Palestinians continued to urge the international community this week to force Israel into halting its settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian areas. On January 13, President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinians had drafted a proposal and are lobbying for a Security Council resolution that would declare Jewish settlements illegal and an obstacle to peace. Abbas even said his people used the same wording as the US Secretary of State to avoid any vetoing by the US.
During a televised speech on the occasion of Fateh's anniversary, Abbas said the Palestinians demanded a new peace plan based on UN Security Council resolutions and the establishment of a Palestinian state along the '67 borders. On January 14, members of the Quartet Committee (the UN, US, EU and Russia) said they would discuss the Middle East situation at the Munich Security Conference in early February. According to the German government, the move was part of an "urgent bid" to renew peace talks.
The call came after several botched up attempts to get the negotiating process back on track. The Palestinians refuse to return to the table without a complete halt to settlement activity while Israel refuses to heed the call. On January 14, the Israeli media said Abbas had reportedly rejected an off-the-record offer by Netanyahu to move towards an interim peace rather than a final settlement, meaning that core issues such as Jerusalem, settlements and refugees would be delayed until a further date. Israel later denied that any offer had been made.
Meanwhile, US envoy George Mitchell was back in the region for meetings with leaders from the two sides on January 13. While the US claimed it was trying to find ways to revive the peace process, it reiterated its opposition to a Palestinian proposal for a UN resolution condemning Israel's settlement building. According to State Department spokesperson Philip Crowley, Washington thinks the UN is "the wrong forum to address these complex issues." Rather, he said, Israelis and Palestinians should "find a way back to direct negotiations as the only way" to resolve their differences.
Abbas, in response, told Al-Jazeera satellite channel on January 13 that the Palestinians would agree to return to peace talks only if the United States agreed to recognize a state within the 1967 borders and adhere to security accords reached during the Bush administration.
Barring the obvious failure of the negotiations, Palestinians were emboldened by the many declarations of recognition received from several world countries, particularly in South America. On January 13, Guyana became the seventh South American nation to recognize an independent Palestinian state. According to the country's foreign ministry, Guyana hoped that "the increasing recognition of the state of Palestine will contribute to a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the creation of lasting peace and stability in the region." Guyana's announcement came after similar declarations of recognition from Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile.
In the last week of December, President Abbas opened the first Palestinian embassy in Brazil, also the first in both Americas. During the ceremony, the president thanked Brazil for its recognition saying it was a "favor we will never forget."
On the ground, however, it was business as usual where settlements are concerned. In east Jerusalem, where illegal settlements continue to expand almost on a daily basis, an Israeli demolition company began to tear down the historic Shepherd's Hotel on January 10 in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. On January 12, despite international protests from Europe, the United States, the UN and other parties, the demolition continued. Jewish settlers, already planning to build 20 Jewish-only homes in the place of the hotel, also reportedly declared their intention to build an addition 50 homes in the vicinity. According to right-wing Israeli activists, plans are to turn part of the building into a synagogue commemorating victims of the Holocaust.
Meanwhile, the Husseini family, who claim original ownership of the building, appealed to the Israeli Supreme Court, demanding a halt to construction. The hotel, which was reportedly sold to Jewish millionaire and settler advocate Irving Moskovitch, is shady, says the family and the ownership is still in their hands. The claims were rejected on January 11 by a Jerusalem District Court judge, who also removed the injunction preventing the start of construction work.
Even the US was miffed by the move. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton chided Israel for the destruction of the hotel during a visit to Abu Dhabi. "This disturbing development undermines peace efforts to achieve the two state-solution," she said. "In particular, this move contradicts the logic of a reasonable and necessary agreement between the parties on the status of [occupied] Jerusalem."
Netanyahu of course claims the sale and subsequent building is legal, reiterating Israel's stance that all of Jerusalem is Israeli. But this did not stop European consulates in Jerusalem from expressing their dissatisfaction with Israel's seeming impunity in carrying out violations of international law.
On January 9, European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement that she strongly condemns the demolition of the Shepherd Hotel and the future construction of "an illegal settlement." Ashton, often outspoken about Israeli violations in the Palestinian territories, noted that the settlements were illegal according to international law, adding that east Jerusalem was part of occupied territory and that the EU does not recognize Israel's annexation.
The British government also berated Israel for the move. "This latest settlement activity does not help – on the contrary, it raises tensions unnecessarily," said Britain's Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt.
On January 10 a report by 25 heads of European diplomatic missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah surfaced in the media. The report said east Jerusalem should be treated as the capital of the Palestinian state. The European diplomats, mainly consuls, also recommend that EU officials and politicians refuse to visit Israeli government offices located beyond the Green Line, that they decline any Israeli security in the Old City and elsewhere in east Jerusalem and that settlement products should be more restricted in EU markets.
On January 13, Israeli media reports said the Israeli Jerusalem municipality and tourism ministry have invested NIS 2 million to build a Jewish museum in the heart of Silwan. The project, overseen by the right-wing Elad settlement fund is to be built on land originally owned by a Palestinian who was declared "absent" during the 1967 consensus in the city after the war. It was later "rented out" to the settler group Elad.
Furthermore, 20 more graves in the Ma'amanallah Cemetery on Jerusalem's east-west seam were razed by a group of extremist Jews on January 11. On the same day, two homes were demolished by Israeli forces in Azzon Atmeh village southeast of Qalqilya.
In Gaza two men were killed this week. The first, a member of Islamic Jihad's Al Quds Brigades was killed on January 11 by an Israeli rocket while the other, a farmer, Shaaban Karmout, was killed by Israeli fire in Beit Hanoun on January 10.
Finally Palestinians, just like other Arab nations, are closely watching developments in Tunisia after its president Zein Al Abideen Bin Ali fled the country to Saudi Arabia on January 14. The riots began weeks ago in protest of the rising unemployment rates, the rise in food prices and the rampant corruption in the Tunisian government. So far, according to a Paris-based rights group, 66 people have been killed since mid-December in the riots, which started on December 17 when Mohammed Bouaziz set himself on fire and later died.
"This is a social revolution" said one protesting student. "This is our chance. We will never have a chance like this again."
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.
