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March 16, 2014
Daily summary - Sunday, March 16, 2014
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Main News
President begins visit to United States; meets Kerry today and Obama tomorrow at the White House
Spokesman of the Palestinian Presidency,Nabil Abu Rudeineh,described the visit of President Mahmoud Abbas to the United States which starts today as important, referring to the meeting with US President Barack Obama at the White House on Monday saying: "it's an important visit, and the meeting with President Obama will be important to the course of events in the next phase." Abu Rudeineh said that President Abbas will meet on Sunday with US Secretary of State John Kerry, just before the meeting with the US President, Adding that "the Palestinian side is committed to a just and comprehensive solution in accordance with international resolutions which meet the Palestinian and Arab demands." Abu Rudeinehadded: "all we want is to achieve a just and comprehensive peace, stop settlements, the release of prisoners and reaching the end of April with a fair and balanced solution that will lead to the continuation of the peace process."Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and Palestinian Intelligence Chief Majed Faraj reached to Washington to prepare for the visit.(Al-Ayyam)
Kicks off voters’ registration update in all districts today
The updating process of voters’ registration in the West Bank and Gaza Strip for 2014 kicks off today, in preparation for any future elections.Director of the public information unit in the Central Election Commission Farid To’meh told Ma’an that the updated process of voters’ registration will kick off this morning at 719 schools in the West Bank and 120 schools in the Gaza Strip, and will continue until next Thursday, 20th of March. To’meh said that the process of updating the records this year will be for high school students or students who have reached the age of 17 years, whose number is estimated in about 68,000 students, 39,000 of them in the West Bank and 28,000 in the Gaza Strip.(http://maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=681799)
5 Israeli soldiers slightly injured after being run over near Beit Ummar
Hebrew sources reported Saturday that five Israeli soldiers were slightly injured after being run over by a Palestinian who approached them while deployed at a military checkpoint near the town of Beit Ummar in Hebron district. The Hebrew media sources said that troops had opened fire at the Palestinian who was injured as alleged, adding that the soldiers were able to control the driver and arrest him, and transferred him to detention for questioning after attacking him.Later, local sources said that the Israeli soldiers were standing near the fuel station,which is located at the northern entrance to Beit Ummar village, when a car driven by Ahmed Thaljy, a resident of the town in his thirties, approached them, noting that initial data indicate that the driver lost control of the car, leading to hitting the soldiers.Israeli police spokeswoman Luba El-Samri claimed that the driver of the vehicle (Citroen) claimed during his investigation that he pressed the accelerator by mistake, but initial examination showed that the vehicle was stolen, which confirms the belief that the operation background is national. (http://www.alquds.com/news/article/view/id/493885)
Israel condemns remarks by Kerry regarding its Jewishness
Forums in the political arena of Israel expressed disappointment US Foreign Minister John Kerry’s statements saying it would be wrong to raise again the question of the recognition of Israel as Jewish.Israeli Minister Gilad Arden said Kerry erred by pressing on the wrong side, pointing out that the statement came ahead of a meeting to be held tomorrow between US President Barack Obama and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.Deputy Israeli Foreign Minister Zeev Elkin said that Kerry’s statements “come in the context of traditions that have evolved in the last 20 years where the international community exerts pressure on Israel, we must end these archaic traditions and stop adhering to its principles.” (http://safa.ps/details/news/124640/%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%86%D9%83%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B5-%D9%8A%D9%87%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7.html)
Abbas-Obama meeting; Fatah prepare for public events and calls for rejecting the framework agreement
Fatah launched a national call to start mass rallies and events in all districts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in support of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbasin conjunction with his important meeting with US President Barack Obama, which will be held Monday in Washington as part of the ongoing negotiations with Israel.Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul said "this is a call to all for participation in supporting President Abu Mazen to insist on the Palestinian constants in this important and delicate phase." Al-Aloul described the meeting between Abbas and Obama as crucial, which might witness a political clash where Abu Mazen will insist on the Palestinian constants.(http://qudsnet.com/news/View/268759/%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%88-%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%86-%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7-%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%AD-%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%B6%D8%B1-%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%B6-%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B1/)
Activists set fire to a military control tower at Beit Fourik checkpoint
Popular resistance activists set fire on Saturday in a control tower at Beit Fourik military checkpoint, east of Nablus.According to local sources, the activists managed to withdraw from the site before an Israeli army force reached the area.The activists have attacked the same checkpoint about a week ago, and smashed pieces of the control room using hammers."(http://arabic.pnn.ps/index.php/resistance/84176-%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%8A%D8%B6%D8%B1%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%AC-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%B9%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%B2-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D9%81%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%83)
Israeli Defense Minister brandishes a reoccupation of Gaza and repeats: "Abbas is not a partner for peace"
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon hinted saying Saturday that Israel may seek to reoccupy the Gaza Strip in the absence of a definitive solution to the missile launches now and then.Ya'alon said in an exclusive interview with Israel channel 2: "some people believe that this year was quiet, but who works behind the scenes knows it wasn't quiet in terms of security," stressing the need for the Israeli Government and Cabinet to discuss and examine all options, including a proposal by Foreign Minister Lieberman to reoccupy the Gaza Strip. On negotiations with the Palestinian Authority Ya'alon said: Iwas among those who supported the Oslo agreement, but I discovered that the Palestinians do not recognize our right to exist…a definitive peace agreement without Palestinian recognition of the Jewish Israel cannot be achieved.” Ya’alon added “"Palestinian leader Abbas tried to repeat the trick of Oslo through resorting to old tricks, so we can understand that Abbas is not a partner for peace."Ya'alon warned of Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank saying that "Hamas will replace Abu Mazen if we pull out of the West Bank,” noting at the same time that Israel did not provide promises for any party to release prisoners from Israel's Arabs.(http://www.alquds.com/news/article/view/id/493883)
Palestinian official: Abbas shows flexibility towards extending the negotiations; and thinks of naming Barghouti Deputy to win "popular" support to pass the agreement
President Mahmoud Abbas travels to the United States with flexibility allowing him to get rid of the "framework agreement" which it viewed by Palestinian as a strategic threat to their national rights, but will probably have to accept less harmful alternatives. Indications are that President Abbas carries with him to Washington a principled rejection of the framework agreement prepared by Foreign Minister John Kerry, but he will show a deliberate openness to other US options such as extending negotiations until the end of the year, assuming that some steps will gain popular support of the Palestinian Street, such as the release of prisoners like Marwan Barghouti and Ahmed Saadat and stop tenders for new construction in settlements.It is estimated that Abbas thinks of appointing Marwan Barghouti as his successor in the leadership of Fatah and the Palestinian leadership. This development, if occurs, is a great stepthat will receive appreciation in the Palestinian Street and of Fatah and the Palestinian national movement, which lack a convincing heir after the departure of Abbas for the political landscape, which is expected in a few years because of his age.(http://www.amad.ps/ar/?Action=Details&ID=18296)
Herzog: recognition of Israel as a Jewish State should not be a precondition for negotiations
Israel Radio quoted Israeli opposition leader Herzog yesterday as saying that the recognition of Israel as a Jewish State should not be a condition for engaging in peace negotiations. Hertzog said at a seminar in Tel Aviv that a peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians can be reached, stressing at the same time that a two-State solution would need evacuating settlements in the West Bank. Opposition leader noted that there must be an alternative to Israeli Prime MinisterNetanyahu if no agreement is reached, adding this time is the closest to reaching peace and everyone should use this chance.(Al-Ayyam)
Israeli Deputy: Lieberman statements for occupying the Gaza Strip are extreme and irresponsible
MP Shili Yehemovich described yesterday Israeli Foreign Minister Lieberman’s statements foroccupying the Gaza Strip, as hasty, extreme and irresponsible.Channel 7 quoted Yehemovich as saying that the situation in the south in recent days must be dealt with in logic and wisdom and not as Lieberman acted, describing him as always hasty and not considering any reaction as a result of the occupation of Gaza.(Al-Ayyam)
A soldier injured and a Palestinian boy arrested during clashes in Beit Fourik
An Israeli soldier was injured in the head, as a Palestinian boy was arrested during clashes in the village of Beit Fourik, east of Nablus.Local sources said that clashes broke out between a group of settlers from “Elon Moreh" settlement and dozens of citizens in the east of the village, where Israeli forces interfered and fired dozens of tear gas canisters and sound bombs towards the citizens.The sources added that an Israeli soldier was injured as a result of a direct hit by a stone in the head, and the Israeli occupation forces arrested the boy Najeh Faisal Najeh Nasasrah (16 years old), in addition to a number of young Palestinians who were injured of tear gas. (Al-Ayyam)
Gaza power station stops operating and returns to the 6 hours operation process
The Power Authority in Gaza said yesterday that “the main and only power station in the Gaza Strip stopped working due to running out of fuel."The Power Authority said in a brief statement that "the power station completely stopped at 12 noon due to running out of industrial fuel for operation, due to the closure of Kerem Shalom crossing (Kerem Shalom). TheGaza electricity distribution Company announced that this will force it to return the six hours plan, where “Electricity will be available in the Strip for six hour a day only as part of an emergency program to end the crisis."(Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
Jordanian soldier Ahmed Al-Daqamseh begins hunger strike in prison
Jordanian soldiers serving a life sentence for killing seven Israeli schoolgirls in 1997begana hunger strike to demand his release, his family said. Al-Daqasmeh’s son Seif, told AFP that "my father Ahmed Al-Daqamseh began a hunger strike on Friday refusing to eat and receive medication until his release.”Al-Daqamseh suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes.(Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
Hamas security disperses a meeting in Gaza to support Abu Mazen
Hamas security dispersed a meeting in Gaza yesterday to support Abu Mazen in his efforts to meet the Palestinian rights. Eyewitnesses said that Hamas stormed a rally organized by the popular campaign, entitled '”we are with you” to support the President before heading to Washington to meet US President Barack Obama, and threatened to use force to disperse the meeting if participants don’t leave the room. The meeting was held in Gaza with the participation of Academics, students, intellectuals and hundreds of Abbas’ supporters to support Abbas’ positions in his meeting with Obama. (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
Maqboul confirms resignation of Abu Zaydeh of the Revolutionary Council
Secretary of the Revolutionary Council of Fatah Amin Maqboulconfirmed news of Sufian Abu Zaydeh’s resignation of the council and stopping his activism in it. Maqboul said in an interview for "Fatah media yesterday that Abu Zaydeh issued his resignation via e-mail yesterday morning, dismissing the importance of this resignation, and its aftermath.(Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
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Headlines
** Israel: Jihad rocket force threatens all the state of Israel; and Netanyahu do not want entanglement in Gaza (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
** Public transportation strike in Hebron to be ended soon (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
** Israel cuts millions of Shekels of Palestinian tax to construct joints roads in the West Bank (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
** Palestinians in Syria… a new Nakba (Al-Quds)
** 4 Factions demands withdrawal of the negotiations and resort to the UN (Al-Quds)
** Egyptian Ambassador to the UN: occupation of Palestine is anomaly (Al-Quds)
** A huge Israeli rocket found in a tunnel in Rafah (Al-Quds)
** Syria: bloody fights in Yabroud; the conflict enters its fourth year (Al-Ayyam)
** Damascus: Majdalni discusses with representatives of factions a plan to save the Palestinian initiative on Yarmouk (Al-Ayyam)
** Gaza: Hamas proposes again a new penal codethat includes flogging (Al-Ayyam)
** 6 Egyptian soldiers shot dead in Cairo (Al-Ayyam)
**Abu Yusuf: Israel has not left any justification to extend negotiations (Al-Ayyam)
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Front Page Photos
Al- Quds:Aleppo – Syrian citizen carrying a lady running from clashes between the opposition and the regular army.
Al-Ayyam: 1) Cairo – security officials during investigations at a checkpoint attacked by militants in Shubra yesterday, 2) a young inured Syrian lady carrying her child after an air strike by the regular army in Aleppo, 3) famous Syrian artist Wafiq Al-Zae’m who died yesterday.
Al Hayat Al Jadida:.1) President Abbas, 2) Gaza Power Station
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Voice of Palestine News
Gaza:
Q: Is it true that the electricity company returned to operate in an emergency system with regards to electricity supply?
Yes the electricity company began operating in the emergency system since 12:00 yesterday, where electricity will be cut off the Gaza Strip for 12 hours and supplied for 6 hours a day, seems like this will not last long and the electricity company will return to supplying electricity for 8 hours a day, after Israel announced it will re-open Karm Abu Salem crossing for entering industrial fuel for the power station. It is anticipated that almost 450,000 liters of industrial fuel will be entered to Gaza.
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Voice of Palestine Interviews
** Naser Qous, President of the Prisoners’ Club in Jerusalem, on organizing the longest human chain in Jerusalem.
Q: Can you tell us more about this event, what do you expect of this activity?
This initiative is organized by “Shabab Al-Balad” group (the town’s youth), on their first establishment anniversary, and the establishment of a library in Jabal Mukabir, so the event will start at 14:00 in Bab Al-Amoud, and every participants will have a boom with them in order to establish another three libraries in different areas of the city, our estimation is that more than 2000 people will be participating in this human chain, not only in Jerusalem, but also in front of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and in front of the wall in Al-Ram, for those who can’t reach Jerusalem for the rest of the West Bank, we hope this activity will be a message to the whole world that Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinian state.
Q: Do you anticipate any obstacles by the occupation, will they allow such initiative?
The occupation tries to suppress any activity we do in Jerusalem, so it is anticipated that the occupation will place obstacles and tries to suppress this intellectual initiative, for supporting the idea of reading and to establish libraries for our youth, and strengthening Palestinian culture of Jerusalem, the occupation always tries to suppress us and we anticipate that we will confront with the occupation.
Q: the activity will take place after noon?
We will start at 14:00 in Bab Al-Amoud and we will surround the Jerusalem walls holding books.
** Mahmoud Qarae’n, researcher at Wadi Helwe Information Center, on cracks and collapses of roads revealed during the rainy weather.
Q: What was revealed in Silwan during the rainy weather?
This was of course anticipated, since these times of heavy rain are times when residents of Silwan anticipate such collapses to happen as a result of the Israeli excavations in the area, every time no less than 5-6 collapse events happen in this road north of Silwan, so this time, one of tunnels collapsed in Arad Al-Hamra area, near Berket Al-Ain, creating a hole of 5-6 meters depth, leading to one of the tunnels. This happened on Friday morning by one of the worshippers who was on his was to eth mosque, and the Israeli authorities did not do anything with this collapse until the moment. This is a very dangerous collapse since it is very close to the sidelines of the road threaten the lives of citizens and students and cars of course.
Q: Is there anything that can be done to demand fixing this by the municipality?
The municipality is not interested in fixing the collapse, its employees are in eth area 24/7, but they did not approach the area although they are aware of it, but it is clear that they are not interested in fixing it. It disregards the lives of Palestinian citizens of the city.
Q: these collapses also reveal the size of Judaization plan, especially since Silwan is close to Al-Aqsa?
Yes the rain reveals new tunnels every day, they work 24 hours a day in these excavation, and we are always surprised by opening new tunnels. Ignorance of the authorities of these collapses is to cover their excavation work.
** Bassam Salhi, Member of the PLO Executive Committee, on President Abbas’ visit to the US.
Q: these demands of 4 factions to withdraw the negotiations before the President’s meetings in the US, how important they are, especially in light of confirmations that the President will not agree to extending the negotiations?
It is the same confirmation, we agree that we should reject the Kerry plan and reject the US demand to extend the negotiations, since they only want gain more time through these negotiations. the most important is rejecting the American sponsorship of the negotiations, they sponsored the negotiations for years without reaching anything else but failure, being also biased to Israel, so we want the continuation of these negotiations under US auspices, and report to the UN for its to bear its responsibilities in ending the occupation in Palestine that it recognized as a state.
Q: What are your fears, is it from a Palestinian approval of the framework, despite the fact that there is a Palestinian confirmation that an extension will not be accepted.
Wes support rejecting the framework agreement and the Presidents confronting all pressures in this regard, if the President did not allow extension of the negotiations we will be happy, but we believe that rejecting the framework agreement should also be accompanied with stressing that we want to changing the whole framework of American sponsorship. We should give up this kind of negotiations and approach international community for it to sponsor the negotiations and that reference will only be international resolutions.
Q: President Abbas said he will discuss anything presented to him with the Palestinian leadership, don’t you think that such calls and demands demonstrate that the Palestinians are not united especially on eth eve of the President’s meeting with Obama? You had a meeting of the PLO Executive Committee and these factions are part of the PLO.
We are united in rejecting Kerry’s plan and we are ready to confront all pressures, we agreed on a political position and support the president, but we shouldn’t show anybody that we support the president without expressing our clear position, this era is over, there is a united political Palestinian position for rejecting eth plan and extending the negotiations. We live today in a different world.
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More Headlines
Abu Yousef: Israel has not left any justification to extend negotiations
Wasel Abu Yousef, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said " President Abbas goes to meet with the US President determined to be insist on the Palestinian rights, and the establishment of a Palestinian State on the 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital and a solution to the refugee issue based on resolution 194, this is the minimum solution acceptable by Palestinians, and the Palestinian leadershipinsists on not compromising the Palestinian rights."Abu Yousef added that "any talks of an extension of negotiations is not accepted, particularly in the light of the continuing Israeli settlement activities, assassinations, arrests, incursions and what is happening in Gaza, in addition to the serious developments in Al-Aqsa Mosque," stressingthat "the Israeli Government should release the fourth batch of prisoners on the 29th of this month."Abu Yousef said: "frankly, I see no reason to continue negotiations, the alternative is to go to the United Nations and end the exclusive US sponsorship over the negotiations,and hold an international peace conference." (Al-Ayyam)
Clashes and injuries after occupation stormed Al- Aqsa Mosque
A number of worshippers were injured today morning after Israeli police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets toward them in the courtyards of the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque.Media Coordinator of Al-Aqsa Foundation for Waqf and Heritage Mahmoud Abu Atta said that “dozens of Israeli soldiers stormed Al-Aqsa form the Moroccans’ gate, and attacked a number of worshippers in the mosque." Abu Atta said that “The Israeli police prevented the morning all students from entering the mosque, where they organized a sit-in in front Bab Hutta and Bab Al-Majles.” (http://www.qudsn.ps/article/39483)
A senior delegation from Hamas travel to Iran within days
Informed Palestinian source revealed the intention of senior delegation of Hamas leaders to travel to the Iranian capital of Tehran in the coming days. The source said in a statement today that: "Hamas is preparing fora visit of a delegation from the movement to Tehran to meet with Iranian officials to discuss several important files." The source denied that "Iran has closed all the doors in the face of Hamas and its leaders,” saying:" the relationships between the two sides are being restored in a positive and progressive way. "(http://qudsnet.com/news/View/268784/)
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Arab Press
The loaded terms Israel uses to justify its inflexible stance
By James Zogby
While reviewing polling data on Israeli and Palestinian attitudes towards the peace effort, what comes through clearly is the obvious disconnect between the views of both groups and the extent to which this divide is driven by the Israeli-centric language used in framing many of the issues.
The same is true of US policy discussions about the prospects for Middle East peace. For example, when American analysts present the issues to be addressed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, they often use terms and accept assumptions that are seen as part of the natural order of things. I am speaking of terms like “settlement blocs”, “land swaps”, “incitement”, references to “Jerusalem neighborhoods”, and “the Jewish state”.
While Israelis and Americans simply see this language as descriptive of “givens”, Palestinians view them as loaded terms that serve to mask injustice. And then when Palestinians reject these assumptions, it is interpreted as evidence of their lack of commitment to peace.
Benjamin Netanyahu said as much recently when he noted that Palestinians “will never recognize a Jewish state and will never give up the right of return ... I will not bring an agreement that would not cancel the right of return and the Palestinian recognition of a Jewish state. These are basic justified conditions as far as the state of Israel is concerned”. Mr. Netanyahu concluded that because the Palestinians would not accept his terms, they are “showing no sign that they intend to reach a practical and just agreement”. In other words, in Mr. Netanyahu’s mind “if you want peace you will accept my terms and assumptions and reject your own. If you insist on adhering to your own narrative and reality, then you aren’t serious about peace”.
In the same vein, look at how Israeli “settlement blocs” in the West Bank are now “accepted realities” which Israel will retain in any peace agreement and in exchange for keeping these blocs Israel will provide “land swaps” to the new Palestinian state. This notion of a “trade-off” is no longer even debated. It has become a “given”.
This idea of a trade may sound fair to Israelis and Americans, but to many Palestinians, especially those whose lands have been confiscated to make way for a settlement, the idea of “land swap” is nothing more than a term designed to legitimize what is illegitimate.
Take the Israeli settlement of Har Homa, for example. It was built on land Israel confiscated from Bethlehemites. As a result of this Israeli colony and a string of other similar settlements, that little city can’t grow and is cut off from Jerusalem.
By now 17,000 Israelis live in Har Homa and Palestinians are asked to see the settlement as an “accepted reality”. In return for this injustice, Palestinians are to be offered a “land swap” somewhere else. But the land that will be swapped does nothing for Bethlehem or the families who lost their land, nor does it resolve the injustice done to an entire community by severing their connection to Jerusalem. To them, it amounts to rewarding violations of international law.
For Palestinians, the bottom line here is that Israel decides what’s a “given”. They decide what they keep and what they swap. All the Palestinians can do is say “no” – in which case they are portrayed as “hostile to peace.”
Then there’s the oft-used term “neighborhoods” to describe the settlements in what the Israelis call “Greater Jerusalem”. Using “neighborhood” instead of “colony illegally built on occupied and confiscated land” may convey a cozy “down-home” image to Americans, but to Palestinians the monstrous concrete settlements that snake up and down the hills around Jerusalem and strangle tiny ancient Arab villages represent an ugly story of dispossession and denial of rights.
Finally, Mr. Netanyahu’s charge that Palestinians are engaged in incitement is another example of Israeli control of the terms of discussion. There are, to be sure, outrageous statements that have been made by Palestinian political and religious leaders, but incitement is not just a Palestinian issue. Partners in Mr. Netanyahu’s own government have called Palestinians “strangers” and called for their expulsion from their lands; major Israeli religious leaders have called Palestinians “snakes” and “cockroaches”. There’s also the tolerated shrine to the Jewish terrorist who massacred two dozen Arab worshippers in a Hebron mosque. The settlers who, with impunity, strike out against Palestinian farms, shops, and homes.
The reality is that while it is almost never acknowledged as such, “incitement” is a two-way street and should not be reduced, as it has been, to a club to be wielded by Israel and the US Congress over the heads of the Palestinian Authority.
Now I don’t know what magic tricks President Obama or Mr. Kerry have up their sleeves. We are getting close to the deadline when Mr. Kerry will put a framework document on the table to guide Israelis and Palestinians through the next phase of the peace process.
I think that we can be reasonably certain that in framing the proposal, attention will be paid to avoiding language that will be insensitive to Israelis. We should insist that in shaping the US proposal, care will be shown not to frame its language in ways that will immediately be rejected by Palestinians as unjust and insensitive to their needs.(http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/the-loaded-terms-israel-uses-to-justify-its-inflexible-stance#full)
Israel’s minority parties targeted by new restrictions
By RAY HANANIA
Israel this week adopted another law intended to further isolate ultra-Orthodox Jews and non-Jews from representation in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, and Arabs reacted predictably with all-or-nothing rejection.
Although Israel strives to oppress non-Jews, the real obstacle undermining Arab political empowerment has been Israel’s Arab leadership, which advocates against participation so they can complain of having no voice. The Arabs demand “all or nothing” and almost always send up with nothing.
“Nothing” makes it easier for Arab leaders to make excuses and light the fuses of Arab emotions and anger. “Falling short” of taking everything, or the “all,” puts the burden on the Arabs. That’s why “nothing” is always the better choice for “Arab pride.” They can live with anger but they can’t live with compromise.
It is a common Arab affliction that the Arabs can’t seem to overcome, but that the Israelis find so easy and convenient to exploit to achieve their goals.
Israel has an unusual election system that it labels loosely as a “democracy.” It is based on “proportional representation,” which requires political parties to slate candidates on a “List.” To win one of the 120 Knesset seats, political parties recognized by Israel must receive a minimum percentage of the vote.
Israel has steadily increased that percentage threshold from 1 percent in 1948, to 1.5 percent in 1988. It went to 2 percent in 2003 and the new proposal would increase it to 3.25 percent.
Once a party list surpasses the percentage threshold, the total percentage of the votes cast is used to determine how many candidates on each slate will take seats.
In 2013, for example, 3,833,646 eligible Israelis cast votes for the Knesset elections. Any party list that received more than 2 percent of the vote was considered eligible to win seats. They then divided the total vote by the 120 Knesset seats and in the 2013 elections, every total of 29,366 votes resulted in one seat.
The extremist party Likud Yisrael Beiteinu (LYB), led by Benjamin Netanyahu, won 885,054 votes, or 23.34 percent of the vote, giving them 31 seats based on a mathematical system, which divides the total votes cast by the 120 Knesset seats. (Of the total votes cast in 2013, more than 309,000 went to parties that did not qualify. Those parties can transfer their votes to Lists that did qualify.)
The latest threshold increase to 3.25 percent was approved by a 67 to 0 vote, with 53 Knesset members boycotting the vote in protest. The threshold increase is a response to the growth of the non-Jewish population, which has increased at a faster pace than the Jewish population in Israel.
In the 2013 Knesset elections, two political party lists identified with the Arab minority, Hadash and Balad, won 2.99 percent and 2.56 percent of the vote respectively winning four seats and three seats. The ultra-liberal Kadima List won 2.09 percent, winning two seats. Under the new law, all three parties would not qualify for any seats.
Ironically, the Israeli system achieves its goals because most Arabs refuse to vote, as a part of the fatal “all or nothing” scenario. The Arab way to “cut off your nose to spite your face” satisfies the angry Arab mind. Total rejection is better than “compromise” which is viewed as a shameful disgrace.
This Arab mindset was visible in Israel’s most recent municipal elections in which an Arab, Fuad Sliman (Suleiman) actually tried to win the office of Mayor of Jerusalem, the city Arabs claim is holy to their Muslim and Christian religions and sovereignty. Yet Arabs were unwilling to fight in a democratic system for Jerusalem. Worse, Sliman ran on Jewish Party lists, Meretz and Labor.
Some Arabs have run on Israeli Party lists, like Nadia Hilou who won a Knesset seat in 2006 on the Labor Party but was pilloried with criticism from angry “Nakba Arabs” who can’t see reason through their hatred. When I interviewed Ms. Hilou in 2007, I was attacked by Arab extremists who claimed Hilou embraces “normalization.”
Arab voters are told to boycott Israeli elections, and the majority do, resulting in their defeat. Jerusalem’s Jewish mayor is basically given a mandate to ignore the wishes of Arabs because they do not vote.
There are more than eight million Arabs in Israel, more than 20 percent of the population. Experts predict that if the Arab vote came out in force, the way African Americans vote in American elections, for example, they could win up to 20 seats in the Knesset.
From within, that 20-seat minority would give them the leverage to undermine Israeli fanatics, like Netanyahu’s often racist LYB Party, and form a coalition that could be more liberal and receptive to non-Jewish demands.
A 20-seat Arab minority party could change laws in Israel and protect the rights of Christian and Muslim Israeli citizens who are denied equality in policy and government funding.
They could change the face of Israel and make it a real democracy. But I think, maybe, the Arabs need to change their own face first if they ever plan to succeed at anything. One day, a smart and strategic Arab fed up with Arab-caused failures will work from within the system to change it.(http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140316198789)
Not in one’s interest
By Musa Keilani
Jordanian-Israeli relations will not be severed, nor will diplomatic ties be cut off.
The relations between the two states are firmly based on solid foundations. Neither an Israeli soldier serving at the King Hussein Bridge nor a Jordanian soldier serving at Baqura could shake the cornerstone of Jordan’s 1994 peace treaty with Israel.
It is not because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s foreign policy is farsighted, nor is it due to Jordan’s wise concept of strategic balance. The fact is that Jordan’s long-term interests demand that, and Israel’s priority options require faithful loyalty to the peace treaty, especially in view of the changes playing havoc with this volatile region.
The demonstrations around the Israeli embassy in Amman are expressions of frustration and anger, not with the murder of Raed Zuaiter only, but because of other issues as well; part of it is political and part the accumulative impact of the social conditions and poverty.
For decades, the higher common interests of Jordan and Israel dictated that they act in non-conventional ways.
In his book “The Lion of Jordan”, a biography of King Hussein, Prof. Avi Shleim, of Oxford University, describes how the echelons of power in the two countries coordinated in the 1950s and 1960s to meet the challenge of Nasserism threatening Jordan and the Arab world.
It is the same farsighted coordination that was pivotal during the internal troubles of September 1970, when the famous “plea for help” against the invading Syrian forces heading to Irbid materialised in the form of heavy military presence that served as a deterrent to those who wanted to topple the regime.
Demonstrators are chanting to abrogate the 1994 peace treaty with Israel, which states in its articles clauses that preserve Jordan’s custodianship of the Muslim holy places.
Many hardline Israelis will be more than happy with such abrogation, as it will give them a free hand to build the third temple there, since neither the one million-soldier Iraqi army, as it used to be a decade ago, or the two million-soldier Egyptian army, or what is left intact of the half a million-soldier Syrian army maintain any real tangible fighting capabilities currently to form a deterrent to the Israelis.
Jordanian hardliners and Israeli hardliners subsist off each other, they feed on each other’s slogans and extremism.
When the Jordanian branch of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) took the lead role in Jordan this week to protest the murder of Zuaiter, its Gaza branch took a similar role in the missile attacks against targets inside the occupied territories.
It is the PFLP’s decades-old dogma to win victory through violent escalation on all fronts. But such dogma is futile, counterproductive and is bound to boomerang eventually.
It might be a wise policy, domestically, to let the masses vent up their steam on Jordanian streets, and within the confines of the Parliament.
It is Jordan’s good fortune to have as the top decision maker His Majesty King Abdullah who has, as he said last week, “Jordan’s higher interests are the only priority”.(http://jordantimes.com/not-in-ones-interest)
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Opinions
Some advocates of realism and normalization and enthusiasts of any settlement with Israel, don't see anything wrong in recognition of Israel as a "Jewish State" or any other name Israel wants. Those are in a hurry of reaching a solution to get rid of their burden and rest, believing that such recognition of such a State, is not out of the familiar as long as Arabs and Palestinians arehelpless, and as long as the balance of power is in favor of Israel, and as long as the United States provides support and supplies to Israel’s superiority, in addition to providing it with political protection in international forums.
Those don’t realize that such recognition is beyond the issue of Palestinian rights and the liquidation of the Palestinian case,including the right of return and the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian State.
Recognition of a Jewish State means the acceptance of the Israeli narrative and all its mythologies, that all the land of Palestine belongs to the Jews, and there are no rights for Arabs and Muslims, it also means that all Arab and Islamic history of Palestine and Jerusalem is invalid. This means that 1400 years of Islamic history and the relationship of the city of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, the first kiblah and the third holiest site with Islam is just the tale that needs a proof, although it is in the basis of Islam,in addition to the existence of Canaanites (Arab Semites) 1200 years before Prophet Abraham, and 1700 years before Prophet Moses (peace be upon them), is not true.
Recognizing the Jewishness of the "Zionist entity" is accepting the fabrications of the Zionist movement and its claims to deny any civilization in Palestine, and claim it is the "promised land" for the Jewish people. History says that Canaanite cities in Palestine during the second millennium BC (before the Hebrew invasion) was full of manifestations of civilization and urbanization, agriculture and industry.
Recognition of the "Jewish State", is a recognition of the absolute right of Israel, and endorsing all its myths, and recognition that all Arab and Islamic history lacks evidence and credibility ... And yet, did we reach a point where we deny our history, and abandon one of the foundations of our faith and religious constants for a settlement that Israel and the United States want.(http://www.alkhaleej.ae/studiesandopinions/detailedpage/7293f0ed-53d2-41aa-893c-34e0713a78e5)
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