- 23 mrt 2010
EU FMs discuss Middle East peace with Blair
Bethlehem - Ma'an - EU foreign ministers discussed the Middle East peace process with International Quartet envoy Tony Blair on Monday, following the derailing of indirect talks between Palestinian and Israeli negotiators after Israel announced an expansion to an East Jerusalem settlement.
Meeting in the Foreign Affairs Council, ministers heard from High Representative Catherine Ashton, who reported on her recent visit to the Middle East and the International Quartet meeting in Moscow, while Tony Blair briefed them on the situation and efforts on the ground, a statement from European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument Information Center read.
Blair told the European Parliament's Development Committee that "immense problems" must be overcome to find a solution to the Middle East crisis on Monday, the BBC reported. The former UK premier said, however, that "real, significant" progress had been made during the past three years.
In a statement last Friday, the Quartet called on Israel to freeze all settlement activity, urging Israelis and Palestinians to resume negotiations with a goal of reaching a final settlement that would create an independent Palestinian state within 24 months.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the AIPAC - a pro-Israel lobby - conference in the US, said he would continue to support new construction in the occupied city, the Agence France-Presse reported, despite warnings from the international community that such acts constituted significant obstacles in reaching a sustainable peace deal.
"The Jewish people were building Jerusalem 3,000 years ago and the Jewish people are building Jerusalem today. Jerusalem is not a settlement. It is our capital," he said.
Also addressing AIPAC on Tuesday, Blair told conveners "Israel will not and can not agree to a Palestinian state unless it is sure the state will be securely and properly governed."
"I wouldn’t take risks with my country’s security; I don’t ask Israel to take risks with theirs," he added.
EU ministers approve EU-Israel deal on industrial products
Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers meeting in FAC further adopted a decision approving the ratification of a protocol to the EU-Israel Association Agreement on the conformity assessment and acceptance of industrial products.
According to ENPI, FAC decided to forward a draft decision on the conclusion of the above protocol to the EU parliament for consent. Once concluded, "this agreement will constitute an important step towards Israel's integration into the Single Market," ENPI wrote.
The EU-Israel Association Agreement is the legal basis for the EU’s relations with Israel. Both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories that ends custom duties into the EU market on respective goods and produce.
In February 2010, the European Court of Justice has ruled that Israeli goods made in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank cannot be considered Israeli, and are thus not exempt from the customs duties break.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=271038 6 jan 2012, 17:16 , Respect -
Maria 24 mrt 2010
Obama still has no stomach to take on Israel
by Johnathan Cook
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the United States armed with a mandate from the Israeli parliament. A large majority of legislators from all of Israel's main parties had supported a petition urging him to stand firm on the building of Jewish settlements in occupied East Jerusalem - the very issue that got him into hot water days earlier with the White House.
Given the Israeli consensus on Jerusalem, there was no way Netanyahu could have avoided rubbing that wound again in his speech on Monday to the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the powerful pro-Israel lobby group.
He told the thousands of delegates: "The Jewish people were building Jerusalem 3,000 years ago and the Jewish people are building Jerusalem today. Jerusalem is not a settlement. It is our capital."
Citing his own policy as inseparable from all previous Israeli governments, he added: "Everyone knows that these neighborhoods will be part of Israel in any peace settlement. Therefore, building them in no way precludes the possibility of a two-state solution."
Netanyahu's speech appeared consistent with the new approach agreed by both sides to end this particular debacle. According to the US media, a policy of "Don't ask and don't tell" has been adopted to avoid making East Jerusalem an insurmountable obstacle to negotiations.
It will be telling how the US administration responds to the latest approval by Israeli planning authorities of a housing project at the Shepherd's Hotel in East Jerusalem - this time in the even more controversial area of Sheikh Jarrah, a Palestinian community slowly being taken over by Jewish settlers backed by the Israeli courts.
The White House has eased its stance chiefly because Netanyahu has climbed down on two issues of even greater importance to the administration.
First, he has agreed to make a "significant gesture" to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, probably in the form of a prisoner release. That is the carrot needed to bring Abbas to the peace talks overseen by George Mitchell, the US special peace envoy.
And second, Netanyahu has conceded that Israel will discuss the "core issues" of the conflict "borders, Jerusalem and the Palestinian refugees," ensuring that the negotiations are substantive rather than formal, as he had intended.
Those concessions - if Netanyahu delivers on them - should be enough to break up his far-right coalition, a prospect the White House craves. The US administration wants Tzipi Livni, the leader of the centrist opposition, to join Netanyahu in a new, "peacemaking coalition."
If Netanyahu could wriggle out of the settlements bind, he would do so. But his ace in the hole - "harnessing the might of AIPAC and its legions in Congress to back him against the White House" - looks to have been disarmed.
Comments last week by General David Petraeus, the head of the US Central Command, linked Israel's intransigence toward Palestinian to the spread of a hatred that endangers US troops in the Middle East. That left the AIPAC hordes with little option but to swallow their and Netanyahu's pride, lest they be accused of dual loyalties.
In the words of Uri Avnery, a former Israeli legislator: "This is only a shot across the bow, a warning shot fired by a warship in order to induce another vessel to follow its instructions. The warning is clear."
And the warning is that Netanyahu must come to the negotiating table to help to establish a Palestinian state whatever the consequences for his coalition.
But it would be unwise to assume that the crisis over settlement building in East Jerusalem indicates that the Obama administration plans to get any tougher with Israel on the form of such statehood than its predecessors.
Livni, unlike Netanyahu, may wish to find a solution to the conflict - or impose one - but her terms would be far from generous. The White House knows that she, too, is an ardent advocate of settlements in East Jerusalem. When she broke her silence on the crisis last week, it was to emphasize that, by "acting stupidly" in stoking a row with the US, Netanyahu had risked "weakening" Israel's hold on Jerusalem.
Instead, signs indicate that Barack Obama could be just as ready to accommodate the Israeli consensus on East Jerusalem as the previous Bush administration was in backing Israel's position on keeping the overwhelming majority of West Bank settlers in their homes on occupied Palestinian land.
Shimon Peres, the Israeli president who is much favored in Washington, has outlined a "compromise" to placate the Americans. It would involve a peace deal in which Israel keeps the large swaths of East Jerusalem already settled by Jews, while the Palestinians would be entitled to the ghettos left behind after four decades of illegal Israeli building.
In her own AIPAC speech, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, hinted that such a solution might yet be acceptable to the administration. The recent US condemnation of settlement building, she said, was not "a judgment on the final status of Jerusalem, which is an issue to be settled at the negotiating table. This is about getting to the table, creating and protecting an atmosphere of trust around it - and staying there until the job is finally done."
Having lost patience with Netanyahu's lip service to Palestinian statehood, the White House appears finally to have decided its credibility in the Middle East depends on dragging Israel - kicking and screaming, if needs be - to the negotiating table.
Obama may hope that the outcome of such a process will make US troops safer in Iraq and strengthen his hand in the stand-off with Iran. But it remains doubtful that the US actually has the stomach to extract from Israel the concessions needed to create that elusive entity referred to as a viable Palestinian state.
Jonathan Cook is a writer and journalist based in Nazareth, Israel. A version of this article originally appeared in The National, printed in Abu Dhabi. It is republished here with permission from the author.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=271186 6 jan 2012, 17:16 , Respect -
Maria 25 mrt 2010
Erekat: Settlement decision against peace
Bethlehem - Israel was straying further outside of the international consensus and damaging its credibility as a serious partner for peace, chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat said in a statement on Wednesday.
The PLO official's comments follow Israel's decision to build in the flashpoint Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah at the site of the former Shepherd Hotel, in occupied East Jerusalem.
Ereket pointed to growing international frustration over Israel's continued settlement policy in a statement, after two announcements in the past two weeks derailing proximity talks with Palestinian leaders and even destabilized relations between Israel and the United States.
"If Israel is serious about negotiations, then why not stop illegal settlement construction as the international community is calling for and the Road Map demands, especially when every effort is being made to start proximity talks? Why continue doing what Israel is doing when everyone is urging Israel to do what is right and what is needed if peace is to have any chance," Erekat asked.
"Israel is digging itself into a hole that it will have to climb out of if it is serious about peace. There is overwhelming international consensus on the illegality of Israel’s settlements, including in East Jerusalem, and the damage they are doing to the two-state solution."
The Shepherd Hotel is the home of the late Haj Amin Husseini, the former Mufti of Jerusalem, who was deported to Lebanon in 1948. In 1967, his home was confiscated as “absentee property” by Israel following Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem. Following its confiscation, title to the property was illegally transferred to the Israeli company “Amidar,” which in turn sold it to Irving Moskovitz in 1985. The hotel was subsequently rented for a period of seven years to the Border Police for use as a base.
Plans were submitted to construct a new Israeli settlement on the site, consisting of 90 housing units, as well as a synagogue, a kindergarten and a children’s park. The whole complex will be approximately 10,000 square meters in size. The new settlement is slated to house up to 500 new settlers, and on Tuesday the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem gave the go-ahead for the construction of 20 new Jewish-only units.
"These new settlement units are part of Israel’s attempt to forcibly end any Palestinian presence in East Jerusalem, and to foreclose any hope of reaching agreement on the core issue of Jerusalem in line with international law. This is not only occurring in Sheik Jarrah, but in Silwan and other areas of occupied East Jerusalem," Erakat said.
The PLO official added that Israel is not being asked to make concessions. "Rather it is being asked to make a decision about whether or not it is serious about peace. Rolling back the occupation, ending illegal settlement construction, and adhering to international law and existing agreements are not concessions. They are crucial components of a just and lasting peace."
Erekat concluded by saying that the PLO wants to "give proximity talks every chance of success if and when they take place. We want Mitchell We want Mitchell to succeed, because his success is our liberty. Negotiations are not an end in themselves, however, but a means to an end."
The goal, he said, was an end to Israel's occupation and "a just and agreed solution for Palestinian refugees," the establishment of a viable independent Palestinian sate on 1967 borders. "The Israeli government is yet to come around to this realization, particularly when you look at what it is doing on the ground, and the positions it continues to take on core issues such as Jerusalem and settlements, as well as water, security, borders and refugees."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=271320 6 jan 2012, 17:16 , Respect -
Maria 26 mrt 2010
US seeks 'clarification' on Israel's latest East Jerusalem build
Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - The White House said Wednesday it is seeking Israel's clarification on a recent decision to build 20 new housing units in occupied East Jerusalem, in the flashpoint Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, on the site of the Shepherd Hotel.
White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said the US administration believes Israel's continued building in Jerusalem is destructive to the peace process, the Associated Press reported.
Vietor said the US is urging both Israelis and Palestinians to refrain from acts that could undermine trust, amid efforts to kick start the peace process.
The latest announcement to continue building in East Jerusalem, despite international calls for a halt, follow a recent string of declarations by the Israeli government since US Vice President Joe Biden's recent visit to the region as the American administration launches a fresh bid to renew stalled talks that broke of in December 2008 following Israel's assault on Gaza.
During the visit, Israel's Interior Ministry announced the construction of 1,600 Israeli-only homes in East Jerusalem, on the eve of the PLO's decision to enter into US-brokered proximity talks with Israel. The move sparked international condemnation, with the Quartet calling on Israel to revoke its decision. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told conveners at the AIPAC conference that Jerusalem construction would continue unhindered.
Chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat said Wednesday that Israel's most recent decision to build in Sheikh Jarrah, on the of site the Shephard Hotel, is damaging Israel's credibility as a serious partner for peace and are further attempts to erase Palestinian presence in the city.
"If Israel is serious about negotiations, then why not stop illegal settlement construction as the international community is calling for and the Road Map demands, especially when every effort is being made to start proximity talks? Why continue doing what Israel is doing when everyone is urging Israel to do what is right and what is needed if peace is to have any chance," Erekat said in a statement.
"Israel is digging itself into a hole that it will have to climb out of if it is serious about peace. There is overwhelming international consensus on the illegality of Israel’s settlements, including in East Jerusalem, and the damage they are doing to the two-state solution."
Plans submitted to construct a new Israeli settlement in Sheikh Jarrah consist of 90 housing units, as well as a synagogue, a kindergarten and a children’s park. The whole complex will be approximately 10,000 square meters in size and slated to house up to 500 new settlers. On Tuesday the Israeli Jerusalem Municipality gave the go-ahead for the construction of 20 new Jewish-only units.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=271356 6 jan 2012, 17:16 , Respect -
Maria 26 mrt 2010
Abbas aide: No deal after Obama-Netanyahu talks
Bethlehem – Ma'an – US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to reach an agreement that would freeze settlements, a senior aide to President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday.
Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudaineh told the Paris-based Agence France-Presse that Abbas was updated during a meeting in Amman with David Hale, an assistant to US envoy George Mitchell. Hale officially informed Abbas that Obama and Netanyahu failed to reach an agreement on halting settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem, making indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians less likely.
However, Obama will continue with his efforts to start the indirect negotiations, Hale reportedly told Abbas.
The AFP report stands in contrast with another from Israel's Army Radio, which reported Thursday that Netanyahu and Obama had actually agreed on the continuation of settlements in East Jerusalem.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=271681 6 jan 2012, 17:16 , Respect -
Maria 28 mrt 2010
PA: 20,000 could lose homes in Jerusalem
Jerusalem – Ma'an – More than 20,000 Palestinian homes in Jerusalem could soon face demolition orders, according to Ahmad Ruweidi, a legal advisor on Jerusalem affairs within the Palestinian President's Office.
Ruweidi said Israeli courts will soon accuse homeowners of having violated construction restrictions over the past 10 years and issue demolition orders on the pretext that they needed renewable licenses.
Ruweidi pointed out that the number did not include homes whose owners have already received final demolition orders from Israel's Jerusalem Municipality or from the Israeli courts. This means, according to the lawyer, that all owners live in a state of fear that at any moment their homes could be demolished and that they will find their families living on the street.
He described Israel's policy as intended to force Palestinian residents of Jerusalem to pay large sums to engineers and lawyers in addition to significant fines for so-called violations of construction restrictions.
Ruweidi highlighted that the PA had helped Palestinians in the city with expenses for lawyers and engineers as part of its policy to support the rights of Jerusalem residents. However, he added, more financial support is needed from Arab and Islamic countries because the PA cannot afford to cover all expenses, which reach millions of shekels, as Israeli authorities keep changing demands and restrictions.
President Mahmoud Abbas told delegates at the Arab League summit in Serit, Libya on Saturday that Israeli settlements in Jerusalem remained the prime obstacle to returning to peace negotiations.
"Jerusalem is the jewel in the crown as well as the door and the key to peace. We emphasize that we hold onto every grain of soil and stone in Jerusalem. We are determined to defend Palestine's capital," Abbas said.
The president called on the international community not to recognize unilateral actions in Jerusalem, and demanded that Arab and Muslim support be mobilized in coordination with the Organization of the Islamic Conference to bring a halt to "Israeli aggression" against Muslim and Christian religious sites.
Abbas further told delegates that urgent financial support was needed for the Al-Aqsa and Jerusalem funds, and for a plan to be implemented that would support Palestinian steadfastness in Jerusalem.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=272177 6 jan 2012, 17:16 , Respect -
Maria 29 mrt 2010
Report: Obama steps up Israel pressure
Bethlehem - Ma'an - US President Barack Obama made clear during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week that he intends to impose a peace deal in less than two years, news reports said Monday.
The Israeli daily Haaretz, quoting political sources, reported that Israeli officials view Obama's supposed demands as just the beginning in a dramatic change in US policy toward Israel, with which the Americans retain strong ties.
According to the report, 10 demands posed by Obama include four specifically dealing with Jerusalem, including opening a Palestinian interests office in occupied East Jerusalem, to stop razing Palestinian buildings, and a settlement freeze that includes Ramat Shlomo, the settlement area that sparked US Vice President Joe Biden's condemnation when it was announced during a visit earlier this month.
Haaretz says Israeli officials are worried that Obama wants both sides to discuss core issues in indirect talks rather than in future direct negotiations, which would become unnecessary. This method would permit the US to impose its own settlement, the officials reportedly said.
Furthermore, the sources claim that the White House and State Department have put pressure on Israel via its allies in Europe, particularly Germany.
They also fear the supposedly new policies contradict past assurances and will encourage Palestinians to toughen their stance, which is already opposed to any kind of negotiations without a real settlement freeze.
President Mahmoud Abbas told delegates Saturday at the Arab League summit in Libya that there will be no talks without an end to settlements in all the occupied Palestinian territories including East Jerusalem.
Abbas said that in order to save the two-state solution, immediate action was required to compel Israel into committing to a Palestinian state on land occupied by Israel in 1967, a settlement moratorium, and adhering to the terms of the Road Map.
"Jerusalem is the jewel in the crown as well as the door and the key to peace. We emphasize that we hold onto every grain of soil and stone in Jerusalem. We are determined to defend Palestine's capital," he said.
The president further called on the international community not to recognize unilateral actions in Jerusalem, and demanded that Arab and Muslim support be mobilized, in coordination with the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to bring a halt to "Israeli aggression" against Muslim and Christian religious sites.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=272399 6 jan 2012, 17:16 , Respect -
Maria 31 mrt 2010
Report: US wants 4-month settlement freeze
Bethlehem - Ma'an - If Israel undertakes a four-month settlement freeze in East Jerusalem, the Obama administration will put pressure on President Mahmoud Abbas to enter direct peace talks with Israel, news reports said Wednesday.
The Israeli daily Haaretz, quoting an official in Jerusalem, reported that the US administration is demanding that Israel freeze construction in East Jerusalem, including settlements in Neveh Yaakov, French Hill and Ramat Shlomo. The freeze would last the four months that the Arab League has authorized for indirect talks between both sides, Haaretz reported.
US President Barack Obama made clear during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week that he intends to impose a peace deal in less than two years, Haaretz reported Monday. Israeli officials view Obama's supposed demands as just the beginning in a dramatic change in US policy toward Israel, with which the Americans retain strong ties.
According to that report, 10 demands posed by Obama include four specifically dealing with Jerusalem, including opening a Palestinian interests office in occupied East Jerusalem, to stop razing Palestinian buildings, and a settlement freeze that includes Ramat Shlomo, the settlement area that sparked US Vice President Joe Biden's condemnation when it was announced during a visit earlier this month.
Haaretz says Israeli officials are worried that Obama wants both sides to discuss core issues in indirect talks rather than in future direct negotiations, which would become unnecessary. This method would permit the US to impose its own settlement, the officials reportedly said.
Furthermore, the sources claim that the White House and State Department have put pressure on Israel via its allies in Europe, particularly Germany.
They also fear the supposedly new policies contradict past assurances and will encourage Palestinians to toughen their stance, which is already opposed to any kind of negotiations without a real settlement freeze.
President Mahmoud Abbas told delegates Saturday at the Arab League summit in Libya that there will be no talks without an end to settlements in all the occupied Palestinian territories including East Jerusalem.
Abbas said that in order to save the two-state solution, immediate action was required to compel Israel into committing to a Palestinian state on land occupied by Israel in 1967, a settlement moratorium, and adhering to the terms of the Road Map.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=272975 6 jan 2012, 17:16 , Respect -
Maria 3 apr 2010
Gaza factions meet to discuss Israeli threat
Gaza – Ma'an – Four Palestinian factions held a meeting in Gaza City on Saturday to discuss the latest developments across the occupied Palestinian territories and the increase in Israeli action in the Gaza Strip.
Sources told Ma'an that those factions in attendance include Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Last week saw the fiercest clashes in the Gaza Strip between Palestinian operatives and the Israeli army since the end of Operation Cast Lead 15 months prior, with two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian fighters killed.
A tank incursion followed the fighting, with Israeli forces destroying a home along the southern Gaza-Israel border. Medics said 13 Palestinians were injured when tanks and bulldozers moved into Khuza'a, with injuries ranging from critical to moderate.
Senior Islamic Jihad official Khaled Al-Batsh told Ma'an that the issue of projectiles being launched from Gaza was not on the meeting's agenda but factions will "take into account the interests of the Palestinians in away that will not be against the principles of resistance."
"Factions discussed Israel's threat toward resistance factions and the threat of an attack on Gaza. We talked of the necessity to increase coordination to confront Israeli threats, as well as Palestinian conciliation and the need for Egypt to return to its role as mediator," Al-Batsh added.
The Islamic Jihad official added that other sessions will be held to attempt to solve issues faced by Palestinians "and it was agreed to carry out joint popular activities protesting the Judaization of occupied Jerusalem and to prepare for national reconciliation."
Saleh Nasser, central committee member of the DFLP, said the meeting focused on internal unity and "affirmed the need to intensify Palestinian efforts and dialogue to bring about the success of the Egyptian document, aimed at ending division and restoring unity on democratic foundations."
"The meeting re-affirmed the right of Palestinians to resist in all forms amidst continued Israeli crimes and assaults, and the necessity of developing coordination between Palestinian resistance factions. We reiterate our stance to continue working toward building a united resistant under one political leadership," he added.
Nasser said such a unified front was needed to confront assaults, settlements, the siege and "procedures to judaize Jerusalem."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=273814 6 jan 2012, 17:16 , Respect -
Maria 4 apr 2010
PLO: Settlements must stop
Ramallah – Ma'an – The PLO's Executive Committee reiterated on Saturday its demand that all settlement activity on Palestinian land and acts against religious sites be brought to an end, during an evening meeting in Ramallah.
Recent developments, particularly settlement growth in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, were on the meeting's agenda, as well as the rise in Israel's military assaults on the Gaza Strip and the crippling siege.
Committee members further discussed the recommendations of the Arab League summit held in Libya last week, during which Jerusalem was the focal point of discussion for Arab leaders and officials.
Moreover, the Executive Committee applauded the non-violent rallies held in commemoration of Land Day across Palestine, which members said reflected Palestinian steadfastness and insistence to continue the popular struggle until independence and freedom is achieved.
Members condemned the "killing, abuse, and terrorism" practiced by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Concerning the Arab League summit, the PLO's Executive Committee said it appreciated conveners in Serit arriving at a consensus supporting the Ramallah-based Palestinian leadership in their efforts to stop settlement activity and restart peace talks.
The PLO further applauded the International Quartet's most recent statement denouncing Israeli activity in East Jerusalem, adding that international consensus in support of the Palestinian position is unprecedented.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=273863 6 jan 2012, 17:16 , Respect -
Maria 6 apr 2010
PFLP in Lebanon: Abandon 'illusion' of negotiations
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Ahmad Murad, a member of the Central Committee of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said it was clear that Palestinians should rely on the "illusion" of negotiations or the peace process.
Speaking at a Land Day ceremony in southern Lebanon on Thursday, Murad linked his comments to the recent decisions spearheaded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on settlements, Jerusalem and aggression against Palestinian holy sites.
Marking the Israeli crackdown on a Palestinian protest in 1976 that saw six killed defending their land, the PFLP said peace talks would only encourage the "Zionist campaign of murder, destruction and colonization taking place in Palestine."
Held alongside the Lebanese Communist Party and the People's Movement, the PFLP hosted what turned into a widely political rally in the city of Adloun, Lebanon. Attended by a wide range of Palestinian and Lebanese political parties, social groups and cultural organizations, the Land Day event brought together Palestinians and supporters.
Murad stressed that Land Day, and the events it commemorates, was in itself a demonstration of the "impossibility" of coexistence with the "criminal enemy dedicated to the destruction of the Palestinian people," as well as a clear statement that the Palestinian people inside "occupied Palestine 1948" are a fundamental component of the Palestinian Arab people.
The official emphasized that Land Day addressed the spirit of struggle and sacrifice in the face of "ugly brutal occupation planted in our land by force of arms and tyranny, supported by forces of oppression and imperialism.
"The global terrorist campaign has been ongoing since the beginning of the 20th century, in an attempt to write-off our rights and prevent us from achieving our goals of freedom, independence and return to our entire national territory," Murad said, referring to the Palestinian right of return.
Murad called for a comprehensive and serious review of the Palestinian national political strategy, saying an alternative approach, completely different than the "utterly failed 'peace process' and 'negotiations,'" was necessary to restore Palestinian national unity.
A single Palestine is a "major weapon to confront the occupation's aggression and restore our rights, and to raise our level of resistance and steadfastness in all forms, as the only language that is understood by the enemy," he said.
Murad saluted the Lebanese resistance and its "victories against Zionism," recalling as well the struggle of the Palestinians in Lebanon, and the shedding of Lebanese and Palestinian blood together in defending the land against the "Zionist attacks."
He also addressed the situation of Palestinians in Lebanon, urging a new policy toward Palestinian refugees in Lebanon that supports their steadfastness, resistance and struggle to return home. Murad noted that Palestinians in Lebanon are treated as a security problem, guilty until proven innocent, when the camps of Lebanon are in fact the homes of resistance that fuel the revolution until liberation and return.
Asad Ghandour of the People's Movement also spoke, condemning the "complicity of Arab regimes in the face of Zionist crimes" and the "US siege" against the Palestinian people. He emphasized the need to protect and expand Palestinian civil, social and human rights in Lebanon.
Mahdi Awali of the Lebanese Communist Party expressed appreciation to the Palestinians and their resistance, resilience and revolutionary heritage. He called for strengthening left-wing and democratic unity at an Arab level to build a progressive future for the Arab people.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=274311 6 jan 2012, 17:16 , Respect -
Maria 10 apr 2010
Israeli court to hear petition on home demolitions
Jerusalem – Ma'an – The Israeli Central Court is expected to hear a petition on Sunday filed by Palestinian families whose homes were slated for demolition in occupied East Jerusalem.
Citing alleged discriminatory policy implemented in West Jerusalem and toward Israeli residents in East Jerusalem, the petition will argue that demolition orders issued by Israel's municipality amount to negligence against Palestinian neighborhoods, lawyers said.
Moreover, the petition contends that Israel's building policy in East Jerusalem favors settlement building rather than creating sustainable infrastructure for Palestinian residents, another form of alleged negligence, and that these settlements are either built illegally on Palestinian land or their residents are illegally evicted.
Rasem E'beidat, one of many who called for the petition to be reviewed Sunday, said the court's decision would be significant and called on all Palestinians in Jerusalem to attend the hearing.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=275362 6 jan 2012, 17:17 , Respect -
Maria 10 apr 2010
'The worst diplomatic crisis in decades'
by Sayed Dhansay
"The worst diplomatic crisis in decades."These were the words used by Israeli ambassador to the US, Michael Oren, recently to describe the perceived rift between Israel and the Obama administration over Israel's illegal settlement policy in occupied East Jerusalem.
It started when American Vice President Joe Biden visited Israel at the beginning of March to launch "proximity talks" between Israel and the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) of Mahmoud Abbas. After 14 months of stalled negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians following Israel's devastating attack on Gaza, Abbas had finally received the go-ahead from the Arab League to restart talks with Israel.
Though the US routinely uses its veto power to shield Israel at the UN and has never taken concrete measures to curb its colonization of Palestinian land, official US foreign policy purports to favor a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines.
On the very first day of Biden's visit however, Israel announced the construction of 1,600 new settlement homes in yet another illegal housing project in occupied East Jerusalem. The controversial announcement attracted a storm of international criticism, triggered riots across the occupied West Bank and was seen as an insult and affront to Biden. Prominent columnist Akiva Eldar questioned in the Israeli daily Haaretz how Israel could "spit in Biden's face" in such a manner.
The Middle East quartet also weighed in, denouncing the Israeli move with a strongly worded statement, while one of America's top defence officials, General David Petraeus, also entered the furor. In an unusually stark political comment from a military official, Petraeus warned that Israel's intransigence was harming American interests and endangering the lives of American soldiers throughout the Middle East.
Abbas refused to start the proximity talks and US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell -- responsible for kick-starting negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis -- canceled his impending visit to the region. This was seen as a clear sign of American disapproval at Israel's unilateral undoing of Mitchell's hard work over the last year in getting the Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiating table.
The standoff was underscored a week later when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US President Barack Obama in Washington in an effort to smooth over their differences. After two meetings, the leaders failed to reach consensus on a joint statement. Obama retired from the meetings without appearing for a photo op with his Israeli counterpart, and Netanyahu canceled his media appearances scheduled for the following morning.
A White House spokesperson also rejected comments made by Netanyahu at his weekly cabinet meeting the previous day. "From our standpoint, building in Jerusalem is like building in Tel Aviv," the prime minister said.
While Israel has declared all of Jerusalem its "eternal, undivided capital", the international community has never recognized Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem and the territory is considered illegally occupied by Israel under international law.
"I think at one point the prime minister added that he did not see a distinction necessarily between building in Jerusalem and building in Tel Aviv. We disagree with that," the spokesman said bluntly ahead of the Washington meeting.
News and political circles were soon abuzz with the escalating public spat between America and one of its closest allies, with whom diplomatic relations are usually exceptionally warm. For those frustrated by America's bias toward Israel, its massive military, economic and diplomatic support, and silence on its repeated violations of international law, the apparent cracks in the longstanding "special relationship" were a welcome sight to weary eyes.
This excitement proved to be short lived and unwarranted however.
Just days later, both Oren and Petraeus withdrew their comments and reaffirmed America's "unwavering commitment" to Israel. At the same time, news emerged that the two countries had just sealed a ?massive? arms deal, worth roughly a quarter billion dollars which would see the US supply Israel with three new military aircraft.
During that week, Washington also played host to the annual conference of the powerful pro-Israel lobby group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC. As America's most senior diplomat, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's warm reception and fervent speech at AIPAC 2010 is a more candid indication of the state of US-Israel ties.
"Thank you for that welcome. And it is wonderful to be back at AIPAC with so many good friends," she gushed to the cheering crowd of thousands of America's most hawkish pro-Israel campaigners. She then went on to congratulate AIPAC's newly appointed president, Lee Rosenberg, before praising several of AIPAC's directors individually by name for their good example of "citizen activism" and "furthering democracy."
After the usual platitudes about America and Israel's "common goals," "common future" and shared values of "freedom, equality and democracy," Clinton dove straight into reassuring the delegates of the Obama administration's commitment to Israel.
To leave no doubts about his political resolve, Clinton evoked the success of the newly passed health care legislation after years of campaigning by Obama, and declared: "And let me assure you ... for President Obama and for me, and for this entire Administration, our commitment to Israel's security and Israel's future is rock solid, unwavering, enduring and forever," to rapturous applause.
Clinton then went on to praise Netanyahu's 10-month settlement freeze as an "important first step," although this has largely been a farce. Because the moratorium excludes East Jerusalem, "public buildings" and housing units that were already underway in the occupied West Bank, changes on the ground have been ineffectual in the eyes of Palestinians.
Furthermore, Netanyahu has publicly stated that settlement construction would resume at full pace after the expiration of the 10-month period. This was confirmed during his AIPAC speech when he defiantly declared: "The Jewish people were building in Jerusalem 3,000 years ago, and we are building there now. Jerusalem is not a settlement. It is our capital."
In her scant words of criticism for Israel, Clinton only ventured as far as saying that American policy does not accept the "legitimacy" of continued settlements. She stopped short of mentioning that they are indisputably illegal under international law, and widely accepted as the primary obstacle to achieving peace in the Middle East.
And if any doubt remained in the mind of her audience, she reminded them of the Obama administration's proven track record of whitewashing Israeli crimes and its repeated interventions to ensure Israel?s evasion from the enforcement of international law.
"We did lead the boycott of the Durban Conference [against Racism] and we repeatedly voted against the deeply flawed Goldstone Report. This administration will always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself," she said.
For those hoping that this short-lived diplomatic dust-up was a ray of hope for a more even-handed American policy in the Middle East, Clinton's AIPAC appearance and other simultaneous developments suggest otherwise.
Indeed, Israel announced the construction of another 112 settlement homes just a day before Biden's arrival, and a further 426 a week later without rousing any protest from the Americans. The implication therefore is that the whole outcry was more about the timing of the announcement, rather than its substance.
In addition, the US and Israel are more united on countering the growing Iranian nuclear threat than ever before. Good diplomatic relations with Israel in order to protect broader American interests in the Middle East is surely of much greater strategic importance to the Obama administration than Israel's domestic settlement policy.
Furthermore, the US needs to choreograph "anger" at the Israelis from time to time in order to keep up the pretense of being an honest broker and keeping the so-called "peace process" with the collaborationist PA puppet regime on track. If the peace process charade breaks down permanently, western powers risk losing the loyal obedience of the PA for good, opening up the possibility for Palestinian national reconciliation.
Any potential political consensus between the PA and Hamas would signal disaster for the Americans and Israelis, who have worked overtime to demonize, isolate and exclude the Islamist organization from exercising their democratically earned place in the region?s politics.
The Obama administration has a tough task trying to reign in the most right-wing government in Israel's history, while also attempting to maintain the pretense of a genuine peace process. The delicate act of balancing these considerations with its own interests is bound to agitate the US occasionally. To consider this squabble as anything more significant however is simply wishful thinking.
The author, Sayed Dhansay is a South African human rights activist and independent freelance writer. He volunteered for the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in 2006, and was an organizing member of the South African delegation to the Gaza Freedom March.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=274684 6 jan 2012, 17:17 , Respect -
Maria 11 apr 2010
Israeli cabinet to discuss US expectations
Bethlehem – Ma'an – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to announce his nation's policy in response to official requests by the US, during the seventh ministerial forum on Sunday.
The US has asked that Israel halt the construction of settlements, including those in East Jerusalem, and to extend the freeze for a period that is acceptable to the Palestinian leadership so that peace talks can resume.
According to the Israeli Hebrew language daily newspaper Ma'ariv, cabinet members will discuss a final stance on the American requests.
Also on the ministerial agenda, Ma'ariv said, was the deployment of Israeli troops outside areas A and B as determined under the Oslo peace process, similar to the protocol of the Second Intifada.
The paper noted the suggestion came in response to an increase in popular protests in the West Bank.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=275480 6 jan 2012, 17:17 , Respect -
Maria 14 apr 2010
UN political chief urges Israel to freeze settlements
Bethlehem – Ma'an/Agencies – The top United Nations political official on Wednesday reiterated the world body’s calls on Israel to freeze its settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe told the Security Council that while a partial restraint on construction is welcomed, it is insufficient and fuels a crisis of confidence that has kept talks between the parties from resuming.
"This policy falls short of Israel’s Roadmap obligation of a full settlement freeze and excludes settlement activity in East Jerusalem," Pascoe was quoted as saying by the UN News Centre.
Calling the situation on the group "fragile," Pascoe said in a briefing on the Middle East that the transfer of Israeli settlers into the heart of the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem had led to further incidents of violence.
In a development he described as "worrisome," Pascoe noted an Israeli military order giving the military commander the power to evict a broad category of people deemed not to be residents of the West Bank.
"This could have the effect of enabling Israeli authorities to deport these individuals and has provoked strong Palestinian and Arab reaction," he said, adding that UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry had raised the issue with Israeli authorities
Serry's office will continue to monitor this development closely, Pascoe added.
"Implementing this order would constitute a breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, in particular its Article 49, which prohibits forcible transfers as well as deportations of protected persons, individual or mass, from the occupied territory," said Zahir Tanin, vice-chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, who also addressed the Security Council.
Despite continued security cooperation between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, Pascoe said there were almost daily clashes between settlers and Palestinians resulting in frequent injuries and arrests in the West Bank.
In Gaza, some 16 rockets and mortars – out of 35 fired – reached southern Israel from Gaza. One Palestinian civilian was killed and 15 others were injured in the course of 14 incursions and six airstrikes by Israeli security forces.
"We condemn rocket fire and call for calm to be respected and for international humanitarian law to be upheld," Pascoe said, noting reports that Hamas is trying to prevent further outbreaks of violence.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=276511