In the wake of U.S. – Israeli talks last week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hailed Israel’s offer to restrain settlement expansion as unprecedented. On November 2 she told reporters in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh that “the Israelis have responded to the call of the U.S., the Palestinians and the Arab world to stop settlement activity by expressing a willingness to restrain settlement activity.” She called this offer a positive step, but acknowledged that the offer still falls short of Washington’s wishes, but did say that “if it is acted upon, it will be an unprecedented restriction on settlements and would have a significant and meaningful effect on restraining their growth.”
The response from the Palestinians and Arab states was not as favorable. Palestinians were stunned by Clinton’s declaration, considering that the offer Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made was to limit construction in the West Bank to some 3,000 additional housing units. Arab League Secretary-General Amir Moussa also indicated a deep disappointment with the failure of talks last week to produce greater pressure for a freeze on settlement-building in the West Bank. At a conference in Morocco Moussa told reporters "I am telling you that all of us, including Saudi Arabia, including Egypt, are deeply disappointed… with the results, with the fact that Israel can get away with anything without any firm stand that this cannot be done.”
In the midst of growing frustrations with the stalled peace talks that seem to be leading nowhere, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced his retirement on November 5 in Ramallah. In a televised address he said "I have informed the PLO Executive Committee and Fatah's Central Committee that I do not intend to seek a second term in the upcoming 24 January 2010 election." He went on to say that "this decision is not up for debate or negotiation." Abbas has said that the decision came as a result of the international community’s indifference of Israel’s unwillingness to implement a complete settlement freeze. He also said the decision was made when he realized that the U.S. would continue to favor Israel and the settlement enterprise, and would not alter its position on the issue.
Reflecting on the desire to achieve a two-state solution Abbas said "month after month, year after year, there has been procrastination and an increase of Israeli settlements on our land, which compromise the credibility of peace talks. But the problem to be resolved is that Israel, especially its current government which, while dismissing all of this, calls for negotiations" and meanwhile "continues settlements throughout the West Bank, especially east Jerusalem.” Abbas says the settlements in east Jerusalem are “intended to unprecedentedly alter its Arab nature by destroying Palestinian houses while seizing and stifling the Christian and Muslim population."
Yet it wasn’t only frustration with the peace process and the continual U.S. backing of Israel that prompted his decision not to seek a second term. He also cited refusal of the de facto Hamas leadership in Gaza to sign an inter-Palestinian reconciliation agreement, accusing Hamas of undermining what he called Egypt’s honest efforts to broker an agreement. He said the refusal to sign the document greatly benefits Israel, allowing them to maintain that there is no Palestinian partner for peace.
Abbas went on to suggest that the de facto Hamas leadership reconsider what he called “its destructive policies” while telling the Israeli government and public that peace "is more important than any political gain to any political party. Peace is more important than (maintaining) a coalition government that pushes the region toward an abyss."
Reaction to Abass’ announcement has been swift and strong. Both Israeli and American officials have expressed concern about the future of peace talks without Abbas, and fear a political crisis in his absence. Israeli President Shimon Peres called Abbas in an attempt to persuade him to stay, saying he feared a potential Hamas takeover in the West Bank. He also told Abbas that he believes the Palestinians will lose their chance for an independent state without him, and that ultimately diplomatic conditions will only deteriorate if he doesn’t seek a second term. Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu echoed these sentiments, indicating that a strong and bolstered Abbas was in Israel’s best interest, and that any agreement with the Palestinians could not be reached with anyone else.
Meanwhile on November 6 supporters of Abbas held rallies in the West Bank urging the President to reconsider. Branches of the Fatah movement in Ramallah, Jericho and Qalqiliya called their members to demonstrate in a show of support for him. In Qalqiliya, they drove through the streets with banners and loudspeakers in an effort to persuade him to run for reelection in January. However Abbas insists that his decision is final, and that he will not be persuaded to change his mind.
A day after the Palestinian President made his announcement, the UN General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution endorsing the Goldstone report. The report accused both Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity during Operation Cast Lead, Israel’s 23-day long assault on the Gaza Strip last winter.
The report calls for both parties to conduct independent investigations in response to the allegations. The resolution passed on November 6 by a large margin of 114 to 18, with 44 member-nations abstaining. The resolution calls first for the endorsement of independent investigations, after which the resolution asks that the report be taken up by the UN Security Council.
The UN General Assembly President Ali Treki called the vote "an important declaration against impunity,” which “is a call for justice and accountability.” Treki went on to suggest that a peaceful resolution can’t be reached without justice. Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour applauded the vote as well, and said the implementation of the Goldstone report would happen in stages.
According to Voice of America, Mansour suggested that within three months, the UN General Assembly will come back together to consider further action in all parts of the United Nations, including in the Security Council, although the resolution itself is non-binding. Nonetheless, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has been asked to pass the report on to the Security Council for further consideration, and he has said the Security Council will begin discussions of the Goldstone report at the earliest opportunity. However the 5 permanent members of the 15-member council, the U.S., the UK, Russia, France, and China have all signaled they are opposed to the council’s involvement, and are unlikely to recommend any further action on the report.
Finally, protestors in Bi’lin and Ni’lin dedicated this week’s demonstration to commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. At the November 6 demonstration, protestors in Ni’lin actually managed to breach an 8 meter high piece of Israel’s wall using a hydraulic car jack. They were able to push it near tipping point, but were not able to push it all the way down. Israeli military forces responded to the breach by firing large amounts of tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and even live ammunition, according to protest organizer Ahmad Mesleh.
UN Resolution 1325
Date posted: February 03, 2021
By MIFTAH
Kerry talks peace while Israel bars UNESCO mission [May 19 - May 25]
Date posted: May 25, 2013
By MIFTAH
President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both met with US Secretary of State John Kerry this week in the latter’s fourth visit to the region since he assumed office.
After meeting with the two to ostensibly find ways to restart stalled negotiations between the two sides, Kerry urged on May 24 both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to take "hard decisions" to revive the peace process.
"We're getting toward a time now when hard decisions need to be made," he said at the end of his visit.
Kerry admitted a day before after meeting with the two leaders that there was skepticism and cynicism about his efforts to revive talks.
"I know this region well enough to know there is skepticism, in some quarters there is cynicism, and there are reasons for it. There have been bitter years of disappointment," he said. Still, he maintained: "It is our hope that by being methodical, careful, patient, but detailed and tenacious, that we can lay on a path ahead that can conceivably surprise people and certainly exhaust the possibilities for peace."
British foreign secretary William Hague was also in the region visiting with leaders on both sides and even visited the Bedouin community of Khan Al Ahmar between Jerusalem and Jericho, whose residents are under the threat of displacement.
On May 23, Hague was poignantly clear on where his country stands on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. "Israel has lost some of its support in Britain and in other European countries over time - this is something I've often pointed out to Israeli leaders -because of settlement activity, which we condemn,” he said.
"We strongly disagree with settlements on occupied land. Israel is a country we work with in many ways but we do disapprove of settlements,” he maintained, adding that: "We want to see both Israelis and Palestinians really commit themselves to the peace process while there is still a chance of a two-state solution."
In Khan al Ahmar, Hague listened to the residents’ grievances from Israeli efforts to push them out to make way for more settlement expansion. "We (in Britain) strongly condemn the building of settlements and recognise they are a severe threat to a two-state solution,” he told the people there.
On March 21, Israeli forces demolished two residential buildings in the Jabal al-Mukabbir in East Jerusalem. Earlier, they demolished two Palestinian homes in al-Tur, all under the pretext of unlicensed construction. Dozens of people have been left homeless from the demolitions.
A UNESCO fact-finding mission was supposed to arrive this week to look into Israeli measures in the Old City of Jerusalem and their impact on the archeological, cultural and heritage significance of the place, but was denied entry by Israel on May 20. Israel justified its decision by saying Palestinians were trying to politicize the visit.
"The Palestinians were not respecting the understandings,” an Israeli foreign ministry official said. “The visit was supposed to be professional, (but) they were taking measures that showed they were politicizing the event and not letting the delegation focus on professional sides of it," the official said.
UNESCO maintained that the mission was not cancelled, but postponed, the agency’s spokeswoman Sue Williams said.
The Palestinians said they expected Israel to pull something like this. “We weren't surprised by this decision because we believed that Israel's agreement to (allow the mission) was not convincing," minister of foreign affairs Riyad Al Malki said.
The Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt was reopened on May 22 after a five day closure. Egyptian soldiers and policemen closed the crossing following the kidnapping of seven Egyptian soldiers in Sinai, only reopening it after the soldiers were freed. Over 2,400 Palestinians had been stranded on both sides of the crossing during the days of the closure.
Extremist Israelis extended their attacks this week all the way to the Negev desert. On May 19, residents of the Retamim Kibbutz attacked the nearby Bedouin village of Bir Hadaj and set fire to a tent, according to head of the local village council, Salman Ibin Hamid
"The setters of Retamim are acting like they are in the West Bank," Ibn Hamid said. "These people have the mentality of the occupying settler to attack every Arab."
Finally, on May 23, the US appointed Gen. John Allen as special envoy on security issues in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. According to a US official, Allen will deal with the U.S. position on Israeli security needs and the security arrangements that would accompany the establishment of a future Palestinian state.
Al Nakba commemorated amid increasing settler attacks [May 12 - May 18]
Date posted: May 18, 2013
By MIFTAH
This week Palestinians commemorated the 65th anniversary of the Nakba, the catastrophe of 1948 on May 15, with a variety of activities, demonstrations and events throughout the Palestinian territories and outside of its borders. Festivals were held in Ramallah and Nablus in addition to several protests and confrontations with Israeli occupation forces. In Jerusalem, clashes broke out between protesters and Israeli police and border guards when Palestinians commemorating Al Nakba, raising Palestinian flags and facing off with Jewish settlers and soldiers. Thirty people were wounded or arrested during the clashes in addition to six Israelis.
The Jerusalem clashes come at a time when settler break-ins to Al Aqsa have been on the rise amid increasing calls by extremist Jewish groups to make a presence at the compound. The break-ins have become a near daily event. Muslim worshippers and Palestinian youths have kept constant vigil at the mosque to stave off the break-ins which included settler groups who used children as a cover to enter the compound on the occasion of Shavuot.
Settlers in the West Bank have wreaked havoc this week as well. On May 17, three Palestinians were injured in clashes in Urif south of Nablus when dozens of settlers set fire to lands in three area-villages: Urif, Einabus, and Asira al-Qibliya. The settlers also attacked citizens and threw burning tires at people’s homes.
Jewish extremists attacked inside the Green Line as well. On May 14, extremists set fire to three cars and sprayed racist graffiti on a mosque south of Haifa, according to Israeli media reports.
"Price-tag" and "Eviatar," which is thought to refer to the name of a settler stabbed to death last week, were found on the mosque’s walls in addition to the Star of David. In Safed, even farther north, racist graffiti with the words "Arabs out" was found on walls in the city.
On May 13, Israeli settlers exhumed a number of graves and sprayed racist graffiti in the Sawiya village in Nablus. Ghassan Daghlas, head of the PA settlement activity file, said settlers from the Alia settlement were responsible for the damage.
On the same day settlers from Tel Hatimar begin building a religious school for children on Al Khader lands in the Bethlehem area.
The Israeli army meanwhile, uprooted over 1,200 olive tree saplings on May 16 and razed land Palestinian farmer in the northern West Bank, according to Daghlas. He said the army dug up over 40 dunums of farm land and demolished a water tank and stone walls in Ras Karker, near Nablus.
On May 17, three Palestinian laborers were wounded in Beit Ula northwest of Hebron after Israeli forces fired rubber-coated steel bullets and unleashed police dogs at them according to Issa al-Amla, coordinator for the popular struggle committee. He said Omar Al-Amla, 31, and Abdulkadir Al-Amla, 28, suffered multiple dog bites to the neck and hands. A third laborer, Jihad Saleem, was shot in the leg.
In Jerusalem on May 17, Israeli forces raided the home of Iyad al-Awar and insisted on taking his two children 6-year-old Qassam and 5-year-old Nasrallah for “interrogation”. While their father prevented the forces from arresting his boys, Israeli soldiers handed him a warrant ordering him to bring his children to the Russian Compound for questioning.
"We arrived to the Russian Compound and the troops wanted to take my kids for investigation; I refused and they beat me in the ear and the leg. My kids started crying and were so scared from the troops. They took my kids by force," al-Awar said.
Israeli Intelligence officers apparently questioned the children about their detained cousin Shadad, and asked if they had seen him throwing stones or Molotov cocktails at Israeli forces, Al Awar said.
On the same day however, Palestinians scored a tiny victory in the Jerusalem suburb of Abu Dis when they were able to tear a hole through part of the separation wall. Protesters marking the Nakba anniversary ripped a 4-meter hole in it, eyewitnesses said. Clashes ensued between the protesters and Israeli soldiers who fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets. Several injuries were reported.
Peace Now reported on May 16 that the Israeli government planned to grant retroactive approval to four West Bank settlement outposts it had previously pledged to at least partially demolish.
The Israeli state attorney's office said that settlers had purchased the private Palestinian land on which they built, thus paving the way for the government to give its blessing.
"In the response, the government declares its intention to legalize four outposts, in isolated areas," Peace Now said in a statement, adding that the strategy was an affront to US Secretary of State John Kerry's efforts to revive dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. "The intention to legalize outposts as new settlements is no less than a slap in the face of Secretary Kerry's new peace process," Peace Now said.
On May 14, Hamas and Fatah agreed in Cairo to form a national unity government within three months during which they would finalize and approve the Palestine National Council elections law. The two sides, represented by Fatah leader Azzam Al Ahmad and Hamas politburo member Mousa Abu Marzouq, came to the agreement under Egyptian sponsorship and said President Abbas would immediately begin talks on the new government formation. Once the government is formed, general elections can be held.
