tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-208139892024-03-14T14:03:17.096+00:00Working Group on the Middle East Peace ProcessThis is the former blogging site for Next Century Foundation articles on Sudan. We have migrated to a new website and blogging platform, and can now be found at:
https://nextcenturyfoundation.wordpress.com/category/israel/ and
https://nextcenturyfoundation.wordpress.com/category/palestine/nextcenturyfoundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644848836042696917noreply@blogger.comBlogger496125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-56974549458467208572015-04-20T16:37:00.001+00:002015-04-20T16:37:03.242+00:00Israeli Elections 2015<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>ISRAEL's ELECTIONS are over and
a process of coalition building is underway. The NCF's Chief Media
Officer, Ms Deborah Pout, analysed the elections and their aftermath. We
circulate her conclusions:</strong>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
recent Israeli elections saw Benjamin Netanyahu pull a clear and
impressive fourth victory from the jaws of defeat. The polls had been
narrowing between Netanyahu's Likud party and the opposition Zionist
Union party led by Yitzhak Herzog but many wrote off Netanyahu too
early. Netanyahu has been an adversary never to be underestimated and a
master of political wizardry throughout his career. Netanyahu's
victory was in part driven by personality and a populist
message. Netanyahu also skilfully managed to take votes from smaller
parties such as the right wing Yisrael Beiteinu party and Habayit
Hayehudi, the religious party. This election brought into
sharp focus how the israeli media and the pollsters got the elections
so wrong and failed to identify the underlying political trends amongst
the electorate which led to Netanyahu's victory. </span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yitzhak Herzog was the John Kerry
of Israel's politics, an urbane, thoughtful intellectual who never
quite had the popular touch. The Zionist Union was a joint ticket with
Herzog's Labour Party (Hebrew: Avoda) and Hatnuah led by Tzipi Livni.
The alliance put Labour back on the Israeli political map with the
Zionist Union ending up with 24 seats (Labour itself only had 15 seats
in the last Knesset - it's 13 years since Labour were last able to play a
lead role in Israel's politics). The electorate did not like Herzog's
acceptance of Livni's condition that the Premiership would "rotate". All
the more so because of the perception amongst some sections of the
electorate rightly or wrongly that Livni had changed her political
allegiances on one too many occasion (jumping from party to party four
times in the space of four elections). Livni, a constant supporter of
the peace process, had started her political career in Likud. </span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The election of Netanyahu (he won
30 seats as opposed to the Zionist Union's 24) masks a range of
dissonant underlying trends. This election shows that Israel is in
practice now centre/right in its politics rather than hard right. One
new and important factor on the scene was The Joint List which united
Israel's Arab political parties on one ticket and thus became the third
largest party in Israel's Parliament, the Knesset, with 13 seats. The
new centrist party Kulanu (All of Us) founded by former Likud minister
Moshe Kahlon which champions socioeconomic issues gained an impressive
10 seats in the Knesset. Kahlon, a popular politician and rising star of
Israeli politics, could be a kingmaker in the formation of Netanyahu's
new government. The natural alliance for Netanyahu's Likud would be a
right wing coalition. But he may consider another option, that of a
"national unity" government together with Herzog and Livni. Such a
coalition might be an appealing option to Netanyahu as it would make his
government more attractive on the international stage. Such an option
is currently being examined in "back channels" though it will be very
hard to bring all of Labour (Avoda's) MPs to this wedding.</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Interestingly Israel's public
opinion on a two state solution and the peace process continues to be
nuanced. The Israeli Democracy Institute which follows Israel's public
attitudes towards the peace process published a poll just before the
elections showing the contradictory attitudes of Israelis. Two thirds
of respondents expressed support for continuing to hold peace
negotiations but 65% of respondents said they did not believe such
negotiations would lead to peace in the coming years. Netanyahu is
still in the process of building his coalition which may of course be a
coalition of right wing parties. If so prospects for a meaningful
resumption of peace negotiations with the Palestinians seem slim while
Netanyahu is at the helm.</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Netanyahu's fourth victory was greeted
with disappointment and disquiet in many quarters of the international
community who saw his re-election as signaling the end of any hopes for
a renewed peace process with the Palestinians while he leads
Israel. During the last days of his increasingly desperate campaign,
Netanyahu declared his opposition to a Palestinian State (a change from
his Bar Ilan speech and a position he quickly recanted after his
victory.) Netanyahu correctly calculated that there were votes to be
won by outflanking the right on this issue. Netanyahu's current
position on a Palestinian state seems to be that with the perceived weak
leadership of President Abbas it would be a target for regional
predators including Hamas from Gaza, "Islamic State" (ISIS) from the
East and Hizbollah which is Iran's proxy to the North. Iran's nuclear
programme is also seen as a severe threat, making it very unlikely that a
two state solution can be achieved.
<span>Netanyahu's
bloody and costly military campaign in Gaza in the summer of 2014 also
came in for criticism domestically and condemnation internationally.</span> I<span>t
should be noted that Netanyahu's popularity initially increased during
the military operation in Gaza. Netanyahu used this to his political
advantage by cultivating his image as the only experienced and
responsible leader currently in Israeli politics. His poll ratings fell
after the summer and Netanyahu's leadership came under increasing
political attack.</span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A leaked EU document claimed that the
deadlock in Israeli/Palestinian negotiations and continuing settlement
expansion had left Jerusalem on the brink of 'polarisation and
violence'. Some Fatah politicians have expressed fears that
frustrations on the Palestinian street may boil over into a Third
Intifada. Palestinian protests did turn violent last summer over
<span>Israel's
actions in Gaza and the building of more settlements. These issues
didn't seem to play a prominent role in the recent Israeli elections
even though there were some attacks on Israelis in Jerusalem and the
West Bank. </span><span>There have
been murmurings that Netanyahu may revive and continue Ariel Sharon's
policy of a one sided separation from the Palestinians in the West Bank.</span> <span>But i</span><span>t is unlikely that Netanyahu will be able to implement such unilateral moves either politically or militarily.</span>
<span>The main
obstacle to a peace process will be the possible formation of a right
wing coalition. Therefore if he did return to the negotiating table
over a peace process and achieved a deal he wouldn't have the majority
in parliament to implement it. </span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the international stage Netanyahu's
policies and diplomacy have led to US/Israeli relations being at an all
time low. Many within the Israeli political and security establishment
fear that Netanyahu's leadership is jeopardising Israel's national
interest. They believe his reckless diplomacy <span style="line-height: 18.4px;">vis </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">à</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"> vis </span>the
United States is threatening Israel's most important strategic
relationship. The election campaign saw Netanyahu's leadership come in
for an unprecedented chorus of public criticism from numerous former
senior security officials who called for his ousting as Prime Minister.
Netanyahu has indicated he will use his new term in office to try and
mend relations with the Obama administration but it may be too little
too late. The levels of mistrust and rancour between Netanyahu and
Obama are well documented. Many within Israel's political and security
establishment are concerned that Netanyahu's diplomatic collision course
with Obama has weakened Israel's ability to be heard in Washington over
the country's legitimate concerns regarding the US/Iranian nuclear
deal. Israel will also be coming under further scrutiny with attempts to
isolate the country diplomatically now that the Palestinians have
joined the International Criminal Court and may seek to indict Israelis for war crimes.</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Israeli media and Netanyahu's
political opponents thought that the election would be a referendum on
Netanyahu’s fitness for the job of Prime Minister. They were sure that
the Israeli public was fed up with his rhetoric and lack of ability to
deal with the crucial issues. The results prove they were right in their
analysis but wrong in their conclusions. When Israelis headed to the
polls and had to decide between Herzog and Netanyahu they didn't really
see any alternative. <span>There is a
huge difference between the way the Israeli Prime Minister is seen by
his political opponents and the international community, as opposed to
how he is seen by ordinary Israeli citizens. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>In short, the election results mean that
Netanyahu's attention will be primarily focused on domestic
socioeconomic issues including the housing crisis and the increased cost
of living as well as other internal issues.</span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For many Netanyahu's re-election
signals more of the same but in the world of Middle Eastern politics if
there is one certainty it is uncertainty.</span></span>
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Shree Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591655890356243805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-22084577768240380582015-03-31T14:02:00.000+00:002015-03-31T14:02:13.010+00:00Netanyahu’s Two-State Confusion<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel’s Prime
Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has now seemingly performed two U-turns on the matter
of the two-state solution in the space of only a few weeks. He has changed his
stance either side of his re-election, leaving confusion over what he actually
believes but also providing a further understanding of the cynical way in which
he uses the Middle East peace process as a political tool. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;">With election pressure
mounting, Netanyahu changed his stance. In 2009, Netanyahu had outlined his
support for a two-state solution, in a speech at Bar-Ilan University, in
Israel. He furthered this vision with another speech on the subject to US
congress in 2011. Yet, in an interview days before the election, he stated
“anyone who is going to establish a Palestinian state today and evacuate lands,
is giving attack grounds to radical Islam against the State of Israel”. Now,
within days of his re-election, in an interview with NBC, Netanyahu has said,
“I want a sustainable, peaceful two-state solution”.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;">The first change
of heart seems to have been a ploy to win the support of right-wing voters,
whilst the second is an attempt to repair Netanyahu’s faltering relationship
with the US; both pragmatic political moves rather than ideological shifts. The
ease with which he is willing to change his views on the idea of a Palestinian
state undermines the whole concept, regardless of what he actually believes. In
a peace process where trust is so important, the fickle nature of Netanyahu’s
rhetoric to suit his own needs, will leave anyone still hopeful of progress
both confused and frustrated. If there is no hope of a Palestinian state
somewhere down the line then those looking to the peace process for a solution
will increasingly look elsewhere for answers. It is this lack of hope that has
driven many Palestinians to arms in the past.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;">So where does this
leave the Middle East peace process? In truth, it has been stagnant for some
time. Netanyahu’s recent comments will not disrupt any current initiatives;
there is currently nothing to disrupt. His comments do seem to suggest that any
likelihood of a Palestinian state being created is non-existent for the foreseeable
future. It is a view backed up by Barack Obama. When speaking on prospects for
a Palestinian state last week, he professed, “What we can’t do is pretend
there’s a possibility for something that’s not there”. There are many who have
always doubted whether Netanyahu really believed in the two-state solution and,
for them, his comments will have only served to confirm this suspicion. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>Certainly, they confirm the view that Netanyahu’s
re-election is not a positive step towards the creation of a Palestinian state.</span></div>
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<![endif]-->Nicohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08319241071421795482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-17983729895759445802015-03-16T17:39:00.002+00:002015-03-16T17:39:40.299+00:00Peace Process Amid Elections in Israel
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<a href="" name="OLE_LINK1">In December 2014, the current Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu called for new elections two years ahead of schedule </a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626;">as tensions
over the “Jewish state” bill </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1e1e1e;">proposing to declare Israel as
"the nation state of the Jewish people"</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626;"> threatened
to undermine his leadership</span>. Netanyahu and his right wing, hawkish Likud
Party does now fight to be re-elected. His biggest opponent is the Zionist
Union, a centre-left alliance between Issac Herzog’s Labour Party and Tzipi Livni’s
Hatnuah, a part founded in 2012 <span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1c1c1c;">to present an alternative to
voters frustrated by the stalemate in peacemaking.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Prospects of Land-for-Peace<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While many international observers and politicians view the peace
process as Israel’s most prevalent political issue, there seems to be little
demand amongst the Israeli population for peace with the Palestinians and the
outcome of the election will thus rather depend on the parties’ economic
policies. BBC’s Middle East correspondent, Kevin Connolly, writes that ‘<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">the moribund
state of the vexed peace process between Israel and the Palestinians has never
felt like a major campaign issue’.</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span>However
minor in the run-up to the elections, the prospects for a re-instigation of the
haltered peace process will depend heavily on the outcome of the election as
Netanyahu and his party moves further and further away from traditional peace
proposals.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Israel’s current Prime Minister, who six years ago still embraced
the concept of the ‘Two-State Solution’, recently used the unstable situation
in the Middle East with ISIS continuing to fight in Iraq, Syria and Libya to
explain that for his government the idea of a Palestinian state has lost its
viability. He argued that a newly founded state would be vulnerable to be taken
over and used as a battleground by militant extremists. The New York Times
published an article today, March 16<sup>th</sup>, stating that Netanyahu
authorized the construction and extension of the heavily criticised settlement
Har Homa in one of the southern neighbourhoods of Jerusalem. It was part of
campaign launched to rally support amongst right-wing voters, who oppose a
Palestinian state and hence any negotiations aiming at establishing a
Palestinian state in exchange for peace. Both settlements and the ownership of Jerusalem
remain two of the main obstacles for peace between Israel and its occupied
territories.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the future of the peace process remains unclear independent of
the outcome of tomorrow’s election, recent events and developments indicate
that in case of a Likud success the prospects for peace look dire.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Arab Israeli Vote<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank do not have the
right to vote, the Arab population in Israel, the descendants of those who in
1948-49 remained on the territory, which became Israel, makes up 15% of the
electorate and will thus influence the outcome of the election. Traditionally, most
of the Arab population’s votes were divided amongst three Arab parties. For
this election, however, the Arab parties joined forces with its leader Ayman
Odeh stating that their number one objective is to end the current premiership
of Netanyahu. If the Arab list is successful – recent polls indicated that they
are able to win between 13 and 15 seats in the Knesset – the prospects to revive
the peace process are likely to increase as they promised to emphasize the
issue and aim to enshrine it again on Israel’s national agenda.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07831131375730101618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-49469742623445130722015-02-22T23:59:00.000+00:002015-02-22T23:59:27.399+00:00Mona Al-Ghussein talks Gaza<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here's Mona Ghussein on the English Hour. I was fairly pleased with the broadcast when I did it, though you may think differently. Let me know:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/ly4sfa1BoPo/0.jpg" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ly4sfa1BoPo?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.justgiving.com/NCFGazaappeal" target="_blank" title="JustGiving - Sponsor me now!"><img alt="JustGiving - Sponsor me now!" src="http://www.justgiving.com/App_Themes/JustGiving/images/badges/badge10.gif" height="50" width="270" /></a></div>
Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920781015928577474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-61076980224266116502015-02-13T13:10:00.000+00:002015-02-13T13:10:09.342+00:00Frustration in Gaza<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On the 26<sup>th</sup>
of August last year, Israel and Gaza agreed to a ceasefire deal, with the help
of Egypt’s President al-Sisi, that would see fishing restrictions gradually
lifted and an end of the blockade of border crossings into Gaza. The deal saw
the end to 50 days of fighting that claimed the lives of well over 2000 people,
the vast majority of which were Palestinians. For the optimists it appeared,
given the concessions made by Israel, to provide the stepping stone towards a potential
peace deal. Yet frustration seems to be growing in Gaza and there are signs
that the ceasefire deal is at real risk. </span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There have
been strains on the ceasefire deal since its inception in late August: in
September Gaza fishermen were reportedly fired on by the Israeli navy despite
claiming to have been within the allotted 6 mile fishing limit and in December
rockets were fired into Israel from Gaza, to which Israel responded with
airstrikes. Perhaps most importantly though, in Gaza the conditions of
the deal are not perceived to have been upheld by Israel. The opening of border
crossings was a necessity to obtain the materials needed to reconstruct the
many homes in Gaza destroyed during the conflict. Whilst Israel has provided
building materials through the border – around 400 trucks a day pass through
for this purpose - the borders are heavily monitored. The view from Palestine
is epitomised by Palestinian journalist Hai al-Masri, who writes that “the
siege and closure of the crossings have become worse than at any other time”. With
thousands of people in Gaza still homeless and living in tents, tensions are
simmering as a result. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The division
between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority is also playing a part in this.
Last month, for example, Hamas set up a makeshift outpost and patrolled at the
Palestinian Authority’s checkpoint; Israel responded by only allowing Gazans
with humanitarian emergencies through the border. The strain in Gaza certainly
seems to be increasing. Militants have reportedly conducted several attacks
against Hamas, including blowing up the car of a Hamas security official on
January 20<sup>th</sup>. So, although Hamas themselves seem inclined to honour
the ceasefire for the moment – they have been attempting to prevent the rocket
fire into Israel in December, the pressure on them and Gazan people is mounting.
Ceasefires between the two sides have been historically precarious and have
been consistently broken. This factor, along with the internal disputes in Gaza
and the fact that the borders are seemingly no more open than before, mean the
threat to this current deal is rising</span>. </div>
Nicohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08319241071421795482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-81282182226477138722014-11-05T14:57:00.000+00:002014-11-05T14:57:28.913+00:00Disparity between health levels in Palestine and Israel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.justgiving.com/NCFGazaappeal" target="_blank" title="JustGiving - Sponsor me now!"><img alt="JustGiving - Sponsor me now!" src="http://www.justgiving.com/App_Themes/JustGiving/images/badges/badge10.gif" height="50" width="270" /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<u>Prevalence of disease</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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According to the Global Burden of
Disease study carried out between 1990 and 2013 there exist gross disparities
between the health of Palestinians and Israelis (Humanosphere August 2014). The
biggest discrepancies found were in cardio and circulatory disease prevalence and
neonatal issues - five times as much in Palestine and diabetes and endocrine
diseases which are twice as prevalent amongst Palestinians as Israelis.
Although the disparity between child deaths among the two populations has been
diminishing over time, the rate among Palestinian children is still 5 times as
much as among Israeli children in 2013 with maternal mortality double the rate
in Palestine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also a
significant difference between the numbers of mental health suffers in
Palestinian territories versus in Israel – figures that Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) associates with a
high prevalence of anxiety among Palestinians under the continuous mistreatment
by IDF forces. </div>
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<br /></div>
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There were found to be many poverty-related
and conflict-related afflictions with diarrhoea and infectious diseases much
higher (up to 5 times) among the Palestinians as well as low rates of nutrition
(5 times as much among Palestinians) which along-side poor housing and low
incomes exacerbate the rate of avoidable illnesses. This has contributed to a
greater scale of early death with general life expectancy (outside of conflict)
around 5 years less among Palestinians that Israelis, 75 to 81, respectively –
and an over 65 population of 3.2% in Palestine and 10.5 in Israel (World fact
book).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Further details and a breakdown
can be found at <a href="http://ihmeuw.org/25vv">http://ihmeuw.org/25vv</a> </div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<u>Health provision and access </u></div>
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<br /></div>
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The general health level among Israelis
is on average more comparable to Europe, currently higher than in Italy or
Spain (Humanopsphere, August 2014), with health spending currently at USD$
2,071 per capita<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or 7.7% of GDP similar
to that of Luxembourg (World fact book) with universal health care in place
since 1995. Conversely Palestinians in Gaza and the West <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">B</span>ank are provided health care through
UN agencies, specifically UNWRA and humanitarian organisations such as MSF and
the ICRC – but these can cost and do have some notable conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The WHO estimated that 58% of the health
sector in Gaza was damaged during Operation Protective Edge with specific medical
concerns arising such as the increase of water-borne diseases as a result of
over-crowding in shelters; complications for casualty patients including
through lack of water and electricity and a decline of physical and mental
health from the extended emergency period without improvements to access to
health or the overall living conditions in Gaza (WHO 21<sup>st</sup> August
2014). </div>
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Health facilities and provision
in Israel do not seem to be greatly affected, if at all, by hostilities and
conflict while facilities in Palestine are currently also suffering from
shortages in drugs – 28% of essential medicines were at zero stock and 16% at
very low with anaesthesia and sutures at only 54% of that required – according
to the Pharmacy director general in Gaza (WHO, 2014). The medical journal The
Lancet found that poor families in Palestine had little access to medical
treatment in Israel – made worse by the barrier erected by Israel within the
West Bank and with Gaza – and that a fifth of access requests were either
denied or delayed by the Israeli authorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Within Israel too, Israeli Arabs were found to experience health
services differently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here economic
factors were found to play less of a role than exclusionary policies towards
non-Jews were found to be the cause with lower rates of insurance cover for
Arabs (Chernichovsky and Anson, 2005) and subsequent fewer referrals to
consultants for non-Hebrew speakers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</div>
Kholood Khairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12388158857002416508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-61724809493153885132014-08-31T20:44:00.000+00:002014-08-31T20:44:30.834+00:00Imad Karam from Gaza<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This interview was recorded before the Gaza War. However, it is still relevant. It is with filmmaker Dr Imad Karam of Initiatives for Change:<br />
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<br />
To support our Gaza appeal for families that have lost their breadwinner click on the button below:<br />
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Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920781015928577474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-23403054784422864062014-08-15T12:13:00.001+00:002014-08-15T12:13:36.672+00:00In Memoriam - Ali Abu Afash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI45geAE0-kAFTKosIpZZKe9K_SFrUkHwFQOR9ACJWoPyIP1H0GZDzRlsSy8AWxGk2kK2BafUVwuXasUXspHGv1vfCy5iuRD7Y2wB1C1q3jykWZS2ncd4K9L_AOnyiDlTVYHcseg/s1600/Abu+Afash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI45geAE0-kAFTKosIpZZKe9K_SFrUkHwFQOR9ACJWoPyIP1H0GZDzRlsSy8AWxGk2kK2BafUVwuXasUXspHGv1vfCy5iuRD7Y2wB1C1q3jykWZS2ncd4K9L_AOnyiDlTVYHcseg/s1600/Abu+Afash.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">It is with the deepest, profoundest sadness that The Next Century Foundation has to report the death yesterday of Ali Abu Afash, a close friend and NCF member and volunteer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Ali passed away on Wednesday 13<sup>th</sup> of August in an explosion in Beit Lahiya, north of Gaza. The cause of the explosion, a piece of ordinance from the recent fighting that detonated. AP Journalist Simone Camilli, three others were also killed in the blast. Another four were injured.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Ali Abu Afash was a core member of the Gaza Centre for Media Freedom, an organisation that contributes to the development of Palestinian journalists in Gaza through training and development and the provision of financial and logistical aid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">A huge personality, Ali touched all of those that he met. Ali spent his time training young journalists and campaigning on the plight of journalists in Gaza. During the recent bombardment of Gaza he worked tirelessly assisting journalists in their coverage of the conflict.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Always happy, welcoming and optimistic, whatever the situation, the tight-knit journalistic community in Gaza will be mourning a huge loss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Ali 36, is survived by his wife and two daughters, ages 5 and 6.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Loved by all, Ali Abu Afash, one of the world's most wonderful and gentle men, will be sorely missed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">This dear man, Ali Abu Afash, was the fifteenth journalist to be killed in the current round of fighting. God grant that there will be no more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">______________________________<wbr></wbr>______________________________<wbr></wbr>_______</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=20813989" name="147d69fa3c9f457d__GoBack" style="color: #222222;"></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The Next Century Foundation has been raising money for Gaza Centre for Media Freedom and the families of journalists killed. If you would like to contribute please </span><a href="https://www.justgiving.com/NCFGazaappeal" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">donate here</span></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.justgiving.com/NCFGazaappeal" target="_blank" title="JustGiving - Sponsor me now!"><img alt="JustGiving - Sponsor me now!" src="http://www.justgiving.com/App_Themes/JustGiving/images/badges/badge10.gif" height="50" width="270" /></a>Shree Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591655890356243805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-19035191810438018522014-08-01T09:20:00.000+00:002015-08-28T09:21:43.020+00:00Muller on America<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Jonathon Muller talks on US Mid East Policy with William Morris of the NCF:</div>
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Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920781015928577474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-55067871440415401012014-07-29T14:14:00.000+00:002014-07-29T14:14:05.187+00:00Gaza Report 9<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This report is the ninth in a series on the current confrontation
between Gaza and Israel. </span></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">ISRAEL: The following is the perspective of David Sasson, one of
Israel’s veteran peacemakers and senior member of the NCF. David is of Iraqi
Jewish heritage <i>(as usual, quoted verbatim as of this
morning)</i>:</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am very sad about both Gaza and Iraq. I don’t know what the US is
going to do. They make a lot of mistakes. Look at the plight of the Christians
of Mosul. Nobody says anything about that. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Gaza is very very bad. This is a big mistake I think. This creates
terror in the Middle East – even in Europe. The West must open its eyes. We
don’t have the right sort of politicians now in the world. We cannot do
anything. The politicians must find a solution and that involves sitting
together. The same rules apply in Syria and in Iraq and in
Gaza.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Gaza, if they destroy Hamas, ISIS will come. Al Qaidah will be
there. I feel very sad and believe me: they must wake up in the West. Al Qaidah
is at the doors of Europe. Europe and America must wake
up.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the end they are going to sit together. Better to sit today not
tomorrow.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am very very sad to see what happened in this
world.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">GAZA: The following comment comes from Adel Zaanoon, the NCF’s
senior member in Gaza. Again the words are quoted verbatim <i>(as at 5:30 pm GMT
this afternoon)</i>. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are more and more efforts for a humanitarian truce. They have
failed because Israel rejected that truce. But at the same time today morning it
was quiet, no shelling from Israel or Hamas.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This afternoon there were several air strikes on Shifa hospital and
on the refugee camp. 10 Palestinians were killed and 55 injured. Meanwhile
throughout all Gaza there was tank shelling. All areas repeated tank
shelling.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Khoza today, the village East of Khan Younis, the Red Cross
found 12 bodies from four or five days ago.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Still there are efforts from all for
peace.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meanwhile Hamas and Islamic Jihad confirmed their conditions for a
cease fire: the lifting of the siege and the reopening of all crossings
including Rafa. But Israel does not want to end the
siege.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe there will be more and more escalation if we do not arrive at
a truce. Escalation from both Israel and Palestine. A lot
maybe.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meanwhile today on the ground there were several clashes. The
Qassam said 9 Israelis were killed today, whilst Israel said 4 Israelis dead in
Ashkol North East of Gaza this afternoon by Palestinian rocket.
</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s terrible. Still very bad. There is no solution. No vision to
solve this problem. Maybe there will be a humanitarian truce. I hope so. For 24
hours. We hope so because the people of Gaza are tired. There is so much
suffering in Gaza, it’s crazy.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This current cease fire proposal comes from the UN. Hamas and
Israel are both discussing this proposal. The Palestinian people hope there will
be agreement from Hamas and Israel because they are more and more tired and more
and more are being killed.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There were 10 Palestinian children killed and 50 injured in that
one strike in Shata refugee camp. About 40% of the dead in Gaza these days are
children and 20% are women. Since this began 1,100 have been
killed.</span></span></div>
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<s><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">______________________________<wbr></wbr>__________________________
</span></span></s></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Black","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">COMMENT:</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Today's comment is in the shape of two broadcasts, both actually
recorded before the current outbreak of hostilities, but possibly even more
pertinent now.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first is with Orthodox Rabbi Herschel Gluck.
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Black","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN6WV_BmP20" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Click
Here</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The second is with Gazan film maker Dr Imad Karam.
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Black","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0GjiMjlSms" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Click
Here</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
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<s><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">______________________________<wbr></wbr>__________________________
</span></span></s></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Also – we were sent the following comment from a Syrian,
<b>Abdulazim Saffaf</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thank you very much for asking me for my opinion on whether I can
see some light at the end of the darkest tunnel in history; the Middle East
conflict.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The survival nature and resilience of the people involved in the
conflict both Jewish and Palestinian throughout history justify my
hope.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is no alternative to direct negotiation. This direct
negotiation should be between true representatives of both sides including the
Israeli far right and Hamas. Without involving them the chance is everything
will collapse.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Negotiation and not bargaining or haggling, negotiation that is
dynamic and goes beyond mere conferring with view to compromise. It is about
making and seeking concessions.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The hope is there if we adhere to self-evident
principles:</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: auto 0cm auto 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">1.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Hate
breeds only hate and violence, love breeds love and peace.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: auto 0cm auto 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">2.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">To read history to learn valuable lessons to enhance co-existence, and to
stop reading history to live in it.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: auto 0cm auto 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">3.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">Injustice is the source of all evils.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: auto 0cm auto 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">4.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights (Article1,
Universal declaration of human rights UDHR).</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: auto 0cm auto 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">5.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person (Article3,
UDHR)</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: auto 0cm auto 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">6.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">Everyone has the right to a nationality (Article 15.1
UDHR)</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: auto 0cm auto 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">7.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the
right to change his nationality (Article 15.2
UDHR).</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: auto 0cm auto 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">8.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">Both Arabs and Jews deserve not just a break but a lasting
solution.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: auto 0cm auto 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">9.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">Hostilities must stop immediately to allow for proper negotiation of
lasting peace.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hope can also be sought from the good example of the harmonious
co-existence between Jews and Arabs as those in the past in Baghdad, Andalusia
or the current good example in Safed under the Jewish Mayor Ilan
Shochat.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In addition to the above principles, there are the following facts
that we should draw our attention to:</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: auto 0cm auto 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">1.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">The
word Palestine has always had positive connotation among Jews. Most of the
Jewish writers prior to 1948 spoke of their love to and of their dreams about
the Holy Land called Palestine.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: auto 0cm auto 18pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: auto 0cm auto 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">2.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">The word Israel has always had positive connotation among Arabs prior to
1948 because of the high place Prophet Jacob (Israel) the father of Prophet
Joseph both have in the heart of Muslim and Christian
Arabs.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: auto 0cm auto 18pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I
HAVE A DREAM! That one day to see Palestine as one country and to see Jews and
Arabs living side by as equal citizens of that country. With the potential
of both its peoples and its world religions</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
and heritage, there shall be no limits to the advancement and prosperity of this
country. Jerusalem shall regain its long held name: The City of
Peace.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When Jerusalem is peaceful, the whole world will be
peaceful.</span></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <b>Abdulazim Saffaf</b></span></span></div>
</span></div>
Shree Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591655890356243805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-6293057901103862332014-07-29T11:07:00.000+00:002014-07-29T11:07:27.249+00:00Gaza Report 8<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This report is the eighth in a series on the current confrontation
between Gaza and Israel. </span></span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><s><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></s></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">ISRAEL: The following is the perspective of Danny
Rubenstein, one of Israel’s greatest award winning journalists and a close
friend of the NCF:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<s><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></s></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s a window of opportunity now because the Hamas
regime is isolated and broken both militarily and
financially.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now is the first time Egypt and Abu Mazin and
Israel have truly cooperated. This is a good chance to bring Gaza to life. There
are a lot of possibilities. For instance the gas reservoirs <i>(Gaza has vast
offshore gas reserves).</i> The only reason they are not developed is the need
to find a customer. You cannot develop these reserves without a customer. Gaza
itself is not enough as a customer. The only relevant customer is
Israel.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Developing the Gaza reserves through Egypt is a
disaster because the terrorists would attack the pipeline in Sinai. If Israel
buys this then there could also be a pipeline to Jordan. This would bring
millions of dollars to Gaza. You could run desalination plants for Gaza with the
cheap energy.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For 15 years nothing has been done with this gas.
And this is only one example of how Gaza could be
developed.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you listen to Netanyahu, he doesn’t say
anything about getting rid of Hamas. I am afraid he wants a weak Hamas to stay
and Abu Mazin to remain a weak partner for peace. It would be much much better
if Abu Mazin were strong and would take over Gaza. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course Abu Mazin getting with the support of
Israeli tanks would be a disaster. But now if we had a cease fire and moved on
from there, Hamas is popular but very weak because it is isolated by the entire
world. That’s why it is a good time to start this
dialogue.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">GAZA: The following comment comes from the NCF
office in Gaza. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The situation is the same. The situation is still
very bad today. Violence. Tank shells. Especially on the East of Gaza, North and
South. Everywhere. Today so far 32 have been killed and more than 100 injured.
In total thus far we have 832 dead, more than 5,200 injured, 17,000 houses
damaged, 1,800 completely destroyed.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hamas fighters and the Israeli Army are still
fighting. Hamas killed three Israeli soldiers today but we hear nothing of that
from the Israelis.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the political effort there is nothing new. We
will support any new idea, believe this. But compromise is difficult because
Hamas must completely end the siege. But Israel just wants quiet on the basis of
calm = calm. This is completely impossible for us because we would just be in
the same miserable situation we were in before all this began which means
nothing.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Egyptian side do not support Hamas demands to
end the siege.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We want to rebuild the airport and seaport but
Israel is not ready to give Palestine this point.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For Al Eid there will be a truce for a few days
maybe.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The obstacle is Egypt and maybe Saudi
Arabia.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">It’s really terrible.</span><s><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></s></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<s><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></s></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<s><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">______________________________<wbr></wbr>__________________________
</span></span></s></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<s><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></s></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">COMMENT:</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Today's comment is from UK Task Force, an organisation that
highlights issues in regard to Israel’s Arabs, and they have highlighted and
</span><a href="http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21608761-war-gaza-fuels-tensions-between-israeli-arabs-and-jews-do-we-belong?utm_source=UK+Task+Force+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=35f6326a51-UK_Task_Force_Weekly_Media_Highlights7_15_2014&utm_medium=email&" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">submitted this article from the Economist</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. </span></span><s><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></s></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<s><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">______________________________<wbr></wbr>__________________________
</span></span></s></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<s><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></s></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Also – Geoffrey
Whitfield of Sports for Peace sent us this more subjective comment piece <a href="http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1406281947/" target="_blank">from Uri
Avnery of Peace Now</a>. Thank You</span></span></div>
</span>Shree Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591655890356243805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-90393762520931690692014-07-25T14:49:00.000+00:002014-07-25T14:49:51.194+00:00Gaza Report 7<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This report is the seventh in a series on the current confrontation
between Gaza and Israel. </i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><s><span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></s></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">ISRAEL: The following is the perspective of an
Israeli diplomat close to the NCF <i>(name
withheld)</i>:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><s><span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></s></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">We are horrified by the scale of the civilian
death toll in Gaza. There is no question about that. But how are we to stop
these rocket attacks? We have placed that down as an open question to our
allies. What do they think we should do? If we could find another way to do what
we have to do to secure the safety of Israel we would do
it.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><s><span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></s></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">ISRAEL 2: The following is the perspective of one
of our most senior Israeli NCF members <i>(name
withheld)</i>:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">It’s devastating what’s happening. It has been a
nightmare. But I feel that in some strange way it has unified Israelis. Before
we were conflicted, particularly in the Diaspora where there was J-Street in the
States and their counterpart in the UK.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">People that were on the right and on the left
before this crisis now think differently because this is not the West Bank, this
is Gaza, this is a part of Palestine from which we have
vacated.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Also it’s more than that. Of course there was this
blockade – but there was a reason for that. I understand the Hamas standpoint. I
understand they want the blockade lifted. I don’t agree but I
understand.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">It would be an absolute miracle if there was a
cease fire now. But what we need is not a mere cease fire. We need an effective
peace process.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">THE WEST: The following is the perspective of one
of our most senior British NCF members <i>(name
withheld)</i>:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">No one in the world gains from a batch of this
every four or five years. We lack an Israeli with sufficient vision to lead his
nation to peace with the Arabs. It needs to be someone from the right
wing.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">GAZA: The following comment comes from the NCF
office in Gaza. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">All of us OK but today it was most deadly because of the Israeli
massacre in </span>southern Khuzaa and Abassan
villages to the East of Khan Younis, where Israeli shelling left dead and
wounded under rubble. In Khuzaa village 31 were killed and more than 1,100
injured.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">But tonight there was a massacre against </span>the
"Kaa-Albir'' school in Beit Hanoun which was hit by four shells fired by IDF
forces. 17 were killed and 170 injured. All of them were new refugees in an
UNWRA shelter.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It has
been a bloody day, especially in the last few hours. At the same time Hamas and
Islamic Jihad said they killed several Israeli soldiers in the Eastern Gaza
Strip and Beit Hanoun in the South Gaza Strip.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>(Conversation interrupted by an air strike)
</i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Khalid
Mishal said they will continue until they end the siege and stop the war and
agreesion – but especially to end the siege.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Maybe
Israel will stop unilaterally without a cease fire. But without a cease fire and
deal it will be very bad because crossings must be reopened. And because if no
end to the siege it means no rebuilding of the houses and now we have more than
250,000 homeless which is too much.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hamas
and all the factions will continue to hold to this condition to end the siege
because without it the misery will continue. Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the PFLP and
Abu Mazin’s Fateh are all united on this. This is the first time from Abu Mazin
to speak like this. Now all the factions including Abu Mazin are on the same
side. This is the first time.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ban
ki-Moon left with nothing but I am sure the international community will do
something.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">‘Till
now the Israeli side says 32 dead. Hamas says they killed 8 Israelis just today
so their figure is higher.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ramadan
ends in three days but this war will continue. It’s really very bad. The human
situation is more and more difficult. There is no food. No clothing. All the
banks are closed.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also bad from the Egyptian side. 22 injured were transferred for
treatment via Rafa. Just 22. Why just 22? The reason is Egypt’s hatred for
Hamas. There have been many appeals to reopen Rafa for the injured but Egypt
does nothing. 600 injured wait to cross. Technically they say Rafa is
“re-opened” but there is no entrance for anyone. You cannot understand why this
is happening from Egypt. Today Hamas asked the Egyptian side to reopen Rafa for
aid but nothing. Yesterday an Emirates convoy did bring medicine but left the
same day.<s></s></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><s>______________________________<wbr></wbr>__________________________
</s></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">COMMENT: Today's comment is from New Israel Fund boss, Rabbi Brian Lurie.
And was forwarded to us by Adam from the NIF. <a href="http://ncfmepp.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/under-fire-israel-must-still-stand-up.html" target="_blank">They were published in Haaretz.</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><s></s><s><span lang="EN-US"></span></s></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><s>______________________________<wbr></wbr>__________________________
</s></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><s></s></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also – Smadar
and Sami from the Tsofen orgainisation <a href="http://www.tsofen.org/?p=2242&lang=en&utm_source=Tsofen+Newsletter+2013&utm_campaign=3e7aaf509a-The_Marker_Article_July_20147_22_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_571e16cd77-3e7aaf509a-92916753" target="_blank">sent
this comment piece</a>. Thank you</span></span></div>
Shree Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591655890356243805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-11064474951202725382014-07-24T23:18:00.003+00:002014-07-24T23:26:57.928+00:00Under fire, Israel must still stand up for human rights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>Israel's human rights community and their supporters are committed democrats and also patriots – even when they must implicate or criticize the Israeli military's abuses of power.</i><br />
By Brian Lurie in Haaretz<br />
<br />
Now, again at a time of violent conflict, there is a concerted effort by some in Israel to disparage and discourage the work of Israel’s human rights groups. Several Negev mayors signed an ad in the Jerusalem Post addressed to me, asking the New Israel Fund to refrain from supporting this work.<br />
The nature of human rights work, especially during conflict, is hard for some to understand. From where I live in San Francisco, I cannot pretend that I fully appreciate the rush to bomb shelters under the threat of Hamas’ long-range rockets. Nevertheless, I remember how it felt to live in Jerusalem for several days during the Six Day War, being in and out of bomb shelters. Again in 1990, I sat in a sealed room during Saddam Hussein’s attacks on Israel. Therefore, I have great sympathy for what Israeli civilians are now enduring and I join others in loathing Hamas’ strategy of indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets. Were it not for the Iron Dome, the casualty rate on the Israeli side would be much larger. I am thankful for the foresight that put this protection into place.<br />
The NIF's support for Israel’s human rights organizations in no way contradicts our condemnation of Hamas’ tactics. Rather, it flows from our commitment to Israeli democracy. Human rights watchdog groups operate in every democracy worldwide. They ensure that there is an independent voice reporting on government activity and they serve as a check and balance on potential abuses of power. Every democracy should have its own human rights community examining the behavior of its military. If there is no such mechanism operating in Gaza, then that is just another black mark against the Hamas regime.<br />
Moments like this one test the character of society. When human rights groups are ignored, silenced or are not allowed to do their work, societies fail the test. Nations like Russia, Egypt and Iran prohibit, limit or defund human rights activities, and that behavior is an infallible signal of anti-democratic and authoritarian intent. Israel aims higher than that.<br />
Because human rights abuses are more common in the chaos of war, the role of human rights organizations is all the more important during those times. Many of their reports will implicate or criticize military behavior, which of course angers many Israelis. This is particularly true when the IDF is moving against Hamas in Gaza, where the difficulty in discerning legitimate military targets amidst a crowded civilian population is a recipe for tragedy and disaster, as we saw with the loss of so many young children in this latest conflict.<br />
No matter how unpopular the work of ACRI, B’Tselem, Rabbis for Human Rights and other Israeli watchdog groups, no matter how painful and difficult their reportage may be, NIF will not back away from our support for them. Israel’s democratic character and future is too important to us. Israel’s Military Advocate General and other officials have acknowledged that these reports change military operations for the better. After Operation Cast Lead in 2009, the IDF specifically credited B’Tselem’s information as a factor in changing operational procedures to better protect civilian lives and property.<br />
Some of the Israeli leadership’s distaste for human rights activity comes from the fallout from the Goldstone Report, which first accused the IDF of deliberately targeting civilians and whose principal author then backed down from that claim. As it happens, when that report came out, some human rights groups we support actually objected to that particular conclusion and said that it was not substantiated by the evidence.<br />
And, despite the well-funded lies from extremist organizations associated with the ultranationalist right, the Goldstone report was almost entirely based on publicly-available information and statements by the Israeli government and military sources. Had the Israeli government launched its own investigation of Cast Lead, as had been done for every military operation preceding it, the Goldstone Report might not have<br />
happened or at least would have been contextualized.<br />
The reports generated by human rights organizations are always publicly available and are thus sometimes used by Israel’s enemies to attack it.<br />
This happens to every democracy; my own country was implicated in the abuses at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison because of information gathered and disseminated by our ACLU and there was worldwide outrage as a result. Attempting to silence human rights organizations because their output does not always help Israel’s image is shortsighted. In the long run the fact that Israel has a critical human rights community ensures that<br />
friendly allies understand that it is still a liberal democracy with safeguards in place to guide its own behavior.<br />
While reports issued by Israeli human rights organizations receive coverage and attention across the globe, we at NIF strongly believe that the most important audience for Israeli human rights organizations to address is their fellow Israelis, including the Israeli judicial system. Israel has a free press, involved citizenry, a strong and independent judiciary, and a track record of official commissions and committees of inquiry.<br />
Reports of wrongdoing must be presented there. We disagree with organizations now calling for international intercession, especially before Israel has even has had a chance to examine its own decisions and activities.<br />
We also object to, and will not fund, any organization filing a lawsuit outside of Israel attempting to bring Israeli officials to trial in foreign courts. As the leading organization working for democracy and equality in Israel, our job is to work with Israelis seeking to strengthen democratic institutions, including the judicial system and commissions of inquiry.<br />
At the end of the day, the human rights community of Israel and their supporters are also patriots. Their work is extraordinarily difficult at times like this. We want to hold Israel to the standard it has set for itself as a liberal democracy with a moral army that respects human life and as a nation that searches its own soul in even the most difficult of times to ensure the fundamental decency of its actions. The NIF is committed<br />
to helping Israel be the liberal democracy envisioned by its founders. That’s why we will always stand by Israel’s human rights champions.<br />
<i><br />Rabbi Brian Lurie is President of the New Israel Fund.</i></div>
Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920781015928577474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-67615847707046243942014-07-23T11:38:00.002+00:002014-07-23T11:38:26.907+00:00Gaza Report 6<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This
report is the sixth in a series on the current confrontation between Gaza and
Israel. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Note:
More than 600 Palestinians
have been killed in Gaza since these latest hostilities commenced. The UN states
that 70% of the dead are civilians. The number of Palestinian wounded rose to
3,700
today.
On the Israeli side, 30 are reported dead (actual numbers and details are
unclear but that is not unusual as the Israel Army rarely gives comprehensive
lists of all casualties – this must therefore be regarded as a minimum figure).
The IDF announced this morning that the soldier Hamas named yesterday as having
been captured, is indeed missing. The
UN is belatedly pushing in serious fashion for a cease-fire in the Strip (UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has arrived in Israel today).<span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ISRAEL: The following is the perspective of our most senior Israeli NCF membership:</span></span></div>
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What would happen if England were bombed every
single day? It’s awful. </span></span></div>
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The problem is not the past. The problem is the
future. We can’t talk about the future until the dust settles. And the dust
should settle in about ten days.</span></span></div>
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ISRAEL 2: <a href="http://shadowinbaghdad.com/" target="_blank">Linda
Menhuin</a> sent us this link: <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/rossalynwarren/jewish-and-arab-people-are-posing-together-in-inspiring-phot" target="_blank">Jews
and Arabs in Israel refuse enmity</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">GAZA: The following comment comes from the NCF office in Gaza. Again
the words are quoted verbatim. Note that the NCF office in Gaza is located in the Gaza Press
Centre.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They attacked the Al Jazeera office in our building. All of them left.
They have moved to (location withheld). This was a shooting against Al
Jazeera as a warning. They are afraid. Because a lot of houses were destroyed in
this fashion. It was a warning. We immediately phoned the Israel Army to ask if
we could stay but they said that they “could not guarantee our safety if we
returned to the office.”</span></span></div>
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some of the AP office (located on the same
floor as Al Jazeera) have returned. The Gaza Centre for Media Freedom
(on the fourth floor of the building where the NCF office is located)
is in the same building. We have all left. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">620 Palestinians have been killed so far and 3,700
injured, mostly civilians. More than 500 houses have been completely destroyed
and 15,000 partly damaged. And the exchange of fire continues. 2 Israelis were
killed today morning making a total of 27 Israeli soldiers dead according to the
Israelis. According to Hamas it is twice that
number.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Abu Mazin has returned to Ramallah because he is
very angry at everyone including Egypt (though he doesn’t say he’s angry with
Egypt). We expect a big speech from him this
evening.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The news of the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier is true. Israel
confirmed today that they had missed one soldier and gave the same name that
Hamas gave two days ago. This complicates things. In the next 48 hours maybe
there will be something. Inshallah there will be a cease fire.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">GAZA 2: The following comment was forwarded to us from Adel Zanoon at the Gaza Centre for Media Freedom. Adel is the
most senior member of the NCF in Gaza.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms(MADA) considers targeting
of Al-Jazeera office by the occupation forces in Gaza city today is a part of
occupation forces' trials to silence the press in Gaza Strip, and an
attempt to terrify journalists.<br /><br />Safwat kahlout,41, in Gaza
city reported The producer of Al-Jazerra office to MADA:
"Today
morning at 09:00 am, While we were doing our work at Al-Jazeera office which
locate at Al-Jalla tower,11<sup>th</sup> floor, in Gaza city, we heard a sound
of opening fire. All of us were shocked since we were not able to identify the
source of this sound. A few seconds later, the second shelling happened which
source was unknown for us. Then we understood that the first
sounds were warning sounds and Al-Jazeera office will be targeted after the
warning statement of Lieberman
(Israeli
foreign minister) to close
all Al-Jazerra offices.
</span><span style="font-size: small;">No
casualties were reported and the material damages
small”.<br /> <wbr></wbr> <br />Israeli
occupations forces also continued shelling journalist's houses. The journalist
and producer Rima Mahmoud Abu Sabha,26, reported that Israeli occupation
forces shelled their house at about 12:00 am by two rockets without a previous
warning. Therefore, her father was killed, and their one-floor house, where 11
people live, was destroyed.
8
people, who live in her uncle's house which is next to their house, were
injured. Israeli occupation airplanes shelled the remaining of the</span><span style="font-size: small;">
house again today morning at 07:00 am, straightening it with the
ground. <br /><br />The Journalist Hamad Khamis Dahlan,
31,
who works for Al-Ahed TV reported to MADA: "At 07:50
pm,
our house was shelled by an Israeli drone
airplane. At 08:10 pm, the three floor- house was shelled by a F16 rocket, no
casualties reported since one of our family members was told ten minutes before
shelling by a phone call. The house, which locates in Al-Nasser neighborhood in
Gaza city, where 40 people live who
belong to 6 families (we,
my three uncles and some
of my family members)
whom
were displaced as a result the last aggression, was completely destroyed”.
The journalist Dahlan is married, and he has three kids.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">______________________________<wbr></wbr>__________________________
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">COMMENT:
Today's comment
is from NCF member Justin Alexander who has shared this link to the article he
has <a href="http://country.eiu.com/article.aspx?articleid=1722041156&Country=Israel&topic=Politics" target="_blank">published
in the Economist Intelligence Digest today</a>
</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">______________________________<wbr></wbr>__________________________
</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also – NCF member Tony Klug sent us this letter he wrote to the
Guardian:</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 9.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">• Seumas Milne argues that the price of Israel's occupation needs to be
raised. One way of doing this is to challenge Israel's claim that it is and is
not an occupation.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="background: none no-repeat scroll 0% 0% white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This convenient ambiguity has enabled it to cherry-pick the Geneva
convention and justify treating the occupied Palestinians differently from
Israeli citizens while simultaneously annexing, expropriating and settling
chunks of their territory. After 47 years, it is time to call the Israeli bluff.
The Palestinian thinker Sam Bahour and I<span> </span><a href="http://mondediplo.com/blogs/if-kerry-fails-what-then" style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" target="_blank" title="">have proposed that a firm deadline be set
for Israel to make up its mind definitively one way or the
other</a>. If it is an occupation, Israel's –
supposedly provisional – custodianship should be brought to a swift end. If it
is not an occupation, there is no justification for denying equal rights to
everyone who is subject to Israeli rule, whether Israeli or
Palestinian.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="background: none no-repeat scroll 0% 0% white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The key is to remove the status quo as the default option. So, should
Israel choose not to choose, other states may interpret this to mean in effect
that it intends to hold on to the occupied territories indefinitely and hold
Israel accountable to the equality benchmark. The clutch of international laws
pertaining to apartheid rather than occupation would then come into force. The
hope is that the Israeli people would rebel against the pariah status this would
entail and vote in a new government ready to do a genuine two-state deal before
it really is too late.</span></span></div>
<div style="background: none no-repeat scroll 0% 0% white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /><strong style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Tony
Klug</strong><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">London</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">______________________________<wbr></wbr>__________________________
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Finally, as a matter of record we copy the following article on the
missing Israeli soldier:<br /><br />THE NEW YORK TIMES<br /><br />22 July
2014<br /><br />JERUSALEM — The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that the
remains of one of its soldiers presumed to have been killed on Sunday in Gaza
had still not been found or identified, two days after Hamas’s military wing
said it had kidnapped a soldier.<br /><br />In the early hours of Sunday morning,
during a fierce battle between Israeli ground forces and Hamas militants in
Shejaiya, an eastern neighborhood of Gaza City, an aged Israeli armored
personnel carrier carrying seven soldiers was hit by an antitank missile,
according to the military.<br /><br />It was one of the deadliest encounters since
Israel sent ground forces into Gaza late Thursday, after 10 days of aerial
bombing, which Israel says is aimed at severely damaging Hamas’s rocket-firing
capabilities and underground tunnel network.<br /><br />“The identification process
of six of the soldiers killed has been completed and confirmed,” the military
said in a statement on Tuesday. “The efforts to identify the seventh soldier are
ongoing and have yet to be determined.”<br /><br />Until now, the military had said
it was “looking into” Hamas’s assertion that it had abducted a soldier, saying
it was unable to confirm or deny the claim. Tuesday’s announcement was the
military’s first attempt to explain the confusion.<br /><br />The Israeli military
identified the seventh soldier in the personnel carrier as Sergeant Oron Shaul,
21, a combat soldier of the Golani brigade from Poria in northern Israel. That
name corresponded with a name Hamas had provided in Arabic when it claimed the
kidnapping of the soldier. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />Hamas
also provided an Israeli identity number for the soldier.<br /><br />The statement
said the families of the seven soldiers “who were involved in the incident were
briefed on the circumstances of the attack.”<br /><br />Motti Almoz, the military’s
chief spokesman, told Israel Radio that the military was “clarifying the
circumstances surrounding this incident.”<br /><br />Fighting continued in Shejaiya
overnight, where the Israeli military said it had struck weapons stores, command
and control positions and other infrastructure. So far, the military said it had
uncovered some 23 underground tunnels in Gaza and 66 access points to the
tunnels, many of them in Shejaiya, which lies close to the border with
Israel.<br /><br />Some of the tunnels have been used by Hamas militants to carry
out incursions into Israeli territory and there have been several deadly clashes
between militants emerging from tunnels on the Israeli side of the border and
Israeli soldiers. Israeli officials say the tunnels were also designed for
attacks on Israeli civilian communities.</span></span></div>
</div>
</span></span></div>
Shree Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591655890356243805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-57564491237226546582014-07-22T10:39:00.000+00:002014-07-22T10:39:42.775+00:00Gaza Report 5<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">
</span></span></span>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">
</span></span></span></span></span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><i>This report is the
fifth in a series on the current confrontation between Gaza and Israel.</i></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i> </i>
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i>Note: Thus far 508
Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during Israel’s ‘Operation Protective
Edge’. During fierce fighting in eastern Gaza on Saturday night, 13 Israeli
soldiers lost their lives. The number of Israelis killed to date is unclear but
it is a total of at least 20. Hamas’ Qassam Brigades have kidnapped one Israeli
soldier.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">ISRAEL: The following is the perspective of two Israeli women <i>(as
at 11 am GMT this morning)</i>. Both are members of the NCF and both are active
in promoting peace:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">It is not easy for everyone. We hope it will end quickly. It needs to
stop from both sides. We need to hope and pray that it will do so. The situation
is really bad, the worst we have experienced. Civil society activism has become
really difficult. There is a lot of racism around now. People’s reactions are
very violent. It is very hard and depressing. Everything is so polarized.
Palestinians on the West Bank we have known for years have now refused to talk
to us. It is so depressing. The whole situation is terribly messy.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">GAZA: The following comment comes from the NCF office in Gaza. Again
the words are quoted verbatim <i>(as at 11:30 am GMT this
morning)</i>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">The situation is becoming more and more difficult, especially since
at least 13 Israeli soldiers have been killed Saturday night. Today morning it
was bad in Khan Yunis in the southern region of the Gaza Strip. 28 people were
killed there, all from one family. We have more than 3,200 injured so far.
Sometimes even now there are exchanges of fire between Hamas and the Israelis.
There are still heavy tanks in Gaza particularly in the Zeitoun neighborhood of
Gaza city and in the Beit Hanoun area of <span style="color: black;">northern Gaza Strip. So far 160,000
people have left their homes. 2,200 houses have been completely destroyed.
16,000 have been party destroyed. The humanitarian situation is bad. Maybe
Ramallah will send some trucks of medicine tomorrow. It will be a catastrophe if
this continues. There is talking still going on but until now there has been no
result.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="14759aacb8f85873__GoBack"></a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">GAZA: The following comment comes to the NCF from a member of the
Gaza “House of Wisdom” think-tank <i>(again verbatim)</i>.</span></div>
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"> </span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Gaza now is facing very dangerous threats by the
Israeli-Egyptian blockade which is growing day by day and exacerbating the
situation of Gaza. The situation is escalating every day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">USA: The following comment comes from former State Department
diplomat, Jonathan Müller.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">The thing about Israel is that it is a democracy, with a diversity of
opinion, and somewhere in that diversity there is an Israeli Dr Klerk. But
where, and how to bring him (or her) forward. For sure there has to be an honest
counterpart on the Palestinian side.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">______________________________<wbr></wbr>__________________________</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black','sans-serif';">COMMENT:
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Today's
comment</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">
is <a href="http://onevoicemovement.org/" target="_blank">from the OneVoice
movement</a>:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">The
OneVoice Movement issued the following joint statement today on behalf of
OneVoice Israel and OneVoice Palestine: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">OneVoice
once again reaffirms its call for both parties to urgently seek a ceasefire
agreement that de-escalates this increasingly dangerous situation and avoids
further loss of life. The tragic events of recent weeks show how unstable and
unjust this status quo is.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">It
is essential that following any agreement, we do not allow the situation to
merely revert to that same status quo, which by its very nature, guarantees
another round of violence. We urge Israelis, Palestinians, and international
parties to be both creative and bold in pursuing an arrangement that allows the
citizens of Palestine and of Israel the dignity, freedom, and security necessary
to forge ahead in achieving the only thing that can truly end this dynamic: an
end to occupation and conflict, and the establishment of a two-state
solution.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">______________________________<wbr></wbr>_______________________</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">The
following, slightly more subjective comment, comes from the Palestinian ex-NCF
member Sharif Nashashibi:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><a href="http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/israels-tactics-provoke-sense-deja-vu-534502712" target="_blank">CLICK
ON THIS LINK</a></span></div>
</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">
</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">
</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">
</span></span></span>
<div>
</div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">
</span></span></span>Shree Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591655890356243805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-84433132906791885932014-07-18T18:00:00.000+00:002014-07-18T18:00:26.748+00:00Gaza Report 4<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>This report is the fourth in a series on the current confrontation between Gaza and Israel.</em></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><br /></em></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><em>Note: Israel launched a very limited ground offensive into part of the Northern Gaza Strip close to the border this afternoon.</em></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">ISRAEL: The following is the perspective of Gershon Baskin, a senior member of Israel's establishment and Israel's former negotiator with Hamas augmented with comments from a senior Israel civil servant:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span> </div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">THE CIVIL SERVANT: An Hamas tunnel targeting Kibutz Karem Shalom was intercepted and stopped.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The Hamas demands are very high. They talk about an airport. Let's have a cease fire first and then we can talk.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">We need people of good will in the world to support us at this time. If there is a problem and you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span> </div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">GERSHON BASKIN: We have had a temporary cease fire that lasted two hours and then there were three mortars. This short five or six hour cease fire negotiated by the UN was supposed to enable people in Gaza to get supplies. But when Hamas breaks the temporary cease fire it becomes harder to believe they will honour the real cease fire.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">There were hopes that there would be a full cease fire at 6 am tomorrow morning between Israel and Hamas and Fatah.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span> </div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">EGYPT: The following comment comes from an Egyptian intelligence officer. The words are his: Not yet. There will be no cease fire yet. It is premature.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">GAZA: The following comment comes from the NCF's office in Gaza. Again, the words are quoted verbatim:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">We had a humanitarian truce from 10 am to 3 pm. This was imposed from the Israeli side but afterwards the fighting resumed from both Hamas and Israel and Hamas even shelled Tel Aviv. Seven Palestinians have been killed since the end of the humanitarian cease fire in a total of 45 air strikes thus far.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">In Cairo Israel appears to be talking to the deputy head of Islamic Jihad. There seem to be some developments in regard to the Hamas conditions. So now there will be a new Egyptian paper, maybe tomorrow. Egypt wants to involve the Arab League.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">But Hamas wants direct contact with the Egyptians plus the Rafa crossing reopened.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Maybe tomorrow Abu Mazen will meek Erdogan of Turkey. Today he met Sisi of Egypt.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">I think talks will take place between Abu Marzouk <em>(</em><em><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Moussa Abu Marzouk,</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">deputy to Khaled Mishal), </span></em>and Sisi. These will be fruitful and should produce a new deal. Maybe Mishal will visit Turkey. It's fruitful, positive. It is possible Abu Mazen will meet Mishal. After this meeting maybe we will have a deal and Mishal will fly to Cairo and we will have an announcement within two hours.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Hamas want Rafa open daily and no siege. Also they want Karim Shalom and Karni crossings reopened for building materials. This is the first stage. In the longer term Hamas want a seaport opened to Turkey. If this happens it means we have Gaza State.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">In the first stage also the 57 prisoners rearrested that were part of the Shalit deal should be released. But that is not a big deal. That is not as important as the Rafa crossing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">But things may escalate if there is no deal. It is not easy now that Israeli tanks have started to enter Gaza.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial Black;">COMMENT: <span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today's comment is from Hillel Schenker, co-editor of the Israel-Palestine Journal.</span> <a href="http://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/israel-hamas-locked-conflict-11479/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">For Hillel's perspective click here</a></span></span></div>
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Shree Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591655890356243805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-84015563383407627772014-07-18T17:58:00.000+00:002014-07-18T17:58:00.456+00:00Gaza Report 3<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>This report is the third in a series on the current confrontation between Gaza and Israel.</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">ISRAEL: The following is the perspective of a senior member of Israel's establishment. The words are his:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">We have had the first Israeli casualty of this war, a man delivering sandwiches in a small truck.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">We have demolished Zahar's home <em>(Dr Mahmoud Zahar, arguably the real leader of Hamas). </em></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Israel is poised to enter Gaza. We have called on citizens of the two Northern neighborhoods and the neighborhood to the East of the Gaza strip to vacate their homes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">There was an Abu Mazin plan which looked very good indeed to me but Hamas has already rejected it. Abu Mazin presented it to Sisi. It involved the manning of the Rafa and Eretz crossings and the Philadelphia border by Palestinian Authority troops. Plus Israel was to release the prisoners from the Shalit prisoner exchange that they had re-taken and then there would be a cease fire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The idea was from the Palestinian Authority. There is some question as to whether Israel would agree but Israel didn't need to agree because Hamas rejected it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Tony Blair is back on the scene in Palestine, offering reconstruction and development in Gaza post any cease fire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Hamas for their part offered a ten year cease fire for a deal that included a seaport and an airport for Gaza.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Israel is holding off on the ground operation. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Abu Mazin is going from Cairo to Turkey to meet Erdogan because the Turks have a proposal they want to make.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The Israel cabinet voted to draft another 8,000 reservists in addition to the 40,000 already authorised. I am put in mind of Teddy Roosevelt's words: "The best way not to use a big stick is to carry it."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">GAZA: The following comment comes from the NCF's office in Gaza. Again, the words are quoted verbatim:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The situation is bad, very bad. The Israelis are now against children. You know the beach next to the Deira Hotel? Nine children were killed whilst playing on the beach. Then an air strike from a drone killed another five and injured four. It is very difficult.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The Hudna is still far away because Hamas are still talking to the Egypt side about the latest Egypt initiative.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">For Hamas, Ghazi Hamad said this initiative is still under discussion because we have told the Egyptian side to change it so that it is acceptable:</span></div>
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<li style="margin-left: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">They want a complete end to the way Israeli troops surround Gaza and put it under siege, and that means the opening of the crossings, and</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Hamas is not going to change its demands easily. Hamas will continue our response. 214 Palestinians have been killed since the start of this current confrontation until now. We had several air strikes in the last few hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">For our part the shelling from Hamas has been very little today. They have sent very few rockets today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Maybe it will be difficult tonight, with lots of air strikes, like it was last night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">However, you should understand the one basic thing. Any effort without communication with Hamas directly from Egypt and Abu Mazin <em>(i.e. rather than through third parties)</em> will fail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">COMMENT: Our comment tonight is given to the NCF by a prominent Israeli (name withheld):</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Clearly the original kidnapping and killing of the three Israeli kids was done to break the Hamas / Fatah deal. It was done by Hamas from Hebron.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I understand the Hamas position on wanting people to talk to them direct but they signed a deal a few weeks ago so they should honour that and accept that Abu Mazin speaks for them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Like I say, those three Israeli boys were killed by Hebron Hamas that wanted to break the Fatah-Hamas deal. There was no instruction from Gaza.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">That said, Hamas could and should have condemned the killing. They did not. Instead they endorsed it, making themselves effectively culpable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">But even in the early days, the rocket strikes on Israel were primarily from Islamic Jihad, not Hamas. Hamas did not need this at this time and they have had opportunities to step back from it which they are not taking.</span></div>
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Shree Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591655890356243805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-89394955321072078372014-07-18T17:55:00.000+00:002014-07-18T17:55:21.540+00:00Gaza Report 2<div class="ii gt m1473a5f115f9bfdb adP adO" id=":v9" style="direction: ltr; font-size: 13px; margin: 5px 15px 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; position: relative; z-index: 0;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">ISRAEL: The following is the perspective of a senior member of Israel's establishment. The words are his <em>(as at 9 am this morning)</em>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The Israeli cabinet just voted to accept the proposal for a cease fire. It involves the slight opening of Rafa crossing <em>(between Gaza and Egypt).</em> The Israeli cabinet are saying that since some of Hamas will regard this as a failure for them, we can regard it as acceptable. It is a victory for the Egyptians. This is the only party it strengthens. It resolves none of the problems of Gaza. It is just a temporary time out. It is a return to the 2012 cease fire arrangement and leaves other issues unresolved.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">GAZA: The following comment comes from the NCF's office in Gaza. Again, the words are quoted verbatim:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Hamas directly rejects the Egypt initiative because it brings no end to the siege. Hamas wants to reopen all the crossings including Karim Shalom <em>(a goods crossing between Israel and Gaza).</em> There will be no cease fire without an end to the siege. It also wants to stop the salary blockade. To stop the aggression against Gaza and the West Bank. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">There will be more and more aggression from the Israel side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Hamas wants direct contact with Egypt. Currently there is only indirect contact via Islamic Jihad and via the Palestinian Authority. This is not good for Hamas. Hamas is very angry. Hamas has opened a very small, very narrow, negotiations channel with the US and the EU.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Hamas wants this situation to move. To take something like an end to the siege. To end pressure on the movement. But I think that in the next 24 hours there will be something because there is more and more effort from Qatar, the EU and the USA because they want an end to this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The problem is not on the Israel side, the problem is in accommodating Hamas. For them the closure of the Rafa crossing <em>(between Egypt and Gaza)</em> is a problem. President Sisi of Egypt doesn't want Rafa open because he wants more and more and more pressure on Hamas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Under the reconciliation agreement <em>(between Fatah and Hamas)</em> Rafa was supposed to be reopened<em> (subject to various conditions including Palestinian Authority guards from the West Bank at the border)</em>. But the Egyptian side, after the announcement, said why did you announce this about the Rafa crossing? This is sensitive because Sinai is sensitive. So the crossing never was reopened.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">If there is pressure from the USA on Egypt, then there will be a cease fire. Hamas cannot agree without Rafa. Another thing that is especially important to them is Karim Shallom <em>(the goods crossing between Israel and Gaza through which construction materials are no longer allowed to pass)</em>which needs to be opened for building material.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Hanniah<em> (the Hamas Palestinian Prime Minister)</em> said last night, "We have nothing to loose". For us the problem is the situation in Gaza, not the absence of a cease fire. If Hamas take Rafa and Karim Shallom <em>(i.e. these crossings are fully reopened for people and goods respectively)</em> then all will be fine because Hamas really want a cease fire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The most people are suffering in Gaza. People here are very very tired. But even those who hate Hamas do not want to return to the situation before the war. People want to change the situation. Hamas want a cease fire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Hamas needs to take something for the Hamas movement - not just the Gaza people. Hamas people cannot travel outside Gaza since June one year ago. Hamas want to take something.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Hamas believes Israel is not ready to completely reoccupy Gaza.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">EGYPT: The following comment comes from an Egyptian intelligence officer. The words are his: We are aware that Hamas rejects the cease fire. Be patient. We understand Hamas anger at the fact that there are no direct talks and because there is no Rafa crossing. I know they are frustrated. We must wait.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">COMMENT: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0GjiMjlSms" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Imad Karam from Initiatives of Change</a> who lost fifteen members of his brother-in-law's family in air strikes on Gaza last night made the following comment at 12 noon today:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">To trust one another we need to forgive. Trust is a by product of forgiveness. Then we need empathy. Then we can re-humanise the other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Trust is not easy to come by. There hasn't been anyone at the political, public level that can bring the people together. When there are so many factions within that are not keen on building trust, what can we do?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We haven't yet seen an acceptable level of trust building.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ariel Sharon once said "Enough is enough. It is enough to control the destiny of another people." That was the most courageous statement by an Israel leader since Yithak Rabin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We have not seen those kinds of statements today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Palestinian side have not had a united front for peace or for war. This whole escalation has been to stop Palestinian conciliation. Similarly Israel has nothing but coalition government and has no real strategy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We are emotional and it is no bad thing to acknowledge those emotions as long as we do not become controlled by them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We have a Palestinian Mandela in the shape of Marwan Barghouti but we lack an Israeli de Klerk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">As for what the rest of us should do: We need to seek the truth. Truth is the first casualty of war. We need to challenge our friends about what is right - not about who is right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">There is something that I have learnt through marriage. Love may wax and may wane, it may go up or go down. But trust, if it goes down, is hard to build again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">FURTHER COMMENT: The International Crisis Group is an organisation with a variable reputation, however its latest comments on the Gaza crisis make for useful background: <span style="font-family: Arial Black;"><a href="http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/media-releases/2014/mena/gaza-and-israel-new-obstacles-new-solutions.aspx?utm_source=gaza-israel-briefing&utm_medium=2&utm_campaign=mremail" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">CHECK THIS LINK</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="aV3" id=":tm" style="-webkit-user-select: none; color: white;">ANN TV presents THE ENGLISH HOUR with William Morris and special guest Dr Imad Karam - Full HD</span></div>
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Shree Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591655890356243805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-37543717266957251592014-07-18T17:52:00.003+00:002014-07-18T17:52:56.831+00:00Gaza Report 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>This report is the first of a series on the current confrontation between Gaza and Israel.</em></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">ISRAEL: The following is the perspective of a senior member of Israel's establishment. The words are his:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">"Hamas think they can do well if we move into Gaza because they now have anti-tank weapons. They won't accept the Egyptian cease fire proposal even though it contains none of the demands from Israel for what is to happen after the cessation of hostilities <em>(i.e. Israel has been demanding that a process be put in place to disarm Hamas, particularly vis a vis its rockets)</em>. Hamas for their part are demanding the release of prisoners taken during the past three week period including 54 who had been re-arrested and who were formerly in the prisoner exchange for Shalit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">"Hamas has 20 to 30,000 rockets stockpiled, of which they have let off barely a thousand. Israel has managed to destroy just 2 to 3,000 of that stockpile through air strikes. Hamas launched a home made drone yesterday over Ashkelon. The way they did this was they shot down one of our drones in the last 2012 war which was flying over Gaza - and they managed to repair the damaged drone and use it against us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">"Israel has tanks poised around Gaza and an incursion is expected at any moment. But it will be limited.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">"The Qataris offered to negotiate a cease fire but we said no. So did the Turks but again we said no. The US offered but nobody wanted them, not even the Gazans themselves. Abu Mazin is a little involved.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">"So far Hamas is the winner and in a ground invasion, Hamas will really be the winner. Of course it is possible to move in with real major force and remove the government in Gaza. That is what some in Abu Mazin's government would like to see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">"Israel is targeting the homes of Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants. We make a phone call to say we are about to attack. Then we send a small rocket that does no real damage as a warning. Then 15 minutes later we send a full scale rocket."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">LEBANON: The following comment comes from an NCF member in Lebanon. The words are hers <em>(as at 11 am this morning)</em>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">"At 0:40 hours today two rockets were fired at Northern Israel from Lebanon. This was not done by Hezbollah. 25 rockets were fired back (Israel described their attacks as "artillery" but we can't distinguish - for us if it explodes it's a "rocket"). This is the third time rockets have been launched from Lebanon against Israel since the current attacks on Gaza began."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">GAZA: The following comment comes from the NCF's office in Gaza. Again, the words are quoted verbatim <em>(as at 1 pm this afternoon)</em>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">"Dozens of air strikes continue. Last night we had it very bad. More than a hundred strikes. Today morning there were 30 air strikes and 5 houses, mostly in Khan Younis, were destroyed <em>(in addition to the 360 houses destroyed since the current round of Israel air strikes / Gaza rocket attacks began).</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">"At the moment Hamas and Jihad are still firing rockets at Israel. There are more and more efforts to promote a hudna <em>(cease fire)</em> but till now nothing is working. Hamas are demanding an end to the siege on Gaza plus an end to Israeli aggression against Gaza plus the release of prisoners arrested recently in Gaza and the West Bank - especially those guys re-arrested who were released under the Shalit prisoner exchange. This is unacceptable for Israel and indeed unacceptable for the main negotiator, Egypt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">"Europe, Germany, Britain and France have been supporting attempts to make a cease fire. But they refuse to talk to Hamas direct. So there are indirect talks where the USA and EU talk to the Qataris and the Turks who talk with Hamas representatives outside Gaza who then in turn talk with Hamas representatives inside Gaza.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">"If we do somehow get a cease fire agreement through this mechanism, then someone like Al Marzouk, the deputy of Mishal <em>(</em></span><em><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Moussa Abu Marzouk,</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">deputy to Khaled Mishal, is the only channel of contact between Hamas and Egyptian intelligence)</span></em><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">, will travel from Cairo to Gaza to pass the details on to Hamas inside Gaza so that they can then agree if they choose to."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">COMMENT: Professor Shai Feldman writes: No factor is more important in causing this crisis than the weak political leadership of all the relevant parties. In the most recent attempt to reach a negotiated end to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict—that was orchestrated by Secretary of State John Kerry—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas both proved too weak to make the difficult historic decisions that a deal required. And the Obama administration was equally weak and refrained from exercising the leverage required to compel the parties to reconcile their differences.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">In turn, the failure of diplomacy left the arena open to the extremes on both sides to set the agenda and that’s exactly what they did: with a couple of Hamas-affiliated operatives abducting and murdering three Israeli teenagers and with six Israeli extremists taking revenge by murdering a Palestinian teenager ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://t.e2ma.net/click/oq27k/8hloqb/cxv9ic" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank" title="https://t.e2ma.net/click/oq27k/8hloqb/cxv9ic"><span style="color: black;">Read the full opinion article</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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Shree Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591655890356243805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-9874187284907381702014-07-04T14:23:00.000+00:002014-07-07T19:08:20.218+00:00A Weak Hamas Presents an Opportunity for Israel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US">In 2013, the newly appointed US Secretary of State John Kerry had an
energetic agenda that would attempt to kick-start the dormant peace process and
mediate the creation of a two-state solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This attempt, like its predecessors, has come and gone, leaving only
disappointing failure behind. People on both sides are left wondering what to
do now, especially considering Secretary Kerry rightfully warned during the
9-month negotiation process that a two-state solution would no longer be
feasible if these latest round of peace talks failed. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Despite peace talks losing steam early on, the Fatah-Hamas unity
deal was signed in April and it ended up being the final nail in the coffin for
the peace talks. The new Palestinian government which was sworn in on June 2<sup>nd</sup>
was condemned by Israel because it is supported by Hamas and the Government if
Israel has refused to cooperate with the new Palestinian government on the
peace process. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Hamas after some arm twisting agreed to the unity deal with Fatah. The
end to the political division of Palestine into two factions is something that
has been called for by many. Indeed, major countries and organizations such as
the EU, UN, US, China and India have all agreed to work with the new Palestinian
government, regardless of the fact that the government has support from Hamas.
President Mahmoud Abbas has reiterated multiple times that the unity government
recognizes Israel, disavows violence, and is bound to previous PLO agreements. Now
it’s Israel’s turn to acknowledge Palestinian efforts for peace. A quid pro quo
approach might just resurrect the peace talks. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Hamas is in an increasingly vulnerable position for a multitude of
reasons. It is clear by the terms of the Fatah-Hamas unity deal that the deal
was a victory for Fatah and a setback for Hamas. In fact, Fatah practically
dictated the terms of the deal. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">There are no Hamas representatives in the new cabinet of the “unity”
government whilst most senior ministers close to President Abbas were retained
in cabinet. This is in stark contrast to the 2007 unity government, during the
height of Hamas support, when Hamas secured 12 ministerial positions including
the post of Prime Minister. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Hamas was forced into seeking a one-sided deal with Fatah because of
its momentous loss in public backing. And Hamas failed to resolve the Gaza
salary issue in the recent unity deal. 40,000 Hamas-affiliated public sector
workers in Gaza have not been paid their salaries, a growing problem within the
coastal enclave. Furthermore, the committee set up to vet Hamas employees for
full integration within PA institutions has no Hamas representatives.
Additionally, this process of integration has yet to begin, exacerbating the
salary issue for the Gazan public-sector workers. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Polls in Palestine are notoriously suspect and tend to always
over-rate Fatah support. None the less, a poll by the Washington Institute on
June 25<sup>th</sup> indicates that Hamas is falling out of favour with the
Gazans fast. Should a presidential election take place, Hamas</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashal would get a
combined total of just 9% support in the West Bank and just 15% in Gaza. This
is in contrast to Mahmoud Abbas obtaining a solid plurality of 30%, seemingly demonstrating
Fatah’s resilient support base, though support for Mahmoud Abbas would
presumably pale into relative insignificance were Marwan Barghouti, the Nelson
Mandela of Palestine, included in the list. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Gazans also appear to be tired of Hamas’s violent
approach. 70% of Gazans agree that Hamas should maintain a ceasefire with
Israel. Additionally, 57% of Gazans agree that Hamas should accept the new
unity government’s non-violent stance towards Israel. The people in Gaza are
losing faith in Hamas. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The fall of the Morsi government during the 2013 Egypt
Coup </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">d’état dramatically destabilized Hamas who had
close links the Muslim Brotherhood. The new Egyptian government cracked down on
the vast network of smuggling tunnels between Gaza and the Sinai, cutting off
lucrative and vital sources of revenue for Hamas, devastating them financially.
This has led to Hamas being unable to pay its personnel for eight consecutive months.
Official unemployment figures (the reality is probably worse) are extremely
high at over 40% and humanitarian conditions have worsened significantly.
Several PA officials in Ramallah have alleged that Hamas capitulated in the
reconciliation process as a result of its now untenable hold over Gaza.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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Israel
must strive to coordinate and cooperate with the Palestinian government in
civilian, economic and defense affairs. The Israelis already coordinated with
the Palestinians in the search for the three missing Israeli teenagers but
their tragic murders only gave the Israeli government more ammunition to condemn
and attempt to bring down the Palestinian unity government. PM Netanyahu
alleged that the incident was a consequence of “the partnership” between Hamas
and Fatah. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The rescue operation for the Israeli teens morphed into a wider
crackdown on Hamas personnel and infrastructure with 400 Palestinians
imprisoned and five killed in fighting with Israel’s troops. Tensions remain
high. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Secretary Kerry stated after the death of the teenagers that the
perpetrators should be brought to justice “without destabilizing the situation”.
These words should be heeded by the Israeli government. Israel’s Deputy Defense
Minister, Danny Danon, vowed that Israel will not stop until “Hamas is
completely defeated” and called on the international community to “end all aid
to the PA and its Hamas-backed government.” If this were to happen, the unity government
would collapse and a golden opportunity for peace would be lost. The Israeli
Finance Minister, Yair Lapid, claimed that his country could be targeted by an
economically costly boycott if the peace talks fail. There are concerns within
the Israel about the growing international isolation of the country, an issue
that has recently moved centre-stage in Israel. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">An eye for an eye makes the world blind; retaliation and violence
from both sides will only exacerbate the situation and resolve nothing. Israel’s
government should not squander this opportunity to negotiate with a Palestinian
unity government. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Israel has also said that it would act to prevent Palestinian
elections taking place that included the participation of Hamas. This would be
unwise. Israel should not interfere in the democratic process of Palestine. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Despite many preferring
the untenable status quo or more far-right solutions such as the annexation of
settlements in the West Bank, negotiations must continue. It is in the
interests of Israel’s government to try and restart the peace talks and get
around the table with the Palestine government. Any deal proposed will be
endorsed by the majority of Palestinians. This is possible because we now have the
unity government supported by Hamas and Fatah. There are still several
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Seifu Al-Midhadihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981017374054312453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-17375031142587103982014-02-04T14:36:00.002+00:002014-02-04T14:36:33.350+00:00Kerry to Netanyahu: The Israeli-Palestinian peace process<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">John Kerry revived Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in July 2013 after three years, but he was unable to reconcile the two sides.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the coming weeks, Kerry must submit his proposals for peace, to the deep concern of the Israeli right. "If he wants an agreement that is not immediately torpedoed by his critics, Netanyahu must go along the fringe of religious Zionists," says Ofer Zalzberg. At this price only, he may marginalize the most radical settlers, and thus reduce their nuisance power. "I would have liked John Kerry to explain to Mahmoud Abbas what could well happen if he continues to refuse to make peace," added Mr. Erdan on public radio. Naftali Bennett rejects the two-State solution, but promises that he will comply with the decision of the Israeli people if this is expressed in a referendum. His ally Uri Ariel, Minister of housing, spares no efforts to accelerate the colonisation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, with the obvious hope of torpedoing negotiations. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u></u><u><br /></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At a conference on security Saturday in Munich, Mr. Kerry spoke of the risks of a boycott to Israel if his efforts to achieve a peace agreement were not successful. He is again the target of Israeli officials and had to face their anger: </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"It is a pity to see that the American administration does not understand the reality in the Middle East and is putting pressure on the wrong side in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," observed passive Defense Minister Gilad Erdan, a close associate of the head of Government Benjamin Netanyahu . </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mr Netanyahu has stressed that the "attempts to boycott the State of Israel are "immoral and unjustified" and that they would not achieve their objectives." </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The international boycott of the settlement movement is growing in importance and impact, as evidenced by the decision Thursday by the American star Scarlett Johansson to renounce his role as Ambassador of the NGO <em>Oxfam</em>, which he deemed "incompatible" with its promotion of the Israeli company<em> SodaStream</em>, established in the occupied Palestinian territory. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In mid-January, Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon had accused the US Secretary of State of being "animated by an incomprehensible obsession and a sort of Messianism" and said that he could not "teach him anything on the conflict with the Palestinians". These statements had so shocked the United States that Moshé Yaalon had to apologize, without however going back on the substance of his remarks.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finance Minister Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist party Yesh Atid, called Monday on the USA to "lower the tone of its remarks".He added that "Warning against boycott threats can multiply those threats,” and that “John Kerry did that evoke a reality, while his Ministry is fighting against these threats", stressed Mr. Lapid. He seems to be finding it easier to make personal attacks against Mr Kerry than to deal with the issue at hand.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pressure on Israel increased also on the Palestinian side </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <u></u><u></u></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mahmoud Abbas suggested, in an interview published Monday by the New York Times, that a NATO force led by the United States could conduct patrols in the future Palestinian State. This device would include troops positioned in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and all border crossing points. President Abbas has also suggested that soldiers and Israeli settlers could remain in the West Bank for a period of five years after the conclusion of an agreement, and not three as he proposed earlier. <u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Islamic Jihad</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, whose armed wing has thousands of fighters, promises to oppose with all its strength an eventual agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. "We are totally hostile to these negotiations, which cannot bring anything good," said Ahmed al-Mudallal, senior official of the organization. “As we have in the past fought the Oslo process, we will destroy any agreement that would legitimize the Zionist occupation of Palestine. We will not compromise as our reason for being is the liberation of our land, our people and our holy places." </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Created by the late 1970s, this radical organization named on the list of terrorist groups by the United States and the European Union is working with Hamas in several areas. From the 1990s, the Organization has led dozens of attacks including several suicide bombings, in the Palestinian territories and in Israel.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
</div>
Mayar Arisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595460661477158598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-9193855673691549322014-01-16T15:08:00.003+00:002014-01-16T15:08:57.741+00:00The Plight of Gaza<div>
<div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;">With tensions running high, our man in
Gaza says that Gaza’s problems have not been helped by a series of air and tank
strikes from Israel, the last on the morning of Thursday, 9 January 2014.
However, our Tel Aviv members explain that these were in response to Palestinian
rocket attacks on Israel at the time of US Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit
to Israel. <span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;">The counter attacks by
Israel killed one Palestinian and wounded several others. </span></span>The
death of Ariel Sharon has now heightened fears of an escalation in violence.
Again Palestinians struck Israel with rocket fire that morning but the onslaught
was brief.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;">Meanwhile the overall situation in the
Gaza Strip is deemed by Hamas as one of Gaza’s lowest points in almost 40 years.
Late December saw a heavy winter storm, known as “Alexa”, wreak havoc across the
entire Middle East. Snow in Syria put further strain on stricken families who
have little protection against the cold in areas such as rural Damascus, while
Egypt and Cairo saw snow for the first time in 112 years. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;">However, it is Gaza where the effects of
Mother Nature were felt hardest. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) for
Palestine Refugees said that large swathes of Gaza had "water as far as the eye
can see". More than 5,000 people were evacuated from their homes and relocated
to schools and other temporary shelters because of severe floods after four days
of persistent rainfall. Some Gaza homes could only be accessed by rowing
boat.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;">People found themselves trapped in their
own homes fighting against the rising water and cold temperatures.
</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;">Around two-thirds of Gaza’s estimated 1.8
million population (there are no accurate figures) are classified by the United
Nations as refugees from the 1948 war. One refugee camp, in the north of the
strip, at Jabaliya, was completely flooded with water rising up to 2m (6.5 ft)
in places. Raw sewage mixed with flood waters also greatly increased the risk of
disease. According to NCF members in Palestine, parts of Ramallah, El Bireh and
Bethlehem, as well as East Jerusalem also experienced power outages of the kind
that are already commonplace in Gaza.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;">Even prior to the adverse weather
conditions, Gaza’s 1.8 million inhabitants had been enduring daily electrical
blackouts. These power cuts now regularly last between 12 and 16 hours with many
homes left without power altogether in the aftermath of storm Alexa. Our members
in Gaza say that though electrical power has now recovered, outages remain
common every eight hours.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;">Initial assessments of storm damage
indicate a $64 million price tag on the swathe of destruction from the storm.
Qatar has stated it will allocate between $5 and $10 million in aid to Gaza
residents in addition to the $450 million worth of constructional projects it is
already developing in Palestine. Israel’s Mekorot water utility service has sent
four water pumps into Gaza to help control the flooding, which has allowed some
residents to return to their virtually destroyed homes. In recent days aid has
arrived from Turkey.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;">Though the flooding has now subsided,
hundreds of people are still struggling to return to their
homes. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Politically, Gaza remains beset by
the difficult relationship between Hamas and Fatah, who are currently locked in
debate over the timing of the next Presidential and Parliamentary Elections. The
squabble has now reached trivial proportions. According to our man in Gaza,
Hamas are seeking for elections to be held six months after any agreement is
reached on Government Unity between themselves and Fatah. On the other hand
Fatah want polls three months after any agreement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;">
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;">Some respite from Gaza’s troubles has
been offered in the shape of the opening of roads between Gaza and Egypt in the
last fortnight, with 300 refugees being allowed to leave Gaza thus far <a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/01/14/egypt-gaza-idINDEEA0D03V20140114" target="_blank">but
relationships between Egypt and Gaza remain tense</a>.</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060271412992505373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-35179399934956127382013-11-12T01:10:00.000+00:002013-11-12T01:10:16.906+00:00Arafat was murdered? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>It seems the world is waking up to the fact that Arafat was killed. About time:</i><br />
<h1 align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US">President Arafat's
Last Message</span></h1>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">Full transcript of the final interview given by the
Palestinian President, Chairman Yasser Arafat at a meeting with the Peace
through Media delegation of the International Media Council of the Next Century
Foundation. Delegation Members: Roula Khalaf, Ewen MacAskill, Peter David,
Anton La Guardia, Jane Kinninmont and Jessica Sallabank.The Delegation was headed
by William Morris, Secretary General of the Next Century Foundation. Also
present were Jabril Rajoub, and Maie Sarraf. The meeting (President Arafat's last
on-the-record discussion) took place very late at night on Monday 11<sup>th</sup>
October, two days before President Arafat suddenly and dramatically fell prey
to an undiagnosed but fatal illness. The full discussion lasted three hours.
These are William Morris' notes of the meeting: </span></h4>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> THE DISENGAGEMENT PLAN: <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"We get Gaza with no port, airport or safe
passage? And this is good?" </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> THE TABA BOMB:</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"The Egyptians were disturbed by the
Taba bombs, and Mr Avi Dichter<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
warned of this? How come he speaks of
this and does not tell the Egyptians. If
I had anything to tell the Israelis I would send a message through the
British. They have good cooperation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"We succeeded in stopping many
terrorist actions that way. Mark my words:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">What happened in Sharm Al
Sheikh and Taba means tourism will be affected for two years. That is big income for Egypt.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">This bombing is an attempt to
keep Egypt away from entering into the game politically, either with us or with
the Syrians.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"What does it mean that Avi Dichter
declared it officially and gave warnings about Taba? </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> THE DISENGAGEMENT PLAN:</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"What happens in Gaza will have an
impact and either help positively or impact negatively on the peace process,
with Egyptian cooperation. Soon Omar Suleiman<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
is going to Israel<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"We agreed from the beginning to real
withdrawal and not redeployment. By redeployment I mean that while they
withdraw from most of Gaza, they close off Kalkilya in the northern West Bank
and Hebron and Bethlehem in the south and stay in the Philadelphi pass in Gaza.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Last month some Israeli politicians
talked about the administration in Gaza not going to the PLO. This is a dangerous step. Only the PLO can handle these issues. Here in
this room the Quartet representatives: Moratinos, Alastair Crooke<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
and the UN representative, agreed to kick out all those in the Nativity Church <i>(the Bethlehem siege)</i> to Europe and Gaza
and withdraw the Israelis from Bethlehem. But they reoccupied Bethlehem and
declared it a closed military zone while our deportees were not allowed to
return.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"It is my duty to go to Gaza. But it
is also my duty to return back to the West Bank. But I am here in this prison (the bombed out
'Mukhatta' compound in Ramallah<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Egypt has accepted that the
withdrawal must be part of the roadmap. Egypt is determined that the unilateral
plan for Gaza will not deter progress on a wider, negotiated peace. Did you
know that withdrawal from Gaza was actually offered long ago in the first Camp
David between Sadat and Begin? We
discussed it in 1978 but decided then that Gaza alone was not acceptable. Even in the Oslo talks it was to be Gaza
first but I insisted I’d not sign unless it was Gaza and Jericho.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> Discussion turned to recent comments by Ariel
Sharon’s senior advisor, Dov Weissglass, who was reported to have said that the
Gaza plan would freeze the peace process and indefinitely postpone the
prospects of Palestinian statehood. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"A big scandal!" laughs Arafat</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> PEACE PROCESS PLAYERS:</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"My partner Rabin was loyal to his
commitments. More than that. Many countries restored diplomatic relations
with Israel at that time. Between Kerry
and Bush there is not any difference. It does not matter who wins, what counts
is how they approach the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Bush’s father
started peace in Madrid. Sharon was
against attending that conference.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"We had a start with the Clinton-Oslo
agreement. It is very difficult to have
peace with Sharon. Maybe with Netanyahu
it will work. Remember that initially
Netanyahu accepted the Wye River agreement whereas Sharon refused. Clinton had to pressure him into agreement. Then Camp David. Then the Mitchell Report.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"As for Barak; Barak gave his approval
for Sharon to visit the Mosque (Haram es Sharif). I contacted Barak – 'I am coming to see you
in your house', I said. Me, Nabil, Abu
Mazin, Abu Alla. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"I said, 'You are a General and Sharon
is a General. How do you not respect the
order of Dayan who took the flag down on 11 June 1967? He has forbidden any Israeli person to visit
the Mosque. You can’t understand. Please
don’t make that fatal mistake.' In spite
of that, they do this.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"When Netanyahu made a tunnel before
that, we warned them. Yesterday, what
settlers did to an Armenian caused problems.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> BACKGROUND:</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Our entire infrastructure has been
destroyed. Our best agricultural land
has been destroyed. Our purchase taxes
collected by them – they take 3% and should return 97%. But they confiscate over more than 42 months,
billions of shekels, which has been reserved.
Now, they begin to give us small amounts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> "Is it difficult living in such confinement?"
asked one journalist. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"This is not the first time I have
been in prison. Back in 1970/71 I was
obliged to stay in Mount Hermon for two years in ice and snow and shelling
every day. Nasser made an agreement that we should go from Mount Hermon to
Fatah. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> Jane Kinninmont asked: "Looking back on your
decades of leadership, is there anything you would prefer to have done
differently?"</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"I regret that we lost the opportunity
at Camp David. They say that we Palestinians were the ones that lost a chance
and an opportunity in Camp David. They
are not telling the truth. We did not lose the opportunity at Camp David. It is
enough we continued Camp David in Paris in President Chirac’s office, and we
continued in Sharm Al Sheikh. Later we
had Mitchell.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"But the Israelis, they wanted to
maintain control over air and sea. They wanted:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Vertical sovereignty on Haram
es Sharif<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">The Armenian Quarter under
Jewish sovereignty.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"I went to the Jerusalem Committee of
the Islamic Conference and to the Christians.
I offered them what had been offered to me. I told them:
If you are accepting, we accept.
They refused. Jerusalem is not only for us, it is for the world. I
recognize </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">the need to share Jerusalem between Muslims, Christians and Jews.</span><span lang="EN-US"> When we were small boys we played together, the Jews and I in
Jerusalem. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"But after Sharm El Sheikh, we went in
the morning to meet the Israelis because President Mubarak asked us to come,
then Barak refused to come to sign.
Barak had betrayed the Labour Party when the agreement between him and
Sharon to hold the snap election was made, to be Prime Minister and Deputy
Prime Minister respectively.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"It is very difficult to have peace
with Sharon. Maybe with Netanyahu it
will work. Remember that initially
Netanyahu accepted the Wye River agreement whereas Sharon refused. Clinton had to pressurize him into
agreement. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> Peter David comments: "Yet Netanyahu is opposed
to Sharon’s plan to pull settlers out of Gaza?" <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Arafat laughs, "When, currently,
Netanyahu opposes the Gaza withdrawal, he only does so to score points for a
potential election campaign. Anyway the
more fanatical Jews don’t like Gaza.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> Anton La Guardia took up Jane Kinninmont's question.
"Do you have any regrets, Mr President?"<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"For your information, we accepted the
roadmap, in accordance with UN Resolution 1515. We accepted the Road Map – why
do Israelis still put 14 reservations on something they are supposed to have
accepted? It is not our text.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Under resolution 181 Jerusalem is
under UN control.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> Roula Khalaf asked the same question in Arabic.
"Do you have any regrets, Mr President?"<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Do not forget that fanatical Jews killed
my partner Yitzhak Rabin". (<i>An
Israeli assassinated Israel's Prime Minister Rabin in 1995, after he signed the
Oslo peace accord.)</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> To a question
about the cease-fire:</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"George Tenet said two weeks
cease-fire was all he needed. We gave 23
days during which I was obliged to arrest Rantisi and put Yassin under house
arrest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Under the roadmap they asked for a
cease-fire. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> (The President was asked about the Qassam rockets)</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"They have never hurt anyone. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> What about the two Israeli children who were killed
by Qassams in the Israeli town of Sderot in September? <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Arafat replied that, "Qassams are not
'rockets', they are more like 'pipes'. It is usually the shock that kills
people. The settler children were not killed directly by the rockets. They died
from the blast. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"We succeeded in making discussions
with Hammas. And Hammas say, 'We are
ready for a cease-fire but stop the targeted killings.' </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> CONTACTS WITH ISRAEL:</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"We are ready to make peace with
anyone. I dealt with Sharon and with his
son, Omri, and many times I sent Palestinian delegations to his farm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> Palestinian Security Chief, Gabril Rajoub had joined
us for the meal, and was now sitting at the end of the table chewing a falafel
cake. Someone asked Arafat whether
contacts were ongoing with the Israelis.
Arafat looked up at William Morris and smiled.</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Ask your friend." <i>Arafat nodded at Gabril.</i> "He is in secret contact with the
Israelis."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US">Gabril
looked up.</span></i><span lang="EN-US">
“Omri? I met him last year”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US">Arafat
smiled again and looked at William Morris.</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> "He met him last month." <i>Then Arafat turned to Rajoub and laughed.</i> “You don’t want to say the truth in front of
me! Of course, they are secret talks, so I am keeping them very secret.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US">Gabril
Rajoub shrugged but remained silent. </span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> SECURITY:</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> <i>Someone asked who would control the security
services in Gaza. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US">The
President smiled. In answer he replied,</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> “You speak to Yasser Arafat. I was elected. I am the President of
the Palestinian Independent State since 1988”. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> We asked, would the Israelis withdraw from the
Philadelphi pass, the Gaza border with Egypt, and would the Egyptians be
capable of taking control at the border.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Omar Suleiman has started the
negotiations and they returned back to get our approval because according to
the Camp David agreement, the Egyptian Army cannot go to area C – only the
police." <a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> THE NATURE OF THE WITHDRAWAL:</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">“Now the donors offer to buy the Israeli
industrial zone in the North of the Gaza Strip from Israel.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> And the houses of the settlers? <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">“I want them to destroy the houses. Gaza has greater population problems than
Hong Kong and the space is needed. The
Israelis live in villas in those settlements.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> And what of the development of the gas field?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></i><span lang="EN-US">“We don’t
negotiate over all the details. The
final details have not even been discussed.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> Would Nato monitors be acceptable?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></i><span lang="EN-US">“The Egyptians
declared they are ready to bring border guards between Egyptian Rafa and
Palestinian Rafa. We would accept
monitors. Why not? Part of the agreement is that there should be
observers from the Quartet Committee. We
accept UN multinational forces like those in Sinai and in Jordan Valley. Why not?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> THE REFUGEE ISSUE</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> <i>Is a
compromise possible on refugees?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Yes.
We have reached an agreement with Barak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Those displaced in 1967 who became refugees: Their issue can be
solved. No problem.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">The previous (1948) refugees – we succeeded to arrive at an
agreement with Barak and in the presence of President Clinton. Some of those are in a bad situation,
especially in Lebanon where they are forbidden to work in 69 different types of
job.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Clinton asked me how many refugees there
were in Lebanon. I said: 'When I was in Lebanon there were 480,000 refugees but
some left for Northern Europe, Canada, Australia, Latin America.' </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"He asked, 'How many are there now?' </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"I said, '320,000'. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Later Clinton said, 'I contacted the
Lebanese president. He told me 190,000.' They must return to Israel or to the West
Bank. Barak has accepted this.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"It is the first place for them to
go. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> JERUSALEM:</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"As for Jerusalem. I accepted the
Wailing Wall, the Jewish Quarter and the passage from the Jewish Quarter to
West Jerusalem was under their control.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"We are not Afghanistan. We are Palestinians. This is the Holy Land for the whole world.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> ABOUT THE FUTURE:</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Israel will not negotiate. This means
destroy the Palestinian future to have a Palestinian state. Who can accept this?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Among every 1000 Israeli students, 14
are post graduates. Among every 1000
Palestinian students, 18 are post graduates.
The highest percentage of education is in this area.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"In Gaza we have the biggest reserve
of gas. And we have the best flowers in
Gaza.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> ON IRAQ:</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"They have quickly to solve this
problem. Remember – President Bush’s
father in the first gulf war. There was
strong pressure to continue. He refused
to enter one metre of Iraq – he was a man of vision who knows history.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"I was involved in the Iranian
Committee to stop the Arab/Iran war.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"And I convinced Saddam to withdraw
from Kuwait and he accepted. But then he
came back to reoccupy – astonishingly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"The US needs a quick solution.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> ON PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS:</span></i><u><span lang="EN-US"> </span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"We have a problem in North Gaza,
Jerusalem and part of Bethlehem where we are unable to proceed with
registration for the elections because of obstacles put in our way by the
Israelis – Municipal elections should proceed in December.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"In March 2005 we want the main
Palestinian Authority elections which should have happened in January 2003.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> DEPLETED URANIUM:</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Do you not know the Israelis are using
depleted uranium on our people every day? The Israelis use depleted uranium on
their shells causing cancer. Infertility
has risen. Ask the hospitals, there is now a high rate of infertility in the
Occupied Territories.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> ON INTERNATIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PA BUDGET:</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Only Saudi pays contributions to the
Palestinian Authority. Sheikh Maktoum in
the UAE took all the money of the PLO <i>(the
5% contributed as a proportion of the salaries of Palestinian expatriate
workers),</i> 'to help my youth to marry', he said. <i> (a reference to an incident in
1995/96).</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Kuwaitis last year they were paying –
this year. No.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Also the Emirates paid in the
beginning, but then Zayed is ill.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"It seems there is some pressure from
others to stop our friends funding us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> SECURITY: We asked who would control security in
Gaza?</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"You are speaking to Yasser
Arafat. I am controlling every
person. You can ask the British because
they are helping us here and in Gaza. Here
everything goes smoothly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Even whilst Khameini was financing
part of Hammas, Islamic Jihad and tried to influence part of Fatah.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Hizbollah tries to make an Al Qa'ida
base in Ain Helwa camp.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"(Grand Ayatollah) Khameini is a
troublemaker – not only for us. Khatemi
is a good man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">"Qardawi<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
– he was accused of trying to promote trouble.
Kardawi has been playing from the beginning with Qa'ida. My fatal mistake was helping release him from
prison. I had personally intervened to secure Qardawi’s release from an
Egyptian jail in 1954<i>.</i> <a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>Arafat
glanced at Jane Kinninmont and laughed. ‘There – that was my mistake!’ Arafat
grins.</span></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">QUESTION:</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US"> THE WALL/FENCE:</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The Israelis blew up the oldest church in
the world to start construction of the wall<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftn10" name="_ftnref10" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>.
</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The wall confiscates land.</span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US">The
meeting then ended at midnight at the behest of Arafat's aids, who were tired,
though there was every indication that President Arafat was happy to talk on
into the night. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> Mr Avi Dichter, Head of ISA (Shin Bet)</span></div>
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<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> Mr Omar Suleiman, Egyptian Security Boss</span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> Now further delayed by President Arafat's unexpected death. The
visit had been scheduled for 11 November. It will now take place at the
earliest opportunity in the week commencing 15<sup>th</sup> November.</span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> Mr Alastair Crooke, former special security advisor to Javier
Solana, EU High Representative and Head of Foreign and Security Policy</span></div>
</div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> The complex of buildings known as the Mukhatta was built as a
British police fort, then served as a Jordanian base and an Israeli military
camp before the Palestinians took it over in 1996, turning it into Arafat’s
main headquarters in the West Bank</span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> An arrangement under the terms of which sovereignty of all under
the ground at Haram es Sharif / Temple Mount would go to Israel whereas
everything above the ground would be sovereign to Palestine.</span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> This was a reference to the current state of affairs. We are aware that there will be an exchange
of letters with Israel to allow Egypt’s army access to area C, the area of
Sinai that abuts the Gaza.</span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> Arafat refers to the Egyptian cleric Sheikh Yussef al-Qardawi,
whose recent visit to the UK met controversy over his pronouncements on women’s
rights and suicide bombings.</span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftnref9" name="_ftn9" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> Reference to an intercession many years ago by Arafat when the
Egyptians imprisoned Kardawi because they considered him to be an extremist</span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/William/Downloads/president_arafats_last_interview.doc#_ftnref10" name="_ftn10" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> Reference to the demolition of an archaeological site which stood
in a position that obstructed the construction of the barrier</span></div>
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Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920781015928577474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-59775892138046261232013-11-05T16:57:00.001+00:002013-11-05T16:57:55.488+00:00Israel air strike against Syria<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">On the 31</span><sup style="text-align: justify;">st</sup><span style="text-align: justify;"> of October, Israel launched an air strike on the Syrian coastal city of Latakia. </span><span style="text-align: justify;">The attack on Latakia is supposedly the 5</span><sup style="text-align: justify;">th</sup><span style="text-align: justify;"> air strike by Israel on Syria this year alone.</span><span style="text-align: justify;">Following the incident, the US government “leaked” that the strike was to halt the Russian shipment of SA-125s although this has not been confirmed. Israeli officials are said to be “privately furious at the White House statement.” Syria and Israel have yet to make any comments.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwNhh2S8d4t_M8MbYBEYngFpTLXC2VuCvgmb3l9IPks3XNlRVMCb8Y4SEKMMoBHhzYJfeRoHeTg3vmgaTEfag9N3jINMAO8p-Vkk-DlwCCfpuDbL3RYLHq7cibQORk2aMqXCDIg/s1600/Syria+Map(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwNhh2S8d4t_M8MbYBEYngFpTLXC2VuCvgmb3l9IPks3XNlRVMCb8Y4SEKMMoBHhzYJfeRoHeTg3vmgaTEfag9N3jINMAO8p-Vkk-DlwCCfpuDbL3RYLHq7cibQORk2aMqXCDIg/s400/Syria+Map(5).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: chotravel</td></tr>
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According to several witnesses, “several explosions were heard in an air defence base in the Snubar Jableh area.” According to one Israeli official, “This raises disturbing questions and affects trust between allies. Sharing information is embedded in the nature of the relationship between Israel and the US. It’s like a big pipeline that’s open to permanent flow. So disclosing information is a cause for dismay.”</div>
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The Israelis are making a habit of launching air strikes on Syrian targets. Israeli air-raids on military targets inside Syria have become one of the strangest sub-plots of the civil war. This is thought to be the 5<sup>th</sup> such attack this year but it is Israeli policy not to offer any public comment on specific operations.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Syrian government has not commented on the reports. Earlier this year, Mr Assad had promised to respond to any future strikes by Israel. Previously Israel had stated publicly that it won't allow the Assad government to transfer powerful rockets and missiles to it allied Shia militia Hezbollah in Lebanon where they could threaten targets in Israel. </div>
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The US, Israel's closest ally, may be a little concerned. The consignment of weapons destroyed is thought to have come from Russia and Washington won't want to see Russian displeasure provoked at a moment when it's co-operation is needed to keep alive any hope of peace talks.</div>
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Furthermore, after decades of being locked in a strange love triangle with Israel and Saudi Arabia, the US is breaking out to make other friends in the region. The US’s attempt to re-establish relations with Israel’s Arab neighbours and Iran is making Israel uneasy. </div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Timeline of Israeli strikes on Syria in the last 10 years<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b>31<sup>st</sup> October 2013: </b>Israel launched an air strike on the city of Latakia destroying a shipment of weapons supposedly from the Russians.</div>
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<b>5<sup>th</sup> July 2013: </b>Israel allegedly launched an air strike. The attack was allegedly made by the Israeli Defense Forces against targets<b> </b>believed to contain advanced anti-ship Yakhont cruise missiles supplied to the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad by Russia. </div>
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<b>5<sup>th</sup> May 2013: </b>Multiple military sites were targeted. One of the strikes were on what was believed to be a shipment of highly accurate, Iranian-made guided missiles reportedly on their way to Hezbollah. A Fourth Armoured Division camp on Qasioun Mountain, including an arms depot as well as a Republican Guard camp at Wadi Barada. Attacks were reported near Damascus airport and in the suburbs of As-Saboura, west of Damascus.</div>
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<b>3<sup>rd</sup> May 2013: </b>Israeli forces targeted advanced “game-changing” surface-to-surface missiles apparently bound for Hezbollah.</div>
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<b>31<sup>st</sup> January 2013</b>: A weapons convoy believed to be transporting SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles was raided. The convoy was travelling from Damascus to the Lebanese border to be delivered to Hezbollah.</div>
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<b>6<sup>th</sup> September 2007</b>: Named Operation Orchard, Israel attacked an unfinished nuclear reactor in the Northeast Deir Ezzor region which was being used for military purposes.</div>
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<b>5<sup>th</sup> October 2003</b>: airstrike on an alleged Palestinian fighter training camp Ain Es-Saheb, 22km Northwest of Damascus. </div>
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Shree Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591655890356243805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20813989.post-14976768169689265392013-10-30T13:03:00.001+00:002013-10-30T13:03:27.552+00:00“AlMutashail”<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Sudanese writer Dr Khalid Mubarak has a different perspective on the Middle East Peace Process. I like his coining of the new Palestinian word “AlMutashail” for someone who is both an optimist and a pessimist. I guess that applies to us all in this context. We had best be positive though - it's an ethical obligation !<br />
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<a href="http://news.sudanvisiondaily.com/article.html?rsnpaid=835" target="_blank"><b>FOR KHALID's VIEWS CLICK HERE</b></a></div>
Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920781015928577474noreply@blogger.com0