon condemned the move, saying in a statement that "settlements are illegal under international law."
Ban stressed that "settlement activity is contrary to Israel's obligations under the Road Map and undermines any movement towards a viable peace process."
1,600 announced, 50,000 in the works
On Thursday, Israeli media reports said another 50,000 settlement units were in various stages of planning and approval.
Israel's daily Haaretz cited documents from the country's planning office, saying 20,000 settlement units "are already in advanced stages of approval and implementation, while plans for the remainder have yet to be submitted to the planning committees."
Quartet to meet over Mideast progress in Russia next week
Ban is set to travel to Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip after after the 19 March Moscow meeting on the Middle East peace process, his representative announced Thursday.
In Russia, members of the Quartet will discuss progress toward a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.
The meeting comes as proximity talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators began Sunday, and were postponed on Thursday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=267885 6 jan 2012, 17:15 , Respect -
Maria 12 mrt 2010
Netanyahu expresses regret over timing of settlement move
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned his interior minister on Wednesday, over the announcement of 1,600 new settlement units during the visit of US Vice President Joseph Biden.
Biden, who left late Wednesday, told Netanyahu that Israel had “captured my heart,” shortly before he issued a public condemnation of the decision to continue building settlements.
According to an Israeli government statement, Netanyahu summoned Interior Minister Eli Yishai and “expressed his displeasure at the timing of the announcement of another stage in the planning process of a Jerusalem building project.”
The statement continued: “In light of the ongoing disagreement between Israel and the US on building in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Netanyahu said there was no need to advance the planning process this week and instructed Interior Minister Yishai to adopt procedures to prevent such an incident from recurring.”
The United States, and international law, view settlements built on Palestinians lands, demarcated by the 1967 boundary, as illegal.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon released a statement Wednesday, condemning the continued construction of settlement homes. He reminded Israel that settlements are “illegal under international law” and underscored that “settlement activity is contrary to Israel’s obligations under the Roadmap.”
According to the government statement, Netanyahu spoke to Biden and “expressed his regret over the unfortunate timing.”
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=267918
Clinton rebukes Netanyahu over settlements
ew York – Ma’an – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday to issue an unusually strong rebuke for a new plan to expand West Bank settlements, US officials said.
The call came after the Israeli Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday that it plans to add 1,600 homes to the Ramat Shlomo settlement, which is built on Palestinian land in East Jerusalem, causing Palestinian leaders to back away from a commitment to US-sponsored peace talks. The Arab League, which had endorsed the negotiations, advised Abbas not to enter the proposed talks following the Israeli announcement.
“Secretary Clinton also spoke this morning with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to reiterate the United States’ strong objections to Tuesday’s announcement, not just in terms of timing, but also in its substance,” State Department spokesman PJ Crowley told reporters at a Washington press briefing on Friday.
Clinton wanted “to make clear that the United States considers the announcement a deeply negative signal about Israel’s approach to the bilateral relationship – and counter to the spirit of the vice president’s trip; and to reinforce that this action had undermined trust and confidence in the peace process, and in America’s interests.”
“The secretary said she could not understand how this happened, particularly in light of the United States’ strong commitment to Israel’s security. And she made clear that the Israeli government needed to demonstrate not just through words but through specific actions that they are committed to this relationship and to the peace process,” Crowley added.
Asked by reporters if his use of Netanyahu’s nickname, Bibi, was meant to be pejorative, Crowley said there was no significance to his choice of words.
Questioned as to why the call came three days after the settlement announcement, Crowley said, “The vice president [Joe Biden] was in Israel as well, so we also had a means of communication directly between the vice president and the prime minister.”
Biden publicly condemned the decision, which was made public in the middle of his high-profile four-day visit to Israel and the West Bank.
US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell announced on Sunday that both Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization had agreed to begin indirect peace negotiations mediated by him.
After initially backing Palestinian calls for Israel to comply with commitments to stop settlement construction, the US softened its position last year, embracing a 10-month slowdown on certain types of construction that excludes the area around Jerusalem.
Also on Friday the international Quartet of Middle East peace brokers - the EU, Russia, UN, and US - condemned in a statement Israel's planned settlement expansion in a statement.
"The Quartet condemns Israel's decision to advance planning for new housing units in east Jerusalem," the statement said. "The Quartet has agreed to closely monitor developments in Jerusalem and to keep under consideration additional steps that may be required to address the situation on the ground."
"Unilateral action by the Israelis or Palestinians cannot prejudge the outcome of (peace) negotiations and will not be recognized by the international community," it added. "The Quartet will take full stock of the situation at its meeting in Moscow on March 19."
President Abbas was in Tunisia on Friday where he spoke with President Zine Al-Abidine about how the Arab League should respond to Israel’s latest announcement.
The Council of Arab Foreign Ministers is set to meet later in March, where reports say a final pronouncement on whether or not talks will go forward will be made.
Speaking to reporters in Tunis, Abbas said his meeting with the Tunisian leader was “significant and fruitful,” according to the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, WAFA.
The conversation included “An exchange of views on various current issues, most notably the issue of negotiations which were supposed to resume quickly but were disrupted by recent Israeli actions regarding settlements.”
Abbas arrived Thursday in Tunis and is expected to leave Saturday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=268222 6 jan 2012, 17:15 , Respect -
Maria 13 mrt 2010
Erekat: Settlements stop, talks can restart
Jericho – Ma'an – President Mahmoud Abbas will not hold talks with Israel until its government withdraws its decision to build 1,600 additional homes in an East Jerusalem settlement, Chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat reasserted Friday.
In a statement, Erekat said Abbas informed the US of his decision, and awaits the American response as the leader of the aborted talks. The US, Erekat said, was notified of the president's stance during US Vice President Joe Biden's visit to the region.
White House spokesman PJ Crowley told reporters on Friday that "President Abbas himself has indicated that he remains committed" to talks, as did the US.
Erekat said there was a unified Arab stance opposed to Israel's latest build, calling for its retraction. He added that the stance was echoed by the EU, UN and Russia, who quickly condemned the East Jerusalem settlement expansion, and welcomed a similar statement from the Quartet, calling on Israel to cancel the decision.
The PLO further rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's apology over the timing of the decision, stating that the issue was not the timing but the settlements itself, Erekat said.
Meetings have been held in Erekat's Jericho office with a number of consul-generals and EU representatives to discuss the matter, and numerous calls have been made to Arab foreign ministers to garner support for pressuring Israel to revoke the decision, Erekat said, speaking to Jordan's Royal Court chief, Nasser Al-Lozi, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Oman's Foreign Minister Yusuf Bin Alawi, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.
Additionally, Erekat has called on Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa, EU Middle East envoy Marc Otte, and the UN Secretary-General's personal representative, Robert Serry, to uphold the PLO's position.
According to Crowley, American Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell and his assistant "spoke to a range of leaders in the region over the past day [12 March], including President Abbas, Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit of Egypt, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh of Jordan, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ath-Thani, UAE Foreign Minister Al Nahyan, and Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa," he said at a White House briefing.
"So we have reached out, as we said yesterday, to a range of leaders. And I think we jointly remain committed to this process, acknowledging that obviously it is a difficult environment given the Israeli statement."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=268345 6 jan 2012, 17:15 , Respect -
Maria A matter of timing
by Uri Avnery
Some weeks the news is dominated by a single word. This week’s word was "timing."
It’s all a matter of timing. The government of Israel has insulted the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, one of the greatest “friends” of Israel (meaning: Somebody totally subservient to AIPAC) and spat in the face of President Barack Obama. So what? It’s all a matter of timing.
If the government had announced the building of 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem a day earlier, it would have been OK. If it had announced it three days later, it would have been wonderful. But doing it exactly when Joe Biden was about to have dinner with Bibi and Sarah’le (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sarah) – that was really bad timing.
The matter itself is not important. Another thousand housing units in East Jerusalem, or 10,000, or 100,000 – what different does it make? The only thing that matters is the timing.
As the Frenchman said: It’s worse than criminal, it’s stupid.
The word “stupid” also figured prominently this week, second only to "timing."
Stupidity is an accepted phenomenon in politics. I would almost say: To succeed in politics, one needs a measure of stupidity. Voters don’t like politicians who are too intelligent. They make them feel inferior. A foolish politician, on the other hand, appears to be "one of the folks."
History is full of acts of folly by politicians. Many books have been written about this. To my mind, the epitome of foolishness was achieved by the events that led to World War I, with its millions of victims, which broke out because of the accumulated stupidity of (in ascending order) Austrian, Russian, German, French and British politicians.
But even stupidity in politics has its limits. I have pondered this question for decades, and who knows, one day, when I grow up, I might write a doctoral thesis about it.
My thesis goes like this: In politics (as in other fields) foolish things happen regularly. But some of them are stopped in time, before they can lead to disaster, while others are not. It this accidental, or is there a rule?
My answer is: There certainly is a rule. It works like this: When somebody sets in motion an act of folly that runs counter to the spirit of the regime, it is stopped in its tracks. While it moves from one bureaucrat to another, somebody starts to wonder. Just a moment, this cannot be right! It is referred to higher authority, and soon enough somebody decides that it is a mistake.
On the other hand, when the act of folly is in line with the spirit of the regime, there are no brakes. When it moves from one bureaucrat to the next, it looks quite natural to both. No red light. No alarm bell. And so the folly rolls on to the bitter end.
I remember how this rule came to my mind the first time. In 1965, Habib Bourguiba, the president of Tunisia, took a bold step: He made a speech in the biggest refugee camp in Jericho, then under Jordanian rule, and called upon the Arabs to recognize Israel. This caused a huge scandal all over the Arab world.
Some time later, the correspondent of an Israeli paper reported that in a press conference at the UN headquarters, Bourguiba had called for the destruction of Israel. This sounded strange to me. I made inquiries, checked the protocol and found out that the opposite was true: The reporter had mistakenly turned a no into a yes.
How did this happen? If the journalist had erred in the opposite direction and reported, for example, that Gamal Abd-el-Nasser had called for the acceptance of Israel into the Arab League, the news would have been stopped at once. Every red light would have lit up. Someone would have called out: Hey, something strange here! Check again! But in the Bourguiba case nobody noticed the mistake, for what is more natural than an Arab leader calling for the destruction of Israel? No verification needed.
That’s what happened this week in Jerusalem. Every government official knows that the nationalist prime minister is pushing for the Judaization of East Jerusalem, that the extreme nationalist minister of the interior is even more eager, and that the super-nationalist mayor of Jerusalem practically salivates when he imagines a Jewish quarter on the Temple Mount. So why should a bureaucrat postpone the confirmation of a new Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem? Just because of the visit of some American windbag?
Therefore, the timing is not important. It’s the matter itself that’s important.
During his last days in office, President Bill Clinton published a peace plan, in which he tried to make up for eight years of failure in this region and kowtowing to successive Israeli governments. The plan was comparatively reasonable, but included a ticking bomb.
About East Jerusalem, Clinton proposed that what is Jewish should be joined to the State of Israel and what is Arab should be joined to the state of Palestine. He assumed (rightly, I believe) that Yasser Arafat was ready for such a compromise, which would have joined some new Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem to Israel. But Clinton was not wise enough to foresee the consequences of his proposal.
In practice, it was an open invitation to the Israeli government to speed up the establishment of new settlements in East Jerusalem, expecting them to become part of Israel. And indeed, since then successive Israeli governments have invested all available resources in this endeavor. Since money has no smell, every Jewish casino-owner in America and every Jewish brothel-keeper in Europe was invited to join the effort. The Biblical injunction – “Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God, for any vow; for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God” (Deuteronomy 23:18) – was suspended for this holy cause.
Now the pace is speeded up even more. Because there is no more effective means of obstructing peace than building new settlements in East Jerusalem.
That is clear to anyone who has dealings with this region. No peace without an independent Palestinian state, no Palestinian state without East Jerusalem. About this there is total unanimity among all Palestinians, from Fatah to Hamas, and between all Arabs, from Morocco to Iraq, and between all Muslims, from Nigeria to Iran.
There will be no peace without the Palestinian flag waving above the Haram Al-Sharif (the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound), the holy shrines of Islam which we call the Temple Mount. That is an iron-clad rule. Arabs can compromise about the refugee problem, painful as it may be, and about the borders, also with much pain, and about security matters. But they cannot compromise about East Jerusalem becoming the capital of Palestine. All national and religious passions converge here.
Anyone who wants to wreck any chance for peace – it is here that he has to act. The settlers and their supporters, who know that any peace agreement would include the elimination of (at least) most settlements, have planned in the past (and probably are planning now) to blow up the mosques on the Temple Mount, hoping that this would cause a worldwide conflagration which would reduce to ashes the chances of peace once and for all.
Less extreme people dream about the creeping ethnic cleansing of East Jerusalem by administrative chicanery, demolition of houses, denying means of livelihood and just making life in general miserable for Arabs. Moderate rightists just want to cover every empty square inch in East Jerusalem with Jewish neighborhoods. The aim is always the same.
This reality is, of course, well known to Obama and his advisors. In the beginning they believed, in their innocence, that they could sweet talk Netanyahu and Co. into stopping the building activity to facilitate the start of negotiations for the two-state solution. Very soon they learned that this was impossible without exerting massive pressure – and they were not prepared to do that.
After putting up a short and pitiful struggle, Obama gave in. He agreed to the deception of a “settlement freeze” in the West Bank. Now building is going on there with great enthusiasm, and the settlers are satisfied. They have completely stopped their demonstrations.
In Jerusalem there was not even a farcical attempt – Netanyahu just told Obama that he would go on building there (“as in Tel Aviv”), and Obama bowed his head. When Israeli officials announced a grandiose plan for building in “Ramat Shlomo” this week, they did not violate any undertaking. Only the matter of “timing” remained.
For Biden, it was a matter of honor. For Mahmoud Abbas, it is a matter of survival.
Under intense pressure from the Americans and their agents, the rulers of the Arab countries, Abbas was obliged to agree to negotiations with the Netanyahu government – though only "proximity talks," a euphemism for "distance talks."
Clearly, nothing will come out of these talks except more humiliation for the Palestinians. Quite simply: anyone building in East Jerusalem and the West Bank is announcing in advance that there is no chance for an agreement. After all, no sane Israeli would invest billions in a territory he intends to turn over to the Palestinian state. A person who is eating a pizza is not negotiating about it in good faith.
Even at this late stage, Abbas and his people still hope that something good will come out of all this: The US will acknowledge that they are right and exert, at long last, real pressure on Israel to implement the two-state solution.
But Biden and Obama did not give much cause for hope. They wiped the spit off their faces and smiled politely.
As the saying goes: When you spit in the face of a weakling, he pretends that it is raining. Does this apply to the president of the most powerful country in the world?
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=268414 6 jan 2012, 17:15 , Respect -
Maria 15 mrt 2010
Netanyahu: Jerusalem construction to continue unabated
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the government will continue to build throughout Jerusalem "as we have since the Six Day War," Israeli media reported.
During a Likud party meeting, Netanyahu said following the end of a 10-month settlement freeze in the West Bank "construction in Jerusalem – and anywhere else – will continue as has been the custom during the past 42 years. The cabinet's decision to end the construction freeze after 10 months remains standing," the Israeli daily Yedioth Aharanot wrote.
The Israeli Ministry of Interior announced a 1,600 home expansion in an East Jerusalem settlement during US Vice President Joe Bidden's visit, undertaken to reignite peace efforts. Netanyahu said on Sunday that the announcement was "hurtful, and ... certainly should not have occurred." The prime minister added that a committee had been established to ensure that such timing errors would not made again.
The move was internationally denounced, and calls were made for Israel to revoke the latest East Jerusalem expansion.
A cabinet source told the daily that "the price for the American insult will be a de-facto construction freeze across greater Jerusalem. There will be no other choice, due to the government's stupidity."
"The necessary gestures will halt construction work in all settlements. Tenders that were in the works will be put on hold, even if those were part of previously approved projects," the source added.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=268953
PA condemns settlements, child detentions
Ramallah – Ma'an – During its weekly cabinet meeting on Monday, the Palestinian Authority condemned Israeli settlement expansion in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The cabinet said it welcomed the US, EU and Quartet's stance against the announcement that 1,600 Israeli-only homes are to be built in occupied East Jerusalem, further calling on Israel to revoke its decision.
Moreover, PA ministers denounced Israel's move to declare areas in Bil'in and Nil'in closed military zones - the sites of weekly anti-wall demonstrations. The decision effectively prohibits international and Israeli activists from participating in the protests.
Child detentions
The cabinet called on the international community and the human rights organizations to take action against the Israeli policy of detaining children, noting that 300 are currently in Israeli custody.
Local elections
After reviewing a report issued by the PA Minister of Local Governance on preparations for local elections scheduled for July, the cabinet called on residents to register their names to vote. Ministers added that the cabinet deemed it vital that the Central Elections Commission prepared for local elections in Gaza, to ensure participation.
Palestine Investment Conference, 2010
PA ministers discussed preparations underway to host the second Palestine Investment Conference in June, in Bethlehem. The Minister of Economy, Hasan Abu Libdeh, said all necessary committees have been formed and invitations have been sent to Palestinian businesses, requesting their participation.
The cabinet called on Arab and other countries to invest in the occupied Palestinian territories to revive national economy.
The allocation of public lands
The cabinet approved a recommendation from the Land Commission to allocate government land for the following public use:
Establishing a water reservoir for the Ad-Dyouk and Al-Nowe’meh villages;
Establishing headquarters for the Ad-Dyouk Cooperative Society and a kindergarten;
Establishing an educational center for children in El-Ezariyya, East Jerusalem;
Establishing yards and playgrounds for the Al-Amal Association for the Deaf in the Nabi Elias village, Qalqilyia.
Allocation of government land in Ertah village, Tulkarem for the following purposes:
Allocating 30 donums of land to establish a fuel terminal;
Allocating land for the Ministry of Transport in Tulkarem;
Allocating land for the Ministry of Public Works and Housing.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=269018 6 jan 2012, 17:15 , Respect -
Maria 17 mrt 2010
Abbas says keen to reach peace through talks
Abbas and da Silva
Ramallah – Ma'an – Israel must implement its commitments under the Road Map, President Mahmoud Abbas told his Brazilian counterpart in Ramallah on Wednesday.
"There is no other way to achieve peace than through negotiations," Abbas told visiting President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at his office in the central West Bank city.
He added that the Ramallah-based leadership is "keen to reach peace through talks."
"We agreed to carry out indirect talks without any preconditions. We and the Israelis want to apply international legitimacy and the Road Map peace plan," Abbas added.
"Specific commitments were required of us, which we implemented. Israel has commitments that it is required to implement, the most important of which is a settlement halt in all of the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem," he said.
"These are international commitments that were stated in the Road Map, which the US expressed and wants. Such commitments must be fulfilled," the president insisted.
Da Silva condemned Israel's decision to build 1,600 Israeli-only homes in an East Jerusalem settlement, and said "it is time to take courageous steps to leave behind more than 50 years of disputes, grudges, and pain."
Abbas told da Silva that the peace process is facing considerable difficulties, as Israel continues settlement expansion, which he said threatened international resolutions and efforts undertaken by the international community to kick-start peace talks.
But the president praised Brazil for its significant role in the peace process, and said he hoped Brazil would undertake all efforts to assist in achieving a comprehensive and just peace in the region that would guarantee the right of the Palestinian people to living in a sovereign state on land occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Additionally, Abbas called on Brazil and the international community to bring an end to the Israel-led siege on Gaza, and release Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.
Concerning Palestinian reconciliation between rival factions Hamas and Fatah, Abbas said all attempts are being made to ensure the Egyptian document's ratification, and that Fatah awaits Hamas' signature on the deal "to push for conciliation."
Brazil's Israel ties 'unacceptable'
Da Silva's welcome was not unanimous, however, as his country's free trade and arms trade with Israel were criticised by some Palestinians as impediments to peace in the region.
As the Brazilian leader arrived, the Stop the Wall campaign said Brazil's relationship with Israel rules out effective support for human rights and peace, releasing two reports on Brazil's "complicity with Israeli wars and occupation."
"Brazil made it clear that it wishes to play a serious role," the group said in a statement. However, if it continues along its current political path, "it will effectively close off every possibility for it to be a true agent of peace whether in the region or in the Middle East."
Jamal Juma, coordinator of the Stop the Wall campaign, commented that "farmers losing their lands to the settlements and the Wall and standing steadfast against this dispossession, send their message ...
"It is unacceptable to forge trade agreements with a country whose companies intrinsically profit from the settlements and the occupation. It is shocking to see Brazil rewarding the companies who build the Wall and the weapons that kill us with more and more arms deals."
Stop the Wall said that "In the end, Brazil must decide between dealing with Israel and its weapons or standing with the Palestinian people, between human rights and democracy and cutting military ties with Israel."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=269504 6 jan 2012, 17:15 , Respect -
Maria 17 mrt 2010
Report: 1,300 housing units await Netanyahu approval
Bethlehem – Ma'an – A new round of settlement homes in East Jerusalem are in the works, Israeli media reported on Wednesday, as the US administration awaits a response from Israel on its decision to expand a settlement in the city.
The Israeli Housing Ministry plans to build 1,300 new housing units across the Pisgat Ze'ev, Nabi Yakov and Har Homa settlements, which require Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's approval, in light of the recent crisis in Israeli-US relations, the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronot wrote.
The newspaper explained that the latest building proposal is in advanced stages, and has already received support from the regional construction committee - the execution only requires political backing, according to the daily.
In December 2009, Housing Minister Ariel Itas said Israel should build on land outside of the green line, referring to a 54 housing unit expansion in occupied Palestinian territory, to distract the international community from further settlement building in East Jerusalem, a ministry official told the daily.
The official added that the most recent building plans in East Jerusalem are more complex than previous proposals, and therefore required the prime minister's approval.
As a result of discord across occupied East Jerusalem, Knesset Member Abraham Micheal, of Shas party, demanded that the plans, and others for Jerusalem, be withdrawn from the state's committee panel, which were due to be discussed on Wednesday. Micheal said the "time was not suitable," amidst tensions in the city, adding that Israeli Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat "asked me to delay discussing the blueprint."
US rebukes settlement expansion
US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton admonished Netanyahu following the announcement of a 1,600 strong housing unit in an orthodox East Jerusalem settlement, as US Vice President Joe Biden visited to kick start peace talks. The Israeli decision was further declared shortly after the PLO officially endorsed US brokered proximity talks with Israel.
The move was described by the prime minister as "hurtful" to US-Israel relations but claimed it was unintentional, and that a committee had been formed to pinpoint how the Interior Ministry was able to announce the build without the government's knowledge.
On Tuesday, Clinton told reporters during a news conference in Washington that, while the Obama administration awaits Israel's formal response to events, "we are engaged in very active consultation with the Israelis over steps that we think would demonstrate the requisite commitment to this process. But the Obama Administration is committed to a two-state solution. We are committed to the resumption of negotiations between the parties.
"We think that George Mitchell’s legendary patience will win the day as the process gets started again, because there’s just too much at stake for both the Palestinians and the Israelis ... our goal now is to make sure that we have the full commitment from both our Israeli and our Palestinian partners to this effort."
Abbas says Israel must commit
President Mahmoud Abbas told his Brazilian counterpart President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday that "Israel has commitments that it is required to implement, the most important of which is a settlement halt in all of the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem," he said.
"These are international commitments that were stated in the Road Map, which the US expressed and wants. Such commitments must be fulfilled."
The Palestinian leadership in Ramallah has repeatedly called for a total halt to settlement expansion and building across the West Bank and East Jerusalem before entering in peace talks with Israel.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=269568 6 jan 2012, 17:15 , Respect -
Maria 19 mrt 2010
Clinton: Settlement gaff ready for satisfactory end
Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the BBC Friday she believes parts of the Israeli government behave in ways "that are not in the best interest of the government as a whole."
Clinton was referring to the Israeli Ministry of the Interior announcement of 1,600 settlement units to be constructed in settlements in East Jerusalem. The move came in the middle of US Vice President Joseph Biden's visit to Israel, and embarrassed the US, which maintains the opinion of international law, that settlements built on occupied land are illegal.
The secretary of state spoke after a meeting of the Quartet in Moscow on Friday morning, where representatives from the EU, US, UN and Russia gathered for discussions on the peace process.
Clinton told the BBC that she spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone the night before the meeting, and said she had received a satisfactory response over the planned 1,600 settlement units.
During a news conference in Moscow, Clinton told reporters the promises she got from Netanyahu on the settlements issue was "one of the reasons that Senator Mitchell will be going back to the region and meeting with him in just a few days."
The Arab League had reneged on its go-ahead for peace talks following the announcement, and much of the Palestinian leadership said it preferred to put a halt to talks at least until plans for construction were shelved.
According to the Israeli news site Ynet, Netanyahu's office agreed with the US on several "trust-building measures" for the continuation of talks.
Quartet envoy Tony Blair weighed in on the issue, telling the BBC that Israelis and Palestinians need more confidence in each other before tensions can be resolved.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=270009 6 jan 2012, 17:15 , Respect -
Maria 20 mrt 2010
DFLP: Quartet must force Israel to halt settlements
Gaza – Ma'an – The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine said Saturday it welcomed the Quartet's demand that Israel halt settlement construction, calling for a recent decision to build in East Jerusalem to be revoked.
"The maneuvers of the right-wing government and the expanding extremist right has paralyzed and obstructed the decisions taken by the Quartet, which provided a similar report to that of the international committee in 2001, presided over by George Mitchell, which called for a total settlement halt," the DFLP statement read.
The DFLP urged the Quartet "to bring a new resolution before the UN Security Council to stop all forms of settlements and the demolition of Palestinians homes in Jerusalem and the West Bank under the Seventh Article of the UN convention."
The movement further called on the Palestinian Authority to reject both direct and indirect talks with Israel until all kinds of settlement construction is brought to an end.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=270258 6 jan 2012, 17:15 , Respect -
Maria 22 mrt 2010
Erekat: Israel prefers belligerency over peace
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat condemned on Monday the killing of Palestinian civilians and the continuation of Israeli settlements in occupied East Jerusalem.
Erekat said Israel's decision to defy international calls for a settlement freeze in occupied East Jerusalem would prove fatal for the two-state solution, a statement read.
"Faced with mounting pressure over illegal settlements, Israel is again resorting to deadly violence against Palestinians in a deliberate move to further incite and inflame tensions on the ground. Its actions are not only morally reprehensible, but highlight just how out of step Israel is with international efforts to get the peace process back on track," he said.
On Saturday, Israeli forces shot dead 16-year-old Muhammad Qadus, and 19-year-old Ousayab Qadous. Their deaths were closely followed by the killing of Mohammed Quarek and Salah Quarek yesterday. Both were 19-years-old, both were detained while working on their land, and both were subsequently shot dead while still detained.
"Israel continues to demonstrate a preference for belligerency and the violence of occupation over any commitment to peace or seriousness about meaningful negotiations. Its actions are not just harming Palestinians. They are also harming Israel and its own interests, as well as hopes for peace. Even Israel’s closest allies are finding it increasingly difficult to justify the path of confrontation and obstruction Israel is plotting."
On Israel’s decision to defy the Quartet’s call for Israel to halt to all settlement construction in occupied East Jerusalem in keeping with the Road Map and international law, Erakat said: "East Jerusalem is occupied Palestinian territory. Unlike what is happening in occupied East Jerusalem, Israel does not demolish Palestinian homes, steal and settle occupied Palestinian land and openly flout international law to build in Tel Aviv."
"We now know that whatever statement the Israeli government makes about negotiations and peace, its words ring hollow. It is not by what it says, but by what it does that Israel should be judged."
Erakat again reiterated the PLO’s call for a complete lifting of Israel’s siege over Gaza."Laying siege against the people of Gaza, creating a humanitarian disaster condemned the world over, and then making a few exceptions to what can and cannot pass through Gaza’s borders is not a ‘goodwill gesture’, but the continuation of Israel’s occupation by siege."
"The international community needs to decide what role it wants to play in the Middle East peace process. Past experience shows that words alone are not enough. No longer is it a question of who wants negotiations, but who wants solutions. No amount of negotiations will succeed without a radical change in Israel’s policies on the ground," Erakat concluded.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=270682
Fayyad: EU can contribute to defining peace process
Ramallah – Ma'an – Ramallah-based Prime Minister Salam Fayyad met with German minister Jens Bohrnsen on Monday in Ramallah, where they discussed EU's stance on the occupied Palestinian territories.
The premier told Bohrnsen that the Palestinian Authority appreciated the EU's stance on the occupied Palestinian territories detailed in a December 2009 statement, which Fayyad said could contribute to forming a clear and consistent international position and a reference for the peace process.
The December statement declared all Israeli settlements on Palestinian land occupied in 1967 illegal, as well as all efforts undertaken by Israel to incorporate East Jerusalem, also occupied in 1967.
Fayyad reiterated the PA's condemnation of the killing of four Palestinians in Nablus, which, he said, threatened the PA's feats in security.
The EU condemned on Monday Israel's continued building policy in East Jerusalem, saying it constituted an obstacle to international peace efforts, the Associated Press reported.
"The European Union has condemned all the settlement activities," said Spanish Foreign Miguel Angel Moratinos, according to AP. "We ask for a total freeze of settlement activity. We will pursue this policy."
Meanwhile, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported that plans to build two Israeli-only settlements in East Jerusalem were put on hold last week on the instructions of the legal adviser to the Jerusalem Municipality, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that building throughout Jerusalem would continue unabated, despite international condemnation over a decision to build 1,600 new homes in a religious settlement in the occupied city.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=270762