3/13/2009
RSF: Three years in jail for TV journalist who threw shoes at Bush
Reporters Without Borders condemns the three-year jail sentence which a Baghdad court passed today on journalist Muntazer Al-Zaidi of the Iraqi TV station Al-Baghdadia for throwing his shoes at US President George W. Bush during a news conference in Baghdad on 14 December.
He was convicted under articles of 223, 225 and 227 of the Iraqi criminal code of “offending a foreign head of state during an official visit,” which carries maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
“We obviously regret that Zaidi chose this way to protest against the President Bush’s policies but there is no justification for this prison sentence,” Reporters Without Borders said. “The sentence is cynical in a country where so many of the people who kill journalists are never brought to justice. We call for his release.”
Zaidi has been held ever since his arrest at the news conference. The trial began on 19 February but was adjourned because of a legal wrangle about the nature of President Bush’s visit to Iraq. Zaidi’s lawyers argued that it was a “surprise” visit and not an “official” one, as the indictment said.
Zaidi pleaded not guilty. “My reaction was natural, just like any Iraqi would have done towards the person responsible for the crimes committed in Iraq," he told the judge.
Source: Reporters Without Borders
Iraq jails 'Bush shoe-thrower'
An Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush, then US president, has been given a three-year jail sentence after pleading not guilty to assaulting a foreign head of state.
The sentencing of Muntadher al-Zaidi, 30, by the Central Criminal Court in Baghdad on Thursday, was announced by Al-Baghdadiya television, his employer.
The journalist, who became a hero to many Iraqis after the December 14 incident, arrived at the court under a heavy police escort.
Judge Abdulamir Hassan al-Rubaie said he had taken into consideration that al-Zaidi is young and it was his first offence, the defence lawyers said.
Packed courtroom
There was standing room only at the courtroom on the edge of Baghdad's Green Zone as some 200 family members, reporters and lawyers crowded in.
Al-Rubaie later cleared the court before returning his verdict.
Asked if he was innocent, al-Zaidi responded: "Yes, my reaction was natural, just like any Iraqi (would have done)."
Bush was speaking on December 14 at a joint news conference in Baghdad with Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, when al-Zaidi hurled his shoes at him.
The shoes narrowly missed Bush, who later brushed the incident aside.
As well as throwing the shoe, al-Zaidi shouted "It is the farewell kiss, you dog", before security forces wrestled him to the ground.
He later said he had been beaten and tortured in custody.
Shoe-hurling is considered an especially grave insult in the Arab and Muslim world and al-Zaidi had risked up to 15 years in jail on the charge of aggression against a foreign head of state.
'Prisoner of war'
After the verdict on Thursday, al-Zaidi's 25-strong defence team emerged from the courtroom to scenes of chaos. Several family members screamed: "It's an American court ... sons of dogs."
One of his brothers, Uday, said the decision was political.
"This is a political court. Muntadhar is being treated like a prisoner of war. He is not a normal prisoner ... This decision has been taken by the prime minister's office."
Al-Zaidi shouted "Iraq, long live Iraq" after the verdict was read out, Yahia Attabi, a defence lawyer, said.
"We expected the decision because under the Iraqi criminal code he was charged with assaulting a foreign leader on an official visit."
Appeal planned
Attabi said al-Zaidi will appeal the decision.
The family said they would not only appeal but also press ahead with plans to bring torture charges against Bush, al-Maliki and his bodyguards at a human rights court abroad.
Ehiya al-Sadi, the chief defence lawyer, had argued that his client's motives were "honourable".
"He was only expressing his feelings. What he could see was the blood of Iraqis at his feet when he watched the US president speaking about his achievements in Iraq."
Al-Sadi also argued that although Iraqi law considered it an attack on a visiting head of state, "[al-Zaidi's] throwing of the shoe did not cause any injury or damage ... His goal was to insult Bush for the pain Iraqis have suffered".
Al-Zaidi's account
The trial opened on February 19 but was adjourned to determine the nature of Bush's December visit.
Al-Zaidi told the court last month that he had been outraged and was unable to control his emotions when Bush started speaking to the media.
"I had the feeling that the blood of innocent people was dropping on my feet during the time that he was smiling and coming to say bye-bye to Iraq with a dinner.
"So I took the first shoe and threw it but it did not hit him. Then spontaneously I took the second shoe but it did not hit him either. I was not trying to kill the commander of the occupation forces of Iraq."
Source: Al Jazeera
ECO summit urges aid to reconstruction in Gaza
Members of the regional Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) meeting at a summit in Tehran
"The ECO urges its members to increase the speed of reconstruction in
It said the ECO "sympathizes" with the people of
"(ECO) strongly urges the international community to prevent such a human tragedy from happening again, to bring the situation there to normal and to get access to
The one-day summit of ECO -- a regional organization founded in 1985 by
EU urges Israel to prevent the demolition of Palestinian houses in Jerusalem
The European Union on Wednesday night expressed concern about the Israeli threat of demolition 90 houses in the occupied East Jerusalem, urging Israel
"The EU urges the Israeli authorities to prevent the demolition of Palestinian houses in
"The EU is deeply concerned about the threat of demolition to approximately 90 houses in the Al-Bustan / Silwan area adjacent to the
The EU asserted that if implemented, the demolition would deprive more than 1000 Palestinians of their homes and would be the largest destruction of Palestinian houses in
It reminded
Fifth World Water Forum: War victims need better access to water and sanitation
Istanbul/Geneva (ICRC) – The international community must do more to ensure that the victims of armed conflict have access to safe water and sanitation, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The ICRC is calling on governments taking part in the Fifth World Water Forum in Turkey this week to make a serious commitment to protect water and sanitation systems in times of war and to maintain services in conflict-prone areas to prevent them from collapsing.
"Water, sewage and electrical power systems, along with medical facilities, are usually the first things to be disrupted when a war breaks out," said Robert Mardini, who heads the ICRC's water and habitat unit. "They can be damaged or shut down completely by shelling and explosions, or overwhelmed by influxes of displaced people. Such incidents are often followed by massive shortages and by rapidly spreading disease that can result in loss of life." Mr Mardini cited Iraq, Gaza, Sri Lanka and Somalia as examples of places where the delivery of water supplies and sanitation services has been severely hampered by recent armed conflicts.
Roughly a quarter of the estimated 1.2 billion people unable to obtain clean drinking water, and 15 per cent of the 2.6 billion without access to proper sanitation, are in war-torn countries.
"Access to safe water and adequate sanitation are fundamental for conflict-affected people," said Mr Mardini. "The ICRC aims to use the World Water Forum to put this issue higher up the international agenda and to remind governments of their responsibilities in this respect."
Mr Mardini drew attention to the double adversity faced by war victims struggling to survive a natural disaster. "When a natural disaster, such as a prolonged drought, exacerbates the devastation wrought by conflict, as in Somalia, people become far more vulnerable to poverty and disease."
The ICRC's efforts to improve water and sanitation involve working with communities and Red Cross and Red Crescent partners to provide emergency assistance where needed and to develop sustainable practices. The organization's neutral and impartial role enables it to talk to all sides in a conflict, and thereby to help restore access to water even as fighting rages on.
Source:ICRC
3/11/2009
Gaza family that lost 29 relatives drops lawsuit against Israel
A Gaza family that lost 29 relatives to Operation Cast Lead, which also left 45 family members injured and their home destroyed, on Tuesday asked that a lawsuit that had been filed in their name for NIS 851 million be withdrawn. The lawsuit names Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi as respondents.
The suit was filed in the Nazareth District Court by attorney Mohammed Fukra on behalf of the Samouni family.
However, family members told Haaretz on Tuesday that they had not signed power of attorney over to Fukra, and that they are being represented by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza.
In response to a question from Haaretz, the human rights group said it had no connection with Fukra, and that at the family's request it would on Wednesday be initiating action to stop the suit. A relative, Salah Samouni, confirmed that he had been in telephone contact with Fukra and had sent him a fax with details of the deaths of 29 family members and their names. Fukra could not be reached by press time for comment.
The Samouni family live in a number of metal shacks and concrete buildings in Gaza City's Zeitun neighborhood. Most of those injured or killed were hit when two shells fired by Israel Defense Forces on Monday, January 5, hit one of the houses where soldiers had ordered the family to gather.
Masia Samouni, 19, told Haaretz Tuesday night that on Sunday morning, January 4, after the first shell hit her house, the whole family gathered in the stairwell of a concrete house. When the soldiers arrived, they demanded that everyone move to a neighboring house.
Later, the family was once more to yet another house. Masia said that between 90-100 people were crowded in one room from Sunday morning to Monday morning with no food, water or other supplies. At 6 A.M., on Monday, January 5, a few male relatives went to bring an uncle who lived in a shack next to the concrete house. Masia said the men were all shot, and one was killed. A shell then hit the house, and another fell nearby, killing seven more Samouni family members. Masia Samouni's husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law and brother-in-law were all killed, and her baby daughter was injured. Masia and some of her relatives managed to flee, but the more seriously injured remained in the ruins of the house. The Red Cross received the IDF's permission to evacuate them four days later.
Source: Haaretz - Amira Hass
The suit was filed in the Nazareth District Court by attorney Mohammed Fukra on behalf of the Samouni family.
However, family members told Haaretz on Tuesday that they had not signed power of attorney over to Fukra, and that they are being represented by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza.
In response to a question from Haaretz, the human rights group said it had no connection with Fukra, and that at the family's request it would on Wednesday be initiating action to stop the suit. A relative, Salah Samouni, confirmed that he had been in telephone contact with Fukra and had sent him a fax with details of the deaths of 29 family members and their names. Fukra could not be reached by press time for comment.
The Samouni family live in a number of metal shacks and concrete buildings in Gaza City's Zeitun neighborhood. Most of those injured or killed were hit when two shells fired by Israel Defense Forces on Monday, January 5, hit one of the houses where soldiers had ordered the family to gather.
Masia Samouni, 19, told Haaretz Tuesday night that on Sunday morning, January 4, after the first shell hit her house, the whole family gathered in the stairwell of a concrete house. When the soldiers arrived, they demanded that everyone move to a neighboring house.
Later, the family was once more to yet another house. Masia said that between 90-100 people were crowded in one room from Sunday morning to Monday morning with no food, water or other supplies. At 6 A.M., on Monday, January 5, a few male relatives went to bring an uncle who lived in a shack next to the concrete house. Masia said the men were all shot, and one was killed. A shell then hit the house, and another fell nearby, killing seven more Samouni family members. Masia Samouni's husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law and brother-in-law were all killed, and her baby daughter was injured. Masia and some of her relatives managed to flee, but the more seriously injured remained in the ruins of the house. The Red Cross received the IDF's permission to evacuate them four days later.
Source: Haaretz - Amira Hass
Gaza: situation at border crossings ‘intolerable,’ Ban says
A lasting ceasefire was urgently needed to keep Gaza crossings open, which will allow the Palestinian economy to recover, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.
In a message to a UN seminar on assistance to the Palestinian people in Cairo, Mr. Ban called for a “proper and durable” end of hostilities to “allow for a return of calm” to Gaza and southern Israel.
“The situation at the crossings is intolerable,” he said, stressing the need for Israel to ease the closure.
The overall humanitarian situation in Gaza remains unchanged, according to an update from the office of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory.
Last week, more than 700 trucks loaded with food, cleaning supplies, medicine and other supplies entered the area, up from fewer than 600 truckloads the previous week.
The update pointed to problems, including livestock, vehicles and construction materials not being allowed to enter Gaza, as well as two shipments of UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) t-shirts bound for 50 schools in disadvantaged areas being denied entry.
In another instance over 700 packets of washing powder, part of a non-governmental organization’s hygiene kits, were not allowed into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing for missing an ‘environmental certificate,’ even though an identical load was granted entry the week earlier.
Only one-quarter of Gazans’ cooking gas needs are being met, and just over two-thirds of the industrial gas needed to operate the power plant are being allowed in.
The Humanitarian Coordinator also pointed to the need for a dependable influx of cash to resuscitate Gaza’s private sector and prevent aid dependence.
On top of the almost $10 million in cash aid that the UN Development Programme (UNDP) has recently made available, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will begin meting out cash next to refugee families whose homes were either destroyed or damaged by the recent hostilities.
The funds are intended to support them until construction materials are allowed in and repairs can proceed. In the meantime, UNICEF has been repairing school windows using nylon sheets.
In his address today to the Cairo seminar, the Secretary-General also stressed the need for Palestinian reconciliation to further reconstruction and development in Gaza.
“I strongly urge Palestinians to find unity and common ground,” according to the message delivered by Karen AbuZayd, Commissioner-General for UNRWA.
The support of the region’s leaders will be essential for any future agreements, Mr. Ban said, also voicing hope that the new Israeli Government will respect earlier commitments, take part in political negotiations and reach a peace accord with the Palestinians.
“Only a permanent negotiated political settlement, which ends the occupation, can provide a sustainable solution to the economic and humanitarian problems of the Palestinian people and lasting security for Israel.”
Source: United Nations
Gaza family sues Israel over deaths
A Palestinian family is suing Ehud Olmert, Israel's outgoing prime minister, and other government officials over the deaths of their relatives during the recent assault on Gaza.
The al-Samouni family, which saw 29 of its members killed in the conflict, filed the case in Jerusalem on Tuesday, seeking $200m in damages for "criminal negligence".
More than 1,300 Palestinians died during Israel's three-week war last December and January, one-third of them children.
The al-Samounis say Israeli soldiers raided their homes in the middle of the conflict, and moved the extended family together into one house.
According to the survivors' accounts, partly corroborated by the International Red Cross and the United Nations, shells and missiles fired by the Israeli military hit the house the following day, leaving 29 people dead.
"This was a barbaric action. They said that there was resistance here, and I don't know what. But there was no resistance," Naela al-Samouni, one of the survivors, said.
Homeless family
Two months after the attack, the remaining al-Samounis live in a makeshift tent amid the rubble of their former home.
Tuesday's lawsuit names Olmert and Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, as defendants, and accuses the Israeli military of "criminal negligence" for killing innocent civilians. Mohammad Fukra, a Palestinian Israeli attorney, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the al-Samouni family, saying the family had the right to sue Israel and its officials. Israeli courts in the past have, however, rejected claims from Palestinians harmed in conflicts. Mark Regev, an Israeli government spokesman, has claimed the Palestinian group Hamas was responsible for the deaths, saying the group used civilians as human shields. Israel undertook the Gaza offensive with the purported aim of stopping rocket fire from the territory into southern Israel. Source: Al Jazeera
Netanyahu's pre-election vow to Syria: Israel won't provoke war
Even before last month's elections, Benjamin Netanyahu sent a message to Syria promising that a government under him would "not provoke war" and would be interested in "seriously and genuinely exploring" a peace process.
Likud officials met with senior Syrian figures in January in Washington to prepare the ground for further exchanges after Israel's next government takes office, Likud sources said.
The officials, however, did not express any willingness to make concessions or withdraw from the Golan Heights, as Syrian President Bashar Assad says is necessary.
The two sides agreed that the meetings may result in the resumption of negotiations with American mediation to be held after the Israeli government forms.
In his message, Netanyahu expressed a willingness to solve the Shaba Farms question and the issue of the village of Ghajar on the Israel-Lebanese border.
The meeting with the Syrians was held following an American initiative. Americans, including some affiliated with the Obama administration, are closely following the process.
The Syrians were represented by "a Syrian citizen of the highest stature in his country," according to the Israeli sources.
The Likud officials updated Netanyahu immediately following their return to Israel, several days before the elections.
Assad, meanwhile, has said in recent months his government would be willing to negotiate with any government in Israel.
On Monday, Assad told Al Khalij, a daily published in the United Arab Emirates, that all Israeli governments are similar and Syria will negotiate with whomever represents Israel. But Assad was skeptical about Israeli governments, whether right or left. He said "one is bad and the other is worse - the right is right and the left is right, the right kills Arabs and the left kills Arabs."
Similar exchanges are also being held by Likud officials with Palestinians, Likud sources say. They hope to massively boost the Palestinian economy and set the stage for calm and peace.
Source: Haaretz
Likud officials met with senior Syrian figures in January in Washington to prepare the ground for further exchanges after Israel's next government takes office, Likud sources said.
The officials, however, did not express any willingness to make concessions or withdraw from the Golan Heights, as Syrian President Bashar Assad says is necessary.
The two sides agreed that the meetings may result in the resumption of negotiations with American mediation to be held after the Israeli government forms.
In his message, Netanyahu expressed a willingness to solve the Shaba Farms question and the issue of the village of Ghajar on the Israel-Lebanese border.
The meeting with the Syrians was held following an American initiative. Americans, including some affiliated with the Obama administration, are closely following the process.
The Syrians were represented by "a Syrian citizen of the highest stature in his country," according to the Israeli sources.
The Likud officials updated Netanyahu immediately following their return to Israel, several days before the elections.
Assad, meanwhile, has said in recent months his government would be willing to negotiate with any government in Israel.
On Monday, Assad told Al Khalij, a daily published in the United Arab Emirates, that all Israeli governments are similar and Syria will negotiate with whomever represents Israel. But Assad was skeptical about Israeli governments, whether right or left. He said "one is bad and the other is worse - the right is right and the left is right, the right kills Arabs and the left kills Arabs."
Similar exchanges are also being held by Likud officials with Palestinians, Likud sources say. They hope to massively boost the Palestinian economy and set the stage for calm and peace.
Source: Haaretz
3/10/2009
Palestinian patients should not be used as political tools by either the PA or the Israeli government
Following the decision of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah to stop all financial coverage for the medical treatments of Palestinian patients in Israeli hospitals, and given the policy of the Government of Israel (GOI) to insist on conditioning access to healthcare for Palestinians in Israel in financial coverage from the Palestinian Authority (PA), PHR-Israel, PCHR, Gisha and B'Tselem protest the use of Palestinian patients as political tools by both the PA and the GOI.
In January 2009, after the end of the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, the PA cancelled financial coverage for all medical care for Palestinians in Israeli hospitals, including coverage for chronically ill Palestinian patients, and those in need of complex care that is not available in other tertiary medical centers in the region.
The result has been that an estimation of hundreds of Palestinian patients who were in the middle of long-term treatment regimes in Israel, including cancer patients in need of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and bone marrow transplantation, found their treatments interrupted with no alternatives.
We, human rights organizations in Israel and Palestine, regard Israel as an Occupying Power who bears overall responsibility for the protection of the right to health of the Palestinian, including free access to health services in the territories it occupies.
In agreeing to act as provider of healthcare services to the Palestinian population, the PA (Ramallah) took upon itself responsibility for that population. However, the ability of the PA in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) to supply appropriate health care services is fundamentally restricted by Israel as an Occupying Power.
The exploitation of the healthcare system in general and of seriously ill patients in particular, for political and financial aims, is a grave violation of the principles of medical ethics and of human rights.
PHR-Israel, PCHR, Gisha and B'Tselem call:
The Government of Israel:
To recognize its ultimate responsibility as an Occupying Power for the healthcare of the population under its control, and to ensure that all residents of the OPT have access to appropriate healthcare regardless of financial coverage.
The Palestinian Authority:
To renew its financial coverage for all Palestinian patients who need to complete their medical treatment in Israel, at least until an appropriate and accessible new health care provider can be found. The PA has the right to decide where it will refer its patients; however, the rights of all these patients to continuity of heath care must not be violated.
Source:B'Tselem
Syria: peace deal possible with Israel
"There will perhaps be an embassy and formalities, but if you want peace then it has to be comprehensive. We give them the choice between comprehensive peace and a peace agreement which does not have any real value on the ground," al-Assad said.
"There is a difference between a peace agreement and peace itself. A peace agreement is a piece of paper you sign. This does not mean trade and normal relations, or borders, or otherwise," he said.
"Our people will not accept that, especially since there are half a million Palestinians in our country whose position remains unresolved. It is impossible under these terms to have peace in the natural sense."
Source: Ramattan
British MP Galloway donates cars and cash to de facto government in Gaza
Leftist British MP George Galloway personally donated 25,000 pounds and a fleet of vehicles to the de facto government in the Gaza Strip after arriving in an aid convoy.
"We are giving you now 100 vehicles and all of their contents, and we make no apology for what I am about to say. We are giving them to the elected government of Palestine," Galloway said at a press conference in Gaza City, according to AFP.
Galloway dared western states to prosecute him for supporting the Hamas-run government, which is boycotted by the US, EU, and much of the international community.
"I say now to the British and European governments, if you want to take me to court, I promise you there is no jury in all of Britain who will convict me. They will convict you."
Galloway made the announcement at an outdoor presence conference in the presence of several senior Hamas officials, and his words were greeted by shouts of "Allahu Akbar!" (God is Great).
Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, and later formed a unity government with its rival, Fatah. The government was shunned by donor states, crippling the aid-dependent Palestinian Authority.
In June 2007 Hamas took full control of the Gaza Strip, defeating security forces loyal to Fatah in bloody street fighting. The Palestinian unity government collapsed and Israel and Egypt imposed a strict closure of the Strip’s border crossings.
Galloway arrived in Gaza on Monday after driving to Gaza from the UK in a convoy called “Viva Palestina,” delivering more than one million pounds of aid and raising awareness about the blockade of Gaza.
Source: Maan News Agency
"We are giving you now 100 vehicles and all of their contents, and we make no apology for what I am about to say. We are giving them to the elected government of Palestine," Galloway said at a press conference in Gaza City, according to AFP.
Galloway dared western states to prosecute him for supporting the Hamas-run government, which is boycotted by the US, EU, and much of the international community.
"I say now to the British and European governments, if you want to take me to court, I promise you there is no jury in all of Britain who will convict me. They will convict you."
Galloway made the announcement at an outdoor presence conference in the presence of several senior Hamas officials, and his words were greeted by shouts of "Allahu Akbar!" (God is Great).
Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, and later formed a unity government with its rival, Fatah. The government was shunned by donor states, crippling the aid-dependent Palestinian Authority.
In June 2007 Hamas took full control of the Gaza Strip, defeating security forces loyal to Fatah in bloody street fighting. The Palestinian unity government collapsed and Israel and Egypt imposed a strict closure of the Strip’s border crossings.
Galloway arrived in Gaza on Monday after driving to Gaza from the UK in a convoy called “Viva Palestina,” delivering more than one million pounds of aid and raising awareness about the blockade of Gaza.
Source: Maan News Agency
Wife of Ron Arad: Free all Hamas prisoners for Gilad Shalit
Tami Arad, the wife of missing Israel Air Force navigator , called on the government Tuesday to release all prisoners as demanded by Hamas in exchange for captive soldier Gilad Shalit.
In an interview with Army Radio, Arad said that Israel should free all 450 jailed Palestinians, those who are believed to be the most serious terrorists, in exchange for Shalit.
"If there was an alternative, Gilad would already have been here today," she said. "There has been enough time to wrangle over the price. Let's assume that three years go by and the price tag drops down to 380 murderers. Will we feel better? Who can guarantee that there will be someone [alive] to bring back?" Arad lashed out at recent comments made by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who remarked that public demonstrations for Shalit's release were harming the negotiations.
"It is the easiest thing to say, 'We're taking care of the matter day and night, so sit quietly. All the fuss just raises the price tag.' The price has remained the same. If the parents felt that there was progress they would not have taken the trouble to go to Jerusalem."
"Nothing moves if people sit quietly at home," Arad said. "Time is critical and we must not dawdle."
Meanwhile, Noam Shalit said on Tuesday that President Shimon Peres understood the urgency of freeing his son from his Hamas captors in Gaza.
"The president understands the need and moral significance of releasing an IDF soldier who has been in captivity for three years, and supports releasing Gilad as soon as possible," Shalit said.
He spoke shortly after meeting Peres at his official residence in Jerusalem.
For his part, Peres told Shalit that, "You express the deepest feeling of the nation, which is for the IDF and the responsibility for the fate of every soldier... My heart is with you, as is the heart of the whole nation."
Earlier Tuesday, Shalit's mother Aviva repeated her vow to continue campaigning for her son's release until he returns home.
"After so many days during which we haven't managed to bring back Gilad, we're sitting here and reminding everyone that he is still in captivity," she told Israel Radio.
Aviva Shalit made the comments from a protest tent she had pitched with her husband across from the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem.
"It is our job to urge and fight until Gilad comes back, to remind in case someone has forgotten," she added. The Shalits erected the tent to apply pressure on Olmert to secure Gilad's release before a change in government.
Well-wishers continued to stream into the protest tent on Tuesday, some of whom were dressed up in costumes for the Jewish holiday of Purim. Among the visitors was the family of IDF soldier Nachshon Wachsman, who was kidnapped by Hamas gunmen and killed during a commando rescue mission.
"We suffered this pain for a week and I can't imagine how for almost three years they have undergone this indescribable suffering," said Esther Wachsman from the tent.
"I want to tell Prime Minister Ehud Olmert from this stage that he has about a week until the end of his tenure - [and] he should leave with at least a 'big bang,' and all that is necessary now is to free a missing Israeli soldier."
The Shalits' visitors on Monday included the daughter and the brother of missing Israel Air Force navigator Ron Arad; Karnit Goldwasser, widow of abducted soldier Ehud Goldwasser; Defense Minister Ehud Barak and hundreds of ordinary citizens who stood in line to offer their hands or an embrace.
Aliza Olmert, the prime minister's wife, invited the Shalits to meet with her Tuesday at the Prime Minister's Residence. The couple was also scheduled to meet with President Shimon Peres Tuesday.
Source: Haaretz
In an interview with Army Radio, Arad said that Israel should free all 450 jailed Palestinians, those who are believed to be the most serious terrorists, in exchange for Shalit.
"If there was an alternative, Gilad would already have been here today," she said. "There has been enough time to wrangle over the price. Let's assume that three years go by and the price tag drops down to 380 murderers. Will we feel better? Who can guarantee that there will be someone [alive] to bring back?" Arad lashed out at recent comments made by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who remarked that public demonstrations for Shalit's release were harming the negotiations.
"It is the easiest thing to say, 'We're taking care of the matter day and night, so sit quietly. All the fuss just raises the price tag.' The price has remained the same. If the parents felt that there was progress they would not have taken the trouble to go to Jerusalem."
"Nothing moves if people sit quietly at home," Arad said. "Time is critical and we must not dawdle."
Meanwhile, Noam Shalit said on Tuesday that President Shimon Peres understood the urgency of freeing his son from his Hamas captors in Gaza.
"The president understands the need and moral significance of releasing an IDF soldier who has been in captivity for three years, and supports releasing Gilad as soon as possible," Shalit said.
He spoke shortly after meeting Peres at his official residence in Jerusalem.
For his part, Peres told Shalit that, "You express the deepest feeling of the nation, which is for the IDF and the responsibility for the fate of every soldier... My heart is with you, as is the heart of the whole nation."
Earlier Tuesday, Shalit's mother Aviva repeated her vow to continue campaigning for her son's release until he returns home.
"After so many days during which we haven't managed to bring back Gilad, we're sitting here and reminding everyone that he is still in captivity," she told Israel Radio.
Aviva Shalit made the comments from a protest tent she had pitched with her husband across from the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem.
"It is our job to urge and fight until Gilad comes back, to remind in case someone has forgotten," she added. The Shalits erected the tent to apply pressure on Olmert to secure Gilad's release before a change in government.
Well-wishers continued to stream into the protest tent on Tuesday, some of whom were dressed up in costumes for the Jewish holiday of Purim. Among the visitors was the family of IDF soldier Nachshon Wachsman, who was kidnapped by Hamas gunmen and killed during a commando rescue mission.
"We suffered this pain for a week and I can't imagine how for almost three years they have undergone this indescribable suffering," said Esther Wachsman from the tent.
"I want to tell Prime Minister Ehud Olmert from this stage that he has about a week until the end of his tenure - [and] he should leave with at least a 'big bang,' and all that is necessary now is to free a missing Israeli soldier."
The Shalits' visitors on Monday included the daughter and the brother of missing Israel Air Force navigator Ron Arad; Karnit Goldwasser, widow of abducted soldier Ehud Goldwasser; Defense Minister Ehud Barak and hundreds of ordinary citizens who stood in line to offer their hands or an embrace.
Aliza Olmert, the prime minister's wife, invited the Shalits to meet with her Tuesday at the Prime Minister's Residence. The couple was also scheduled to meet with President Shimon Peres Tuesday.
Source: Haaretz
3/09/2009
Hamas releases Shalit audio tape
Hamas has released an audio message believed to be from Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured exactly a year ago.
Shalit was heard saying his health was deteriorating and that he needed hospital treatment.
The audio clip was posted on the website of Hamas's armed wing on Monday.
"I am Gilad Shalit. I've been arrested by Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades... I've been in prison one year. My situation is deteriorating," the recording said.
"I need an extended period in hospital," said the clip posted on the brigades' website, one year after Shalit was taken.
"Mother, father, sisters, brothers, my friends in the Israeli army, I send you from my jail my regards and I miss you," said a text in Arabic posted on the site.
"I am sorry that the Israeli government has not shown more interest. It should meet the demands of my kidnappers so I can be released," said the voice in Hebrew on the tape.
Those demands are the release of hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli jails in return for Shalit.
Shalit's father, Noam, speaking to Israeli television, confirmed the voice was that of his son, a conscript now aged 20. He was promoted to sergeant from corporal while in captivity.
A video tape broadcast on Hamas's Al-Aqsa television station showed footage of Shalit apparently being captured on June 25, being dragged by two fighters dressed in Israeli army uniforms pulling his T-shirt and running next to him.
David Chater, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Jerusalem, said he had spoken to Noam Shalit and that he said the recording was coerced in the same way a letter sent to him in September was.
This was the first sign of life from Shalit since that letter and Chater says the recording is both good news in the sense that his family can at least here his voice but also distressing given that his medical condition appears to be worsening.
Shalit, a tank gunner, was taken into the Gaza Strip by armed men who tunnelled across the border into Israel.
Hamas is one of three groups that claimed responsibility for the joint operation in which Shalit was seized and earlier said it would release the tape to mark the first anniversary of his capture.
Negotiations brokered by Egypt have been suspended in recent months amid Palestinian internal fighting in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas now rules alone.
Chater says after the events of the past two weeks which have seen Hamas take control of the Gaza Strip from Fatah, the movement led by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, speculation into any new talks via Egyptian mediators is unnecessary.
"The sticking point has been the people that Hamas have been demanding be released and the sheer number of prisoners they want released in terms of an exchange for Shalit," he said.
The release also coincides with the opening of a summit between Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, and Abbas in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Nour Odeh, Al Jazeera's Gaza correspondent in Gaza, says the release of the Shalit tape was timed to "steal some of the thunder" from that meeting.
"It [the tape release] is way of stating the obvious, that it [Hamas] is in control of Gaza and it is in control of the abducted Israeli soldier and that Hamas alone will have a say on whether he is released and on what terms," Odeh said.
Osama al-Muzaini, a senior Hamas official, said: "We have been flexible in every possible way when it came to a swap deal, but the Israeli side was too weak to make a decision.
"The ball is now in the Israeli court."
Abu Mujahed, spokesman of the Popular Resistance Committees that took part in last year's cross-border raid, said: "The soldier Shalit will never be freed before we see our prisoners freed and among us".
Abu Mujahed made the comment at a rally attended by dozens of families of Palestinians held by Israel.
Source: Al Jazeera
Shalit was heard saying his health was deteriorating and that he needed hospital treatment.
The audio clip was posted on the website of Hamas's armed wing on Monday.
"I am Gilad Shalit. I've been arrested by Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades... I've been in prison one year. My situation is deteriorating," the recording said.
"I need an extended period in hospital," said the clip posted on the brigades' website, one year after Shalit was taken.
"Mother, father, sisters, brothers, my friends in the Israeli army, I send you from my jail my regards and I miss you," said a text in Arabic posted on the site.
"I am sorry that the Israeli government has not shown more interest. It should meet the demands of my kidnappers so I can be released," said the voice in Hebrew on the tape.
Those demands are the release of hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli jails in return for Shalit.
Shalit's father, Noam, speaking to Israeli television, confirmed the voice was that of his son, a conscript now aged 20. He was promoted to sergeant from corporal while in captivity.
A video tape broadcast on Hamas's Al-Aqsa television station showed footage of Shalit apparently being captured on June 25, being dragged by two fighters dressed in Israeli army uniforms pulling his T-shirt and running next to him.
David Chater, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Jerusalem, said he had spoken to Noam Shalit and that he said the recording was coerced in the same way a letter sent to him in September was.
This was the first sign of life from Shalit since that letter and Chater says the recording is both good news in the sense that his family can at least here his voice but also distressing given that his medical condition appears to be worsening.
Shalit, a tank gunner, was taken into the Gaza Strip by armed men who tunnelled across the border into Israel.
Hamas is one of three groups that claimed responsibility for the joint operation in which Shalit was seized and earlier said it would release the tape to mark the first anniversary of his capture.
Negotiations brokered by Egypt have been suspended in recent months amid Palestinian internal fighting in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas now rules alone.
Chater says after the events of the past two weeks which have seen Hamas take control of the Gaza Strip from Fatah, the movement led by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, speculation into any new talks via Egyptian mediators is unnecessary.
"The sticking point has been the people that Hamas have been demanding be released and the sheer number of prisoners they want released in terms of an exchange for Shalit," he said.
The release also coincides with the opening of a summit between Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, and Abbas in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Nour Odeh, Al Jazeera's Gaza correspondent in Gaza, says the release of the Shalit tape was timed to "steal some of the thunder" from that meeting.
"It [the tape release] is way of stating the obvious, that it [Hamas] is in control of Gaza and it is in control of the abducted Israeli soldier and that Hamas alone will have a say on whether he is released and on what terms," Odeh said.
Osama al-Muzaini, a senior Hamas official, said: "We have been flexible in every possible way when it came to a swap deal, but the Israeli side was too weak to make a decision.
"The ball is now in the Israeli court."
Abu Mujahed, spokesman of the Popular Resistance Committees that took part in last year's cross-border raid, said: "The soldier Shalit will never be freed before we see our prisoners freed and among us".
Abu Mujahed made the comment at a rally attended by dozens of families of Palestinians held by Israel.
Source: Al Jazeera
Hamas videotape shows Gilad Shalit to be healthy
Hamas deputy political bureau chief, Moussa Abu Marzouk is in possession of a videotape showing abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, who appears in good health, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Jarida reported on Monday.
Hamas associates say the videotape was handed to Abu Marzouk by the head of the Hamas military wing, Ahmed Jabari, during the former's secret visit to the Gaza Strip late last month.
In addition, Abu Marzouk received a letter handwritten by Shalit, which he then handed to the Syrian foreign ministry. Abu Marzouk has decided to hold onto the videotape for the time being.
Hamas associates say the videotape was handed to Abu Marzouk by the head of the Hamas military wing, Ahmed Jabari, during the former's secret visit to the Gaza Strip late last month.
In addition, Abu Marzouk received a letter handwritten by Shalit, which he then handed to the Syrian foreign ministry. Abu Marzouk has decided to hold onto the videotape for the time being.
Israel imposes three-day blanket closure on West Bank
Israel closed its borders with the West Bank on Sunday night due to the Jewish holiday of Purim.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered the army to close the borders from Sunday night through Wednesday evening, due to the holiday.
Source:Maan News Agency
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered the army to close the borders from Sunday night through Wednesday evening, due to the holiday.
Source:Maan News Agency
Fatah delegation heads to Egypt
Five leaders of Fatah movement headed on Sunday to Cairo
The delegation includes Ibrahim Abu Najja, Ashraf Joma'a, Faisal Abu Shahla, Adbul Rahman Abu Nasser and Abdallah Abu Samhadana from
At the same time, Azzam el-Ahmad and Ahmed Abdel Rahman from the West Bank also head to
Abu Najja told reporters that his movement named its representatives in the five dialogue committees that will convene in
All the Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas handed over the Egyptian dialogue mediators the names of the representatives in the committees.
Hamas movement has not announced the names of its representatives in the five dialogue committees, but said the names were handed over to the Egyptian side.
Source:Ramattan
3/08/2009
Baghdad excerpts - Reports and photos from Baghdad
Reports and pictures from Baghdad. 140 pages, paperback. The book published in hungarian, but within a few weeks the english version will be aviable to order.
The price included the postal fee.
Abbas asks Fayyad to stay in office
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked on Saturday the Palestinian PM Salaam Fayyad to stay in office until seeing the results of the internal Palestinian reconciliation talks.
"We asked Fayyad to continue with his work until we see the results of the ongoing internal reconciliation talks," Abbas told reporters following Fayyad's statement of resignation.
Earlier, Fayyad submitted resignation to Abbas to pave way for a new Palestinian government of national unity.
In a statement received by RAMATTAN, Fayyad pointed out "the resignation would go into effect after the formation of a new Palestinian unity government, but no later than the end of the current month."
"I submitted resignation to president Abbas to support the efforts of restoring the Palestinian unity," he said, according to the statement.
Fayyad's decision can be seen as a goodwill gesture towards Hamas, and could support the ongoing reconciliation talks between all the Palestinian factions especially Fatah and Hamas.
Source: Ramattan
Israeli raid kills a Palestinian, injured another northern Gaza
A Palestinian militant was killed and another was seriously wounded on Saturday morning due to Israeli air strike at the city of Beit Lahiya
The sources reported that Mahmoud Fatouh was killed immediately after the Israeli warplanes struck a vehicle in the city of
In a press release received by RAMATTAN, Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, indicated that Fatouh is one of its militants, confirming his death.
The brigades added that another one of its militants was also seriously wounded as the Israeli army targeted their car in the city of
In the last days, four Palestinian militants were killed in separate Israeli raids across the Gaza Strip.
Source: Ramattan
Israel: 4 projectiles hit western Negev, no injuries
Four home-made projectiles were launched on Saturday from Gaza
The sources reported that the projectiles landed in an open area in the western Negev , no causalities or damage was reported.
None of the Palestinian factions claimed the resposibility for launching the projectiles.
None of the Palestinian factions claimed the resposibility for launching the projectiles.
Earlier, a Palestinian militant were killed and another were seriously injured as the Israeli warplanes targeted their car in the city of
Source: Ramattan
Hamas downplays Fayyad's resignation
Hamas downplayed the decision of Palestinian caretaker Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to resign on Saturday, saying they expected the move.
In a statement released shortly after Fayyad’s announcement Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said that Fayyad's government was unconstitutional and not in keeping with Palestinians' interests.
“We don't think this resignation has anything to do with the Cairo talks, or with the formation of a Palestinian unity [national consensus] government. It rather came as a result of personal disagreement between Fayyad and [President Mahmoud] Abbas,” said Barhoum.
“This end was expected because it [Fayyad's government] was null from the beginning and was based on personal interests rather than Palestinian interests. In fact, that government damaged Palestinian interests,” he added.
Barhoum also said that Fayyad wanted to take advantage of disagreements with the president in order to position himself to take a role in a future government.
Another senior Hamas leader, Salah Al-Bardawil, said Fayyad had unstated motivations for his resignation. Speaking in Gaza the sidelines of the celebrations of Jerusalem as Capital of Arab Culture, he cited four factors he believes were behind Fayyad’s decision:
1- Fayyad was not accepted by the people because he was seen as “harming the resistance.”
2- Disagreements with Fatah. Bardawil argued that while Fatah installed Fayyad as prime minister, he did not defer to Fatah movement leaders.
3- Fayyad has been mentioned as a possible successor to Abbas if the president were to resign in protest of Israeli policies. Bardawil suggested that Abbas had pressured Fayyad to step aside because of this.
4- Fayyad will remain illegal as prime minister if he continues because he was not appointed by the PLC.
Al-Bardawil said he hopes Fayyad’s resignation will bolster the Palestinian reconciliation dialogue.
Source: Maan News Agency
In a statement released shortly after Fayyad’s announcement Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said that Fayyad's government was unconstitutional and not in keeping with Palestinians' interests.
“We don't think this resignation has anything to do with the Cairo talks, or with the formation of a Palestinian unity [national consensus] government. It rather came as a result of personal disagreement between Fayyad and [President Mahmoud] Abbas,” said Barhoum.
“This end was expected because it [Fayyad's government] was null from the beginning and was based on personal interests rather than Palestinian interests. In fact, that government damaged Palestinian interests,” he added.
Barhoum also said that Fayyad wanted to take advantage of disagreements with the president in order to position himself to take a role in a future government.
Another senior Hamas leader, Salah Al-Bardawil, said Fayyad had unstated motivations for his resignation. Speaking in Gaza the sidelines of the celebrations of Jerusalem as Capital of Arab Culture, he cited four factors he believes were behind Fayyad’s decision:
1- Fayyad was not accepted by the people because he was seen as “harming the resistance.”
2- Disagreements with Fatah. Bardawil argued that while Fatah installed Fayyad as prime minister, he did not defer to Fatah movement leaders.
3- Fayyad has been mentioned as a possible successor to Abbas if the president were to resign in protest of Israeli policies. Bardawil suggested that Abbas had pressured Fayyad to step aside because of this.
4- Fayyad will remain illegal as prime minister if he continues because he was not appointed by the PLC.
Al-Bardawil said he hopes Fayyad’s resignation will bolster the Palestinian reconciliation dialogue.
Source: Maan News Agency
Fayyad submits resignation to Abbas
he Palestinian PM Salaam Fayyad, on Saturday, submitted resignation to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian official sources said.
In a statement received by RAMATTAN, Fayyad pointed out "the resignation would go into effect after the formation of a new Palestinian unity government, but no later than the end of the current month."
"I submitted resignation to president Abbas to support the efforts of restoring the Palestinian unity," Fayyad said, according to the statement.
"I submitted resignation to president Abbas to support the efforts of restoring the Palestinian unity," Fayyad said, according to the statement.
In a telephone conversation with one of Fayyad's advisor, Jamal Zaqout confirmed Fayyad's resignation, adding "the resignation of Fayyad came to pave the way for a new Palestinian government of national unity."
Commenting on Fayyad's resignation, Hamas senior leader, Ayman Taha welcomed the decision of Fayyad, indicating "Fayyad's resignation would put things back to normal."
Fayyad's decision can be seen as a goodwill gesture towards Hamas, and could support the ongoing reconciliation talks between all the Palestinian factions especially Fatah and Hamas.
Fayyad was entrusted by Abbas to form a Palestinian government after Hamas took over the power in
Source: Ramattan
3/07/2009
Album aviable - Cairo - City under the shade of the pyramids
GazaStrophe - A new french documentary
A new documentary about Gaza. Filmed by Samir Abdallah and Khéridine Marbouk. The movie will aviable soon. Visit the http://www.gaza-strophe.com
Israeli airstrike kills Islamic Jihad member in Gaza
sraeli warplanes bombed a car in the northern Gaza Strip killing one member of the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, and seriously wounding another early on Saturday.
According to a statement from the Al-Quds Brigades, a fighter jet fired a missile at a car in the town of Beit Lahiya, killing Mahmoud Fattouh
Fattouh’s body arrived at the hospital torn into pieces.
“Fattouh was killed after he fired a homemade projectile towards Israeli town of Sderot,” the statement added.
One projectile landed in an open area in the western Negev desert, causing no damage or injuries.
The Israel military said it did not carry out any operations in Gaza on Saturday.
Israel’s air force launched another airstrike on the Al-Fukhkhari neighborhood of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. No casualties have been reported there.
Saturday's attack was the third strike against Islamic Jihad fighters in Gaza. On Wednesday night Al-Quds Brigades commander Khaled Sha'lan was killed in a strike on northern Gaza, and two others were killed on Thursday in middle Gaza.
Islamic Jihad swore to avenge the killings, beginning with increased launching of homemade rockets.
Source: Maan News Agency
According to a statement from the Al-Quds Brigades, a fighter jet fired a missile at a car in the town of Beit Lahiya, killing Mahmoud Fattouh
Fattouh’s body arrived at the hospital torn into pieces.
“Fattouh was killed after he fired a homemade projectile towards Israeli town of Sderot,” the statement added.
One projectile landed in an open area in the western Negev desert, causing no damage or injuries.
The Israel military said it did not carry out any operations in Gaza on Saturday.
Israel’s air force launched another airstrike on the Al-Fukhkhari neighborhood of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. No casualties have been reported there.
Saturday's attack was the third strike against Islamic Jihad fighters in Gaza. On Wednesday night Al-Quds Brigades commander Khaled Sha'lan was killed in a strike on northern Gaza, and two others were killed on Thursday in middle Gaza.
Islamic Jihad swore to avenge the killings, beginning with increased launching of homemade rockets.
Source: Maan News Agency
Cairo album aviable - Cairo - City under the shade of the pyramids
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3/04/2009
Israeli raid kills a Palestinian, wounds 7 others northern Gaza
A Palestinian was killed and at least six others were wounded on Wednesday due to Israeli air strike at the city of Beit Lahiya in northern the Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources said.
The sources added that Khalid Shalan was killed as the Israeli warplanes struck a motorcycle near Al-Tawba mosque in Beit Lahiya city north of
One of the wounded people was seriously injured because of the Israeli raid, according to the sources.
In a telephone conversation with RAMATTAN, Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad movement, indicated that Shalan is one of its militants, confirming his death.
The Brigades added that another one of its militants was critically wounded after targeting them by the Israeli warplanes.
Earlier, the Israeli jets launched several raids on some tunnels along the borderline between
Yesterday, seven Palestinian citizens were injured due to suffocation after the Israeli warplanes struck a number of tunnels in the city of
Source: Ramattan
Abbas: Israel must stop colonization in West Bank
In a joint press conference with US secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said that next Israeli government must halt West Bank settlement activity and open Gaza
"The incoming Israeli government must respect the roadmap and two-state solution and should stop all settlement activity and reopen the border crossings" into
Abbas also urged
"We are sending a message to the Iranians and others -- stop interfering in our affairs," he said. "They are interfering only to deepen the rift between Palestinians."
Clinton: Israel’s East Jerusalem home demolitions "unhelpful"
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday said Israel’s plan to demolish dozens of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem is “unhelpful.”
"Clearly this kind of activity is unhelpful and not in keeping with the obligations entered into under the Road Map," Clinton said at a Ramallah news conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Israel’s Jerusalem Municipality is moving to demolish over 100 houses and remove the 140 families who live in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem. The decision is expected to lead to the forced displacement of more than 1,000 Palestinians from their family residences.
"It is an issue that we intend to raise with the government of Israel and the government at the municipal level in Jerusalem," she added, shortly after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The US secretary of state said she would bring up the issue with the new Israeli government, likely to be headed by Likud Party chair Benyamin Netanyahu.
Clinton met earlier with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad at the headquarters of the Council of Ministers in Ramallah, but no remarks were immediately available from that meeting.
Clinton arrived in Israel on Monday, where she met with the Israeli president, prime minister-designate and foreign minister, and insisted that America's policy remains a two-state solution to the Palestinian struggle for self-determination.
The US secretary of state said America’s assessment is “that eventually, the inevitability of working towards a two-state solution is inescapable."
The remarks came following meetings alongside both Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benyamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
On Wednesday Clinton reiterated that the United States would be “vigorously engaged” in the peace process, and that she would be “personally engaged.”
“I hold this mission in my heart, not just in my portfolio,” she said.
Netanyahu has historically rejected the creation of a Palestinian state, which would involve Israel withdrawing from Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, but of late has offered limited expressions that Palestinians ought to rule themselves. The charter of Netanyahu’s Likud Party calls for Israel to maintain control over all the land occupied in 1967.
The issue of an increasingly right-wing government in Israel also came up during the Ramallah news conference. Abbas said that “we respect the choice of the Israeli people” but that the Israeli government must commit to the two-state solution and to the Road Map.
Clinton said that the US would wait for Netanyahu to finish forming a ruling coalition before sending Special Envoy George Mitchell back to the region for another round of peace talks.
Source: Maan News Agency
"Clearly this kind of activity is unhelpful and not in keeping with the obligations entered into under the Road Map," Clinton said at a Ramallah news conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Israel’s Jerusalem Municipality is moving to demolish over 100 houses and remove the 140 families who live in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem. The decision is expected to lead to the forced displacement of more than 1,000 Palestinians from their family residences.
"It is an issue that we intend to raise with the government of Israel and the government at the municipal level in Jerusalem," she added, shortly after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The US secretary of state said she would bring up the issue with the new Israeli government, likely to be headed by Likud Party chair Benyamin Netanyahu.
Clinton met earlier with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad at the headquarters of the Council of Ministers in Ramallah, but no remarks were immediately available from that meeting.
Clinton arrived in Israel on Monday, where she met with the Israeli president, prime minister-designate and foreign minister, and insisted that America's policy remains a two-state solution to the Palestinian struggle for self-determination.
The US secretary of state said America’s assessment is “that eventually, the inevitability of working towards a two-state solution is inescapable."
The remarks came following meetings alongside both Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benyamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
On Wednesday Clinton reiterated that the United States would be “vigorously engaged” in the peace process, and that she would be “personally engaged.”
“I hold this mission in my heart, not just in my portfolio,” she said.
Netanyahu has historically rejected the creation of a Palestinian state, which would involve Israel withdrawing from Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, but of late has offered limited expressions that Palestinians ought to rule themselves. The charter of Netanyahu’s Likud Party calls for Israel to maintain control over all the land occupied in 1967.
The issue of an increasingly right-wing government in Israel also came up during the Ramallah news conference. Abbas said that “we respect the choice of the Israeli people” but that the Israeli government must commit to the two-state solution and to the Road Map.
Clinton said that the US would wait for Netanyahu to finish forming a ruling coalition before sending Special Envoy George Mitchell back to the region for another round of peace talks.
Source: Maan News Agency
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