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Dec. 10, 2013
Daily summary - Tuesday, December 10, 2013
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Main News
Kerry uses prisoners for political blackmail; the Presidency refused to postpone the release of the third batch
Palestinian National Authority rejected yesterday Israeli reports which spoke about the possibility of postponing the release of a third batch of former prisoners from Israeli jails. Presidency spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeina, told AFP that "there will be no agreement without the prisoners, Jerusalem and all final status issues". Abu Rudeina said "we will not delay the release of prisoners and there will be no peace without Jerusalem." Maariv quoted Palestinian sources as saying that Kerry's Office informed the Palestinian negotiating team with his decision to postpone the release after rejecting Abbas rejected the US plan on security arrangements in the Jordan Valley, which was presented to both sides by Kerry during his recent trip to the region last week. Maarive said that Kerry is determined to reach an Israeli-Palestinian joint statement on progress in negotiations next month.Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization Yasser Abed Rabbo, said that the United States asks the Palestinians to make concessions in peace talks with Israel, in order to silence Israeli criticism of diplomatic track pursued by world powers dealing with Iran's nuclear program.(Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
Historic agreement to connect the Red Sea with the Dead Sea
Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan signed a historic agreement at World Bank headquarters in Washington on Monday, to dig a canal connecting the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, which is threatened by drought.The agreement was signed by Israeli Minister of Energy and Regional cooperation Silvan Shalom, Jordan's Minister of Water Resources Hazem Al-Nasir, and Palestinian Water Minister Shaddad Attili, according to Sky News.The agreement was achieved after arduous negotiations that lasted for years to slow the drought of the Dead Sea, and prevent natural disasters through transferring nearly 100 million cubic meters of water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea.(http://www.alquds.com/news/article/view/id/477354)
Western sources: American draft security agreement for 15 years
Western diplomatic sources revealed that the US Administration is preparing to submit a draft interim agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israel next month.A Western diplomat told the London-based newspaper “Al-Hayat” thatthe plan consists of two parts, political and security, adding that security was presented to President Mahmoud Abbas, and still being discussed in Palestinian-American meetings, while the political part will be submitted next month with security in the event of agreement on the latter. The source added: "The security part of the plan is a transitional security agreement of 15 years, while Israeli military presence in the West Bank is in the core of this agreement." Adding: "The plankeeps Israeli control over current sites and military points in the Valley, its access roads, with early warning stations in the West Bank Mountains."The source said: "the Palestinian side has agreed to international presence, and approved an Israeli presence during an agreed period of gradual withdrawal, but rejected Israeli military presence for 15 years"(http://safa.ps/details/news/117874/%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%83%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%91-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%AA%D9%87-15-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%8B.html)
Revealing a Jewish Synagogue and new excavations under Al-Aqsa; clashes in West Bank
Al-Aqsa Foundation revealed yesterday a Jewish synagogue for women, and the implementation of new and deep excavations beneath the Al-Aqsa Mosque, particularly under Bab Al-Selselah, up to a depth of about 8 meters. As Israeli forces continued their attacks against citizens and property in the West Bank, clashes broke out Friday evening in the village of Issawiya in occupied east Jerusalem, between young men and Israeli troops which raided several houses in the village, in addition to raiding the village of Beitin, north of Ramallah, following a claim by throwing stones at the settlers' cars passing near street (60), adjacent to the village. Israeli occupation forces declared a state of alert after throwing a Molotov bottle at a bus of settlers near the village of Beta, south of Nablus, and closed Za'tara checkpoint. (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
Netanyahu: we are not close to a final peace agreement with the Palestinians
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday, that any peace agreement will be subjected to an agreement of the Government.Netanyahu said during a Likud parliamentary block meeting that this step is correct in substance and that any political agreement will be approved by Government Ministers.Netanyahu added: “we are not close to signing a final agreement,” adding that "such an agreement has several conditions which if agreed upon a progress towards an agreement can be made."(Al-Quds)
Kerry starts a new visit to the region tomorrow
American Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman said the Secretary of State John Kerry would return to the region on Wednesday for talks with President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Jennifer Bosacki said in a statement that Kerry will meet Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem to discuss a number of issues including Iran, and the ongoing final status negotiations with the Palestinians. Bosacki added that Kerry will meet with President Abbas in Ramallah to discuss the final status negotiations and other issues.(Al-Ayyam)
Lapid: we cannot ‘swallow and digest’ 3 million Palestinians
Head of “Yesh Atid” party, Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid, said during a party meeting held yesterday, that Israel cannot swallow 3 million Palestinians.Lapid added: "I delivered a speech yesterday presenting our clear positions regarding the negotiations, and the need to move the peace process forward, but some tried to highlight some of the unimportant,the important thing is to say that we cannot swallow 3 million Palestinians, and Palestinians must realize that we hold fair and logical negotiations but also difficult."(Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
Ashrawi calls NBC to not produce a series on Jerusalem
Hanan Ashrawi, Member of the PLO Executive Committee called on US television station NBC to not producethe series "Dig" in occupied city of Jerusalem, since it “promotes the city's history as a Jewish city, the eternal capital of Israel.” Ashrawi, speaking on behalf of Palestinian Liberation Organization, said: "we call on NBC to withdraw their support for the production of drama series (Dig) and the cessation of its participation in this misinformation around Jerusalem, and to respect the resolutions of international legitimacy and abide by it, since it is being involved in the cover-up of violations by Israel and promote the city’s history and heritage as a Jewish city, the eternal capital of Israel," adding that “this means accepting and recognizing Israeli occupation and annexation of the eastern part of the city."(Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
British Government warns businessmen from dealing with settlements
The British Government warned businessmen and companies from signing deals with settlers that would cause them with legal and economic damage.The British Government published a warning on the foreign trade agency of the Government’s website, saying: "there are economic and legal risks in investing in settlements in the occupied areas, which are not recognized as part of Israel." Spokesman for the British Embassy in Tel Aviv, told Haaretz that the British Government advises businessmento keep them updated with regards to security risk since settlements are illegal.(Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
Haaretz: Romania refuses to send workers to Israel to work in settlements
Romania decided not to send workers to Israel for the Israeli Government's refusal to sign an agreement that prohibits it from sending workers to work in the settlements.Romania had refused to sign an agreement with Israel for its refusing to adhere to the non-employment in settlements, leading to lack of construction workers, which led to the cessation of the construction work in Israel and the settlements.(http://qudsnet.com/news/View/259737/%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%B6-%D8%A5%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84-%D9%84%D9%83%D9%8A-%D9%84%D8%A7-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AA/)
Occupation begin bulldozing landsof Al-Walajeh west of Bethlehem
Israeli bulldozers began Monday, razing agricultural land in Al-Walajeh village, west of Bethlehem. Owner of the land Hisham Abu Ali told “Wafa” that bulldozers of the Israeli occupation forces began since the early morning hours bulldozing areas near the Cremisan monastery west of Beit Jala,for a bypass road linking route 60 towards the monastery, resulting in the destruction of 40 olive trees. (http://www.wafa.ps/arabic/index.php?action=detail&id=164864)
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Headlines
** President leaves for South Africa to participate in the funeral of Mandela (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
** Zahhar confirmed the resumption of the relationship between Hamas and Iran (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
** Snow on Thursday, Interior Minister chairs an emergency meeting to discuss preparedness for storm (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
** Al-Azhar scholars accept the resignation of Al-Qaradawi (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
** Israel allows entry of construction materials for UN projects in Gaza (Al-Ayyam)
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Front Page Photos
Al- Quds:Jerusalem – Israeli bulldozers leveling agriculture lands in Walajeh west of Bethlehem yesterday.
Al-Ayyam:Construction building at Ma’ali Adomim settlement.
Al Hayat Al Jadida:Occupation bulldozer leveling land in Walajeh
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Voice of Palestine News
Nablus: A group of settlers from Yitzhar this morning threw stones at Palestinian cars near the village of Burin. The windshields of two cars were broken but no injuries were reported. The settlers closed the Zaatarah-Huwara road yesterday for about two hours, after which youths revolted. Many were arrested and later released, claiming that Palestinians threw firebombs at Israeli cars.
Also Israeli military has kept a presence near the Burqa village a week after handing out demolition orders for two houses and sheds there. It seems as though the demolitions will take place very soon.
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Voice of Palestine Interviews
**Head of the weather department, Yousef Abu Assad, on news of a cold front
Q: What can you tell us about this cold front coming our way?
A cold front will begin this evening with storms and rain, starting from the north and extending to the rest of the country. Tomorrow, the country will be affected by a polar front with heavy storms and hail. On Thursday, it will be very cold, rainy and there will be another drop in temperatures, with hail and then snow over areas above 900 meters, which includes Ramallah, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Hebron will get the most snow. Friday, the front will continue, with snow and rain. The cold front will continue until Sunday morning. This is going to be a very deep front. The temperatures will drop to 0 or less in Ramallah and Hebron.
**Maher Ghneim, minister of public works, on preparations for the cold front
Q: How ready is the infrastructure for dealing with cold front?
This year, we gave priority to preparing the infrastructure through preventative maintenance before the winter in addition to repairing all the damages to the infrastructure, namely streets, bridges and valleys. We also tried to develop them, especially in Tulkarm and Jenin, since they were hit the hardest. Things are better than last year. We also worked on our emergency intervention programs if floods arise, for example. We also call on citizens to follow instructions on how to deal with this kind of weather.
Q: What about the Bathan road, which collapsed in the Tulkarm area?
This road is a different story because it is about the collapse of a huge part of the mountain, not the road in itself. The ministry and other parties are monitoring this area to see how big the crack in the mountain is and the landslides that occur because of it.
Q: How about the Qalandia area where flooding takes place every year. Have you taken any measures to fix this?
In Qalandiya, we are trying to deal with it, but it hasn’t been solved completely. We are trying to remove some of the obstacles and transgressions that occurred there and still occur there in terms of the water flow. There are people who built in the water canals and others allow water to go straight onto the road. The problem needs efforts by all. But our ministry has tried to take some preventative measures so that waters do not rise too high.
**Journalist Fadi Al Asa, on confrontations in Dheisheh camp
Q: Are the confrontations still ongoing?
Just a while ago, Israeli troops withdrew from Dheisheh after arresting four people, including two brothers. Israeli troops raided homes and broke furniture, leading to the confrontations. Israeli troops fired tear gas and bullets at the citizens, with only reports on tear gas inhalation among the people.
Yesterday Israeli troops wounded two young men in Nahalin west of Bethlehem, who are now in hospital for treatment.
**Rafiq Al Natsheh, head of the anti-corruption commission, on efforts to curb corruption in Palestine
We are trying to build up our international relations in our fight against corruption even though the fact that we are not yet a state imposes limitations on us. But in Jordan for example, they have begun to try those we have charged with plundering public money in order for this money to be returned and for them to be extradited back to Palestine. Right now, Jordan is investigating into a case of an individual who allegedly stole NIS42 million. Egypt as well came out with a verdict that $40 million stolen were the property of the PA and they persecuted those involved. We have also returned land. Our problem is the money that was plundered outside the country since we are not a country. But we are still working on that front.
**Ola Awad, head of the PCBS, on corruption statistics in Palestine
Q: What are the most significant results you have come by from the surveys done?
One of the most important results I think is the difference in definition of corruption between the people and the anti-corruption law and also the expectations among the people. We found that there were around 22 “negative behaviors” identified in our corruption survey but many believed that these behaviors were part of corruption but were still outside of the anti-corruption law. Around 73% of individuals identify these behaviors as corruption. There were two surveys – one for family and one for civil servants, which addressed the most important types of corruption. The civil servant survey talked about 93% who said there was nepotism in the public sector and 86% in the private sector and civil society.
Q: Do you think these figures reflect reality or were some of the numbers unexpected?
If we talk about the types of corruption in Palestine, there was no surprise, especially in terms of nepotism, bribery and favoritism. These things are the most prevalent types of corruption in the country. However, what was unexpected was the gap in the definition of corruption by the citizens and what is or is not considered corruption according to the law. Another surprising thing was the gap between the people’s conviction of how much corruption there really is in Palestine.
**Hadi Shibli, deputy ambassador of Palestine in the EU, on the British warning against companies dealing with settlements
Q: How do you explain this warning? Is this a precursor to the EU decision on settlements?
Two weeks ago, Israel and the EU went through some very intense discussions over the 2020 project and now the British have put up this warning. I do believe things are slowly beginning to move along. The British officially warned against the economic ramifications for companies working with settlements in the occupied territories. We are hoping that other EU countries will follow Britain’s example and publish the letters on their ministry websites to warn companies in making deals or funding settlements, warning them of legal ramifications.
Q: Do you think the EU decision will actually go into effect at the start of the year?
No. We saw that Israel was not able to change the EU’s opinion thus far, so we are not afraid they will change their position now. There are some European countries did try to pressure the EU to help Israel – I won’t give any names – to change their guidelines or not publish them, but I believe Palestinian diplomacy scored a huge success in this regard in maintaining this position.
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More Headlines
Occupation shoots at farmers east of Qararah
Israeli occupation opened Tuesday morning intensive fire sporadically at agricultural land east of al-Qararah village, northeast of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, without causing casualties. “Safa” correspondent said that "towers along the so-called (Kissufim military site) east of the village fired intermittently towards agricultural land at 6: 30, and renewed firing at 7:10, intensively at agricultural areas." (http://safa.ps/details/news/117888.html)
5 Palestinians arrested in Hebron
Occupation forces arrested today five Palestinians from Hebron. Palestinian News Agency “Wafa”, quoted Coordinator of the National Committee to resist the wall and settlements Ratib Al-Jbour, as saying Israeli forces raided the Juba region east of Yatta before dawn and arrested citizens Hany Salama Shehadeh Makhamra, 34 years old, and his brother Ziad, 29 years old, and took them to an unknown destination, after searching several houses. Coordinator of the Popular Committee to resist the wall and settlements in Beit Omar Mohammed Awad, said that Israeli occupation forces arrested citizens Ayman Nawaf Ahmed Sabarneh (38 years old) and Mohammed Kamel Mussa Baher (25 years old), after breaking their homes’ doors and searching them. Occupation forces also raided Dura, southwest of Hebron, and arrested Rami Abu Zneid. (http://www.alquds.com/news/article/view/id/477411)
Arresting 5 Palestinians from Dheisheh refugee camp
Occupation forces arrested at dawn today, five young men from the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem during raids. The young men are brothers, Murad Mohammad Hassan Zaghari (22 years old), and Ashraf Zaghari (20 years old), and Hassan (18 years old) and Tamer Shuebat (21 years old), and Mohammed Nasser Abed Rabbo (20 years old). (http://www.alquds.com/news/article/view/id/477387)
Settlers runs over two girls in Beit Jala
A settler ran over two girls near the headquarters of the Israeli military liaison (DCO) in the town of Beit Jala near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank today morning. Local sources said that Palestinian medical crews transported the two to a hospital in the city, to receive medical treatments. (http://safa.ps/details/news/117887.html)
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Arab Press
Who is a Semite?
Jordan Times Editorial
Israel is “upset” because the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights removed the “working definition on anti-Semitism” from its website in “a clear-out of non-official documents”.
Anti-Semitism, clearly a misnomer since Arabs are also Semites, yet no criticism of any Arab nation or people is labelled anti-Semitic, has been tailored to suit Israel’s interests.
It is a label applied to anyone daring to criticise Israel’s practices, one that carries a pretty high price tag in many world countries.
Thus, anyone stating that the state of Israel is a racist endeavour would have been considered, as per the EU definition, an anti-Semite, quite mystifying when bearing in mind the fact that Israel claims and aims to be a “Jewish” state, in total disregard of the Muslim and Christian population there.
Branding one as anti-Semite is often an effective way of stopping (trying, at least) legitimate criticism of the Israeli government’s human rights record, which is abysmal when it comes to the Palestinians.
Israel insists on its own definition of anti-Semitism — conveniently omitting the fact that Arabs are Semites too — in order to advance the cause of Zionism and deprive the Palestinians of their legitimate rights.
The removal of the “working definition on anti-Semitism” from the EU agency’s website, in November this year, is a move that other international organisations, including UN human rights fora, should follow. (http://jordantimes.com/who-is-a-semite)
A bad U.S. deal
The Daily Star Editorial
“He is treating our issues with a high degree of indifference,” a senior Palestinian official said Monday about U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s current Middle East security proposals. The Palestinians were very right to reject the offer, as it only benefits Israel, in a move by the U.S. to placate Tel Aviv over Iran fears.
The American promise of significant development in the peace talks by the end of the year was always an ambitious one. But that progress will never be achieved as long as the U.S. continues to prioritize a desire to soothe the Israeli lobby in Washington over securing justice and equality for the Palestinian people.
Kerry, whose frequent visits to the region originally seemed to indicate he had something new up his sleeve for the peace process, has revealed himself to be as little committed to the Palestinian cause as all his predecessors. Positing himself as an honest broker for the long-stalled talks, Kerry is neither honest nor a broker, as his security proposals announced last Thursday indicate. He is not some objective middleman, but merely a representative of an administration that is so afraid of pushing Israel away that it is prepared, once again, to neglect any genuine pursuit of freedom for the Palestinian people.
It is not without coincidence that this latest proposal, which would see Israel allowed to continue expansion in the Jordan Valley, allegedly to assuage its security concerns, comes soon after the Geneva deal with Iran that was welcomed internationally but derided by Israel as a dangerous move. Offering up Palestine to placate Israel over regional issues is not new, and this act of appeasement is the latest attempt by world powers to use the Palestinians. But that does not make it any less galling.
Even without the Iran agreement, the timing of Kerry’s announcement is frankly offensive. At such a volatile time for the Middle East, what with the ongoing war in Syria, the conflict’s knock-on tensions in Turkey, the Levant and the Gulf, and the continued Arab Spring fallout in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, Arab leaders do not have time to dedicate to the Palestinian cause, and the Americans realize this.
The Palestinians are therefore completely within their rights to reject this noxious plan, which does nothing to further their cause but is only concerned with the interests of the Israelis. The Palestinian situation could not get much worse now, so why accept a “security plan” that gives the advantage to Israel? The wisest thing to do now would be to continue lobbying around the world and find partners in those states that are beginning, finally, to see Israel for the oppressive state it is. The U.S., while purporting to stand for ethics and justice, seems to have forgotten the meanings of the words.(http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Editorial/2013/Dec-10/240476-a-bad-us-deal.ashx#axzz2n3ZxiPP8)
The 'long journey' to Palestine
By Ghada Karmi
This December will be remembered as the month which saw Nelson Mandela's passing, a landmark event ending the epic life of a man who left a legacy of compassion for all who suffered injustice, not least the Palestinians. He spoke about the "injustice and gross human rights violations being perpetrated in Palestine", and famously asserted, "We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians..." It is a fitting coincidence that this same month also marks the anniversary of an international attempt to reverse that most egregious and persistent of all the injustices done to Palestinians: Their displacement and dispossession in 1948.
On December 11, it will be 65 years since the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 194, which called on the newly formed Israeli state to repatriate the displaced Palestinians, "wishing to live in peace with their neighbours…at the earliest practicable date", and to compensate them for their losses. A Conciliation Commission was set up for the purpose of overseeing the reparation.
Though it was never implemented, Resolution 194 is the legal basis for the "right of return" to which Palestinians have clung for 65 years. In the decades since it was passed, the Palestinian refugees, far from going home, went on to become a semi-permanent feature of the Arab landscape, inhabiting camps, out of sight and frequently out of mind. With the world's attention currently focused on the refugee crisis in Syria, they have slipped even further from view.
While for the Syrian refugees a possibility exists that a time could come when they might go back to their country, no such return is remotely in the cards for the Palestinians.
Forgotten, again
The Syrian crisis is truly tragic, but it is well to remember that it does not involve Syrians only. Among the 2 million Syrians estimated to have been displaced in the conflict since 2011, there are some 270,000 Palestinians, or about half the 540,000 who used to live in Syrian UN camps, made refugees now for a second time. They have attracted far less attention, but their fate is far worse. Those who fled to Lebanon or Jordan, have found little support there and cannot return to Syria since two-thirds of their camps have been destroyed or have become war zones.
While for the Syrian refugees a possibility exists that a time could come when they might go back to their country, no such return is remotely in the cards for the Palestinians. Had Resolution 194 been implemented, this question would never have arisen.
Despite that, and the decades that have passed since 1948, the resolution remains on the statute books and still provides the legal underpinning of the Palestinian right to return. Hardly anyone mentions it by name now, but it haunts the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and presents an insurmountable obstacle in all peace negotiations so far. To evade it, the refugee issue has either been deferred to some undefined end date in these talks, or more recently used as a bargaining chip to obtain concessions from Israel if it were revoked.
The 2002 Arab Peace Plan referred ambiguously to a "just solution" for the refugee question without specifying it, and the current US-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian negotiations have proposed a token refugee return to Israel, with the rest going to the Palestinian state if it can accommodate them. In other words, the right of return would be scarified as compensation for Israel's agreement to a peace deal.
Israel's resoluteness
It is Israel's continuing obduracy in the face of Resolution 194, and of natural justice, that has brought this situation about. From the start, Israel rejected UN demands for Palestinian repatriation, even though the terms of its admission to UN membership required adherence to UN resolutions, including 194. When the UN Mediator for Palestine, Swedish diplomat Count Bernadotte, appalled by the refugees' plight, tried to push for repatriation in line with Resolution 194, dissidents from the Israeli Irgun organisation under Menachem Begin (later Israel's prime minister) assassinated him in September 1948.
Nothing has succeeded in shifting Israel's opposition. In 65 years, that country has not repatriated a single refugee, nor ever acknowledged its responsibility for creating the refugee problem, or even apologised for its deeds in 1948, demanding instead that the refugees settle in other states and find compensation from international funds. This policy of denial has served Israel well. When another quarter-million Palestinians were displaced in the 1967 war, they were, likewise, never allowed back, but with less international censure this time. Over the years, slower but on-going expulsions of Palestinians from lands under Israel's occupation, have also gone unremarked. Currently, the Israeli government is proposing to dispossess a further 40,000 Palestinians, Bedouins from the Negev, and take over their lands, the so-called Prawer Plan, thus creating more internal refugees. No international action seems forthcoming to prevent Israel from going through with this ruthless plan.
In ignoring the Palestinian right of return, Israel has been guided all along by its first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion's thinking. On July 18, 1948, he wrote in his diary, "We must do everything to ensure they [the Palestinian refugees] never do return. The old will die and the young will forget."
But despite Israel's best efforts and the betrayal of their rights by the world powers and various Arab leaderships, Palestinians have not forgotten.
Documented suffering
In their lone fight against oblivion, comes news of an important initiative by UNRWA, the UN agency set up in 1949 to care for the Palestinian refugees, which will support them in that effort. It is not well-known that the UNRWA archive has kept a rich record of the Palestinian refugee experience in photographs, videos and films from the earliest days until now. It consists of vivid images of Palestinians in various stages of becoming refugees: forced to leave their homes in 1948; the establishment of their refugee camps in the 1950s; their second refugee exodus in 1967; the refugees in Lebanon; and the lives of the refugee communities from the 1980s to the 21st century.
Much of this priceless collection, half-a-million images chronicling the history and development of the refugee tragedy, is to be digitised and thus preserved for posterity, a massive and costly project already registered on UNESCO's "Memory of the World Register". It will be available to writers, academics, researchers and journalists, but most of all to generations of Palestinians who will learn about their history and know it will be safe from future destruction by those, such as Israel, eager to delete the past.
Some of this has already happened. In the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, and the Israeli assault on Gaza in 2008, Israel confiscated or destroyed an unknown number of UNRWA's documents. While much of the archive was moved from place to place for safety, the digitisation project will protect it for good.
The UNRWA project was launched in Jerusalem at the end of November with a superb exhibition, "The Long Journey", containing never before seen photographs of the refugee exodus in its earliest days, dating back to the late 1940s and 1950s. It is planned that the exhibition will go on tour, to be shown in several Arab countries, and possibly in Europe. But, wherever it goes it deserves the widest possible audience for bringing back to public consciousness an issue deliberately marginalised, neglected, and traduced for 65 years.(http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/12/long-journey-palestine-201312944419714964.html)
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Opinions
The ‘pipelines” of a permanent solution
By Fahed Kheetan
The Jordanian government avoids announcing joint projects with Israel because of the popular position which rejects any form of normalization with it. Meanwhile, the Israeli press – with Israeli ministers and officials behind this – usually take it upon themselves to uncover this information to the public. Then, when the Jordanian government finds itself forced to respond, most of the time it leans towards denial; however, official denies are not usually proven credible most of the time.
Two weeks ago, the government insisted on denying Israeli reports about a joint economic zone which the two sides are planning to establish at the border, even though the details given in the Israeli press and the Israeli cabinet decision both indicate that there is not much room for doubt that there is an actual plan to inaugurate the joint project on both sides of the border.
Yesterday, we learned, also from the Israeli press, that the Jordanian minister of water and irrigation, Hazem Nasser, headed to Washington to sign an agreement for laying a pipeline between the Red and Dead Seas on the Israeli and Palestinian sides. This pipeline will be an alternative to Dead Sea-Red Sea project. It is noteworthy that this step comes in tandem with several parliamentarians putting forth a memo to cancel the peace treaty law with Israel!
The project will be established entirely on Jordanian soil and both the Israelis and Palestinians will have to pay money in exchange for obtaining amounts of desalinated water. If this ‘pipeline’ ever sees the light of day, it will be the first joint project between Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
This means a lot, at a time when American diplomacy is throwing all of its weight into brokering a historic deal between the Palestinians and Israelis. The negotiations in this regard are focused largely these days on security arrangements at the joint border between the three sides including the land around it. This is a point of contention for which the US Secretary of State has called on dozens of military and security experts from Washington to formulate a comprehensive vision that would respond to Israel’s security fears and also to the aspirations of the Palestinians in an independent entity where they enjoy the maximum possible forms of sovereignty.
It is clear that the form of joint projects such as the Dead Sea-Red Sea pipeline, the joint economic zone, the airport directly at the Jordanian border in Aqaba and other future projects such as importing gas from Israel, are designating the new landmarks of the relationship between the three parties.
All of these developments make Jordan, not only close, but completely immersed in all of the arrangements pertaining to the deal Kerry is seeking to reach between the Palestinians and Israelis. This of course includes security and military aspects, especially with regards to the border and the quandary of the Jordan Valley, which is highly controversial.
The nature of the current discussions between the Palestinians and Israelis under the unremitting sponsorship of the Americans, confirm that the core issues in the conflict such as refugees, Jerusalem and borders are no longer the basic ones because other files have begun to surpass them such as water, security arrangements, borders and the boundaries of sovereignty both over land and air. There are also topics such as economic activity, without which a viable Palestinian state cannot be established, according to the Americans.
Many on both sides of the conflict doubt the possibility of reaching a historical agreement during within the time allotted for the negotiations. Perhaps these people will win from a political sense; because how many rounds of negotiations have ended in failure before? But for sure, the joint projects will move forward such as the pipeline one, and will impose a reality that cannot be ignored for a long time.
Economic cooperation is evidence that the two conflicting parties have reached the end goal. This is the Israeli approach and their understanding of the historical solution in Palestine. (http://www.alghad.com/index.php/afkar_wamawaqef2/article/34753.html)
To whom will we pay the price of the American-Iranian agreement?
Al Quds Editorial
The agreement, which America brokered with Iran over its nuclear file raised the extreme ire of Israel, as we all know, and led to tension in the relationship between the American administration and the Netanyahu government. US Secretary of State John Kerry came to the region and held lengthy talks with both sides, surprisingly bringing with him official proposals for security arrangements. These arrangements included everything that would make Israel happy and meet its expansionist aspirations, without any consideration to the national rights of the Palestinians.
The proposals speak about an Israeli military presence in the Jordan Valley and joint Palestinian-Israeli control over the borders, after which there would be an Israeli withdrawal from ‘most” of the Palestinian territories. What is funny and sad at the same time is that most of this talk means nothing at all. Because if Israel is in control of the Jordan Valley, the settlements remain in place and Jerusalem stays ‘united” like they want, then what land are they talking about? The proposals did not talk about a halt to or removal of settlements, nor did it mention Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state, or call for a halt to its judiazation and the displacement of its residents. Its interests were limited to the security arrangements that Israel wants.
This has only made matters worse and more complicated. Kerry himself was the one who announced the halt of the release of the third batch of long-serving prisoners, which had already been agreed on. Furthermore, the United States informed the PA that going to international organizations to become a member was considered a ‘red line’ that could not be crossed. And on top of all this, they want to extend the period of negotiations beyond the nine months that Washington itself suggested, so that, according to their dreams, all of the components of the “Palestinian surrender” could be completed.
It is clear that the United States wants us Palestinians to pay the price for its agreement with Iran. It is trying to appease Israel and compensate it for what it considers a setback for Netanyahu’s extreme positions towards Iran, by fulfilling all of its ambitions in the West Bank. At least this is what it looks like from America’s proposals and positions.
The official Palestinian position was clear, which is absolute rejection and condemnation of all of these compromises. The Palestinian popular position was even tougher and more rejecting and condemning of all these American efforts. In general, Palestinian public opinion and national forces and factions reject any extension of the period for these futile negotiations, which have served as a cover for all of Israel’s measures. Everyone is convinced they will not result in any positive outcomes, something the Palestinian negotiator himself has confirmed and he is more informed than the rest of us about goes on in these secret and public negotiations.
The Palestinian response must be clear from today in light of these American proposals towards the negotiating process, which is that there can be no extension or continuation of them. Furthermore, all Palestinian leaders must reassess the situation and take the necessary and possible steps to confront this reality and these facts, especially in light of the disgraceful Arab and Islamic silence. (http://www.alquds.com/news/article/view/id/477360)
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