Main News
Eshtayyeh: negotiations will fail; we should correct the mistake and approach international institutions
Member of the Palestinian negotiations team, Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh, said the ongoing negotiations with the Israeli side tend to fail, and it will not be extended for one day after its expiration on April 29, and we are heading towards the "one State". Eshtayyeh said during his participation in the "Palestine and international law" conference, organized by the Bar Association of the city of Jericho yesterday, that the negotiating process will close on 29th of April, negotiations will not be extended by one day, negotiations will end with failure, then we will say goodbye to the two-State solution with the continuation of imposing political status quo and Israeli settlement.” Eshtayyeh noted that the negotiating and political situation is heading towards a deadlocked, and the current situation does not help us to embody the Palestinian State recognized by 148 States, and rejecting or accepting Kerry’s offers will not help, adding: "no agreement is a thousand times better than a poor agreement", adding that the PA cannot continue this way, "we must change its role from services authority to a resistance authority. (http://www.alquds.com/news/article/view/id/484904)
Ramallah Intelligence arrested the father of the child "Mohammed Morsi"
Family of political prisoner Abdel Halim Ghannam from Jalazoun refugee camp in Ramallah, held the General Intelligence of the Palestinian Authority responsible for "any harm befalling their abducted son in PA prison since Wednesday morning, without any reason or accusation justifying the arrest.” The General Intelligence in Ramallah called Abdel Halim Ghannam for an investigation yesterday morning, and when he was on his way to the investigation he wasdetained on the grounds of "a resolution of the Central Investigation Department for his arrest", family says. Ghannam is married and has a daughter and two sons, the last was born less than a month ago and he called him Mohammed Morsi. (http://safa.ps/details/news/121090/%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%84-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%8A.html)
Occupation raids Al-Quds University; dozens of injuries in clashes at Abu Dis
Dozens of students and staff of Al-Quds University were injuredyesterday form rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas during clashes near the main campus of the University in the town of Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem. Spokesman of the popular resistance in Abu Dis Hani Halabiya told "Wafa" that following the occupation raidto the vicinity of the University to repair a hole in the wall opposite the University, clashes eruptedleading to confrontations inside the campus, where the occupation forces shot tear gas grenades and rubber-coated metal bullets, injuring dozens of studentswere some of them were transferred in ambulancesfor treatment at Al-Maqased clinic in the village, apart from the financial damage created by grenades in some colleges.(http://www.wattan.tv/ar/news/84626.html)
Abu Mazen: ready to visit Israel and deliver a speech at the Knesset
President Mahmoud Abbas expressed during a meeting with the "Israeli National Security Studies Institute" yesterday eveninghis readiness "to visit Israel" and deliver a speech at the Israeli Parliament, saying "it is not inconceivable at all."Abbas also welcomed the idea of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivering a speech at the Palestinian Legislative Council in Ramallah, saying he is ready to meet Netanyahu at any time.During the meeting, Abbas spoke of the demands of the Palestinian Authority represented in the establishment of a Palestinian state in the 1967 border, with east Jerusalem as its capital, adding that solving the Palestinian refugee issue should be in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative put forward by Saudi Arabia in 2002.(http://www.qudsn.ps/article/36928)
EU warns Palestinians and Israelis of failure of the peace process
EU Ambassador to Israel,Lars Faaborg-Andersen, said Wednesday that Palestinians and Israelis will pay a high price; and will lose trade and European support in case negotiations fail.The Ambassador said that the European Union, which is considered as “a paying side that does not play a role"in the region, became more clear that its role as the largest trade partner with Israel and supporting Palestinians cannot be taken without offering something in exchange.Faaborg-Andersen told reporters: "we have made it clear to the parties that they will pay a price if these negotiations fail". (http://maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=667467)
Faaborg-Andersen also added that continuing with settlement construction will isolate Israel, and warned that Israel will be held responsible in case of peace process failure. (Al-Ayyam)
Kerry adopts the Israeli vision for a solution; and resumes pressure on Palestinians
While attention is focused on the "Geneva-2" conference regarding Syria, extensive discussions between US Envoy for Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations, Martin Indyk and his team, with Israeli negotiators headed by Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Yitzhak Molkho are taking place in Washington, these discussions were launched by John Kerry on Monday before heading to Montreux to participate in "Genève-2". “Al-Quds.com” learned from informed sources that “no face to face meeting was held between Israelis and Palestinians in the last weeks, especially in Jerusalem and Ramallah, since the atmosphere is very tensed, and that what is described as negotiations are only talks between Israelis and Kerry, who meets Israelis on behalf of the Palestinians, who meet Kerry to complain about their ongoing suffering of Israeli rudeness and intransigence which led to their frustration.” The source added that Secretary Kerry and his negotiating team, headed by Indyk, adopt the Israeli position almost entirely, and that "there is nothing new in this position, the successive American administrations, democratic or Republican, has long felt a particular sensitivity to the fragility of the security of Israel, and the importance of ensuring its security.” (http://www.alquds.com/news/article/view/id/484896)
New excavations south of the Al-Aqsa mosque preparing to establish a new massive Talmudic Judaization center
It was revealed that Israeli occupation began implementing new excavations at the entrance to Wadi Helwa-Silwan, just tens of meters south of Al-Aqsa mosque, including the destruction of ancient Islamic antiquities with particularly form the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, within the preparatory work for the construction of a massive center for Talmudic Judaization named the "Biblical Temple – Kedem Center”. Al-Aqsa Foundationfor Waqf and Heritage said in the report, the Israeli Antiquities Authority with funding from “Elad settlement Association”, began excavations at the entrance of Wadi Helwa neighborhood, on Palestinian land confiscated by the Israeli occupation, and was used for years as a parking under the name “Givaati" for settlers arriving at the settlement site– the city of David. (Al-Ayyam)
Israel: arresting cell linked with Al-Qaida in Jerusalem planned to bomb the US Embassy
Israeli internal security service (Shabak) arrested a cell linked with Al-Qaida in east Jerusalem. The cell members were planning to launch various attacks including bombing of the US Embassy in Israel, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said yesterday. Ofir Gendelman wrote on his official Twitter, "Shabak arrested a terrorist cell of east Jerusalem operating according to orders of (Al-Qaeda) and planned to launch various attacks including bombing of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv.” "Shin Bet" said in a statement that two of the three members of the cell are Iyad Abu Sarah and Robin Abu Nejmeh, who were arrested on the 25th October, are form occupied east Jerusalem holding Israeli residence Identity (blue ID). The third Palestinian is from the city of Jenin in northern West Bank, and was arrested on January7th.(Al-Hayat Al-Jadida)
Yediot Ahronot said that investigating the three showed that the head of the cell is a man from Gaza called “Uraib Al-Sham”, and that he recruited the members three months ago. The cell members are: Iyad Abu Sarah (25 years old) from Ras Khamis in Shuafat, Robin Abu Nejmeh (30 years old) from east Jerusalem and Ala’ Ghanem (22 years old) from Aqaba in Tubas district (Al-Quds)
Maariv: Israeli military circles reluctant to complete the annexation wall
At the time when Israeli political and military leadership alleged for 12 years that justification for constructing the apartheid wall are security purposes to prevent carrying operations inside Israel, which was viewed by the Palestinian side as an annexation and settlement expansion wall, the military community are reluctant to complete it for fear of escalation.Maariv websitereported yesterdaythat completing the construction of the "wall" in the only remaining sections, which allow thousands of Palestinian workers to illegally enter Israel, was discussed, and that senior army officers and security circles said this might lead to serious security escalation in the West Bank.(Al-Ayyam)
Occupation demolishes homes and facilities and arrests a woman in northern Jordan Valley
Israeli occupation forces demolished a number of houses and facilities in the northern Jordan Valley and arrested the lady who tried to confront demolishing her home, after being assaultedand beaten by soldiers. Head of Al-Maleh council in the Jordan Valley, Aref Daraghmeh, said the Israeli occupation forces stormed Khirbat Al-Ebzik, north-east of the district, in the early hours of the morning and demolished two houses, one built in 1955, and his owners has all licenses needed, in addition to the demolishing two shacks.(Al-Ayyam)
Hamas denies existence of Iranian experts in Gaza
Hamas’ spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri denied in a statement what was reported by Egyptian newspaper Al-Watan that Iranian experts had arrived in Gaza to work on producing explosives to be transported to Saini. Abu Zuhri said this news is offensive to Egypt and not to the Palestinian people because it "gives the impression that Egypt is a non-secured country, and that the Egyptian army is unable to do its mission."(Al-Quds)
Settlers uprooted 800 olive saplings in Sinjil and attacked citizens in Beit Furik
Settlers uprooted over 800 olive saplings Yesterday morning in lands of the town of Sinjil north of Ramallah. Mayor of Sinjil Ayub Sweid saidcitizens woke up during the uprooting and steeling of more than 800 olive saplings from a territory of the town in the northern region. Sweid added that the uprooted olive saplings were grown on an area of 200 dunams through a land reclamation and afforestation project, with funding from the International Committee of the Red Cross.(Al-Quds)
The funeral of the remains of martyrs Amereh and Samahneh in Nablus
Thousands of people attended in Nablus the funeral of the remains of martyrs Fathi Jihad Amereh from Nablus, and Atta Ibrahim Samahneh from the village of Al-Nassareyah yesterday. The remains were handed over to the PA by Israel the night before yesterday, after detaining the remainsfor several years.(Al-Quds)