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Dec. 16, 2014
Daily summary- Friday,February 07, 2014
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Main News
HUNDREDS OF ISRAELI SOLDIERS STORM EIN HIJLEH VILLAGE
Hundreds of Israeli soldiers stormed the village of Ein Hijleh early this morning in the Jordan Valley, beating Palestinian activists and arresting several of them. According to PLC member and secretary general of the Palestinian National Initiative, Mustapha Barghouti, the troops raided the village, shot stun grenades and flares and began beating the residents with no warning even though there were children among them. He said several people were injured including broken bones and lacerations as a result of being beaten with nightsticks and the butts of machine guns. Barghouti vowed that in spite of the attack, they would return to Ein Hijleh and Bab Al shams. “They will not break our determination.” Activists in the village also said Israeli forces attacked journalists and broke their cameras. The village was first set up last Friday on lands belonging to the Deir Hijleh church in the Jordan Valley. (http://maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=671493)
CLASHES AT THE GATES TO AL AQSA; ‘MASSACRE’ AGAINST TREES IN ZBEIDAT AND WADI FOUKIN
Israeli occupation forces stepped up their attacks on Palestinians, committing a massacre against trees in the Jordan Valley and Wadi Foukin and also attacking Muslim worshippers in the Aqsa Mosque and arresting a number of citizens in the West Bank. In Jerusalem, fist fights broke out between a group of youths and Israeli forces at one of the Aqsa’s gates after they were barred from entering the Aqsa compound. Still, the worshippers and activists were able to foil attempts by Israeli settlers to break into the Aqsa and raise Israeli flags. Israeli troops also raided the “Mt. of Olives Club” east of the Old City, banning a book release there, claiming that the event was sponsored by the PA.
At the entrance to the Arroub camp, one man was injured by live bullets and dozens of others by rubber-coated metal bullets when clashes broke out last night with Israeli forces. According to youth activist Mohammed Badawi, 22-year old Khader Janazra was shot in the stomach with a live bullet on his way home from work and 30 others were injured during the clashes.
In related news, Israeli occupation authorities uprooted palm trees in the town of Zbeidat north of Jericho and leveled land in the Wadi Foukin village west of Bethlehem where they uprooted nearly 300 olive saplings.
In Qusra, a group of settlers attacked farmers and were met by village youths. In all, Israeli forces arrested eight people throughout the West Bank. (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
66-DAY STRIKE ENDS WITH AGREEMENT BETWEEN UNRWA AND WORKERS’ UNION
After two sessions yesterday, a deal was reached ending the crisis between UNRWA’s administration and the Arab workers’ union in the agency. The agreement was reached after two session were held yesterday between the two sides, the last session lasting until eight in the evening. One of the articles of the agreement was to return around 5,000 employees to their jobs after the 66-day strike, the students to return to classes – 60,000 students – and sanitation workers to return to their positions in addition to doctors in health clinics in all 19 refugee camps in the West Bank and the five UNRWA headquarters in cities. According to one union member, the agreement was satisfactory, saying all points of difference were discussed and a solution was promised, including the demand for a raise of JD50 for each employee, which he said President Abbas promised to discuss with donor countries. An agreement on an annual raise depending on rank was also made in addition to making 42 temporary contracts into permanent ones within a year. UNRWA workers will resume work today (Al Quds)
THE PRIME MINISTER OFFERS AID PACKAGE TO BEDOUINS DURING HIS TOUR OF THE JORDAN VALLEY
Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah announced yesterday that he would offer an aid package to Bedouin and farmers in the Jordan Valley that will include animal feed, grazing areas, seeds, immunization, agricultural wells and education, during his tour in the Valley yesterday. He said the Jordan Valley was on priority of the government and that many of the support programs for this area will be for lands threatened with confiscation, Bedouin communities and various agricultural sectors, animal resources, water, education and health sectors needed to develop the area. He explained that that NIS4 million would be allocated to buying feed and expanding grazing areas, harvesting 5,000 dunams of land and providing 8,000 tons of seeds. Another NIS2.5 million would be allocated to immunizations, providing an ambulance and two veterinarian clinics in addition to compensating farmers for damages incurred because of settlements. The education and health sectors will also have priority in the package, Hamdallah said. (Al Quds)
BENNET: WASHINGTON HANDED GAZA TO HAMAS
Israeli economy minister Neftali Bennet attacked the former American administration yesterday, accusing it of what he called ‘making the wrong decisions” on the Palestinians, which ultimately led to Hamas’ control over the West Bank and the continued ‘terror’ of rocket fire. He said the insistence of the last American administration to have Palestinian parliamentary elections led to Hamas taking control over the Gaza Strip. Bennet also indirectly attacked Secretary Kerry, saying “anyone who threatens Israel should know who it is dealing with; I say to all those who say that Israel will turn into a pariah state internationally if the negotiations fail, they should know who they’re dealing with.” (Al Quds)
OBAMA DEFENDS KERRY IN FACE OF ISRAELI ATTACK
US President Barack Obama defended his secretary of state last night and said he stood beside him in the face of the Israeli attacks on him. Obama praised Kerry’s efforts in pushing the process forward between the Palestinians and Israelis, saying that the US told both parties that any final solution would include freedom of worship and access to holy places for all religions. (http://maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=671492)
THE PRESIDENCY: SAUDI ARABIA FULFILLED ALL OF ITS COMMITMENTS IN SUPPORT OF OUR PEOPLE ACCORDING TO ARAB SUMMIT DECISIONS
The Palestinian presidency confirmed the statements made by a Saudi news agency that said the Kingdom had fulfilled all of its commitments in support of the Palestinian people in accordance with Arab summit decisions. This includes its commitment towards supporting the Jerusalem and Aqsa fund, adding that KSA also implemented a number of projects in Jerusalem and other Palestinian cities. The presidency said Saudi Arabia fulfilled its commitment to the financial safety network and even went over and beyond this in terms of financial assistance. (Al Quds)
KHUDARI: $500 MILLION IN PROJECTS HALTED BECAUSE OF THE SIEGE
PLC member and head of the popular committee against the siege Jamal Khudari said value of halted projects and the ban on the entry of construction materials for the past four months in the Gaza Strip had reached %500 million, calling on UN chief Ban Ki Moon to visit Gaza to see the situation for himself and pressure Israel into lifting the siege. In a press conference at the Beit Hanoun [Erez] crossing, Khudari said Israel bans the entry of hundreds of goods, employing what he called the “slow-drip policy”. He continued that this ban on goods had resulted in the halt to of the ‘economic wheel’ and the unemployment of thousands of workers, engineers, accountants and employees in the construction and industry sectors. Khudari went on to say that the little which is allowed entry in the Strip does not cover 50% of the needs of the Palestinian market or the projects. (Al Quds)
RED CROSS HALTS PROVISION OF TENTS TO DISPLACED PALESTINIANS IN THE JORDAN VALLEY AFTER ISRAEL CONFISCATES THEM
The International Red Cross announced yesterday that it had suspended provision of tents to displaced Palestinians made homeless because of Israeli home demolitions in the Jordan Valley because of Israel’s confiscation of these tents. Red Cross spokesperson John Martin Larsen told France Presse that they stopped distributing tents because of the series of confiscations and obstacles since the start of 2013 carried out by Israel in the occupied Jordan Valley and the West Bank. He did say however, that the Red Cross would still provide aid after demolitions such as cleaning supplies, mattresses and kitchenware. Local rights sources said such a decision by the Red Cross was ‘very rare.” According to B’Tselem, last month alone, Israeli forces demolished 27 homes in the Jordan Valley, displacing 147 people including 63 minors. (Al Ayyam)
THREE ROCKETS FIRED FROM GAZA INTO SOUTHERN ASKALAN
The Israeli army announced last night that two rockets had been fired from the Gaza Strip and had fallen south of Ashkelon. While Israeli sources first said that the Iron Dome had been able to intercept the rockets, the army later revealed that they had fallen into open area. Earlier in the day, a third rocket had fallen in the same area, with no injuries or damages reported (Al Ayyam)
PRAGUE: THE WEAPONS FOUND IN THE PALESTINIAN EMBASSY WERE NOT USED IN ‘CRIMES’
The Czech police announced yesterday that the weapons found in the residence of PA ambassador to Prague Jamal Al Jamel, who died on January 1 in an explosion, dated back to the 70s and 80s and had never been used in undiscovered crimes. Media reports had said that four machine guns and three pistols had been found in the home. Palestinian sources said the weapons had been a gift from Communist authorities to Palestinian diplomats in Prague. (Al Ayyam)
MONETARY FUND: ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN PALESTIN DURING 2013 WEAKER THAN EXPECTED
The International Monetary Fund said yesterday that the economic activity in the Palestinian territories throughout 2013 had been weaker than expected amid the continued financial pressure in general. In a statement after a group of its experts evaluated the latest economic developments in the West Bank and Gaza, said its estimations indicated to a rise in the overall domestic product by 1.5% only because of the impact of uncertainty regarding the peace process and the sharp deterioration of economic conditions in the Gaza Strip. This also led to a rise in unemployment to 25%, adding that economic prospects for 2014 largely depended on the outcome of peace talks. The fund also warned that a failure of peace negotiations could cause a political and security crisis that could quickly lead to economic delays and accumulated debts, especially if donors scaled back on aid (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
DANISH PARLIAMENT SPEAKER TO VISIT RAMALLAH AND GAZA NEXT WEEK AND BOYCOTT ISRAEL
According to the website of Israel’s Channel 10, Danish speaker of the house Mogens Lykketoft would make an official visit next week to the region. He will hold talks in Ramallah and the Gaza Strip but would not officially meet with any Israeli figure, which has raised Israeli anger at the diplomatic level. According to the site, Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein would not meet with the Danish guest and has waged a vicious attack on him for planning to visit Ramallah and Gaza without meeting any Israelis. (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
FATAH DELEGATION ARRIVES IN GAZA TODAY
This morning, a delegation of Fatah central committee leaders will arrive in the Gaza Strip through the Erez crossing. The delegation includes Nabil Shaath, Jamal Muheisen and Mohammed Madani. A leading Fatah source said the delegation would hold talks with all parties inside the movement to end the crisis within the organization over the past seven years. The Fatah is also expected to hold meetings with resistance factions in Gaza and may meet with de facto prime minister from Hamas Ismail Haniyeh to discuss the reconciliation. (http://www.alquds.com/news/article/view/id/487597)
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Headlines
*Arab committee for human rights demands forcing Israeli occupation to halt settlements (Al Quds)
*Al Bakheet: We should plan for worse-case scenario; Kerry is taking advantage of Arab Spring (Al Quds)
*Israel demands annexation of 10% of West Bank (see article below) (Al Quds)
*Presidential decree to deduct 1% from salaries of security services for Yarmouk (Al Quds)
*Maariv: Netanyahu sent Molcho to Dubai to search for alternative to Abbas; Dahlan denies (Al Quds)
*Washington denounces Israeli criticisms of Kerry (Al Quds)
*Europe condemns decision to build settlement units in Jerusalem (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
*Orthodox Jews demonstrate against mandatory enlistment in Israeli army (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
*Egyptian army: Sisi did not make a final decision to run in the elections (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
*Gaza: Qassam Brigades arrest Ayman Abu Taha, former Hamas spokesperson (Al Ayyam)
*Ashton: decision to build new settlement units puts future of Jerusalem as the capital of two states in danger (Al Ayyam)
*Egypt reseals Rafah Crossing (Al Ayyam)
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Front Page Photos
Al- Quds:Qusra: protesters carry a wounded man during confrontations with the Israeli army after a settler attack on the village; 2) Yitzhak Molcho
Al-Ayyam: 1) Two women inspect palm trees uprooted by Israeli bulldozers in Zbeidat, north of Jericho; 2) Man walks down a street with destroyed buildings in Homs
Al Hayat Al Jadida:.1) Man inspects palm trees uprooted by Israeli bulldozers in Zbeidat; 2) Prime Minister during his tour in the Jordan Valley
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More Headlines
Confrontations and injury of dozens in Ya’abad
Israeli occupation forces besieged the town of Ya’abad last night south of Jenin. Violent confrontations broke out between the townspeople and Israeli soldiers who broke into homes and attacked the inhabitants. Dozens of people suffered from teargas inhalation. According to mayor of Ya’abad Samer Abu Bakr, the army purposely shot stun grenades inside the homes to provoke the people. He said 30 people had suffered from teargas inhalation and several had been taken to hospital including 10-year old Mohammed Bakr and his 5-year old brother ‘Ala. The mayor said Israeli troops declared Ya’abad a closed military zone and set up checkpoints at its entrances. Israeli army sources claim a settler bus was hit by Molotov cocktails last night, which resulted in material damage. (http://safa.ps/details/news/122196/.html)
Presidential decree to deduct 1% from security salaries for Palestinians in Syria
President Mahmoud Abbas issued a presidential decree yesterday stipulating the deduction of 1% of this month’s salaries from officers and employees of the Palestinian security forces to go to relief efforts for Palestinian refugees in Syria. (Al Hayat al Jadida)
Qassam Brigades arrested former Hamas spokesperson Ayman Taha
Informed sources in Gaza said yesterday that the two weeks ago the Qassam Brigades arrested former Hamas spokesperson Ayman Taha on multiple charges including financial and moral transgressions. According to the sources, the Hamas government kept a gag order on the case. The same sources say that Taha likely bought a villa on Salah Eddin street in order to invest in it, which raised the suspicions of the movement. Hamas officials have refused to comment on the issue. (Al Ayyam)
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Arab Press
Current peace efforts should not fail
by Ahmad Y. Majdoubeh
The present round of negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis, seen as perhaps the last chance to rescue the two-state solution and achieve durable peace, should not be allowed to fail.
For one thing, peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis is long overdue. It is time they put the conflict behind them and lived and let live.
For another, further prolonging the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is not in the two sides’ interest. In the aftermath of the Arab Spring the whole region is sinking into chaos. There is no saying, if the peace talks fail, that Israelis and Palestinians will not be dragged into the chaos.
While much of what we read and hear in the media about the fate of the current round of peace talks is somewhat discouraging, there is a window of opportunity which should be seized.
The American administration, represented by the charismatic US Secretary of State John Kerry, is both deeply engaged in the process and exerting tremendous efforts and pressure to bring about a resolution, or at least an agreement on a framework for final status talks.
This US’ involvement is not to be underestimated. Without it, as the parties to the conflict themselves know well, no agreement is possible.
A few months ago, several reports came out that America was shifting its attention away from the region, to Southeast Asia. Many felt this would not bode well for the region and for Mideast peace, and were calling on America to reconsider.
Since America has not abandoned the Middle East and is, in fact, deeply committed, all concerned should capitalise on this historic moment. Such an opportunity and commitment do not come about often.
The attention Kerry is giving to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is almost unprecedented. It is reminiscent of that given in the late 1970s by president Jimmy Carter, which resulted in peace with Egypt.
Peace with Jordan and the Oslo Accords with the Palestinians were also brought about by George Bush Sr’s deep involvement in peacemaking and the Clinton administration.
However, many Palestinians, Jordanians and Arabs are nervous. They feel that more pressure is placed on the Palestinians than on the Israelis. They are afraid, in particular, that the Palestinian right of return might be compromised, that the Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories might not be dealt with satisfactorily, that the very existence of Arab Israelis might be threatened by Israel’s insistence on recognition of its “Jewishness”.
One hopes that such fears are baseless, and are due to the lack of information as to what is really going on behind closed doors in the negotiations.
The Obama administration and its team of mediators know both the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the facts on the ground extremely well.
They know what should be done, therefore, to bring about real peace, like the one made between Israel and Egypt in the late 1970s, in which Israel withdrew from all occupied Egyptian territories.
And they know that the last thing the region wants is another problematic Oslo that would open a new can of worms and promote conflict rather than solve it.
Israel is the occupier and the Palestinians are occupied.
The creation of Israel and its resort to militarism since then are the causes of the Palestinian tragedy and diaspora.
There are very many UN resolutions pertaining to Palestinians’ rights (including the right of return) that Israel simply disregards.
The illegal Israeli settlements are built on usurped, occupied, Palestinian land. Insistence on the Jewishness of Israel is a procrastinating, subversive tactic.
These and other things the Americans and the Israelis know. And they know that one cannot victimise the victim further, and that if there is to be real peace, Israel must be held accountable and hand over to the Palestinians what is rightfully theirs, unconditionally.
Israelis have their state, and they can call it whatever they like. Palestinians need their own state. Israel and America must work actively on giving it to them. In return, Israel will enjoy true security, stability and peace.
If the current American-led peace initiative succeeds, it could be the “tipping point” for stability, peace and prosperity in the entire region.
For these and many other reasons, current peace efforts should not fail.(http://jordantimes.com/current-peace-efforts-should-not-fail)
Little hope in Kerry’s peace efforts
By Marwan Kabalan
Over the past year, since he became the US Secretary of State in February 2013, John Kerry made ten trips to the region with the aim of reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Last August, he made notable progress when the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) leadership agreed to resume direct bilateral negotiations with Israel, even though two of its three main conditions have not been met. They are: Freezing all colony activities in the 1967 Occupied Palestinian Territories; accepting the June 4, 1967 borders as the basis for talks; and releasing all the Palestinian prisoners (their number then was 104) who had been detained before the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993. Israel agreed only to meet the later Palestinian demand.
In his latest trip to the region, Kerry sought to build on this progress and proposed a framework agreement to be signed by the two parties of the conflict. The notion of a “framework agreement” first appeared in a speech by US President Barack Obama at the Saban Centre for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institute in Washington in December 2013. “I think it is possible over the next several months to arrive at a framework that does not address every single detail, but gets us to a point where everybody recognises [it is] better to move forward than to move backwards [...] And I think that we’re now at a place where we can achieve a two-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians are living side by side in peace and security. But it’s going to require some very tough decisions.” From this statement, it was understood that the framework agreement would call for the creation of a Palestinian state and the recognition of Israel as a “Jewish state” by the Palestinians.
The US believes that the time is ripe for the signing of a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs-of-Staff, General Martin Dempsey, made this point absolutely clear when he stated that the current state of affairs in the Middle East has created a “strategic opportunity for Israel”, a hint to the past three-year turmoil that has wreaked havoc across the Arab world. Arab weakness would allow Israel to clinch a peace treaty that would not be possible under different conditions. The US-Iran rapprochement would also enhance Israel’s security and military superiority. According to Kerry: “Israel would become safer the moment this first step agreement [on the Iranian nuclear programme] is implemented.” It is clear, therefore, that the interest of the US in reaching a peace agreement under the current circumstances rests on its ironclad commitment to Israel’s security — while it prepares to disengage from the region and focus on the Far East.
According to media reports, the framework agreement suggests that Israel will be annexing 6.8 per cent of the total area of the West Bank. In return, the Palestinians will receive 5.5 per cent of Israeli controlled territories. All colonies in the Jordan Valley will be evacuated and US forces will be deployed along the borders with Jordan, whereby the crossing points between Jordan and Palestine will be under US supervision. Eighty per cent of the colonists will be brought together in Israeli colony blocs, simultaneously with the evacuation of 20 per cent of colonies in the West Bank.
The plan also proposes a safe passage between the West Bank and Gaza and the placement of the Jerusalem Basin (occupied Jerusalem’s holy places) under international supervision that includes Israel, Palestine, Jordan, the US and Saudi Arabia. Regarding the Palestinian refugee problem, the proposal speaks of “family reunification” for some refugees inside Israel, the creation of an international fund for resettlement and the opening of the door for emigration to Australia and Canada. All this seems to be absolutely fine. Yet, the problem is with the issue of recognising Israel as a Jewish state. Benjamin Netanyahu insists that this condition must be met before any agreement can be signed. He also insists that occupied Jerusalem remains the united capital of Israel. If Palestinians agree to the first condition that will mean giving Israel a green light to deport all Arabs in Israel proper.
Henceforth, the PNA refuses to recognise the Jewish nature of the state of Israel and states that the issue of occupied Jerusalem remains off-limits. It seems that this time too — and despite the bad shape of the Arab world — Kerry’s luck will be no better than his predecessors’ who tried to impose the sort of agreement that favours Israel at the expense of Arab Palestinians.(http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/little-hope-in-kerry-s-peace-efforts-1.1287453)
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Opinions
The demolition of Palestinian houses requires international intervention
Al Quds Editorial
The demolition of Palestinian houses in Jerusalem in particular, an in the West Bank in general, has become almost a daily and routine occurrence by Israeli municipality and other authorities, with no one to monitor or hold them accountable. Demolitions not only include homes, which shelter dozens of children, women, the elderly and ordinary citizens in general, but also strikes at barns, sheds and chicken coops and sometimes even the fences that protect people’s land and serve as a boundary separating their property from those of their neighbors.
We have said repeatedly house demolitions, which have reached into the tens of thousands since Israel’s occupation in 1967, are collective punishment and perhaps even a crime against humanity, because they deprive children, the elderly and women of shelter that protects them from the summer heat and the freezing cold of winter. The right to a home is a basic human right and is one trait of humankind that is a social, psychological and economic necessity. Therefore, depriving a person from his home and demolishing it with an Israeli bulldozer is a measure unprecedented in contemporary history. The parties that decide on this collective punishment must be held accountable as well as the parties that carry out the decision with brute force and no consideration for human values or citizen rights to shelter under the roofs of homes they built with their own sweat and blood.
Israeli authorities disregard the fact that they are responsible for guaranteeing that humanitarian conditions are provided for, first and foremost to dignified shelter, for those under its occupation. But instead of abiding by its obligations according to international law, it has never ceased to demolish Palestinian homes. Neither do these authorities concern themselves with where these people will go afterwards, nor are they moved by the scenes of ruined homes and crying children, women and old men. These words have not stirred compassion before but they are in order paint a picture of the situation that international parties concerned with the law and its enforcement should be aware of. The media actually gives a pretty accurate and almost daily description of the calamities of those displaced and their ongoing suffering.
In response, the Israeli government is building thousands of settlement units on occupied Palestinian land after this land is confiscated from its owners. This, in itself, is a flagrant violation of international law, which prohibits the transfer of residents under an occupying power to occupied territory. Even though this is understood and known to the international community, it still does not put enough pressure to halt it and oblige Israel to halt the demolition of Palestinian homes on the one hand and its increased settlement activity on the other.
Israeli authorities commit an even worse violation when they issue the demolition order and insinuate to the home owner being threatened with demolition that he could take the case to court to have a construction license issued. He pays exorbitant fees and court fees only to realize several months, or even years later, that the demolition order is still valid and is about to be put into effect. Hence, the person loses his money to fees and then his home, which took him years to build. Israeli authorities may even force him to demolish it himself and at his own expense, which is one of the most unjust procedures ever.
Is it not time to take the case of home demolitions to international legal parties? Why doesn’t the international community take action to end home demolitions along with settlement expansion, which threaten the Palestinians’ very existence and the so-called peace process with dangerous pitfalls and consequences? (Al Quds)
The ongoing Zionist project
Al Khaleej Editorial
The ‘Zionist entity” approved the construction of hundreds of new settlement units in occupied Jerusalem, all while negotiations are still ongoing. This is a perfect expression of the concept of negotiations among Israeli leaders. Negotiations do not change Israeli plans and cannot possibly change the idea of a settlement among these Israelis. A settlement according to Israel was and still is the idea of Palestinian submission to the Zionist concept of Palestine, which is that it is Jewish property and that they can handle a Palestinian presence in it for just a while.
The American reaction to this is nothing but hypocrisy. While the American administration criticizes Israel’s measures, trying to retain whatever credibility it has left, -- saying it does not agree to anything that could impact the outcome of negotiations – it turns around and agrees to these things anyway. What’s worse, its proposals demand that the Palestinians retroactively agree to these things as well. The Zionist entity continues to carry out its plans and has never stopped this even for a moment. Meanwhile, the US administration continues to market Israel’s measures, even when it tries to show that it is not content with them.
We must always differentiate between tactic and strategy. Israel’s political and diplomatic maneuvers are nothing more than a cover up for its mediation. But what is most important is its approach to any core solution. Since the Camp David negotiations, Israe2l has been trying to impose an “Israeli” settlement on the Palestinians with superficial modifications, or surface fixes to problems it comes up against. Perhaps the touchstone for its policies has been Kerry’s plan, which at its core, wants to impose on the Palestinians the recognition of the Jewish character of Israel. That is, all that it occupied in 1948 is purely Jewish. It is as if the refugees never existed and the recognition of Israeli settlements is a simple reality.
In spite of its claims that it supports the establishment of a Palestinian state, its past suggestions and others related to Israeli “security” abort any possibility of its establishment, creating a mere caricature of a state instead. In this way, the negotiations – even if they lead to a settlement directly through an agreement –have become a tool for the reality of a ‘semi-settlement’ which is what Israel and the United States want. In either way, it is a pure loss for the Palestinians. What’s worse is that any course which creates a reality of a partial settlement will have no moral or material costs for Israel.
So, for Israel, the negotiations are a necessary game to lessen any price they would have to pay on the ground. Is it possible that if they have already realized this – and it has definitely been realized by the Palestinians – that it would continue to humor the United States in it political maneuvers? (http://www.alkhaleej.ae/studiesandopinions/detailedpage/577f991b-0ae4-41a9-94a1-3a1a126320fd)
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