… “In the days ahead the United States will work with our partners here in Israel and across the region toward an outcome that bolsters security for the people of Israel, improves conditions for the people of Gaza and moves toward a comprehensive peace for all people of the region,” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Jerusalem.
Clinton spoke after Hamas said an Egyptian-brokered truce deal that it had expected to be in place by Tuesday night was delayed because Israel has not responded to proposals…
“If there is a possibility of achieving a long-term solution to this problem with diplomatic means, we prefer that,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said alongside Clinton, who will travel to Cairo on Wednesday.
“But if not, I’m sure you understand that Israel will have to take whatever action is necessary to defend its people.”
…”The American commitment to Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering,” Clinton said at a brief press appearance with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the two entered closed-door talks.
“That is why we believe it is essential to de-escalate the situation” in the Palestinian territory, said Clinton, who welcomed Egyptian mediation efforts.
Clinton was speaking only moments into a regional tour that will also take her on Wednesday to the West Bank city of Ramallah and on to Cairo for talks with Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi.
Her arrival in Jerusalem coincided with furious speculation that a Gaza truce announcement by the two sides was in the works and could come as early as Tuesday night…
…According to Izat a-Rishk, a spokesperson for the Hamas terror government, there would be no cease-fire until Wednesday at the earliest, because Israel had rejected Hamas’ conditions for a cease-fire.
“All possibilities are open, and our people are ready for all possibilities,” he said, referring to the still-possible Israeli land invasion of Gaza. Tens of thousands of IDF soldiers are reportedly poised to enter Gaza, to carry out objectives on the ground.
As talk of the cease-fire faded, the IDF increased its hammering of Gaza terror sites. In one raid Tuesday night, IDF planes caused significant damage to the main Hamas government building in Gaza City.
Between 9 and 11 PM Tuesday, the IDF carried out more than 50 bombing forays on targets in Gaza. Twenty terrorists were injured. Over 100 targets were destroyed on Tuesday, bringing the total number of targets the IDF destroyed in the six full days of Operation Pillar of Defense to about 1,500. Half of Tuesday’s raids were on terrorists preparing to fire missiles at Israel, with the balance hitting smuggling tunnels, arms factories, and rocket-launching sites and equipment…
The IAF has struck a building that houses the AFP news agency’s Gaza office. A photographer working for AFP said that three Israeli missiles have hit offices located two floors above the agency’s headquarters. The IDF confirmed the strike, saying the facilities were used by Hamas intelligence operatives…
Wtf, over…?
Meanwhile the Arabs just aren’t buying the Hasbara Spin…
The Israeli attack on Gaza seems to be more of an attempt to draw lines and affect the emerging Middle East following the Arab Spring than just retaliating against Hamas.
In fact, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to engage into a bigger military operation could be seen as sending a message to the newly re-elected President Barak Obama, a test to Egypt’s President Muhammad Mursi and the emerging Islamist forces in the region and on the top of that to serve his narrow political agenda now that an earlier elections have already been called… {…}
Israel apparently was not keen in providing that breathing time. Rather it wants to send a clear message that it is not only part and parcel of the Middle East, but given its military edge and international connections, it is a serious player that could not and should not be sidelined in any talk about a new Middle East.
The message goes in fact even to Israel’s main military, economic and political bankroller, the United States. It is no secret that Netanyahu has been banking on electing Mitt Romney instead, but results ended in a different way bringing Obama back again to the Oval Office. Instead of waiting to be reprimanded by Obama, a military operation will easily shift the discussion from the personal to the more solid partnership between the two states.
Already Obama was quick to raise the issue of the right of Israel in defending itself, but the root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will resurface and focus on earlier commitments by Obama to further the two states solutions now that he is supposedly free from re-election strings that have characterized his first term in the Oval Office.
In fact with the quick sands moving in the Middle East, the Obama administration is facing a more complicated region that calls into question the old well established relationships.
The Israeli operation in Gaza sends the clear message that it alone knows best how to deal with the Arabs through excessive militarism that have succeeded in the past in forcing military and secular regimes to come to terms with the reality and recognize Israel. The same could be applied now with the rising Islamists and all Washington needs to do is to continue its unwavering support, leaving the rest to Tel Aviv…
I’ve been wrapped up in Occupy Hilo and the Holidaze, and have woefully neglected my I/P/ME posts…! So, I would like to offer up a Xmas Eve present for ya’ll…!
Some note-worthy linkies that might while the time, while your turkey and/or ham is cooking…!
…On a presidential visit to Israel in 2008, Bush travels to Bethlehem by car rather than helicopter against the wishes of the Israelis because Rice wants him to see “the ugliness of the occupation, including the checkpoints and the security wall…for himself and [because] it would have been an insult to the Palestinians if he didn’t.” The barriers were taken down, the convoy traveled at speed, but Bush got the point, according to Rice: “‘This is awful,’ he said quietly.”
Approximately 30 Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals gathered at the edge of Shu’fat refugee camp on Sunday to protest a new Israeli checkpoint, which opened on December 12 and that an Israeli activist likened to a form of “ethnic cleansing.” Palestinian kids threw stones; Israeli police fired rubber-coated bullets at the children…
Now, FDL Alum, Marcy Wheeler, gave a very timely interview with Antiwar’s Scott Horton (Who will also be hosting the next FDL Book Salon with David Swanson)…
Signing the massive “omnibus” spending bill into law today, President Barack Obama issued a formal signing statement indicating that he ends to pick and choose which portions of the new law he intends to follow and which he intends to ignore.
The two foreign policy provisions he intends to ignore are one limiting his ability to transfer detainees out of Guantanamo Bay, and one which would limit his ability to place US troops under foreign command, both of which he said would be ignored to “avoid constitutional conflicts.”
President Obama also rejected all provisions which require him to clear spending with appropriators, saying that he will not seek congressional approval for his spending decisions.
Hamas will focus on a strategy of holding mass protests against Israel in the style of the Arab Spring, although it is not renouncing the use of violence against the Jewish state, the Islamic group’s leader, Khaled Mashaal, told The Associated Press late Thursday.
Mashaal was in Cairo for reconciliation talks with Hamas’ rival, President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah. The sides agreed that Hamas would join the Palestine Liberation Organization, led by Abbas, and allow elections to go ahead in Gaza and the West Bank in 2012.
Popular protests have “the power of a tsunami,” Mashaal said, pointing to the recent waves of demonstrations across the Arab world.
“Now we have a common ground that we can work on — the popular resistance, which presents the power of people,” he said. The idea for the protests originated with the Palestinians themselves and the uprising they launched against Israel in 1987, he said, typified by crowds of rock-throwing Palestinian youths confronting heavily armed Israeli soldiers.
I applaud Hamas for finally embracing the nonviolent Protest movement…!
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton strongly disapproved of the Israeli authorities’ announcement that they intend to publish tenders for the construction of some 1000 housing units in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem.
Ashton urged them not to proceed with the open call. “The EU’s position is clear: settlement construction is illegal under international law and further complicates efforts to find a solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” she said…
Israel’s Loose Cannon Foreign Minister, Avi Lieberman scoffed at that silly EU notion, as he’s so wont to do, but, DM Ehud Barak quickly smacked Avi upside the head…
Comments were made in response to international criticism of Israeli settlement construction; Lieberman’s office: ‘We don’t respond to parties with less than six mandates.’
Defense Minister Ehud Barak criticized on Thursday statements made by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, which said the “bickering” of European Union members of the UN Security Council over Israeli settlement was making them “irrelevant.”
“European countries are very relevant,” Barak told Israel Radio, “and they stand with us in important times.” He added that the countries should be told they are mistaken, but Israel should continue cooperating with them and refrain from conflicts.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s office retaliated Thursday by saying: “We do not respond to parties who have less than six mandates.”
“In issues that are important to Israel (such as) fighting the attempts to push us to the International Criminal Court, we turn to Sarkozy and Cameron, so I don’t think we should turn them into tensed, insulted and bitter opponents,” Barak said. He added that “Germany, France and Britain are not Tanzania, Mauritania or Tripolitania. These are very important countries in the world and we have no interest in increasing the tensions with them.” …
Well, I could rant and rave some more but it is Xmas Eve, afterall…! Peace on Earth, and, Mele Kalikimaka from my Hale to yours…! *g*
Although that Democracy Now clip is a bit dated, the points made are still very relevant. With the recent release of about 4,000 new cables from both, the smaller Consulate in Jerusalem, and, our much larger Embassy in Tel Aviv, by Wikileaks, I felt that I should revisit Noam Chomsky. Now, I’ve been busy perusing them and wanted to highlight a few of them. I also want to offer up some of my own observations on the context and substance of the cables. Btw, If you’d like to read some on your own, and even contribute your own input, Kevin Gosztola has provided some great links: Cablegate Search, Cabledrum, and, on Twitter search hashtag #wlfind…!
First a general observation, when Bibi had crowed that ‘Wikileaks completely vindicates Israel,’ and, even thundered that ’60 years of Propaganda against Israel has failed’, I would posit instead that 60 years of Hasbara has indeed been highly successful…!
Seriously…! Virtually every CoDel(Congressional Delegation) cable I’ve read always seems to have a reference to Iran and their purported pursuit of a Nuke! Here’s a great example: Rep. Wexler Discusses Iran With IDF Intelligence. I have concentrated more on the CoDel’s as they appear to provide the meatier tidbits. What I’ve also focused in on was the Cast Lead time frame. Before I delve into some of the specific cables, I want to make a few more general observations.
Most of the cables issued by our Consulate in Jerusalem appear to be nothing more than a daily recap of all the Israeli/Palestinian headlines, and, are in fact labelled ‘Israel Media Reaction’. Damn I can do that job, I already do it daily anyways! Maybe I could telecommute…?
What I’ve also gleaned from my readings is that the Jerusalem Consulate is more open to the plight of the Palestinians than the Embassy personnel ensconced in Tel Aviv! In that, our Consul dutifully reports OCHA’s regular findings and Tel Aviv tends to completely ignore them! But, I digress…
What I’ve also discerned from my perusal was that the Palestine Papers were completely vindicated in their withering exposure of the PA’s complicity in suppressing the Palestinians…
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY SECURITY OFFICIALS ON COORDINATION WITH ISRAEL
…In meetings held in Ramallah on February 7(2010), PA security officials stated their continued commitment to security coordination with Israel. Minister of Interior Said Abu Ali told Post, “We support coordination if it is in the spirit of implementing Oslo,” noting that cooperation benefits both sides. However, he said, publicity about Israeli-Palestinian security coordination threatens the sustainability of the PA’s security campaign. It is essential to depoliticize these contacts and keep them out of the public eye, he noted. (emphasis added)
During a January 5 meeting, Israeli Security Agency (ISA) Director Yuval Diskin gave a frank account of the December 26 Israeli operation in Nablus and his assessment of the current state of Israel-PA security cooperation. Diskin noted that he had publicly cited real improvements across the board in PASF willingness and ability to target Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror networks on the West Bank. He said he was also satisfied with the level of information and intelligence sharing between the PA and the GOI, which he characterized as “not fully transparent, but transparent enough.” Diskin noted that bilateral security cooperation is the best that it has been in the last 16 years, since the Oslo Agreement. He added, however, that this impressive progress had to be measured from a very low base; things had been so bad in the past that many root problems remain.
Ironically, that was the first cable that I’d actually seen names edited out by Wikileaks.
Now, in focusing on the Cast Lead time frame some of the more poignant ones…
…In the absence of any published policy directive on Gaza from the
December 10 trilateral meeting of Olmert, Barak and Livni, the
Israeli media is focused on perceived policy differences within the
GOI. The media reports that Minister of Defense Barak favors
renewal of the truce between Israel and Hamas while Foreign Minister
Livni and others are portrayed as advocates of military action. In
fact, Barak has stated publicly that Israel will determine how and
when it responds to Hamas, and his advisor and envoy, (ret.) MG Amos
Gilad, who visited Cairo on December 14, reportedly threatened that
Israel would “change the rules” if a cease-fire is not restored.
Meanwhile, Israeli dailies reported on conflicting Hamas
perspectives on future of the truce after its first six-month
anniversary on December 19.
——————————————— –
BARAK AND GILAD: WAITING TIL THE TIME IS RIGHT
——————————————— –
¶2. Israel’s position on the “tahdiyah” (loosely translated as
“truce”) was clarified by the action of Defense Minister Barak, who
dispatched his top aide Amos Gilad to Cairo December 14 to discuss
the possible extension of the truce with Hamas. According to a
report in the mass circulation Yediot Aharonot on December 14, Gilad
carried a message for Hamas to the effect that if the rocket fire
continues, Israel will “change the rules.” In an earlier December 8
radio interview, Gilad elaborated: “we are dealing with an enemy
… that will get what is coming to it. …The right timing is of
great importance, because striking without preparing for the results
that follow, is not enough. … At the moment, we are taking such
steps as the closing of crossings to convince them that it is of no
benefit to commit murderous attacks on Israeli civilians. …The IDF
is prepared and is preparing for the right time to strike.”
Here’s another one that was issued during Cast Lead…
Main Stories:
————-
The situation in Gaza continues to dominate all Palestinian news
outlets. Al Quds leads with news of the rescue of four Palestinian
children clinging to the bodies of their dead mothers killed in the
Gaza fighting. The paper adds, in red font headlines, that bodies
of 50 Palestinians were found in the Gaza rubble, bringing the
Palestinian death toll to 767. The paper also reports on Israeli
overnight strikes that killed four Palestinians, one of whom was a
photographer for Palestinian Authority President Abbas. All front
pages highlight UNRWA’s decision to suspend operations in Gaza after
Israeli “attacks” on its personnel and facilities.
Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida lead with “agreement” at the UN
Security Council over a draft resolution calling for an immediate
ceasefire in Gaza, while Al Quds highlights that the UN Human Rights
Council will hold an emergency session on January 9, “to pressure
Israel” on operations in Gaza. Al Ayyam’s front page adds that
Israel is, “determined to commit more crimes” as Palestinians
continue to die in the Israeli military operation. Al Hayat Al
Jadida’s front page adds that the “Gaza massacre” continues, as more
Palestinians are found dead under the rubble. Al Ayyam and Al Hayat
Al Jadida front page reports that one Israeli army officer and two
other soldiers were killed, and 13 soldiers injured on January 8.
In news on U.S. actions, Al Hayat Al Jadida’s front page reports
that Secretary Rice and her French and British counterparts have
decided to extend their stay in New York to continue work with Arab
counterparts on a Gaza draft resolution that will be put to a UN
Security Council vote on January 9. Both Al Hayat Al Jadida’s and
Al Quds’ front pages cite news agencies in reporting that the U.S.
Congress has voted to formally express support for the Israeli
“aggression” on Gaza. The Congress called for a ceasefire agreement
that will prevent Hamas from using Gaza as a base to fire rockets
into Israel. Al Quds’ inside page cites AFP in reporting that a State Department spokesman stated on January 8 that the U.S. is
asking Israel to increase the number of hours of the daily
“humanitarian pause” in Gaza. He also described the humanitarian
situation in Gaza as “dire”
Dire indeed…! I almost chuckled when I’d read this title…
SUMMARY: Retired IDF General Daniel Rothschild, President
of the Council for Peace and Security, briefed the diplomatic corps
on January 12 at Peace Now on the background and future of the Gaza
operation. Rothschild believes that Operation Cast Lead has
achieved deterrence, and Israel is ready for a ceasefire. The two
biggest obstacles, he explained, are the Hamas leadership in
Damascus (Hamas-Damascus) and the Egyptians; Hamas-Damascus because
it does not feel the same pressure as Hamas in Gaza, and Egypt
because it is not pushing Hamas enough for fear of appearing to be
Israeli collaborators. Looking to the future, Rothschild believes
that in six months either Iran will increase its influence in Gaza,
or there will be anarchy fueled by armed gangs. In a separate
conversation on January 12, retired General Amnon Lipkin-Shahak told
the Embassy that Israel will continue to fight until Hamas accepts
an unlimited ceasefire, and will not leave troops in Gaza after the
ceasefire. Both Lipkin-Shahak and Rothschild are highly respected
former IDF generals now associated with the left, and while neither
hold a government position, both remain influential thinkers. End
SUMMARY.
…¶5. (SBU) In a separate conversation on January 12, Lipkin-Shahak
told the Embassy that considerable damage had been done to Hamas and
its military wing, and the IDF would do considerably more if Hamas
failed to go to a ceasefire. However, he cautioned that there is no
military solution to Hamas in Gaza, and in the end a political
defeat will be needed. For that to happen, he said that the PA will
need finish making itself into a real government, and deal with
reform and corruption. He assessed that Hamas had won the 2006
elections because it was not corrupt.
Fancy that…! Hamas won because it was not corrupt like Fatah and the PA…!
Anyways, I’m still reading them and will post on more of them. I would greatly appreciate any new nuggets that ya’ll might come across if you want to take a gander at some of them…! If you can’t link to them, please cite the cable # and when it was ‘created’. For instance, that last cable is 09 Tel Aviv 99, created 2009-01-13…
I wonder how Paul Jay would’ve reacted had he been in Gaza…!
Now, I’d like to hone in some of what Phyllis Bennis was talking about just prior to the Quake. As the Israeli writer, Uri Avnery, had recently warned about in an article entitled: ‘How Godly Are Thy Tents?’
FIRST OF all, a warning.
Tent cities are springing up all over Israel. A social protest movement is gathering momentum. At some point in the near future, it may endanger the right-wing government.
At that point, there will be a temptation – perhaps an irresistible temptation – to “warm up the borders”. To start a nice little war. Call on the youth of Israel, the same young people now manning (and womanning) the tents, to go and defend the fatherland.
Nothing easier than that. A small provocation, a platoon crossing the border “to prevent the launching of a rocket”, a fire fight, a salvo of rockets – and lo and behold, a war. End of protest.
…He said all factions agreed to the ceasefire while retaining the right to respond to Israeli attacks.
“Hamas is not a police officer who protects Israeli interests,” he said, explaining that Hamas sought a truce based on deterring Israel rather than cooperating with it or yielding to its demands.
Az-Zahhar denied claims that some factions were actually fronts for Hamas under different names.
“What illusionary groups have Hamas made up?” he asked.
“All the factions operating in Gaza are real and have their supporters and their military wings. They were called by Egypt to attend national occasions such as the reconciliation agreement, so can we claim that Egypt is dealing with made up factions?”
“Israel started its aggression on Islamic Jihad’s activists brutally killing members of the Qureiqi family. The Islamic Jihad’s military wing responded. Is the Islamic Jihad made up by Hamas, or it is a real faction?”
Three Palestinians killed, amid calls from Hamas for the international community to intervene.
Israel has launched several attacks on Gaza, killing three Palestinians and wounding several others, prompting Hamas to allege that the attacks violated an unofficial two-day-long truce.
Medics in Gaza said an Israeli air strike on Wednesday evening killed 20-year-old Mohammad Moqat. He was a member of the Palestinian resistance group Islamic Jihad.
The latest air strike came after Palestinian fighters lobbed several rockets and mortar shells into southern Israel in retaliation for an earlier Israeli air strike in the border city of Rafah.
An earlier air raid during the day targeted a vehicle, killing Ismael al-Ismar, 34, an Islamic Jihad leader.
An Israeli military spokesman confirmed the strike, saying it had targeted “an activist linked to Islamic Jihad who was implicated in attempted terrorist actions in the Sinai”…
Isn’t it interesting that all the various ‘factions’ do fess up to their own ‘rocket’ attacks, yet, none have stepped up for the Eilat attack…!
The latest round of atrocities unleashed upon Palestinians proves yet again that the Israeli government is a homicidal opportunist. Instantly, the problem of mass demonstrations deploring increased cost of living and other economic issues plaguing the Jewish State was solved by rallying Israelis behind the one issue they all seem to have in common: the singular desire to annihilate Palestinians.
If that assessment seems harsh, or unfair to Israeli peace activists, it certainly rings true of broader Israeli society. Joseph Dana, a Tel Aviv-based writer and journalist spoke with Aljazeera regarding the protests, which according to him, were mute regarding the Israeli occupation of Palestine. “The sad reality is that if Israelis discuss Palestinian rights and specifically the rights of Palestinians under Israeli occupation, they very quickly lose public support,” he stated…
I’m always delighted when the Real News asks the very same questions and follows the very same sources as I do…!
As +972′s intrepid Yossi Gurvitz fleshes out the story…
Evidence undermines gov’t’s claim that terrorists were Gazans
The Minister of Defense and the Prime Minister claim the terrorist attack last week came from Gaza. They have yet to provide any proof – and the evidence looks dubious…
…However, Israel has never supplied any proof that the attack has indeed originated in the Gaza Strip. The PRC have denied involvement in the attack. An Israeli propaganda apparatus, the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, also claimed (Hebrew) the PRC was behind the attacks, but had to tautologically write “no terror organizations has publicly claimed responsibility for the attack and the Popular Resistance Committee has denied any involvement. However, the Israeli prime minister and other Israeli officials have pointed to the Popular Resistance Committee as the organization who carried out the attack. So, according to the ITIC, the fact that Netanyahu said something is proof enough, even if the other side completely denies it…
To add insult to injury, it seems Bibi’s up to his same old tricks…!
It should be heavily emphasized that Hamas and all the myriad Gaza organizations have agreed to a Ceasefire…
Hamas: Gaza Militants Agree to Ceasefire
Through a deal brokered by Egypt, Hamas agreed to Israel’s demands that Palestinians cease fire first.
Gaza militants agreed to a ceasefire with Israel, a Hamas official said Sunday, three days of violence from all sides. The Hamas official said militants in Gaza have agreed the truce would go into effect Sunday evening, in accordance with the deal brokered by Egypt.
Egyptian officials said Israel would agree to halt strikes only if the Palestinians stopped the rocket fire first. A spokesman for Israel’s government would not comment, and it was not clear if the cease-fire would take effect or hold…
Btw, the Egyptians are mighty pissed off at Bibi’s recent response to this tragic affair…
Crowds of Egyptians protested at the Israeli Embassy in Cairo after Israel expressed regret over the killing of five Egyptian security personnel. Egypt condemned Israel in a statement after a second cabinet crisis meeting Saturday.
“Egyptian blood is not cheap and the government will not accept that Egyptian blood gets shed for nothing,” state news agency MENA quoted a cabinet statement as saying.The Israeli promise to work with Egypt to investigate the killings is “positive in appearance but does not fit with the weight of the incident and the state of Egyptians’ outrage from the Israeli actions’, MENA added.
I do think that Bibi might actually be getting a clue, after long last…
‘Israel won’t be dragged into places it doesn’t want to be,’ says Benjamin Netanyahu’s aide.
The cabinet voted yesterday to refrain from any action that could lead to an escalation in the south and to cooperate indirectly with the truce Hamas declared on Sunday. So far, the truce has largely held, although three rockets did hit southern Israel from the Gaza Strip yesterday…
…What emerged most clearly from Netanyahu’s and Barak’s statements to the cabinet was that Israel lacks the international legitimacy needed for a large-scale operation in Gaza. The diplomatic crisis with Egypt further constrains Israel’s freedom of action.
“The prime minister thinks it would be wrong to race into a total war in Gaza right now,” one of Netanyahu’s advisors said. “We are preparing to respond if the fire continues, but Israel will not be dragged into places it doesn’t want to be.”
Several Netanyahu aides detailed the constraints on Israeli military action, most of which are diplomatic.
“There’s a sensitive situation in the Middle East, which is one big boiling pot; there’s the international arena; there’s the Palestinian move in the Untied Nations in September,” when the Palestinians hope to obtain UN recognition as a state, one advisor enumerated. “We have to pick our way carefully.”
First and foremost, I do want to emphasize the fact that this bit of news is a definitive positive step forward for the besieged Gazans…! However, as noted above and recently reported by Ma’an…
Report: Egypt working with Israel on Rafah policy
Egypt has explained to Israel that the Rafah crossing will not be used to transfer goods, and restrictions will be imposed on the movement of individuals, Israel radio reported Thursday.
According to political sources quoted in the report, Egyptian authorities are aware of the risk that “terrorist elements” could pass through Rafah, the sole non-Israeli entrance point, and Cairo will act accordingly.
Egypt said Wednesday it would open the crossing on a daily basis in a bid to ease the blockade.
The measure, which will come into force Saturday, will give Gazans a gateway to the world as Rafah is the only crossing which does not pass through Israel.
The frontier will now be opened for eight hours a day from 9:00 a.m., with the exception of Fridays and public holidays, Egypt’s official MENA news agency said. [...]
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum hailed the move as “a courageous and responsible decision which falls in line with Palestinian and Egyptian public opinion.”
“We hope that it is a step towards the complete lifting of the siege on Gaza,” he said in a statement, calling on the world “to follow Egypt’s example” in breaking the Israeli blockade which has been in place since 2006.
Plans to open the crossing on a permanent basis were first announced at the end of April, a day after Hamas reached a surprise reconciliation deal with its Fatah rivals who control the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority…
The Egyptians’ promise to open Rafah provided the necessary impetus for Hamas to reconcile with Fatah and/or the various Palestinian factions…
There will undoubtedly be those trying to proclaim that life is on the up and up in Gaza now and that the siege is over. But Gaza and the siege that entraps it is immensely complicated. Ignoring the nuances of this policy and thinking that Gaza is equivalent to a solid black box that just had its lid opened is entirely misleading…
What the Opening of Rafah Does Not Mean: The siege is over … By retaining total control over the other crossings, Israel is still able to maintain its siege policy to practically the same exact extent as before the opening of Rafah. Unless Egypt and Palestine completely revamp the Rafah crossing and the infrastructure around it on both sides of the border, this is unlikely to change …
Electricity and Water: …Gaza is overwhelmingly dependent on Israel when it comes to electricity … The Blockade: …Israel enforces its illegal naval blockade at the 3-nautical mile mark (most of the fish native to Gaza’s territorial waters are beyond this mark) and when Gaza’s fishermen get too close, they get shot… What the Opening of Rafah Does Mean: The Closing of A Dark Chapter in Egypt’s History…
…The siege of the Gaza Strip is a disgraceful policy that collectively punishes civilians in direct opposition to international humanitarian law and is an ugly scar on the conscience of the international community. Egypt, sadly, played an undeniable roll in this policy under the Mubarak regime despite the fact that most Egyptians vehemently disagreed with this policy. While the Egyptian closure of Rafah was a minor contributor to the overall effects of the siege compared to Israeli restrictions, Mubarak regime complicity was viewed as treacherous in the eyes of most in the Arab and Muslim world…
Basically, this only represents itty-bitty, baby steps towards alleviating the true hardships caused from Israel’s brutal, and illegal, siege of Gaza…
Protesters took to the streets on Friday for nationwide rallies against the ruling military council’s handling of post-Mubarak Egypt, in a call that has exposed political rifts.
In Cairo, tens of thousands of protesters packed into Tahrir Square — the symbolic heart of protests that toppled Hosni Mubarak in February — for the Muslim weekly prayers. [...]
Youth groups that helped to launch the uprising posts calls on Facebook urging Egyptians to take to the streets on Friday to rally for “an end to political corruption.”
Three months after the revolt, they are frustrated by the slow pace of democratic change, and are this time directing their anger at the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
While the revolt achieved its aim of ousting Mubarak, the unelected military retains absolute power in Egypt.
Protesters want a civilian government, a new constitution, the acceleration of trials of former regime figures and their removal from top jobs in the police, universities and other public institutions.
Naturally, Israel wasn’t so accommodating for Friday’s Palestinian ‘Day of Anger’…
…Israeli forces shut down anti-wall protests in villages across the West Bank on Friday.
The Israeli army says the unarmed weekly protests in Palestinian villages are illegal.
Asked why the protests were illegal, an army spokesman said the areas between Israel’s separation wall and villages Ni’lin and Bil’in, near Ramallah, were declared “closed military zones” every Friday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Any civilian who entered the area was breaking Israeli law, the army official said,
Palestinians, Israelis and foreign nationals join protests every Friday in villages along Israel’s separation wall, which runs deep inside the West Bank and confiscates villagers’ land.
The International Court of Justice and Israel’s Supreme Court have ruled that the route of the wall is illegal under international law. [...]
“Popular committee coordinator Mahmud Zawahra said villagers would continue to protest Israel’s confiscation of their land “despite Israel’s suppression.”
…”Things will get better,” said a Palestinian engineer from Gaza, who once studied and now works in a Swedish town south of Stockholm.
What he meant was that things will get better at the border crossing, in terms of the relationship between Gaza and Egypt. Without a decisive Egyptian decision to reopen the crossing — completely — Gaza will continue to reel under the Israeli siege.
Others agree, but Gazans have learned not to become too confident about political statements promising positive changes.
However, the Egypt of today belongs to an entirely different political category to the Egypt of Hosni Mubarak’s leadership. Palestinians, especially those trapped behind the shut borders in Gaza, are well aware of this. Still they are cautious…
“No country can be expected to negotiate with a terrorist organization sworn to its destruction,” he told America’s powerful pro-Israel lobby as pointed to the recent Palestinian Fatah-Hamas unity agreement as “an enormous obstacle to peace.”
“We will continue to demand that Hamas accept the basic responsibilities of peace: recognizing Israel’s right to exist, rejecting violence and adhering to all existing agreements,” Obama said, to loud applause at the AIPAC Policy Conference.
President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that Israel and the US had misinterpreted the unity deal as ushering in a government of Hamas and Fatah figures, as the new body would solely include non-partisan technocrats. [...]
…But the president also reacted to recent comments by the US premier focusing on Hamas’ position towards Israel, saying the May deal between the movement and its rival Fatah had been misunderstood by Israel and the US as paving the way for both movements to dominate a new government.
“The government will be built of nonpartisan figures, and will not include affiliates of any Palestinian faction,” Abbas said. [...]
Israeli officials had slammed the unity agreement, with Netanyahu warning that Abbas must choose between “peace with Israel or peace with Hamas.”
But Abbas said Monday, “this is neither Hamas, nor Fatah government. It is my government and will follow my strategies,” he added.
…Yasser Abed Rabbo, a top official with the Palestine Liberation Organization, on Monday insisted the new alliance would help rather than harm attempts to revive peace talks with Israel.
“We have repeatedly said that this agreement is completely the opposite of this. It represents a significant step that could push the political process forward,” he told Voice of Palestine radio.
Under terms of the deal, the two parties would work together to set up a caretaker government of independents not allied to either faction to work towards holding elections within the next year.
The interim government would have nothing to do with peace negotiations, which would remain the mandate of the PLO, the official representative of the Palestinian people and which is headed by President Mahmoud Abbas.
“The United States and Israel do not need to deal with every Palestinian faction separately,” Abed Rabbo said.
“If we had to deal with each Israeli party that composes the current government coalition, we would not find any of them ready to talk with us.”
“The USA should deal with the PLO, which has not changed its stances and commitments,” he added. [...]
“To be honest, Hamas came over to our program,” said senior Fatah official Nabil Sha’ath, pointing to remarks by Mash’al after the deal was signed on May 3, in which he spoke of “a common national goal” of a state along the 1967 borders comprising the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. [...]
“I don’t think we need anything more from Hamas,” Sha’ath said, arguing it would be “ridiculous” to ask Hamas to recognise the state of Israel at this stage.
“What for? Will that be reciprocated by Israel recognizing Hamas or recognising the Palestinian state? It won’t.” he said.
Imagine if the Palestinians had to negotiate with the individual factions in the Knesset…
The Government of Israel flatly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state west of the Jordan river.
The Palestinians can run their lives freely in the framework of self-rule, but not as an independent and sovereign state. Thus, for example, in matters of foreign affairs, security, immigration and ecology, their activity shall be limited in accordance with imperatives of Israel’s existence, security and national needs. [...]
The Jordan River as a Permanent Border
The Jordan Valley and the territories that dominate it shall be under Israeli sovereignty. The Jordan river will be the permanent eastern border of the State of Israel. The Kingdom of Jordan is a desirable partner in the permanent status arrangement between Israel and the Palestinians in matters that will be agreed upon.
Security Areas
The government succeeded in significantly reducing the extent of territory that the Palestinians expected to receive in the interim arrangement. The government will insist that security areas essential to Israel’s defense, including the western security area and the Jewish settlements, shall remain under Israeli rule.
Where’s the ‘recognition’ for the Palestinians’ right to even ‘exist’…?
Look at FM Lieberman’s recent remarks and even the Rightwingers in the Israeli Cabinet…
…Lieberman’s warm message, delivered in a statement to the press at the start of a meeting of his Yisrael Beiteinu faction, also contained an implied warning to Netanyahu not to move left in his speech to Congress today.
With regard to negotiations with the Palestinians, an issue Netanyahu is expected to address when he speaks to Congress, Lieberman said, “Israel is prepared to negotiate at any moment, but without preconditions.
“Whoever wants to negotiate with us, ahlan wasahlan,” he added, using the Arabic phrase for “welcome.”
However, the foreign minister stressed, Israel would remain adamant in its rejection of the Palestinians’ demand that the refugees be resettled in Israel. “Not even one refugee,” he said.
Netanyahu and his inner circle are reportedly pleased with the support the premier has garnered from his right flank following his response to U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech last Thursday. Yet the cabinet’s left flank, Defense Minister Ehud Barak (Atzmaut ), also sounded pleased yesterday, saying that Obama’s subsequent speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Sunday “gave us a way out of the main disagreements, a way to solve those that remain and move forward.”
Oh wait, that is whom the Palestinians have to ‘negotiate’ with…!
Here’s another great example of the Israeli obsession with ‘Security’ at the expense of the Palestinians…
…Israeli forces began to install a barbed-wire fence on Monday around a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank, saying it was meant to prevent stone throwing.
Residents of Izbat At-Tabib, located east of Qalqiliya, awoke to the sounds of construction, and were told that lands made inaccessible by the construction were being confiscated for the construction of a buffer area between the village and the settler road that passes to its north.
An Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed the construction and said it was to deter stone throwers.
I was doing some spring cleaning today in myFDL diaries (220+ to date!) and found this unpublished draft from Feb. of last year…
———————————————————————————
In today’s Haaretz, Ehud Barak, Israel’s Defense Minister and former PM, pinned the veritable Scarlet Letter on the Israelis’ chest…
Barak said on Tuesday that "if the Palestinians living in the West Bank could, in the future, vote in the Israeli elections, Israel will become a bi-national country."
"But if they are not allowed to vote," he added, "we will become an apartheid country."
Barak stated at the Herzliya conference, speaking alongside Palestinian Prime Minster Salam Fayyad, that "the alternatives force us to uphold a border where on one side is a Jewish majority, and on the other side a Palestinian state"
From that same article entitled: "Fayyad to Barak: Israel must show that it is rolling back occupation "…
Fayyad, the widely respected leader who is credited with the economic turnaround in the West Bank, said ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the only path to security for Israel.
"The roughness of this neighborhood can be reduced if not eliminated if [Israeli] occupation comes to an end," Fayyad said. "I do not believe that there can be permanent peace unless the concept of Palestinian statehood is accepted."
Ironically, Barak has recently stated that failure to attain a peaceful solution for Palestine is the most serious threat to Israeli security…
Peace process failures greater threat than Iran nukes
Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday said that Israel’s failure to strike a peace deal with the Palestinians was a greater threat to the country than a nuclear Iran, Army Radio reported.
"The lack of a solution to the problem of border demarcation within the historic Land of Israel – and not an Iranian bomb – is the most serious threat to Israel’s future," Barak told a Tel Aviv conference.
*Gasp* What a foreign concept!
Most interestingly, this is coming from the same Defense Minister, that is currently presiding over the Israeli war cabal’s Iranian nuke site bombing schemes…
In which, we could be looking at the next Pearl Harbor, of which, the entire Fifth Fleet would be the most expensive ‘Artificial Reef’ ever built…
But, I digress…
Now, Carter, the best Ex-Prez, ever, first pinned the Scarlet Letter upon Israel’s chest, in an open letter to Israel…
In which he said…
Jimmy Carter Issues Letter to Jewish Community on
Palestine Peace Not Apartheid
… I answered their questions about the text and title of PALESTINE PEACE NOT APARTHEID. I emphasized, as I had throughout the tour, that the book was about conditions and events in the Palestinian territories and not in Israel, where a democracy exists with all the freedoms we enjoy in our country and Israeli Jews and Arabs are legally guaranteed the same rights as citizens.
We discussed the word "apartheid," which I defined as the forced segregation of two peoples living in the same land, with one of them dominating and persecuting the other. I made clear in the book’s text and in my response to the rabbis that the system of apartheid in Palestine is not based on racism but the desire of a minority of Israelis for Palestinian land and the resulting suppression of protests that involve violence. Bishop Tutu, Nelson Mandela, and prominent Israelis, including former attorney general Ben Yair, who served under both Labor and Likud prime ministers, have used and explained the appellation in harsher terms than I, pointing out that this cruel oppression is contrary to the tenets of the Jewish faith and the basic principles of the nation of Israel.
Having traveled throughout the Holy Land during the past 33 years, especially within the occupied areas, I was qualified to describe the situation from my own personal observations. In addition, The Carter Center has monitored the Palestinian elections of 1996, 2005, and 2006, which required a thorough and intimate involvement with Palestinian citizens, candidates, public officials, and also the top political leaders of Israel who controlled checkpoints throughout the West Bank and Gaza and all facets of the elections in East Jerusalem.
Which subsequently launched an all out smear campaign led by the ADL, of all people…
An Open Letter to Jimmy Carter
Dear President Carter:
We have read your letter to American Jews. As much as the tone of this letter is different from that of your book, "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid," or your many public interviews, the damage to the good name of Israel and the American Jewish community from your unwarranted attacks remains. As does our outrage…
…No matter the distinction you articulate in your letter, using the incendiary word "Apartheid" to refer to Israel and its policies is unacceptable and shameful. Apartheid, that abhorrent and racist system in South Africa, has no bearing on Israeli policies. Not only are Israel’s policies not racist, but the situation in the territories does not arise from Israeli intentions to oppress or repress Palestinians, but is a product of Palestinian rejection of Israel and the use of terror and violence against the Jewish state. Nothing illustrates the stark difference better than Israel’s offer of withdrawal made at Camp David and its unilateral withdrawal from Gaza.
Carter further elaborated…
I made it clear that I have never claimed that American Jews control the news media, but reiterated that the overwhelming bias for Israel comes from among Christians like me who have been taught since childhood to honor and protect God’s chosen people from among whom came our own savior, Jesus Christ. An additional factor, especially in the political arena, is the powerful influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee*, which is exercising its legitimate goal of explaining the current policies of Israel’s government and arousing maximum support in our country. There are no significant countervailing voices.
*Paging Wolf Blitzer…!
None whatsoever…
The smackdown that Carter received by the ADL and our MSM was very telling…
Something akin to what Goldstone’s report to the UN received…
The very same individual, and a Jew, who prosecuted the first litigated ‘Apartheid’ cases, in South Africa, for the UN…
Ironically, the Grey Lady just confirmed one of Goldstone’s ‘War Crimes’ allegations leveled at Israel…
…The Goldstone report determined that the United Nations compound had come under shelling with high-explosive and white phosphorus munitions, and that the attack was “extremely dangerous” given the compound was offering shelter to up to 700 civilians and contained a huge fuel depot. It added that at least seven white phosphorus shells hit the compound, setting ablaze a warehouse located there.
The criticism of Israel’s response to the Goldstone report continued yesterday, as the UN said findings collected by them contradict Israeli claims that the Gaza flour mill was not hit by an aerial bombardment.
The Goldstone report contained claims that Israel intentionally bombed civilian installations and Palestinian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip during Operation Cast Lead.
Israel tried to refute these charges by disproving specific accusations in the report about such attacks.
That folks is an outright war crime according to Geneva conventions and US Statute…
So what punishment was meted out to the two officers…?
The Israeli military confirmed Monday that it had reprimanded two senior officers, a brigadier general and a colonel, for the firing of artillery shells that hit a United Nations compound during the Gaza war last winter. It was a rare admission of high-level wrongdoing at a time when Israel is battling accusations of possible war crimes.
But the military maintained ambiguity about a more contentious issue, whether the artillery shells that struck the compound contained white phosphorus, as the liberal daily newspaper Haaretz reported Monday. The chemical can be used to illuminate battlefields or cause smoke screens, but can also burn flesh.
The military has acknowledged using smoke shells containing white phosphorus nearby, and a military spokesman said it was possible that the shells that struck the compound contained it, but said that was not a factor in the reprimand.
“Their punishment had nothing to do with white phosphorus,” said Capt. Barak Raz, an Israeli Army spokesman, “but with the firing of artillery shells in a built-up area.”
The Israeli news media identified the senior officers as a division commander, Brig. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg, and the former Givati brigade commander, Col. Ilan Malka. Neither was demoted, but Captain Raz said the reprimand would remain on their personal records and could affect their chances of promotion.
Neither the military nor a government report that first disclosed the disciplinary action specified when it had taken place.
Letters of reprimand…? WTF…? War crimes were comitted…! Oh wait, that’s the norm these days…!
…The five American plaintiffs, two of whom are dual citizens of the US and Israel, seek $5 million in damages over the book (which is being sold for less than $10 on Amazon) on the basis that its criticisms of Israel violated consumer protection safeguards.
The plaintiffs alleged in a press release that the 39th US president and Nobel Peace Prize winner “violated the law and, thus, harmed those who purchased the book” by unfairly “attacking Israel.”
Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner said her clients’ lawsuit “will expose all the falsehoods and misrepresentations in Carter’s book and prove that his hatred of Israel has led him to commit this fraud on the public.“
Well, yesterday, ironically, the Grey Lady reported…
Plaintiffs Drop Suit Over Jimmy Carter Book
…The suit was filed by David I. Schoen, a lawyer in Montgomery, Ala. He said the book contained inaccuracies that the publisher refused to correct. Some reviews of the book, which was published in 2007, said that Mr. Carter had included misrepresentations of the history of the conflict in the Middle East. Writing in the The New York Times, Ethan Bronner called the book “a narrative that is largely unsympathetic to Israel.” Mr. Carter was especially criticized for his use of the word “apartheid” in the title.
Ban calls on Israel to take ‘decisive moves’ towards two-state solution
The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister discussed the Middle East peace process and Palestinian reconciliation.
On the Middle East peace process, the Secretary-General said it was urgent to overcome the impasse in the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Continued drifting will not serve the interests of both parties. He said he was convinced that realizing a negotiated two-state solution as soon as possible is in the best interest of both the Israeli and Palestinian people. He said he hoped Israel will make decisive moves towards a historic agreement with the Palestinians.
On the implications of the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas signed in Cairo, the Secretary-General noted the United Nations had consistently supported Palestinian unity under the leadership of President Abbas and in the framework of the Arab Peace Initiative and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) commitments, consistent with the Quartet’s position. The Secretary-General also noted that Palestinian unity is a process which is just beginning now, and thus, it would be best to assess it as it moves forward. He also urged Israel not to stop transferring tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday wound up a diplomatic offensive meant to head off French and British support for a Palestinian statehood initiative, with aides declaring him encouraged so far. “The prime minister was pleased,” one official said, on condition of anonymity. [...]
…“If (Palestinian) national unity is unity for peace, then we would be the first to support it,” Netanyahu said after meeting Sarkozy. “But if it’s unity to move away from peace, pursue the battle for Israel’s eradication, then obviously we oppose it and so should everyone else.” “If Hamas adopted positions of peace in the unity government I would say great, let’s negotiate,” he said in an interview with CNN. “But in fact the opposite has happened.
Some European leaders, including Sarkozy, have warned that they might recognise Palestinian statehood without waiting for a comprehensive peace deal, and would seek a UN resolution to confirm it. On his visits to Britain and France, Netanyahu has warned that the UN option, far from breathing new life into the peace process, could kill it. “A serious quest for peace can only happen through negotiations. It can only happen in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, and not through a UN diktat,” he said in Paris
Speaking to AFP in Cairo on Thursday, a day after the ceremony to sign the surprise reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah, Hamas chief Khalid Mash’al said there was a broad consensus on the 1967 borders among Palestinian groups.
Hamas “agrees to the the establishment of a Palestinian state within 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital, without settlers and without giving up the right of return,” he said.
That implies, at least initially, a tacit acceptance of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
He made a similar statement at Wednesday’s signing ceremony.
And while Hamas has indicated it would support such a position in the past, such public, high profile endorsements give it added gravitas.
“There is a consensus on it among the majority of Palestinian political forces, which can be the basis on which to build,” Mash’al said, calling for the development of a “common vision.”
The ball’s in your court, Bibi…! Time for real ‘decisive moves’…
“If Obama were savvy he’d understand that progress is utterly impossible now, cut aid to maintain our leverage with the Palestinians … Whether he will take this opportunity as an escape hatch to move away from his overblown and unrealistic goal of brokering a peace deal is far from clear, however.”
Israeli premier attempting to lobby European leaders against Hamas-Fatah reconciliation; ‘To Abbas I say – leave the podium and come back to path of peace. To Hamas I don’t say anything’, declares Netanyahu.
…In the wake of the Palestinian agreement, however, Netanyahu is now lobbying his European counterparts against the Hamas-Fatah deal in a bid to explain what he sees as the dangerous ramifications of the reconciliation.
Netanyahu’s message may not be getting across as clearly as he hopes. British Foreign Secretary William Hague cautiously welcomed the Fatah-Hamas rapprochement earlier this week, though he warned that Britain would “judge everyone by their actions.”
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said recently – after meeting with Abbas in Paris last month – that formally recognizing an independent Palestinian state was indeed an option France was “considering,”
Observers close to the parties expect Cameron and Sarkozy to listen politely to their guest, but reserve immediate judgment. The European leaders, say the observers, will also expect Netanyahu to come up his own vision of peace – and not just criticize moves of the Palestinians.
…David Cameron last night warned Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu that the UK is prepared to recognise an independent Palestine at a United Nations meeting in September…
…Netanyahu’s concern regarding the deal was not shared by all senior officials in Israel. Outgoing Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin said Wednesday that reactions to the reconciliation between have been blown out of proportion.
“There have been attempts at reconciliation for a long time, as has the blame game between Fatah and Hamas, with each side blaming the other for the failure of the deal,” Diskin told reporters in Tel Aviv, though he refused to answer questions pertaining to the severity of politicians’ warnings regarding the deal.
Hamas accepted the current deal with Fatah following years of rejection, Diskin said, adding that the group had taken a “tactical, not a strategic, move” in agreeing to Fatah’s draft.
Diskin attributed Hamas’ change of heart to concern in the wake of developments in the region – particularly the potential collapse of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime. [...]
The Fatah-Hamas deal is rife with clauses that may be difficult to implement, Diskin said, “In the years to come I expect to see a real reconciliation on the ground. For this to happen, there must be joint security mechanisms: Hamas representation in the West Bank, and Fatah representation in the Gaza Strip,” he said.
Tony Blair says the U.S. has laws that would not allow the transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority if the new government fails to abide by the Quartet’s conditions.
…Both United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Quartet envoy Tony Blair have spoken to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and requested the funds be allowed through…
Munib Al-Masri Billionaire philanthropist and unity activist from Nablus, who spearheaded a unity push with business owners and independent leaders in the West Bank, traveling more than once to Gaza to meet with figures there. He heads PEDECO, a Palestinian investment firm.
Ziad Abu Amer Legislative Council member, author and former foreign minister from Gaza City who earned his masters degree in comparative politics from Georgetown University in Washington DC. He was first elected to the PLC in 1996.
Abed Al-Karim Shubeir Former independent presidential candidate in the 2005 elections, where he garnered 2.6 percent of the popular vote, coming in fourth after Abbas, Mustafa Barghouthi and Taysir Khald.
Jamal Al-Khudari Gaza independent and former minister, elected to the Legislative Council in 2006. He has been active in the unity push.
A second source in Cairo said that President Mahmoud Abbas would suggest that current caretaker Prime Minister Salam Fayyad retain his role, and see through the plan of the 13th government to build the institutions of a Palestinian state by September.
The source said Fayyad was also supported by a handfull of other factions.
A sixth name was also put forward.
Kamaleen Shaath President of the Islamic University in Gaza and member of the National Reconciliation Committee.
As the new transitional government is appointed, Fatah lawmaker and member of its revolutionary council Faisal Abu Shalha told Ma’an that a session of the currently defunct Legislative Council is expected in the coming weeks.
Dayam, I didn’t think there was such a thing as a Palestinian Billionaire…!
President Barack Obama will host Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Oval Office talks on May 20, with the stalled Middle East peace process expected to top the agenda.
“The leaders look forward to discussing the full range of issues of mutual interest to the United States and Israel,” the White House said in a statement.
The Carter Center, founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, issues a statement commending the Palestinian organizations for its ‘vision’ of reunification of the Palestinian people.
This is also very encouraging on the part of the UN…
Ban Ki-moon says the unity agreement should not undermine peace with Israel and wants Abbas’ more moderate Fatah movement to lead any unity government.
…Speaking on condition of anonymity, the Israeli official said Gaza’s Hamas rulers had already build up a “dangerous military machine” in northern Sinai which could be further strengthened by opening the border.
“We are very concerned about the situation in northern Sinai where Hamas has succeeded in building a dangerous military machine, despite Egyptian efforts to prevent that,” he told AFP, without giving further details.
“What power could they amass if Egypt was no longer acting to prevent that build up?”
FM Lieberman wasn’t so hesitant in displaying his Xenophobia…
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman cautions EU’s Catherine Ashton that reconciliation may mean takeover in West Bank similar to that in Gaza in 2007, may use West Bank to perpetrate terror against Israel.
Now, looking at some hard-nosed analysis, Col. Pat Lang, no shrinking violet, calls it like he sees it…
…Israel does not want to make peace with the Palestinians except on the basis of the creation of a ‘bantustan’ that is neither a competitor economically nor a conceivable threat of any kind. In pursuit of that “end state” they want a Palestinian leadership that is compliant and “biddable” and that will not control the borders of its possible “state.” Neither may such a “state” have any armed forces.
Hamas refuses to recognise Israel as a permanent feature of the Middle East. Hamas has indicated its willingness to conclude a religiously binding truce with Israel for ten years. Such truces are indefinitely renewable, but that is not good enough for Israel. They want Palesinian acknowledgement of the permanent loss of part of their national homeland.
Bottom Line: These will be no peace in the Holy Land.
Interestingly, the Egyptian military junta brokered this deal. They did it in the certain knowledge that Israel would not accept a relationship with the resulting Palestinian union. If the Egyptian Army did this, what will the elected government do about the peace treaty with Israel and the gas pipeline to Israel?
I’d also like to feature one of the comments on that particular thread of Pat’s…
I just returned from 2 weeks in Israel celebrating the Holidays as I always do. During my time there I listened to talks by Danny Ayalon, Benny Begin and Danny Danon, all members of Netanyahu’s inner cabinet.
It’s still clear from their statements about Netanyahu’s position on peace compromises that Israel is still pursuing the Allon Plan from the late 1960′s. This would break the West Bank into cantons without any direct contact to the outside world, as Pat mentioned.
The Jordan Valley would go to Israel, for supposed security reasons. Israel would expand Ma’ale Adumim all the way to Jericho cutting the West Bank in half. A new wrinkle has been added to the Allon Plan because the corridor encompassing Ariel is being expanded to include Eli and Shilo thus cutting the northern west bank half into two non-continguous cantons.
Just to add insult to injury I was in Kiryat Arba when municipal authorities were told not to worry since the Gush Etzion block would be expanded all the way out to Hebron to encompass the 10,000 Jews living in Kiryat Arba.
I have been going back and forth to Israel twice a year for more than 5 decades. Over that time I have watched my people and a country I love, slowly but surely losing it’s soul. It is stunning how much the people and country have changed since my bar mitzvah in Haifa in 1956.
Netanyahu’s coalition merely reflects the emotions and thoughts of the general public. That is why I am pessimistic about the future of peace. If Bibi is replaced, the next coalition will be just as insensitive to the needs of Palestinians or, for that matter, any gentiles. Only a SEVERE shock to the nation will alter its course and ensure its future.
PM’s possible Egypt outreach seen as a response to a comment by the Egyptian army chief who advised Israel not to interfere in Cairo’s decision to open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza.
1. Elections: Both sides agreed to name members of the Central Elections Committee in accordance with the Palestinian factions. Both sides also agreed to present the candidacy of 12 judges as members of the Elections Court. The presidential and parliamentary elections would be held simultaneously one year after the signing of the accord.
2. PLO: Both sides agreed that the missions and decisions of the interim leadership could not be obstructed – and would not stand in contradiction with the authorities of the PLO Executive Committee.
3. Security: Both sides agreed on the formation of a higher security council, that would consist of professional officers.
4. Government: Both sides agreed on the formation of a Palestinian government and the appointment of a prime minister and cabinet ministers.
The government’s tasks would be to prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections; overseeing issues related to the internal reconciliation; rebuilding the Gaza Strip and ending the siege; implementing the unity agreement; tackling civilian and administrative matters resulting from the division and reuniting PA institutions.
5. Palestinian Legislative Council: Both sides agreed to revive the Palestinian Legislative Council (parliament) according to the Palestinian Basic Law.
I’d also add that both, Hamas and Fatah, have agreed to release the ‘political’ prisoners, non-criminal, each side has locked up…! Too bad Israel will probably only immediately arrest any Hamas member that Fatah does release…! But still, to me, that will be the most fundamental determinant in the subsequent success, or failure, of this push for Unity…!
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