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Dec. 16, 2014
Daily summary- Monday, February 03, 2014
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Main News
AMERICAN FEARS OF COLLAPSE OF NEGOTIATIONS BECAUSE OF REFUSAL TO RELEASE PRISONERS FROM INSIDE THE GREEN LINE AND BECAUSE OF SETTLEMENTS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday about the risks of boycotting Israel should it not reach a peace deal with the Palestinians in the near future. Netanyahu called the attempts to boycott Israel as ‘immoral and unjustified”, saying they only reinforced the Palestinians’ obstinacy and pushed away peace. He also said that ‘in spite of any pressures, I will never compromise over the vital interests of Israel, first and foremost their security.” Strategic affairs minister Yuval Steinetz said that “no one can force Israel to negotiating with a gun to its head while we are discussing our most important security and national interests.” Kerry had previously threatened Israel that not reaching a solution with the Palestinians would lead to harsh international reactions, maintaining that they could not continue with the status quo.
Israeli sources said that Kerry was pressuring them to reach an agreement to release the fourth group of prisoners by the end of March. A senior Israeli source said Kerry was worried that the failure of his efforts to reach any conclusion would lead to the collapse of negotiations, namely because Netanyahu refused to release prisoners from inside the Green Line and because of the wave of settlement expansion. These two things, he maintained, would push the Palestinians to pull out of talks and to resume their unilateral move to the UN.
Israeli sources in Munich, where Kerry made his speech said that the Secretary of State was not applying pressure only to Israel but said that he had rallied support for his moves from Russia and the EU. The sources said he asked the Quartet committee not to allow the Palestinians to escape the negotiations or support their move to the UN. (Al Quds)
EREKAT: KERRY DID NOT SAY ANYTHING OR SPECIFY ANY DATE FOR OFFICIALLY PUTTING FORTH HIS PROPOSALS FOR A FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT
PLO Executive Committee member Saeb Erekat told Al Ayyam yesterday that Secretary Kerry had not yet put forth anything officially or in writing to the Palestinians on his proposals for a framework agreement, adding that US envoy Martin Indyk would begin a new round of separate talks with the Palestinians and Israelis today. After his talks with Kerry in Munich, Erekat said that the Palestinians had told him what was required was an application of international law, which calls for the end of the occupation. Erekat continued that Kerry was not planning a trip to the region anytime soon, saying that when he does propose his framework agreement, the leadership would discuss it with the Arabs. (Al Ayyam)
SETTLERS UPROOT 1,625 OLIVE TREES FROM TURMUSAYIEH AND SINJIL
Settlers uprooted yesterday 1,625 olive trees from the villages of Turmusaiyieh and Sinjil in the Ramallah area. According to Sinjil mayor Ayoub Sweid, settlers uprooted over 1,200 olive saplings in land around the village, just days after uprooting 1,000 other saplings and stealing them. In Turmusayieh, settlers uprooted 425 olive trees belonging to Mohammed Abu Awwad.
In related news, two young men were shot and wounded last night by Israeli occupation forces in the village of Nabi Saleh after the army closed of the main entrance. One man was hit by a rubber-coated metal bullet while the other was injured by a teargas canister. (Al Quds)
ISRAEL DEMOLISHES ‘AWDA’ VILLAGE IN JORDAN VALLEY
Israeli occupation forces demolished this morning the “Awda” village set up by Palestinian activists two days ago in the northern Jordan Valley. The village comprised of a few tents and is the second village to go up in protest of settlement construction in the valley this week after Ein Hijleh was also built. According to Yasser Abu Kishik, official in the popular committee against settlements and the wall, around 300 soldiers stormed the village, which was set up near the Bisan checkpoint on Saturday, forcefully evacuating around 50 Palestinians before arresting them. They then proceeded to demolish the ‘village’. (http://www.alquds.co.uk/?p=129764)
ISRAEL BEGINS SIEGE ON ‘EIN HIJLEH’ WITH SCENARIO OF FORCED EVICTION POSSIBLE AT ANY MOMENT
All indicators are pointing to the probability that Israeli authorities will repeat the scenario of demolishing the Bab Al Shams village in dealing with the new village of Ein Hijleh, set up by hundreds of Palestinian activists three days ago on the border strip east of Jericho. Ever since the activists set up the village, Israeli occupation forces have imposed a closure on the village from all sides. Only very few journalists and officials are allowed entry after being searched and prohibited from bringing in any food in a bid to exhaust the activists, especially since it is set up far from any inhabited areas. According to one journalist, Omar Bsharat, their Israelis’ goal is to starve them out by not allowing any food in, saying that they even confiscated a cauliflower that was in one of the cars. “The only thing they allow entry is personal water bottles,” he said.
The activists say they are expecting the army to raid the village in the next few days and force them out, which they believe will be made easier by the fact that they have not had any food. The activists also said they had not preparations such as blankets or food for their overnight stays, saying the situation inside the village was ‘very difficult.” (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
SETTLER GROUPS CALL FOR MOBILIZATION IN E1 NEXT WEEK
Extremist settler groups are planning to hold protests and sit-ins in occupied Palestinian territories in East Jerusalem in the E1 area next week. Posters and flyers are being distributed on main settler roads in the West Bank calling on them to gather on February 14 in the Mishur Adumim settlement built in E1. The settler move comes after hundreds of Palestinians set up the Ein Hijleh village on lands belonging to the Deir Hijleh monastery east of Jericho. (http://www.qudsnet.com/news/View/264754/)
ACTIVISTS DETAIN FIVE SETTLERS IN EIN HIJLEH BEFORE RELEASING THEM
Israeli occupation forces intervened yesterday in order to get five settlers out of the Ein Hijleh village in the Jordan Valley after they entered it by mistake. According to coordinator for the anti-wall and settlement committee Abdallah Abu Rahmeh, the settlers entered by mistake and were detained and questioned by the activists for half an hour. The Israelis told them they were in support of the peace process and had not meant to enter their village. Abu Rahmeh said that after the army heard the cries and screams of the settlers, they intervened to get them out, adding that the settlers apologized to the Palestinians before they were released. (Al Ayyam)
JORDAN: WE ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE HOMELAND FOR ANYONE AND WE REJECT THE RESOLUTION OF ANY CAUSE AT OUR EXPENSE
Jordanian foreign minister Nasser Joudeh said yesterday that his country “would not be an alternative homeland for anyone” adding that the Palestinian cause ‘would not be resolved at Jordan’s expense.” Joudeh made his statements during a speech at a parliament session to discuss Kerry’s shuttle visits and its ramifications on the Palestinian cause and Jordan. Joudeh also said that Jordan rejected the Jewish character of Israel and reaffirmed that East Jerusalem must be the capital of a Palestinian state. Joudeh explained that “Jordan does not negotiate on behalf of the Palestinians” but said that it remained a vital party in the talks since the solutions for final status issues are all related to vital Jordanian issues. He said the kingdom was responsible for negotiating over its citizens who are refugees and residing in the country, adding that they would not accept any solution that does not coincide with their interests (Al Ayyam)
HAMAS WITHDRAWS ITS FORCES MANDATED TO PREVENT ROCKETS BEING FIRED AT ISRAEL
A security source, who chose to remain anonymous said yesterday that Hamas had withdrawn its forces mandated to prevent rocket fire from the Gaza Strip from their posts near the border with Israel. The source said the forces withdraw yesterday evening in protest of the latest escalation of Israeli attacks on the Strip. The source said that while the estimated 600-strong force withdrew, regular security forces remained in position. (Al Ayyam)
ISRAELI AUTHORITIES HAND OVER REMAINS OF MARTYRS AYAT AL AKHRAS AND DAOUD ABU SWEY
Israeli occupation authorities handed over to the Palestinian military liaison and the Red Crescent the remains of Daoud Abu Swey and Ayat Al Akhras. The handover took place at the Tarqumiya crossing west of Hebron. Hundreds of people came out to receive the bodies in the Dheisheh refugee camp, Beit Jibrin, Irtas and Aydeh camp. Their funerals will be held today and the bodies buried in the Dheisheh cemetery. So far, eight of the 36 bodies interred in Israel’s cemetery of numbers have been returned to their families. (Al Ayyam)
YA’ALON: SETTLEMENTS ARE NOT AN OBSTACLE TO PEACE; WE CAN HANDLE NOT REACHING AN AGREEMENT
Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya’alon expressed his hope that Palestinian-Israeli negotiations would be a success but said that at same time if they failed to reach a deal, Israel would be able to handle things on its own. During his speech in Munich, Ya’alon said that “there was no Palestinian leadership prepared to end the conflict with Israel.” He then took to attacking the Palestinian leadership, holding it responsible for the failed negotiations. He said settlements were not an obstacle to the negotiations, saying that no one should be disillusioned to the fact that Abu Mazen’s real intentions were like those of Arafat’s at Camp David, which is evasion of any deal. Ya’alon maintained that Abbas was ‘forced” to the negotiating table by Kerry. (Al Ayyam)
ISRAELI SECURITY OFFICIALS: EILAT IS TURNING INTO A CITY OF HORROR
Israeli security official said yesterday that the tourist city of Eilat was slowly turning into a city of horror, maintaining that the next battle was only a matter of time. According to an Israeli officer to Israel’s Channel 10, the “desert border has become hard to control,” saying that if it were not for intelligence tips, there would have been ‘major attacks.” He maintained that Eilat was close to Jordan and Egypt and was very long, saying the army was always in anticipation of suicide attacks there. He says there are 20 groups training to storm Eilat, all of which are in the Sinai. The officer said their fear was that when the war was over in Syria, all of the armed groups there would come to Sinai and meet at the border with Israel (Al Quds)
ISRAELI AUTHORITIES ARREST A LIEUTENANT COLONEL RETIRED FROM THE NATIONAL SECURITY
This morning, Israeli occupation troops arrested retired lieutenant colonel from the national security services, Adel Loubani, 62 from his home in Qalqila, after a large Israeli army force stormed the city. Local sources say Israeli soldiers raided Loubani’s home, searched it and confiscated his computer before arresting him. Loubani is a Palestinian returnee and worked in the national security services until 2006 when he retired. (http://maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=670244)
ISRAEL BARRED CALL TO PRAYER FROM IBRAHIMI MOSQUE MINARET 49 TIMES
Israeli occupation authorities banned the Muslim call to prayer from the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron a total of 49 times last month, according to a report from Middle East News. Waqf director for Hebron, Sheikh Tayseer Abu Sneineh condemned the measure, saying it was transgression against monotheistic religions and the freedom of worship.” (http://alhayat.com/Details/599103)
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Headlines
*Peace Now: Lapid’s decision covers only a small part of what the government offers to the settlements (Al Ayyam)
* Restaurants and bars boycott wines from settlements (Al Ayyam)
*Syria: shelling continues on Aleppo; death toll rises to 121 (Al Ayyam)
*Israeli minister: zero hour in negotiations is approaching (Al Ayyam)
*Three Egyptians and five Israeli officers on trial for espionage charges on February 5 (Al Quds)
*Israel admits in inability to confront European boycott (Al Quds)
*Escapees from Yarmouk tell of tragic scenes (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
*Worker from Qalqilya dies in work-related accident inside the Green Line (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
*The President meets with Japanese envoy and discusses relief to Yarmouk Camp with Grandi (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
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Front Page Photos
Al- Quds:No photo
Al-Ayyam: NorthernJordan Valley: Palestinian activists at Al Awda village a day after it was built; 2) resident of Yarmouk camp receive food packages from UNRWA; 3) residents pull out a girl from beneath ruins of house shelled by the regime in Aleppo
Al Hayat Al Jadida:1) residents of Bethlehem receive the remains of Ayat Al Akhras and Daoud Abu Swey; 2) activist sleeps in one of the Ein Hijleh’s structures; 3) aid delivered to refugees in Yarmouk camp
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Voice of Palestine News
Jerusalem: the occupation forces continued yesterday its raid and arrest campaign in a number of neighborhoods in Jerusalem, especially in the old city and Al-Sowanah neighborhood, east of the old city. The occupation forces raided the house of Citizen Mansour Abu Gharbeyah, in handed over to summons to Ehab and Rami Abu Gharbeyah after seizing their computers. Arrest were also in Issaweyah, in addition to a courtdecision to extend the arrest of young Palestinian woman, Haneen Abu Al-Hummos (18 years old) until tomorrow, accused of an attempt to stab a soldier last week.
With regards to Wadi Helwa, joint crews of police and the Jerusalem municipality, hung boards at the entrance of the neighborhoods, saying that this area is an area of national parks, meaning that what is left of the neighborhood will be turned into biblical parks.
With regards to Al-Aqsa, break inns continued yesterday, in addition to calls form extreme Jewish organizations calling in their followers to storm al-Aqsa with Israeli flags next Thursday.
Finally, with regards to demolition orders handed over to Bedouin families east of Jerusalem, especially Al-Khan Al-Ahmar, these came as a continuation of previous orders that were handed to other families in this area, the occupation authorities is planning to expel the families to expand settlements in eth area.
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Voice of Palestine Interviews
** Mahmoud Qarae’n, researcher at Wadi Helwe information Center, on municipality and police crews hanging boards at the entrance of the neighborhood stating it is a national parks area.
Q: What is so dangerous in this action?
This action came late of the Israeli authorities, since this announcement state using a building in Silwan, this building established with municipality funded, and designed as an underground museum for Elad settlement organization. After finishing the project, the municipality announced this using the boards. These boards are a trick, the project is almost finished, and only now they placed these boards that are meant also to say if anyone has any reservations they should approach the municipality. This was supposed to be announced before the project started not when it’s almost done.
Q: But what are the consequences?
This is an attempt to falsify the history of the area, and claim biblical stories related to this site, that is a pure Muslim and Arab site. In addition to the fact that all excavations are underground, under schools and houses, this threats these buildings in collapsing as a result of these excavations.
Q: is there anything you plan to do?
There is nothing much we can do here, we try to use the media in order to want against this, sometimes we approach Israeli courts, but this is not always possible, since we need to know of the project in order to approach the court, this is not the case this time.
** Sami Abu Ghalya, Secretary of Fateh in Arab Al-Jahaleen, on demolition orders in the area.
Q: can you tell us more about these orders?
As you said, we are talking about more than 25 demolition orders, the area is near Hizma, aiming at expelling our people from the area under the pretext that this land belongs to the state of Israel, despite the fact that we were there even before the establishment of the state Israel.
Q: Israel claim that these building are illegal, are there any procedures you plan to do to stop these orders?
Of course, we have an attorney following up on the issue through the Israeli court, we hope this will help and stop the demolition.
Q: Is there any coordination with popular committees?
Yes we coordinated with some, and there will be an activity in the area?
Q: will this activity be soon?
Yes, according to our contacts this might take place in two weeks.
** Salah Khawaja, coordinator of the popular campaign against the wall and settlements, on Ein Hijlah
Q: What is the situation today in Ein Hijlah?
We are living a regular life here in Ein Hijlah, we live dignity and steadfastness in this Canaanite Palestinian village, a big number of young Palestinians from Palestinian universities visit us each day, and the number is growing supporting us and the village, despite the occupation siege preventing the entry of food and medicine to the village, in an attempt to stave us, but we confront all these attempts.
Q: you mentioned the siege and said that the number of activists is growing, what does this reflect?
First of all we are used to the occupation actions, we see this everywhere, at checkpoint, in our daily life, and we all know what the aim out of these actions is. This will not affect us at all. We began a meeting at the early hours of the morning and we will have a series of activities during the week. We raised the Palestinian flags; we will install signs today on the road showing the way to Ein Hijlah village, there are a number of activities that will be announced soon in a statement. We don’t need the occupation authorization to establish any village in Palestine. This is the only way to keep the Jordan Valley Palestinian.
** Ghassan Daghlas, Settlement official, on uprooting 1625 olive trees in Sinjil and Tormos Ayya.
Q: can you tell us more about the incident?
What happened was an act of organized terror settler gangs from Adi Ad settlement, who uprooted more than 1600 olive trees belonging to citizens south of Sinjil, in area where a Red Cross project is being implemented including Cultivation olive trees, these areas are being targeted by settlers, as this is not the first time. We view this issue as very dangerous, settlers are not getting inside the villages anymore because of eth protection committees, but they destroy trees outside the villages now.
Q: How can they be punished for this?
We have many options, we continue with the legal aspect, but the most important aspect is to continue acting on ground to protect ourselves, like what happened in Qusra, we must prevent settlers from destroying our lands and uproot our trees, and we have plans, like installing hunting devices used usually to hunt gazelles. We will protect our lands in all ways.
** Saeb Erekat, Chief Palestinian Negotiator, on Kerry’s plan.
Q: the NY Times reported tonight that President Abbas presented some proposals to Kerry, among these proposals is the deployment of a NATO force led by an American force on the Palestinian state land, is this true?
President Abbas’ proposals are clear, first, and I’m reading the NY Times now, a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, east Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinian state, a solution to the refugees issue according to resolution 194 and the Arab Peace Initiative, with regards to security, an Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian land in an green timetable, not acceding 3 years, with the presence of international force, this might be NATO American or European. This is all what the president talked about, in addition to mentioning prisoners’ release.
Q: you said that the withdrawal period will not accede 3 years, but t eh newspaper said 5 years?
I don’t know exactly, but what was mentioned is that the withdrawal will be similar to what Happened in Sinai, and the Sinai case was three years.
Q: the newspaper also mentioned that the President might agree to extend the negotiations period?
Not at all. We don’t think that there is any need to extend the negotiations, and I tell you very clearly, we will not extend for one minute.
Q: the media reported about a confrontation between you and Livni in Munich, can you tell us more about the incident?
What happened was simple, I was participating in conference in the Munich conference for Security, with the participation of Minister Livni, Martin Indyk and Tony Blair, and Livni said that we should recognize Israel as a Jewish state and that Jaffa and Haifa are not Arab etc… and I was clear, saying we are the sins of Canaanites, we are here before 6000 years and we can’t agree to a Jewish state, this is our land and our history. With regards to the issue of refugees, Livni said that we are not negotiating the issue, I said that Israel should apologize for refugees, for what it did to all refugees, and hold responsibility and allow the return of refugees according to resolution 194, I also told her that what is happening in the West Bank now is Apartheid, worse than the Apartheid in South Africa, since in South Africa it was never prohibited for black citizens to use roads.
Q: You met lately with Kerry in Washington who also met with Livni, is there anything new?
Until now nothing is presented for me to answer.
Q: some say that Indyk is in the area to discuss with you and the Israeli an agreed formula, and that Kerry postponed his visit due to confrontations with the Israeli side, is this true?
Indyk is here we will meet him tomorrow with the president and keep discussions with eth American side.
Q: Ya’alon say there is no Palestinian partnership to reach an agreement with Israel.
This is Government who chose settlement and imposing facts on the ground, they are not hiding anything, Ya’alon said what expresses the true position of this government. We recognized Israel on the 1967 borders; I challenge Ya’alon to do the same if he wants peace.
Q: Jordan was clear rejecting the Jewish state, but Jordanian Prime Minister Nasser Judah said that the American position begins with ending the occupation, saying that Jordan does not negotiate on behalf of the Palestinian side, is Jordan part of the negotiations?
Jordan is a full partner, as I said always. As you know President Abbas meets Jordanian King Abdullah II at least twice a month to update him on the negotiations, and I meet Judeh always, we don’t issue any proposals without consulting with the Arab states and the Arab League. Yes Jordan is a full partner.
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More Headlines
A Mossad cell to be tried in Egypt
Egyptian authorities set February 5 as the date to begin the trial of three Egyptians and five fugitive Mossad intelligence officers charged with being informants for foreign parties, according to Egyptian judicial sources yesterday. According to the sources, the Ismailiyeh appeals court will try a network of informants for Israel that includes three Egyptians and five fugitive Israelis. They said the cell offered information to foreign parties, which was harmful to the national security of Egypt. The three Egyptians are all from Rafah, Sinai. (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
Israel offers $20 million in compensation to Marmara victims
Western diplomatic sources said this morning that Israel has offered the families of the victims and wounded on the Turkish Marmara ship compensation to the tune of $20 million. The diplomats, who preferred to remain unnamed because of the ‘sensitivity of the subject” told the Israeli Hebrew-language daily Haaretz that there had been progress made on the subject, but that no agreement had been reached yet. Neither official Israeli nor Turkish sources have corroborated the news. (http://safa.ps/details/news/121871/html)
Egyptian security: three Palestinians arrested on charges of attacking military facilities
Egyptian authorities apprehended three Palestinians who participated in attacks on police and military facilities following the dispersal of Rab’aa and Nahda protesters. Egyptian military sources said the men were apprehended during a wide-scale security campaign in Arish and were identified as: 34-year old Mahmoud (Palestinian citizen), Imad, 40, who is a cabdriver, residing in Karm Abu Najeela in Arish and 26-yaer old Mohammed, who also livs in Karm Abu Najeela. (http://maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=669987)
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Arab Press
By David Ignatius
Hoping to understand the current Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in human terms, I made a visit last week to a Palestinian farmer named Hammadeh Kashkeesh, whom I first met 32 years ago.
The encounter reminded me of the pain that’s at the heart of this dispute, and how hard it will be for any diplomatic settlement to resolve the bitterness on both sides.
First, try to imagine the landscape, and how it has changed in the years of Israeli occupation. Halhul is an agricultural town in the rock-ribbed hills just south of Bethlehem. When I first traveled this route in 1982 to spend two weeks with Kashkeesh, to write a profile of his town, the hillsides were mostly barren. Now, the landscape is dense with Israeli settlements, many of them built since the Oslo Accord in 1993 that created the Palestinian Authority.
Kashkeesh and his neighbors pride themselves on raising what they claim are the tastiest grapes in the world. His access to his vines was obstructed more than a decade ago when a special road was built for Israeli settlers who live nearby. He had given up his precious grapes when I visited in 2003, but he’s now found a way to tend them again. Some of his neighbors aren’t so lucky; their vines have grown wild or died.
Kashkeesh, 67, worked for years as a stonecutter and then a farmer. He somehow managed to send all of his seven children to high school or college.
The indignity and bitterness that come with military occupation are deeply embedded in Kashkeesh’s voice. In Halhul, the Palestinian Authority is in theory largely responsible for security. But the Israeli military controls access and intervenes when it sees a security threat. The night before my visit, Kashkeesh said, the Israeli army arrested 10 people for throwing stones at soldiers.
There’s no condoning rock-throwing, let alone terrorist violence. Such tactics have had ruinous consequences for Palestinians, not least in undermining Israeli hope that they ever could live in peace. Hearing the anger in Kashkeesh’s voice, and seeing the sullen faces of young men gathered near his house, was a reminder that Palestinians experience life as a series of daily humiliations. Life in Halhul feels closed, embittered, confrontational.
When I first visited the town, openly advocating a Palestinian state could get you arrested. Villagers would hide a Palestinian flag disguised as embroidery, or a map of Palestine on the back of a wall photo. Now, the U.S. is working with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators on a “framework agreement” outlining terms for peace accord.
But Kashkeesh said he has nearly given up. He dislikes the Palestinian Authority almost as much as the Israelis. “They are liars,” he says, whose corrupt leaders build themselves fancy villas and operate “like a trading company.” He also rejects Hamas, and says the Palestinian leadership overall has “destroyed itself, by itself.”
As for the peace negotiations, he asks how Palestinians will control their destiny in the demilitarized state that Israel is demanding. “How can we have a sovereign state if we don’t have control over the border with Jordan?” he wonders. If Israel gains the recognition it wants as a Jewish state, he argues that Christian and Muslim citizens of Israel will feel unwelcome. “Nobody will believe in the agreement, which means there will be no peace.”
Thinking sadly that Kashkeesh might be right in his skepticism – and that a real end of this conflict may be impossible – I asked him to tell me again the story about the boy and the swimming pool. Listen with me:
It was 1975. Kashkeesh was 29 and had recently been released from prison after serving a six-year sentence for membership in the Fatah guerrilla group. He was working at a resort in Arad when he saw an Israeli infant fall into the swimming pool. The parents were elsewhere, and though Kashkeesh couldn’t swim, there was nobody else to save the boy. So he jumped in the water and took the child in his arms. When an Israeli investigator asked him why he had risked his life to help a Jew, he answered that the boy was a human being.
He tells that story now without much animation. As with millions of Israelis and Palestinians, I suspect that his heart has been hardened by so many years of pain and failure. Will the peace negotiations work amid so much mistrust and anger? I don’t know, but this quest for peace is surely still worth the effort.(http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Columnist/2014/Feb-03/245992-palestinian-indignity-makes-peace-an-elusive-goal.ashx#axzz2sEcjJXbV)
Will the ‘framework’ deal pay off?
By ASSAN BARARI
To jump-start peace talks between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Israeli government, US Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to unveil a framework deal in the weeks to come. The expected deal will be the basis for negotiation over a final status issues and is hoped to lead to a fully-fledged peace treaty between Palestine and Israel.
To be sure, the contents of the framework have been leaked. In his meeting with the American Jewish leaders, Martian Indyk, the American special envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, said that the objective would be to conclude a peace treaty by the end of the year. Indyk referred to what is considered necessary concessions for a fair and lasting deal.
The framework deal is expected to include: A phased Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank with special security arrangements in the Jordan Valley; a capital for the demilitarized Palestinian state in East Jerusalem; the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state; compensations for Palestinians and Jewish refugees; keeping some 80 percent of settlers of under Israeli sovereignty.
Implicit in the framework deal is no return to Palestinian refugees. For many Palestinians, this specification will be hard to swallow. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will find it extremely difficult to accept in advance writing off the right of return for millions of the Palestinians before the start of the talks. Thus far, the Palestinian response is negative. President Abbas made it perfectly clear that he would not accept a deal that deprives the Palestinians from the right of return. Additionally, he is opposed to the idea of not having full sovereignty over the Jordan Valley.
On the other hand, Netanyahu is having difficulties in accepting all terms of the framework deal. But there are two points that could make it less difficult for him to be onboard. First, the deal talks about the compensation for the Jewish refugees who fled the Arab countries in the wake of the establishment of the state of Israel and the continuation of the state of war with the Arab countries. The American inclusion of this term is designed to create a supportive constituency within Israel that could push the government to accept the deal. Second, the Palestinian side is to acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state.
This is not a small step for the Palestinians to take. Just a few weeks ago, Netanyahu told Israeli audience that the reason for the continuation of the conflict was that the Arab side has rejected to acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state. Therefore, this stipulation in the framework will make it difficult for Netanyahu to reject the deal.
That said, the element of the framework is hotly debated in Israel and some intra-governmental differences have surfaced. By the same token, the Palestinians have been debating the framework in order to figure out how to deal with this proposal. Now, it is obvious that the Palestinian leader is in a dilemma. If he accepts that framework, he will face enormous Palestinian opposition and he will go down to history as a “sell out.” Nevertheless, if he turns down the framework deal, he will be blamed for the failure of Kerry’s effort.
What makes matter worse for the Palestinian side is that even accepting the framework deal will not automatically lead to an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. It can only be a means for extracting enormous concessions from the Palestinians without real quid pro quo. Longtime observers of the Arab-Israeli conflict argue that the framework can only keep the negotiations on for yet another year without real success.
It seems that the Palestinian side has been taken off guard. President Abbas should have sought national reconciliation long ago. Hamas is not expected to agree to this “humiliating” deal. If anything, the policy of excluding Hamas while seeking a deal with Israel has been exposed. Earlier on, Abbas and his Fatah movement thought that a deal with Israel could enhance their status at the expense of Hamas. According to this logic, Hamas would be seen as a futile and unrealistic movement whereas Fatah would be seen as an achiever! Abbas’ possible acceptance of this deal will hardly project him as an achiever.(http://www.arabnews.com/news/519821)
Scottish Independence and Israeli Intransigence
By Bakir Oweida
In 1280 King Edward I of England was seeking to extend his influence over Scotland. This is a period that is known for England’s ruthless authoritarian rule, including the now-infamous right of prima nocta—or first night—which afforded an English noble the right to deflower a Scottish maiden on her wedding day. William Wallace, a young Scottish rebel, witnessed some of these tragedies as a young boy and later led a popular uprising against the rule of Edward and his soldiers.
This was a long time ago. While it is true that Scotland has been a key and active part of the United Kingdom for centuries, the passion for independence continues to burn in the hearts of millions of Scottish people. Despite this, the Scots played an integral part in helping to build and sustain the British Empire—the empire on which the sun never sets.
Seven hundred and thirty-four years later, the Scots are set to decide whether or not Scotland should become an independent country in a public referendum scheduled for September 14, 2014.
Yes and no
There are more than four million registered voters in Scotland who are preparing for this historic referendum. The people of Scotland range from those who are fiercely pro-independence, to those who oppose this with similar fervor. Each of the two camps are seeking to gain as many votes as possible. If the Scots vote against independence—backing British Prime Minister David Cameron’s public calls for union—will this finally and conclusively close the chapter on the Scottish Independence debate?
Israelis have jumped to the conclusion that they oppose peace because they reject the very existence of Israel. In this case, what difference does it make to recognize the ‘Jewish’ nature of this unrecognized state?
I think the answer is both yes and no. On the one hand, this could turn a new page on the issue of independence, relegating it to oblivion for some years. However, the pro-independence impulse will never be stifled so long as some of the Scottish population continues to fan the flames, taking up any and every opportunity to remind the world of their desires, even at football matches.
If there is a lesson to be learnt from this Scottish saga it is that national aspirations for independence are difficult to deny, even when a nation is not under occupation as is the case with Scotland. Is it so difficult to understand why it is impossible to quench the flames of pro-independence?
Burning desire
When it comes to the Palestinians’ burning desire to have an independent state of their own, it is clear that some Israelis arrogantly profess to find this difficult to understand. Former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir infamously said: “There is no such thing as a Palestinian people. It is not as if we came and threw them out and took their country. They didn’t exist.”
At the time, many Arabs voiced anger and condemnation towards this Israeli prime minister who was part of the founding generation of the state of Israel. In fact, it would have been more appropriate to ridicule her for her self-deception.
That age is supposedly over and has given way to the world of Google, Facebook and Twitter. Still, how is it possible that some Israelis today continue to deceive themselves in this manner?
This impression was confirmed by some of the comments on my op-ed last week [Why Palestinian’s don’t recognize Israel as a Jewish state]. In that article I called on the Palestinian leadership to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, particularly as Benjamin Netanyahu’s demand in this regard was solely meant to impede US Secretary of State John Kerry’s peace efforts and prevent US President Barack Obama’s administration from securing any settlement between the Palestinians and Israelis.
Jumping to conclusions
Presuming that the Palestinians are fools, the Israelis have jumped to the conclusion that they oppose peace because they reject the very existence of Israel. In this case, what difference does it make to recognize the “Jewish” nature of this unrecognized state? Some Israelis have gone even further, claiming that the real roots of the problem lie with the religion of Islam.
The Israelis are either acting out of willful ignorance, or are simply professing untruths, which are clearly exposed by the facts on the ground. Nobody can deny that the majority of Palestinians have declared their support for peace since Dr. Haidar Abdel-Shafi led the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid Conference in 1991. On the other hand, it was the Israeli side that resorted to political ploys and maneuvering on the slightest pretext. For instance, former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir once threatened to walk out of the Madrid Conference’s opening session in protest against Saeb Erekat wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh.
The Israelis today are continuing to provide justifications for their political intransigence, as are the extremists on both sides who aim to undermine any possibility for peace.
Legacy risk
Risking his legacy as a Palestine national leader, Yasser Arafat under the “peace of the brave” slogan ventured to recognize the state of Israel based on the June 5, 1967 borders. He then held negotiations with Israel on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 242 providing that Israel should retreat to these borders. However, Israeli leaders have since failed to appreciate Arafat’s risks, missing a true opportunity for peace simply because they prefer the status quo in which they hold the upper hand.
If they truly appreciated the opportunity that they were facing today for peace, Kerry would not have found his hands tied with regards to the negotiations, as the 21st anniversary of the Oslo Accords fast approaches. At the same time, it is the Scottish people who find themselves approaching a date with destiny in which they will finally decide whether they are for or against Scottish independence.
When will the extremists on both sides, who want this conflict to continue forever, realize that Israel will not magically disappear, nor will the Palestinians suddenly accept their current lot? There must be a solution.(http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/2014/02/02/Scottish-Independence-and-Israeli-Intransigence-.html)
Abbas’s NATO Proposal
By Thomas L. Friedman
RAMALLAH, West Bank — At Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport there is a photo exhibition of great moments in Israeli airline history. One large black-and-white photograph caught my eye. It was a picture of Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat seated with Israel’s Prime Minister Menachem Begin on a flight, with both men laughing — their faces radiating friendship.
As Secretary of State John Kerry enters a key moment in his vital effort to forge a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, one can’t help but be struck by how far away we are from any such photograph between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. To say that they don’t trust each other would be a vast understatement, but without trust an agreement that will involve so many difficult, complex compromises for both sides, in such a small space, is inconceivable — as inconceivable as building a house with bricks but no cement.
I and my colleague, The Times’s Jerusalem bureau chief, Jodi Rudoren, sat down with President Abbas in his headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah on Saturday afternoon to probe his thinking on this issue. He returned — with greater enthusiasm than ever — to an idea whose time may have come: Summon NATO to provide the cement.
After Israelis and Palestinians agree on the contours of a Palestinian state, said Abbas, let Israeli troops remain in the West Bank for a five-year transitional period to work with Palestinian and Jordanian security forces and reassure the Israeli public that it is not going to get hit with the flurry of rockets it got hit with after Israel quit the Gaza Strip. And then have the Israeli forces replaced indefinitely by an American-led NATO force, with troops throughout the territory, at every crossing and within Arab East Jerusalem — along with, of course, Palestinian police and security units. Abbas was clearly going out of his way to show that he is prepared to go a long way to address Israel’s security concerns, but in a way that is consistent with his own sovereignty concerns.
Let NATO forces stay, said Abbas, “for a long time and wherever they want, not only on the eastern borders but also on the western borders, everywhere ... For a long time, for the time they wish. NATO can be everywhere, why not?”
Such a force, he said, “can stay to reassure the Israelis, and to protect us. We will be demilitarized. ... Do you think we have any illusion that we can have any security if the Israelis do not feel they have security?”
Up to now Netanyahu has reportedly been demanding a very extended stay of Israeli troops in the Jordan Valley — some reports say up to 40 years — to ensure that Israel will always be able to repel any possible invasion from the east. With Lebanon, Iraq and Syria in turmoil, and Jordan under stress, Israeli officials say they cannot possibly anticipate what kind of security threats could emerge on their eastern front in the coming decades.
But Abbas says he could not possibly accept a lengthy Israeli military presence in a sovereign Palestinian state. “At the end of five years my country will be clean of occupation,” said Abbas. And that will not be based on some “performance” test scored only by Israel, he added. That would be “a humiliation for us. ... They will make a test for us and of course we will fail.”
Israel has never wanted to have American or any other international forces in the West Bank, although it has tolerated international forces in South Lebanon, the border with Syria and a U.S.-led multinational force in Sinai to monitor the Camp David peace with Egypt. Right now, even though the Palestinian security services in the West Bank have done a solid job of preventing attacks against Israel emerging from there, Israel regularly sends commando units in at night to capture or kill Palestinian militants it believes are planning violence against Israel — those whom the Palestinians cannot or will not eliminate. The Israeli Army and intelligence agencies don’t want to outsource that job, or lose that freedom of maneuver, to NATO forces, even ones led by an American general. (Kerry has proposed only a U.S. military high-tech monitoring role with sensors and satellites, but no troops on the ground.)
“The Israelis do not want the third party,” said Abbas. “[Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert, he welcomed this idea. Mr. Netanyahu told me directly, when we were in his house, ‘I cannot rely on anybody to protect my security except my army. ...’ He doesn’t want to leave the borders to us. I told him: ‘If you will not trust your allies, so whom do you trust? I am not bringing for you Turkey and Indonesia.’ He said, ‘I trust my army only. ...’ The Israelis are occupiers and they want to stay forever. When they say they want to stay for 40 years, it means they will not go out from our territory.”
There are many “core” issues in these negotiations — Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, border lines and recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, to name but a few. But the mother of them all — for the Israeli silent majority — is who will ensure that if Israeli forces totally withdraw from the West Bank that five, 10 or 40 years from now it won’t become a base for attacks that could close their international airport in Tel Aviv.
All one can say for now is this: There is no perfect security in this neighborhood? There will be no deal between Israelis and Palestinians if Israel insists on a lengthy stay in the West Bank. And there will be no deal if Palestinians cannot assure the Israeli silent majority that they can truly secure any evacuated territory. We have to find some overlap between these three realities and that’s why Abbas’s NATO suggestion is worth considering.
Yes, it will require Israel, the Palestinian Authority and America to all agree to do something they’ve long felt was outside their strategic comfort zones. But this is nothing. For them to strike a comprehensive peace deal on all the other core issues, they will have to leave many, many more comfort zones behind.(http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/opinion/abbass-nato-proposal.html?hp&rref=opinion&_r=1)
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Opinions
Informed American Jewish journalist Thomas Friedman revealed some aspects of the plan US Foreign Minister intends to present for the negotiating parties, Palestinians and Israelis. The most important characteristic of this plan is that it is not related the core of the Arab Israeli conflict. It completely ignores the issue of Palestinian refugees, and it keeps occupation under the guise of security arrangements in the Jordan Valley. It does not offer a final solution, but a solution in stages, just as was the case in the Oslo agreement, which its known outcome was swallowing more land and building settlements on these lands. It also does not include the withdrawal from the West Bank but withdrawal from major settlements.
In other words, imposing facts on the Palestinian territory will become legal. The most dangerous aspect of the plan is that Palestinians will lose their rights in the West Bank, in addition to the rights of refugees to return to their homes, as confirmed by resolutions of the United Nations. According to the plan Palestinians inside the green line will lose their rights, since it will include a Palestinian recognition of the Jewish Character of Israel.
Perhaps reviewing history will not reveal such a plan offering one side to waiver its existence. The danger of this plan lies not in its clauses themselves, but in the consequences of these clauses, sinceit will end the Palestinian existence inside Israel, through the eradication of the refugees’ issue, and it is the beginning to expelling Palestinians from the rest of the West Bank, since the existence of settlements and security arrangements is an effective tool to stifle the people of the West Bank.
It is ironic that Netanyahu confirms that no one can force him to accept this plan, since such pressure is not acceptable because it is "immoral and unfair". Netanyahu speaks of the standard of morality and fairness, he consider the occupation a moral action, and dispossession of Palestinian territory as moral action. Netanyahu believes that Kerry does not have the right to acknowledge any right for the Palestinians, since they don’t have any rights in this land; his reference is not the United Nations or international legitimacy, not even the United States which supports and protects the Zionist entity.
The argument is what the Zionist ideology says. The whole land of Palestine is the land of Israel and belongs exclusively to them, and if the world feels pity for the Palestinians, it should transfer them wherever it wants, not where they were born. Netanyahu may be trying act worse than other Zionists, but he will eventually approve the plan.
This in fact is the most dangerous part of the plan, since it deprives Palestinians of everything, and if they refuse they become the delinquent again, and the delinquent becomes the victim according to American standards. (http://www.alkhaleej.ae/studiesandopinions/detailedpage/c4b793d8-3392-4dc1-b314-97907c51ee61)
Our people needs protection
Al-Quds Editorial
Settlers newest crime against Palestinian yesterday in uprooting and steeling 1625 olive trees, belonging to citizens from Sinjil and Turmos Ayyah, as another episode of their attack series against citizens and their property raise some question: who protects Palestinian citizens under occupation of those criminals and crimes? Who is supposed to punish these settlers who set a new record in moral and cultural descent? Isn’t the occupation government, which arm, protect and support these settlers, directly responsible for all these crimes?
It is clear that what is being committed by settlers and the occupation government in systematically targeting the Palestinian people in a collective manner, its existence and rights, simply falls under the description of war crimes according to international law, which prohibits the occupying state from targeting citizens under its occupation, or their property, as it also prohibits confiscating their lands and transferring its citizens to settle in these lands, in addition to prohibiting collective punishment and the different types of human right violations… all of these are stated in the international humanitarian law, the Geneva agreements and protocols, and a series of conventions and agreements, including the agreement against torture. All of these are violated by Israel and its settlers in a systematic and continuous and rude way.
It should be clearly said here that the “Peace Process” or the negotiations that Israeli emptied form any content with its positions and practices, can’t be used as a justification or a cover protecting the Israeli occupation and its settlers from being accountable and punished for these crimes committed against Palestinians, especially since whoever wants to make peace cannot commit such huge amount of violations against the other side.
The question here is: what Secretary of State John Kerry say regarding against all these crimes committed against Palestinians? Is it possible that the Palestinian side do nothing against all of these for the sake of continuing the negotiations? Isn’t it our right at least to demand Kerry and his administration to interfere and denounce Israel and its settlers, and compel Israel to stop such crimes? Isn’t it our right to knock international community’s doors demanding its interference?
It should be said that our Palestinian people who is still under occupation, and suffer on a daily basis from these repeated crimes, needs protections, and it is our right to demand this protection form the international community, who recognized Palestine as a state under occupation, and granted this state with the right to join all international organizations, hence to pursue those who commit war crimes against pour people, the whole world should know that these absurd negotiations cannot be a reason preventing our people form embodying their right, and cannot be a cover for continuing settlement expansion, Judaizing Jerusalem, continuing the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, and the suffering of citizens in the West Bank through Israeli restrictions on freedom of movement and construction.
If Israel as an occupying power in responsible for the security of citizens and their property, it should be held responsible for what is being committed against the Palestinian people, and should be demanded to be accountable and punished. Our people cannot be left without any protection, being exposed to the ugliest crimes under the negotiations farce, this is not acceptable anymore by any Palestinian, hence, a serious Palestinian action is demanded towards international community and the United States, to stop these crimes, and dealing with the issue as a high priority issue, more important than continuing the negotiations, since this issue is related to Palestinian lives, property and existence. (Al-Quds)
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