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Dec. 16, 2014
Daily summary - Monday, January 6, 2014
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Main News
Occupation allows released prisoners Al-Shawamreh to travel for treatment
Occupation authorities retreated late tonight its decision to preventreleased prisoner patient Naim Shawamreh form traveling for treatment, and decided to allow the trip to Jordan through Al-Karama crossing. Sources following up on Shawamreh’s situation said that the occupation informed the Palestinian liaison, permitting Shawamreh’s travel to Jordan for treatment, after hours of preventing him from traveling, on the pretext of the lack of medical institutions for his treatment, in addition to preventing him from leaving the Hebron district or traveling abroad upon his commitments under the release deal of the third batch. (http://safa.ps/details/news/119731/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%91%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AD-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%91%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%81%D8%B1-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AC.html)
Kerry is back to meet Netanyahu and Abu Mazen and the extension of negotiations for additional year
John Kerry returned to country early this morning, from Saudi Arabia to have another round of talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships. A meeting between Kerry and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not set yet. Kerry met in Riyadh yesterday night, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.Kerry confirmed after the meeting that the King eagerly supportsUS efforts to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace.Kerry added that the Saudi peace initiative formed part of the framework agreement, which he seeks to adopt.(http://maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=662935)
Israel agrees to supply gas to the PA for 20 years for electricity generating company in Jenin
Signing an agreement to supply Israeli gas to the PA, worth 1.2 billion Shekels, in order to generate electricity. Channel 7 website said that Israel and the Palestinian Authority signed an agreement to supply Israeli gas to the West Bank areas and specifically to Jenin where the PA intends to establish a power station to generate electricity.The channel said the agreement was signed today in the city of Jerusalem, noting that the value of the deal is 1.2 billion shekels, according to the channel. Implementation of the agreement will begin at the end of next May. (http://www.pnn.ps/index.php/israel/77619-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84-%D8%AA%D8%AA%D9%81%D9%82-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%8020%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A9-%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A8%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86)
Kerry carries dangerous ideas and wants a “mined agreement” that lasts for years
Mustafa Barghouti Secretary General of the Palestinian national initiative movement, Said that US Secretary of State John Kerry seeks to sign a "framework agreement" that includesdangerous ideas that undermine Palestinian rights.Barghouti said yesterday, commenting on Kerry’s recent visit, the agreement that Kerry wants is an interim agreement that lasts for several years, while settlements continue and this the most dangerous thing. Barghouti said: "Kerry’s ideas threaten Palestinian rights in Jerusalem and it seems that there are many mines like that of Jerusalem turning from the capital of the Palestinians to agreater capital-metropolis beyond Palestinian control."(http://qudsnet.com/news/View/262006/%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%85%D9%84%D8%BA%D9%85-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B1-%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA/)
Lieberman: nothing prevents the transfer of the triangle’s residents and Wadi Ara to the Palestinian State
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said that Israel Beiteinu party will not support any agreement with the Palestinian side does not include exchanges of territory and populations with a Palestinian State. Lieberman said in a speech, yesterday morning, before the annual Conference of the Foreign Ministry for ambassadors to Israel:” I am not talking about transfer, but there is no reason not to move the residents of Wadi Ara and the Triangle area to the Palestinian State, and I will not accept the right of return for Palestinians.” (Al-Ayyam)
Al-Maliki: Lieberman's statements are "racist" and "unacceptable" matches between settlers and those who has the right
Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Riyadh Al-Maliki, said in a statement to "Watan” that Lieberman's statements are very dangerous and unacceptable. Al-Maliki said: "these are very serious statement, Israeli Foreign Minister matches settler who attacked Palestinian territories and establishedillegal settlements under international law and their presence is illegal, with the Palestinian Arab citizen who are on theirs, their parents and their ancestors’ land for thousands of years.” Al-Maliki said: "will not allow such an approach, the Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel has the right to remain on their land, while settlers must leave the territory seized by force of arms and establishedillegal settlements, since international law says these are illegal and must be evacuated." Maliki stressed that Lieberman's proposal is "racist and unacceptable."(http://www.amad.ps/ar/?Action=Details&ID=10392)
Settlers control a road in Qaryout
Extremist Jewish settlers controlled Sunday a road in the village of Qaryout South of Nablus in the northern West Bank in order to link settlements adjacent to the village.Popular resistance activist Bashar Al-Qaryouti said: "settlers of the settlements Shilo and Ily established on the territory of the village and the surrounding villages have imposed control on the main road south of the village leading to the cities of Nablus and Ramallah in order to link the settlements and prevented other citizens from reaching the place. “AL-Qaryouti said that the villagers have filed lawsuits in Israeli courts against the settlers who establisheda dirt road between the settlements, the High Court of Justice ruled to cancel the settlement road and let villagers use the southern route, but the settlers returned to the road and turned away the villagers.” (http://safa.ps/details/news/119723/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%82-%D8%A8%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%AA.html)
Occupation authorities issued new demolition orders for houses, commercial facilities and a pitch in Silwan
West Jerusalem municipality teams accompanied by Israeli forces distributed yesterday, administrative demolition orders for houses, commercial facilities and a pitch in the town of Silwan in east Jerusalem, on the pretext of building without a permit. Wadi Helwi Information Center said that “Israeli occupation municipality raided the neighborhoods of Abaseyeh, Wadi Helwi, Ein Allouzeh, Yassoul and Ras Al-Amoudin Silwan, and has photographed entrances and exits of the neighborhoods, and then hung administrative demolition orders on a number of facilities.” (Al-Ayyam)
Netanyahu: Jerusalem, Hebron and bet El are our land and the Palestinians deny our right to exist here
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Palestinian Authority of launching a campaign of "incitement to hatred".Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting: "the Palestinians are continuing their campaign to incite hatred, as we have seen in recent days with their refusal to recognize Israel as a State for the Jewish people.” Israeli Prime Minister said to the public radio: "it's the major problem we are discussing with Foreign Minister, among other major issues, the security of Israel, which must certainly remain in the hands of Israel.” Netanyahu continued: "We know that we have to reach an agreement, but this agreement cannot call into question the right of the Jewish people to a State." Netanyahu also said that the application of any agreement "must be extended in time to allow a change in the culture of hate."Israeli media quoted Netanyahu as saying: "the Palestinians deny completely our right to exist here," adding:"this is a problem of substance and the core of the conflict.” Netanyahu added: "This is our land; we are not strangers in Jerusalem and Beit El, and Hebron. We want to reach an agreement, but they cannot erase our rights."(Al-Ayyam)
Times: spy Polard mat be part of Kerry’s deal
The Times published a report on US efforts to revive the Middle East peace process, entitled: "US spy release might ensurea peace agreement". The newspaper said: “the release of American spy convicted in the United States to life imprisonment Jonathan Pollard, may be part of a comprehensive peace in the Middle East the United States mediates between the parties.” (Al-Ayyam)
Herzog to Netanyahu: you are a leader of no vision and we will replace you soon
Chairman of Labor Party Yitzhak Herzog, criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his first address to Parliament as leader of the opposition in Israel, Herzog's speech focused on the ongoing peace negotiations with US mediation.Herzog said: "I stand here today to launch the Labor elections campaign; this is the first step in a long journey to replace the Government." Herzog stressed Labor’s adherence in supporting the peace process and said, "I told the Prime Minister that we will work with him if he leads to a political solution, and I told him, you have a mandate to reach a definitive solution (to the conflict)."Herzog said to Netanyahu "my friend Bibi, this is not a matter of losing votes in the Knesset, but the question is whether you are strong" referring to support provided to Netanyahu in the negotiations. Herzog said, "If you will continue to go backwards, and if you keep making decisions as an executive leader without a vision and continue looking for excuses and lead campaigns of intimidation, we will replace you faster than you think.” (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
Jordan’s King: we reject Israeli violations and attempts to Judaize Jerusalem
Jordan's King Abdullah II confirmed yesterday, his country’s rejection of Israel's attempts to "Judaize" Jerusalem, according to a statement issued by the Royal Court. During a meeting with a delegation representing officials of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the world, visiting the Kingdom to participate in the inauguration ceremony of the Lutheran Church at the baptism site today, the King stressed "Jordan's rejection of the continued Israeli violations and attempts to Judaize the city of Jerusalem, which would undermine security and stability in the region."(Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
Settler attacks a girl (child) in the old city of Jerusalem
Yesterday morning a settlers attacked the girl Marah Munther Jalajil (12 years old) from Silwan village south of Al-Aqsa, while on her way to school in the old city of Jerusalem, and Israeli police arrested a citizen in Al-Aqsa and called a guard for investigation. Wadi Helwi information center in Silwan quoted the girl’s father as saying that his daughter “left her house in Wadi Helwi neighborhood in Silwan as every day to go to school, she was walking with her cousin in Al-Sharaf neighborhood, when a settler passed by her and then he hit her in her back and she fell dawn when the settler began beating her with his hands and feet on her beck, head and stomach, then he escaped from the place.” (Al-Ayyam)
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Headlines
** The President welcomes the Pope visit to the country, and receives a Bahraini delegation (Al-Quds)
** A sit in in Amman protesting Kerry’s visit and his bias to Israel (Al-Quds)
** Sit in and a march in Hebron to support the demands of UNRWA staff (Al-Ayyam)
** Al-Hamdallah stresses the importance of enabling the Government to invest in area "C" (Al-Ayyam)
** This is how the implementer of Bat Yam operation transferred the explosive device from Bethlehem (Al-Ayyam)
** Tens of thousands of African migrants demonstrated in Tel Aviv (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
** Czech Police announced finding 12 firearms at the home of Ambassador Al-Jamal (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
** Saudi Arabia pays $ 40 million for budget support (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
** A worker from Yatta died in Lod; a burnt body of an old lady found in her house in TulKarem (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
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Front Page Photos
Al- Quds:Riyadh – Saudi King during his meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry.
Al-Ayyam:1) Jerusalem – a citizen showing demolition order for her house in Silwan, 2) The Pope.
Al Hayat Al Jadida: 1) Kerry talks about the “Just” peace deal in Jerusalem, 2) A Jerusalemite woman show demolition order for her house, 3) Thousands of African emigrants in Rabin square.
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Voice of Palestine Interviews
** Adnan Abu Hasna, UNRWA spokesperson in the Gaza Strip, on UNRWA staff strike.
Q: UNRWA staff is on full strike now in Gaza as in the West Bank, didn’t you reach any agreement yet?
Yes, no agreement until now, but there are dialogues and contacts on the different levels, we hope to reach an agreement soon, since the Gaza Strip can’t afford such strikes, we can’t leave 1,200,000 (72% from residents of the Gaza Strip), be prevented form services, all will be effected from this strike.
Q: You said that there are dialogues and contacts, is this there any serious dialogue?
Dialogues are always serious, but the UNRWA suffer from financial shortage of $ 65 million in 2014, and donors reject any increase in UNRWA’s staff salaries, in addition to the fact that West Bank staff and Gaza Strip staff salaries are high almost in 20% than the average salary. In addition to the budgets that are being transferred to Syria, so it is very hard to ask donors to increase salaries now.
Q: In case of insistence of the staff to continue with the strike, what is the effect of refugees in the West Bank and Gaza?
The only ones who lose are the refugees, they will lose a lot, so we need to reach a solution very soon.
Q: is there any mediation between you and the staff?
Of course there is, we hope this will lead to a solution.
Q: Will this issue be solved soon?
Let us hope.
** Dr. Omar Kittany, Minister of Energy, on signing an agreement to supply Israeli Gas to the PA.
Q: Can you tell us more about this agreement with the Israeli side?
We signed the agreement yesterday, it was an important day in our way to reach an independence of the energy sector in Palestine, and an important step toward establishing the first electricity generating station in the West Bank. The agreement was signed by the Palestinian company for generating electricity, a private sector company, and Delek- Nobil, an American Israeli company for supplying gas, according to the agreement this company will supply the Palestinian company with gas for 20 years for generating electricity in the station to be established in Jenin.
Q: this station was already established?
It is a station in Al-Jalameh industrial zone north of the West Bank, near Jenin. The government decided to allocate the land for establishing the station awaiting the Presidential decree, and we will sign the agreement soon buying electricity form the company soon. This agreement is an commercial agreement, and according to this agreement electricity rates will be decreased.
Q: So after establishing this station there will no longer be any relations with Israeli with regards to electricity?
Yes, but gradually, since this station will supply 200 Megawatts, and another station is being prepared to in the south, hoping to reach full independency.
Q: The Gas will be only for generating electricity?
At this stage yes, we hope that in the future this will include industry and houses.
Q: Is the Gaza Strip included?
This Station is in Jenin, and there will be an agreement for the Gaza Strip in the future.
** Ziad Abu AL-Ein, Deputy Minister of prisoners’ affairs , on Al-Shawamreh travel for treatment.
Q: Did Al-Shawamreh reached Jordan?
Yes, he was transferred today by an ambulance to Al-Karameh crossing. After efforts made by the President and international organizations.
Q:What was the Israeli pretext preventing AL-Shawamreh from traveling?
Israeli want our prisoners dead not alive, this is a criminal occupation. Al-Shawamreh was released since his situation is bad, and now after being released they want him dead.
Q: Is it true that the released prisoners can’t leave their districts for a year and can’t travel for two years?
Yes, this is true, this was one of the Israeli conditions for security, this is a reflection of the occupation, and all prisoners signed a document saying so.
Q: Yesterday the occupation arrested an old lady visiting her son in jail and a father instead of his son, how do you view these acts?
We follow up on all these issues and act to visit these prisoners and know the reasons. Israel in using these visits to arrest other Palestinians, and this is not new.
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More Headlines
MORE NEWS________________________________________________
Occupation prevents Al-Shawamreh from traveling for treatment; then allowed his travel
Israeli occupation authorities prevented for the second time, the transfer of released prisoner Naim Al-Shawamreh to Jordan for treatment, after it prevented him from traveling yesterday afternoon. Al-Shawamreh wastransferred to Al-Karameh crossing in a Palestinian ambulance to be transferred in a Jordanian ambulance to a hospital in Jordan, but the occupation authorities detained him for more than two and a half hours before forcing him to return. Al-Shawamreh was transferred to a hospital in Jericho. (http://paltimes.net/details/news/56298/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%81%D8%B1-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AC.html)
Minister of prisoners' Affairs Issa Qaraqe' said the Israeli Government and its security services acted in an ugly and immoral way making released prisoner Al-Shwamreh wait for hours before allowing him to travel to Jordan for treatment.(http://maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=662962)
Kerry trying to persuade Netanyahu to return refugees in exchange for recognition of Israel
Maariv revealed Monday some details of the American proposals circulated through intensive negotiating process led by Minister Kerry.According to the newspaper, Kerry exercised pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to adopt a compromise formula softening his denounces for the return of Palestinian refugees into Israel in exchange for the approval of President Mahmoud Abbas to recognize Israel as a "Jewish State".(http://qudsnet.com/news/View/262031/%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D9%86%D8%AA%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%88-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84/)
Al-Quds Al-Arabi: an attitude among the Palestinian leadership to compromise regarding the US proposals
the London-based newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi quoted Palestinian sources described as Insider as saying that there is an approach among the Palestinian leadership to compromise on US proposals for the deployment of an Arab – International - Israeli force on the eastern border of the Palestinian State.The sources speculated that Minister Kerry will announcea breakthrough in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations next month. The sources added that some in the Palestinian leadership are interested in continuation of the negotiations beyond the nine months period.(http://www.pnn.ps/index.php/policy/77652-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D9%87%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%83-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%AC%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%8B-%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A8%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B7-%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%A9)
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Arab Press
Do not just nod and accept’
By Nermeen Murad
A Jordanian widow and her five children live in a cave in Pakistan, on handouts from the good people of Pakistan, awaiting any sign of humanity (or political intelligence) from the Jordanian authorities who are denying her children entry to Jordan because their father only carried a temporary Jordanian passport and therefore his children have no rights in Jordan.
I actually do not want to talk about the rights of Jordanian women to pass on their citizenship to their children except to mention very quickly that Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour personally pledged, in a conference attended by more than 100 activists three years ago, that he fully believes that this is a right that cannot be denied any longer by Jordan and that he would commit himself to working on finding a resolution to it.
Admittedly, this was in his capacity as a parliamentarian at the time, before he took office as premier, but he spoke with conviction and I believe honestly.
And so, we are still waiting for the prime minister to use his considerable clout to bring back respect to all Jordanian women, regardless of the nationality of the husbands they chose as life partners.
I hope he comes through with his promise and take political credit for doing so because I am convinced — as are all the other activists involved in this issue — that we will win this just battle sooner or later.
I mention political credit here because I know — as does the prime minister — that Jordan’s insistence on maintaining bias against its female citizens on this issue has been a black mark on its record as a respected member of the club of democratic states that respect human rights charters and with whom we have been pretending to be equal.
As every Jordanian diplomat serving in any country in the developed world would report back, they are questioned on this issue repeatedly and, embarrassingly, quite often. And I am not sure we can continue the charade much longer.
Clearly, it would be politically savvy of Ensour to push forward and actually help us win this not only because of the number of women — and by extension their families — who suffer as a result of this outright bias against them, but because it is a good political win for Jordan internationally and we would get a lot of political mileage out of such a step.
But, more importantly, and I finally get to the core of this issue, taking a serious step in this direction would give the right message to Jordanians at this critical time of our country’s journey to political maturity.
It is not acceptable that Jordanians nod in understanding every time someone mentions the word “Palestinian” in reference to this problem.
What exactly do they understand?
That it is “national policy” to make the “Palestinians” and their children suffer?
That Jordan’s policy, when it comes to “Palestinians”, is to keep them separate and shove them lower down the socio-economic scale in the country?
That we are worried about the demographic shift and scared that more Jordanians would speak “Palestinian” than “Jordanian” and we would lose our national language?
That more Jordanian households would cook mloukhia than mansaf?
That Palestinians living on the West Bank would stage a mass exodus to marry the “Palestinians” we have here in order to gain a Jordanian passport?
That our women would marry out of their race and end up as wives with the immigrant “Palestinians” and produce half-cast children?
There is this absolutely unacceptable nod of the head that has become a characteristic of our collective “understanding” of what it would take to protect Jordan’s security, demography, national identity and future from the new generation of “Palestinians” who are not really only Palestinians, are they?
They are the children of Jordanian mothers with long extended families that have their roots here and have built a life here and eat mansaf just as often as they eat mloukhia and speak both Jordanian and Palestinian. They understand both “cultures” and love them both. They are our children!
Are we seeking a pure race? Did we declare Jordan a “purely Jordanian” state that only accepts uncontaminated descendants?
Do we ask ourselves, as a country, exactly what message we are approving when we nod our heads in understanding?
The studies into this issue in Jordan have shown that the bias against the women is not anymore only tied to the “Palestinian” element, albeit this is the one we use because it appears to be “security correct”, although not politically correct.
The underlying message in our nod of approval is the understanding that Jordan does not want to change yet — in its social makeup — to become the hub of a mishmash of last names that do not connote a long Jordanian history.
Jordanian women are not only marrying Palestinians (in fact that number is diminishing) they are marrying Egyptians, Sudanese, Saudis, Iraqis and men of many other nationalities.
The fear is that their children, carrying all these strange and unfamiliar last names, would suddenly carry Jordanian passports and these families would forever become Jordanian families.
The fear is that we would stop being the Jordanians we know: divided very nicely almost down the middle between the original Jordanians and the adopted Jordanians (mostly of Palestinian origin but also Syrian, Iraqi, Lebanese, Circassian, Armenian among others).
That is the formula we traditionally understood and lived by. And this is why our laws allow the children of men, who carry their fathers’ last names, to become Jordanians, but deny that same right to the children of Jordanian women.
What we must understand is that this is not a debate or a fear that is unique to Jordan. This same uneasiness and apprehension is happening in many parts of this global village that we call earth.
It is part and parcel of the exchange among the communities of nations and states in this world, and a necessary outcome of open borders, travel and cultural exchange.
Jordan cannot unilaterally stop this international trend arriving at its doorstep.
It cannot continue to employ undemocratic and exclusionist policies and legislation, and justify this inhumane, unconstitutional and internationally illegal policy towards its women and their children through a theatrical display of “bogey man” political and security scenarios.
The political message the authorities need to collectively put out there to all Jordanians is that we believe in the equal right and access to the benefits of citizenship and thus we will change the laws; we have our political, economic and social concerns so these laws will regulate the process; Jordan respects the rights of its men and women equally, upholds its integrity as a nation-state and abides by its international commitments.
We do not allow xenophobic laws or policies. Full stop. One big political nod!(http://jordantimes.com/do-not-just-nod-and-accept)
Mideast peace deal and Jordan’s apprehensions
By HASSAN BARARI
Apparently, it is hard to keep the lid on the mutual mistrust between Jordan and the Palestinian leaders. Despite their public statements to the contrary, Jordanian leaders fear that the Palestinian Authority (PA) may cut a deal with Israel at Jordan’s expense.
In fact, it is no longer a secret that the late King Hussein was furious when the Palestinians took him off guard and signed the Oslo agreement in September 1993. The Palestinians kept Jordan in the dark concerning their wheeling and dealing with the Israelis. And Israelis are aware of this situation and have effectively exploited it on many occasions to extract concessions from the Palestinians or to force them to come to terms with Israel’s objectives.
Having experienced the bitterness of the Palestinians’ habit to succumb to the Israeli schemes and pressure, Jordanians are wary that President Mahmoud Abbas may opt for a deal with the Israelis that could jeopardize Jordan’s interests in the final status talks. Few, if any, in Jordan views favorably the Palestinian negotiators. The common feeling among Jordanian ruling elite is that President Abbas takes Jordan for granted. Abbas, according to this line of thinking, is more interested in an agreement with Israel that could lead to an independent Palestinian state. For various reasons, Jordanians feel that Abbas will give up on the refugees’ right. He thinks that Jordan cannot defy such an agreement and risk its relationship with the United States.
In a rare public lecture, former Jordanian Prime Minister Ma’rouf Bakhit said last week that Jordan should not trust the Palestinian negotiators. He suspected that the PA would act out of desperation and scapegoat Jordan’s interest in the final status talks. While Bakhit is not holding an executive post, many believe that his message was coordinated with the regime. Bakhit’s lecture made headlines in Jordan local newspapers. Soon many members of the Parliament reiterated the message delivered by Bakhit in his public lecture.
While historically there has been no love lost between Jordan and the Palestinian national movement, the two sides are no longer mortal adversaries. Once Jordan gave up its claim on the Palestinian land and accepted the right of the PLO to represent the Palestinians, the level of tension has been kept on the backburner. When Jordan started to publicly advocate the two-state solution, Palestinian leaders began to feel relieved. King Abdallah of Jordan has brought up the two-state solution in much of his dealing with the West.
And yet, Abbas defines a good agreement differently. Caught in domestic rivalry with Hamas, Abbas fears that his standing could take a nosedive if he fails to bring the Israelis agree to a two-state solution. Also, his organization is desperate for an “achievement” in the peace talks to be in a better position to compete with Hamas in the future. Many Jordanians politicians and intellectuals understand and indeed fear the grave consequences of this logic. As a quid pro quo for establishing an independent state, the Palestinians may write off the right of return.
Over the last decade, Israelis leaders have made the Palestinian recognition of the “Jewishness” of Israeli state the key to their negotiation with the Palestinians. Arabs, on the whole, think that such recognition would mean the abolishing of the right of return of the Palestinian refugees.
Implicit in US Secretary of States John Kerry’s mediation is his acceptance of the Israeli characterization of the Jewishness of Israel. In his last week’s visit to the region, he tried to put pressure on the Palestinian side to accept Israel’s military presence in the Jordan Valley. All in all, one can make the case that John Kerry — like his predecessors — tries to force the Palestinians to conform to Israel’s vision of the final resolution of the conflict. Hence, the American biased position may compel Abbas to come to terms with Israel’s terms for peace.
The problem with the Jordanian anger and suspicion is that Jordan has never articulated any alternative plan. Meaning, while Jordanians are almost certain that the outcome of any peace deal between the Palestinians and Israel would be at their expense, it is not possible to point out to what Jordan will do to get different results.(http://www.arabnews.com/news/504101)
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Opinions
Our people have the right to know!
Al-Quds Editorial
With the conflicting reports and statements from various sources about the results of talks US Senator John Kerry had with President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,considering it made "progress", and amid leaked reports from several sources about the what happened in these talks, both for the US and for the Palestinian and Israeli positions, Palestinian citizen feels amid a swirl of contradictions, on the one hand, and that the progress Kerry and some other sources talk about does not hide the fundamental differences between The Palestinian and Israeli positions, or between the stated Palestinian position and the US proposals, which we still do not know what it includes. This means that confusion, anxiety and maybe waiting overwhelmed the Palestinian Street, though President Mahmoud Abbas said he repeated on more than one occasion the Palestinian constants, and red lines that cannot be crossed in the negotiations or in any solution that might be reached.
Perhaps Kerry's visit after his tour in Amman and Riyadh added speculation and rumors on the one hand, and confusion on the other hand, especially after the announcement of a Saudi official who said that the Saudi side stick to the Arab Peace Initiative, and that the Secretary of State should practice pressure on Israel to respond positively to this initiative and accept the legitimate Palestinian demands.
If news about the long hours that Kerry devoted to demand that the Palestinian side recognizeIsrael as "a Jewish State" are true, that would be an ironic paradox, since the PLO, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people had exchanged recognition with Israel within the framework of the Oslo agreement in 1993, and the countries of the world that recognized Israel did recognized it as a Jewish State, then how the US demands the Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish State, while America itself did not provide such recognition.
Other than that, if Israel insists on this demand, based on UN partition resolution 181 of 1947, Israel is not entitled to base its demands on the decision it rejected its application and could not pick out whatever it wants and reject whatever it wants.
In addition, we don’t know how true the leaked news about a “''United” Jerusalem as a capital of two States, Israel and Palestine are, and regarding Israeli acceptance of the 1967 borders as the basis for the solution, such news are blurry and unclear. What is “''United Jerusalem, which will be the capital of two States?
How it is said that Israel agree to the 1967 borders as the basis and so far has insisted on keeping control of the Valley and the annexation of large areas of the West Bank, including major settlement blocks, just as insisting that ''United Jerusalem”is its eternal capital?! Therefore, we say that we haven’t touched yet nature of the progress which Kerry speaks about, nor was there any change in the Israeli position or behavior. In addition, Israel and the US Administration continue to ignore the ArabPeace Initiative which constitutes the minimum that Arabs agree upon as a basis for peace, which cannot be overridden in any way.
It must be said here that the Palestinian people in the homeland and the diaspora has the right to know the nature of the US positions and proposals and Israeli positions, and it is unreasonable and unacceptable to talk about fate and future of the Palestinian people and their, while experiencing this situation of confusion and conflicting reports. Also it must be said that the Palestinian constants are clear and legitimate, the Palestinian rights are clear and real, just, lasting and comprehensive peace cannot be made without recognition of Israel of these rights, with renouncing its settlement and expansionist ambitions and attempts to dictate the terms of a solution, and without the United States abandoning its bias to Israel and its disregard for international law and inalienable rights of the Palestinians, including their right to an independent and sovereign State on all the territories occupied since 1967, including ArabJerusalem, and right to refuse all forms of occupation and hegemony that Israel and Washington are marketing under the banner of peace. (Al-Quds)
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