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Sept. 16, 2013
Daily summary - Monday, September 16, 2014
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Main News
THE PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER TO MEET TODAY TO DISCUSS FORMATION OF NEW GOVERNMENT
Presidential political advisor Nimmer Hammad said yesterday that President Mahmoud Abbas would meet with Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah today to discuss forming the new 16th government after deliberations over its formation will end on Tuesday. Although the two are confirmed to meet, Hammad said it was still not clear whether Hamdallah would announce the new government on Tuesday. Abbas had mandated Hamdallah to form the new government on August 13 and according to law, the premier had three weeks to deliberate and choose ministers for the new cabinet with the right to ask for two additional weeks before announcing the new government. According to Fatah leader Azzam Al Ahmad, the new government will be ‘regular”, with no time limitations and will not include any drastic changes. He also clarified in statements to the press that this was not a national conciliation government nor a caretaker government but a normal cabinet given the failure to implement the reconciliation agreement, something he squarely blames Hamas for. (Al Quds)
THE PRESIDENT: THE BORDERS OF THE STATE IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PALESTINAIN SECURITY; WE ACCEPT INTERNATIONAL TROOPS TO MONITOR A FINAL AGREEMENT
During the graduation ceremony of a security science institute in Jericho yesterday, President Abbas said that “security for the borders of the state is primarily the responsibility of the Palestinian security forces” adding that international forces mutually agreed on would only monitor the implementation of an agreement on a final status. He also said that the eastern borders of the state of Palestine extend from the Dead Sea through the Jordan Valley, the central heights and to the borders of Bisan, which are the Palestinian-Jordanian borders, with no one in the middle ‘including Israel,” Abbas also reaffirmed that settlements on Palestinian land were illegal in all their forms, stressing on the importance of the implementation of European measures pertaining to settlements by the beginning of 2014. He also said that the Palestinian leadership was “serious” about reaching a just and final agreement to end the conflict between ‘us and our neighbors the Israelis” through the current negotiations. Abbas said that in spite of Israel’s hindrances, the Palestinians would continue with talks with ‘good intentions” throughout the designated period of six to nine months, saying that if there are good intentions, they were ready for peace. The president also said the return of the Gaza Strip to “the lap of Palestinian legitimacy” was a national demand that they were seeking to achieve, but were waiting for the right circumstances for this to happen through elections. He reassured that no matter the differences between them, Hamas in particular, “they are part of our people and we cannot exclude them”
To the graduates, the president said that “we are depending on your role in the near future to preserve the rule of law and the security of our citizens and to protect the rights of the homeland.” (Al Ayyam)
ISRAEL PLANS TO OFFER ECONOMIC ‘FACILITATIONS’ TO THE PA
According to the Hebrew-language newspaper Maariv’s website yesterday, Israel plans to announce several steps and economic facilitations it intends on offering the PA during the donor country conference scheduled to take place next week in New York. Israeli strategic affairs minister Yuval Steinetz will announce the steps at the meeting. Informed Israeli sources refused however, to give details about the economic facilitations to be offered, but sources close to Steinetz said that Israel would stress on refuting any political dimensions that may be understood from these economic measures (Al Quds)
DFLP: HAMAS AGREED TO START A NATIONAL DIALOUGE IN GAZA ON RECONCLIATION
DFLP leader Saleh Zeidan said yesterday that Hamas had agreed to begin a comprehensive national dialogue in Gaza on the reconciliation after contacts between them over the past few days. He said that the DFLP proposed the dialogue to Hamas and that the latter agreed, saying they would immediately start talks if Fatah and the other national factions agreed to the idea. Zeidan also said that his movement told Hamas that it would refuse to be part of any government or commission to run Gaza because this would only further consolidate the split rather than move towards a national unity government.(Al Ayyam)
EGYPTIAN ARMY SPOKESPERSON: EGYPT WILL DEFEAT TERRORISM…HAMAS HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PROTECTING MUTUAL BORDERS
Spokesperson for the Egyptian armed forces, Ahmad Mohammed Ali said yesterday that the Egyptian army military operation in Sinai “would not end before all of its goals are achieved.” In a press conference, Ali stressed that Hamas has the responsibility of exerting more effort into protecting their mutual border, “especially in light of all that Egypt has done for the Palestinian cause.” In talking about the military operation, Ali also said the army seized a large amounts of ammunition, many of which had the emblem of Hamas’ Izzzedin Al Qassam brigades embossed on them. Ali explained that up until now, 154 tunnels and 108 gas fields had been destroyed at the border with Gaza, saying he believed that 80-90% of the tunnels were completely destroyed. Ali also commented on the Egyptian demolition of houses just meters from the Gaza border, saying that these ‘buildings’ posed a national security threat and would all be demolished and their owners compensated. He also did not give details about news that Egypt was planning on establishing a three-kilometer buffer zone at the border with Gaza, saying “we will deal at this stage with any structure at a distance of 500 meters to one kilometer” without going into detail. (Al Quds)
Palestinians and Hamas meanwhile, say they fear the destruction of the tunnels will surely lead to a buffer zone in the Strip. Subhi Radwan, mayor of Rafah, said yesterday that the Egyptian army had destroyed 95% of the underground tunnels in order to establish a “safety buffer zone”. He warned of a ‘humanitarian disaster for 1.75 million people in Gaza if this zone is established, which would further tighten the siege already on Gaza. Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said the Egyptian measures” had “crossed all lines” and coincided with the continued “demonization” of Hamas and the resistance. Egyptian ambassador to the PA Yasser Othman earlier confirmed to France Presse that the Egyptian army was carrying out ‘security measures” to reinforce its security at the border, which was not aimed at impinging on the situation in the Gaza Strip whatsoever.” (Al Ayyam)
In an open letter posted on his Facebook page, Hamas politburo deputy chief Mousa Abu Marzouq refuted Egyptian claims, saying: “Does it make any sense that Hamas would agree to a truce with Israel through Egyptian mediation only to open a battlefront with Egypt? Does it make any sense that a hand grenade with the Qassam Brigades written on it and clothes that look like those worn by the Qassam is evidence of arms smuggling from Sinai, regardless of any other circumstances? Does anyone really think it is in Hamas’ interest to start a battle with Egypt at any level? Gaza needs Egypt and would never do anything that would compromise its security.” (Al Quds)
TWO WORKERS FROM ITHNA WOUNDED FROM FIRST-DEGREE BURNS SUSTAINED DURING A ‘HOT PURSUIT’; SETTLERS SET FIRE TO HOME IN MADAMA
Israeli occupation forces wounded two workers from Ithna, southwest of Hebron yesterday during a hot pursuit of dozens of workers to prevent them from entering Israel. Two others were arrested. According to eyewitnesses, the two workers were injured when Israeli troops fired a firebomb towards them near the border with Israel in southern Hebron. According to Red Crescent sources, 23-year old Nimer Basheer was burned in the stomach and hands while Sari Bsheer, 21 was burned in the back while they were in the car. The bombs hit the back of the car, setting it on fire.
Meanwhile, settles set fire to ta home under construction in the town of Madama, south of Nablus. According to settlement file official Ghassan Daghlas, settlers from Yitzhar set fire to the home of Raed Nasser, which is still being built. The house is a few dozen meters away from a water tank recently installed in the town. The setters are protesting the installment because of its close proximity to the settlement. (Al Quds)
EXTREMISTS ALLOWED INTO THE AQSA; OCCUPATION PREPARES FOR ‘MILLION MARCH’ IN OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM
The Israeli Jerusalem municipality announced yesterday that it planned to organize a million-man march in Jerusalem and its Old City on the occasion of Sukkot on the 24th of this month. The announcement said that thousands of settlers from various cities and communities would participate in the march during which police would close off main and side roads and impose tight restrictions on the entry of citizens into the Old City. Palestinians, meanwhile, fear a collective break-in by settlers to the Aqsa Mosque compound after groups of settlers broke into the Aqsa yesterday from the Moroccan Gate under tight Israeli police security. (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
SECOND ATTEMPT IN FIVE DAYS TO BREAK INTO THE JAZEERA OFFICES IN RAMALLAH
A large police contingency prevented dozens of angry citizens for the second time in five days from breaking into the Jazeera Satellite channel headquarters in Ramallah. Youths carried torches with the intention of burning down the headquarters but were prevented by the police. The Fatah demonstration against Jazeera come on the back of the broadcasting of a program last Tuesday in which Palestinian writer Ibrahim Hamami called late President Yasser Arafat a ‘traitor”. The protesters said that the silence of the Jazeera presenter was an ‘implicit’ decision by the Jazeera, saying the presenter could have interrupted him. The demonstrators are calling on the channel to apologize for what happened in the program. (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
OCCUPATION FORCES BREAK INTO THE KHILLEH HAMLET IN THE JORDAN VALLEY, DESTROYING IT COMPLETELY
A large Israeli army force broke into the Khillet Al Mak’houl hamlet in Maleh in the northern Jordan Valley this morning, completely erasing it, not leaving one thing for the residents. Head of the Maleh village council and Bedouin communities in the Jordan Valley Aref Daraghmeh said that the army entered at five in the morning and destroyed everything in the hamlet including Bedouin abodes and sheep barns. Daraghmeh said there were at least 16 families completely homeless from this morning’s operation and 150 others displaced from the destruction of the hamlet at a whole. (http://qudsnet.com/arabic/news.php?maa=View&id=252997)
DEMAND FOR A SAFE SEA PASSAGE WITH TURKEY
Head of the popular committee for confronting the siege, PLC member Jamal Khudari called yesterday for opening a ‘safe sea passage’ linking the Gaza seaport to any port in Turkey or any other European country. In a meeting with a number of local, Arab and foreign media representatives, Khadari said the committee had a ‘ready plan’ for the safe passage, which would allow Palestinians to export and import through it. He explained that the Palestinians could ‘rent a port as a medium that could be put under European monitoring in order to debunk any “Israeli military excuses.” The ships that carry imported goods for the Palestinians could be unloaded at this port port, searched and then escorted by Europeans at the Gaza sea port; the same ships would also carry Palestinian goods to the rented port and then to their final destination. Khudari also said that the committee had been in contact with Arab parties who were willing to fund the project. (http://alhayat.com/Details/552077)
In related news, agriculture minister Waleed Assaf said yesterday that the ministry was putting the final touches on coordination to export large amounts of fruit and vegetable to Arab countries via Jordan. He said guavas and tomatoes in excess would be exported, helping to improve Palestinian economic and avoid losses of millions of shekels for Palestinian farmers. (http://maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=630123)
HAMAS REVEALS IT HAS SAM 7 ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILES; VOWS AGAINST ISRAEL IN UPCOMING CONFRONTATION
Hamas military wing the Izzedin Qassam Brigades revealed yesterday during a military march that they are in possession of Sam 7 anti-aircraft missiles in the Gaza Strip. The Brigades said their marchers were a ‘message to the occupation”, calling on Arab armies to ‘flex their muscles” against their ‘mutual enemy.” (http://www.alquds.co.uk/?p=84393)
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Headlines
*American experts: Israel suspended production of nuclear warheads nine years ago (Al Quds)
*Kerry briefs Israeli Prime Minister on plan to disarm Syria of chemical weapons (Al Quds)
*Public sector strike and threat of making it an open s trike starting from October 6 (Al Quds)
*Zionist movement wages campaign on head of the Olympic committee and calls for his dismissal (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
*Haaretz: Israel has 80 nuclear warheads which it can multiply whenever it wants (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
*Dozens killed n wave of bombings in Iraq (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
*The President pays condolences to Al Baz’ family; gives him medal of honor (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
*Demand on Netanyahu not to surrender land to the PA (see article below) (Al Ayyam)
*Damascus: we will commit to UN resolution on chemical weapons (Al Ayyam)
*Back to school in Syria after retreat of threat of an American strike (Al Ayyam)
*Israel fears dealing with Iranian nuclear issue diplomatically similar to Syrian case (Al Ayyam)
*Hollande: agreement on Syria not the ‘end point”; must keep threat of use of force against it. (Al Ayyam)
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Front Page Photos
Al- QudsGaza: Students pass by mural of martyrs President Yasser Arafat and Sheikh Ahmad Yassin
Al-Ayyam:1) The President during the first graduation at Independence University in Jericho; 2) Egyptian army bulldozers working near the border with Gaza; 3) Damascus: students return to their classes after the Geneva agreement declaration
Al Hayat Al Jadida:1) The President gives a speech during the first graduation at Independence University; 2) Demonstrators wave Fatah flags in front of the Jazeera channel headquarters in Ramallah
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Voice of Palestine News
Q: warning in the old city of collapse of a number of houses due to the Israeli excavations.
Yes, this is true, these houses are threatened in collapsing for some time now, and in some cases, parts of these houses already collapsed, in other areas like Silwan the grounds of a local school collapsed due to the excavations, resulting in the injury of 17 students. But what is happening in the old city is much more dangerous, these tunnels resulted in the collapse of a number of houses and others are threatened in collapsing.
Also, the Israeli Knesset will hold a meeting today to discuss a decision allowing extreme Jew to reach the ”Temple Mount”, meaning Al-Aqsa, this meeting will be attended by Extreme Jewish organizations, that demands the Israeli government to approve this decision, especially during Jewish holidays.
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Voice of Palestine Interviews
** Borhan Bsharat, Citizen from Tammoun, on the occupation destroying houses in Kherbat Makhoul, in the Jordan Valley.
Q: can you tell us more about what is going on?
At 5:00 am, the occupation army attacked us, at Kherbet Makhoul, we are 9 families, and the bulldozers are destroying the houses right now!
Q: how many houses have been demolished until now?
They are destroying the houses right now, what we see here is only destruction! 9 houses. I think that you can hear the bulldozers! They are destroying the houses right now… the army is trying to push me away! Where is the democracy that Obama and the free world is mentioning, what threat do we impose on the occupation, where should be go?! Find us another planet and we will leave!! Maybe to the moon! This is my land, how can I leave it??
Q: What is the current pretext of the occupation?
They claim it’s a military zone, despite the fact that I have taboo papers affirming my ownership! Where should I go now?!
Q: are the citizens there, do you resist?
No one is here, and even if they were here, they can’t resist, they keep on pushing us away.
Q: what are you planning to do now?
We will stay here and resist even until we die!! I will not leave my land!!
** Dr. Jamal Amr, expert on construction and Jerusalem, on the appeal of Jerusalemites to renovate their houses before they collapse due to Israeli excavations.
Q: an urgent appeal from residents of Al-Qarneh neighborhood, what might be the solution, even if temporary?
The solution is clear, their address should be the Palestinian organizations, official and non-official bodies. The occupation is telling them that their houses are threatened in collapsing, but at the same time, the occupation is the only reason for this collapse! They can’twait; these houses might collapse at any moment. I suggest that they contact the Jerusalem Governor in order to find an immediate solution for their problem.
Q: Can you tell us more about the size of the Israeli tunnels under the old city?
I stand now in front of the biggest tunnel under the old city, and I can clearly see the cracks it caused to the houses here, some of these tunnels are announced, and some are being dig in high secrecy, that’s why we can’t know how many tunnels are there, the only thing I can say is that residents of the old city hear the excavation works during days and night. The Israelis doesn’t care about international community or UNISCO. We need an international objective investigation committee to investigate this issue urgently.
** Issa Qaraqe’, Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, on the sick prisoners’ strike.
Q: can you tell us what is the situation of the sick prisoners, especially prisoner Murad Saed, who suffers from cancer?
The sick prisoners at the Ramlah hospital began their strike yesterday, and now they don’t accept any food, to protest their conditions. Especially since we began to see more and more prisoners getting cancer in Israeli jails, due to the lack of health care and the difficult conditions. So their situation is bad, their health situation is dangerous. We began to act by receiving the files of a lot of these prisoner and we issue appeals to the early release committee, in order to release these prisoners for medical reasons. The other thing we did is that we delivered a list with their names to Saeb Erekat in order to try to release them as soon as possible.
Q: you said that the don’t accept any food, despite their difficult health condition, also, we hear Palestinian call to these prisoners not to start their strike due to their difficult health conditions, what the current coordination regarding their condition now?
Yes, their situation is very bad, they tried to reach an improvement in their situation through communicating with the prison administration, especially since they stay at a medical clinic of the prison and they don’t receive any medical treatment. They demanded to close this clinic, and the administration promised to improve their condition but did not do so, so they had to start their strike, this was their only option.
Q: You said in a previous interview that you demanded to be part of deciding the names of prisoners that will be released in the second batch in October, anything new?
Yes we issue our demands through our negotiating team, but until now we did not receive any Israeli answer regarding this issue. We insist on being part of this process.
** Yaser Abed Rabbo, Secretary of the PLO Executive Committee.
Q: Kerry seems optimistic and requested to push the peace process ahead and reach progress, is there anything new regarding this issue?
Theses statements doesn’t show that there is a progress, but it shows that the American intentions are to reach and achievement during the nine months, this is not the important issue, what is important that the Americans are describing intentions, and not the reality. Until now, there are no signs that the process is moving ahead, nothing shows any change in the Israeli policy that might create any optimism. Their policy is still settlement expansion including Jerusalem, security first, and according to security they would like to draw the borders, this is a colonial policy that is being reproduced by the Israeli leadership. If this would be the case in drawing borders between the states of the world we would witness wars all over the world. I say that the indicators are negative, despite all the American good intentions.
Q: yesterday, the president said that the eastern borders are the borders with Jordan and that we cannot accept any Israeli presence, can we understand that orders re being discussed in the negotiations?
No, this issue is among the Israeli demands, they want to control the Jordan Valley for what they claim as security reasons, despite the fact that they have borders with Jordan, but the issue is that what the president said was an answer to the Israeli demands to control this area, and we know this is only for expansionist reasons and not security. So this is one of the indicators for the Israeli intentions.
Q: Palestinian officials are pessimists, and also Selvan Shalom, Minister in the Israeli Government, seemed pessimistic today.
No, no, the Palestinian position and the Israeli position are not similar, this is a wrong and dangerous approach, we can’t compare between the two positions, the Israelis doesn’t want a solution, or evacuation, they want to continue with settlement, and engage in negotiations as an act of responding to international and American demands, and spend as much time as possible in these negotiations. They are playing with us in order to earn more time. We want to reach a solution, but we are pessimistic because of the Israeli positions and actions on ground.
Q: tomorrow will be the deadline to form the new government, will be formed by tomorrow?
It is possible that a new government will be formed in the coming hours or days, this is important and according to the law, the more important issue is that there are some trends in our society that does not encourage any government to implement its duties in an effective way, so the changes might happen, but the problem would still be the same. Like the current strikes, these are very strange strikes; this does not happen in any other place in the world, how can a strike be decided in one night? And especially when we talk about employees of the official institutions, they should negotiate a lot before starting a strike. Same happened in the BirZeit University, this is not a strike but occupation of BirZeit through closing the university, and they then ask the university to negotiate under this occupation!
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More Headlines
Settler attacks children and a Jerusalemite man
Last night, Maher Abu Layl, 48 was injured after being attacked by an Israeli settler. According to his sister, Maher was on his way to his falafel shop near the town of Essawiyeh when he saw an Israeli settler beating children with a metal rod. He went to defend them and was beaten on the head and face by the settler with the rod, causing serious bleeding. Israeli police arrived at the scene and arrested the settler.(http://maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=630112)
Israeli media incites towards halting financial support to the PA
Israel’s Channel Seven broadcasted a report this morning in which it called on the US and EU to halt payments to the Palestinian Authority, saying this money goes to released prisoners, which they called “terrorists.” The report comes after the PA announced it would pay the “dignified life grant” too 5,000 former Palestinian prisoners who had been released in recent years following a financial grant received from the US of $148 million in addition to financial transfers from the EU into the PA treasury. The channel said the grants for these ‘ terrorists’ was $15 million, paid for by the US and Europe. It called on these parties to adhere to their own laws, which prohibits transferring any money for grants to parties described as ‘terrorist’.(http://samanews.com/ar/index.php?act=post&id=171522)
Zionist movement launches campaign against Olympic committee head, calls for his expulsion
Israel and the Zionist movement are waging a campaign against German-born Thomas Bach ever since he was elected as head of the Olympic committee because he supports boycotting Israel because of its policies in the Palestinian territories. Bach, who is also the head of the German-Arab chamber of commerce, was recently elected as head of the Olympic committee. The Zionist movement is trying to cancel the results of these elections to push out Bach. Head of the anti-Nazi Vestel Zionist center wrote a letter to the UN calling on it to force Bach from stepping down as head of the German-Arab chamber of commerce so that he does not “taint sports.” The Zionist center director also said that Bach was the person who prevented the one-minute stand in mourning for the Israeli athletes killed at the Munich games over 40 years ago, adding that his positions are in contravention with German law. (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
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Arab Press
Banning chemical weapons in Mideast
Saudi Gazette Editorial
Syria has applied to sign up to the global ban on chemical weapons. The question on everybody’s mind is: Would President Basher Al-Assad have agreed to join the Chemical Weapons Convention if there were no threat of military strikes by the US. The more pertinent question is whether this will rid the Middle East of chemical weapons.
Syria is only one of seven countries outside the international convention banning chemical weapons.
Other holdouts include Egypt and Israel, Syria’s neighbors as well as North Korea. Although the United States has ratified the 20-year-old convention, it has destroyed only 89.71 percent of the declared stockpile, according to the 2011 report of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Regrettable as this may be, the more troubling part of the problem concerns the inconsistencies in US policy regarding chemical weapons. To put it simply, this policy is colored or dictated by political considerations and calculations. Very often, the US gives the impression that chemical weapons are OK as long as they are not in the hands of countries Washington considers hostile or unfriendly. For example, never has Congress or any US administration, Republican or Democrat, called on Israel or Egypt to disarm their chemical weapons arsenals, much less threatened sanctions for their failure to do so. Just the opposite.
In 2003 Syria proposed a policy to end the proliferation of chemical and other nonconventional weapons through region-wide disarmament but the US opposed it because it went against the interests of Israel.
During the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, the Iraqis used banned chemical agents against Iranian soldiers resulting in 20,000 deaths and tens of thousands of long-term injuries, but the US looked elsewhere because it was on the side of Iraq and very much wanted Iran to lose the war.
Taking full advantage of such contradictions in US policy, Israel has been producing and stockpiling an extensive range of chemical weapons and engaging in ongoing research and development of additional chemical weaponry. No wonder, even as US was threatening President Basher for gassing Syrians, Israel was busy accumulating all sorts of chemical weapons. The Jewish state is also believed to maintain a sophisticated biological weapons program.
Technically, Israel signed the CWC in 1993, like most of the rest of the world, but it never ratified the treaty. Until now the reason cited by Israel was that it could not ratify as long as Syria, a hostile neighbor, was not a signatory. But on Wednesday Israel made a somersault and said its opposition to the treaty remained unchanged no matter what Syria did.
Israeli Foreign Ministry officials now say they won’t ratify the deal until everyone else in the world signed a peace treaty with them.
This means last week’s eleventh-hour Russian initiative will have no effect other than interrupting a US march to war. In this context, it is pertinent to recall that UN Security Council had passed a resolution at the end of the 1991 Gulf War demanding the destruction of Iraq’s chemical weapons arsenal. Resolution 687 also called on member states "to work toward the establishment in the Middle East of a zone free of such weapons." The Syrian decision provides a rare opportunity to initiate measures to realize this objective. Would US back such an initiative and bring Israel on board? Going by past experience, this is very unlikely.(http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130916180511)
Threats bring Palestinian factions together
By Mohammad Zaatari
AIN AL HILWEH, Lebanon: Some 45 armed men gathered early one recent morning in the heart of Lebanon’s largest Palestinian camp to plot their next move. One group would head to the vegetable market, another to the Bustan al-Quds neighborhood, while the rest fanned out across the camp at major intersections. Fixed and moving checkpoints were to be set up at all the camp’s entrances to search cars entering and exiting.
These trained fighters, which included both Islamists and secular nationalists, were not there to carry out a military operation. They are the joint security forces that patrol the camp and report to the Palestinian Follow-up Committee, which includes representatives from all of the major Palestinian factions.
The security forces are gearing up for a new push to bolster security in the camp after leaders there received strict warnings from Lebanese political and security figures that instability in the camps would not be tolerated.
The camp has come under increased scrutiny since June’s clashes between the Lebanese Army and supporters of Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir, who is believed to be hiding somewhere near the camp or inside it.
Sheikh Jamal Khattab, the secretary-general of the Islamic Forces, told The Daily Star that all factions in the camp were keen to safeguard stability and maintain good relations with the surrounding areas and the Lebanese state.
“Everyone has come together to deploy this force in order to maintain security inside the camp ... [and] ease the daily lives of the people,” he said.
Khattab denied allegations that the camp was giving refuge to militants from the Nusra Front or Al-Qaeda.
“These rumors and lies are at odds with reality,” he said. “Not a single car bomb left Ain al-Hilweh; there are no security operations. The whole camp is keen to preserve the security here and in the surrounding area.”
Khattab claimed the accusations against Ain al-Hilweh were intended to give an excuse to “foreign powers” to strike the camp and displace the Palestinians once more.
His enthusiasm for the initiative was echoed by representatives from the Palestinian National Security Forces, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and several other local leaders who spoke to The Daily Star.
Abed al-Maqdah, the secretary of the Follow-up Committee, which includes representatives from most of the major factions, said the different groups were brought together by their mutual interest in preserving the security and stability of the camp “from all aspects.”
“We are keen to preserve national unity and to work together for the success of this force, and we ask our people to cooperate in order to facilitate the task of the committee [and the security force],” he said. “God willing, this camp will always be safe and stable.”
But while local leaders say the new security measures are intended to address everyday issues such as traffic congestion, organizing and regulating commerce, and keeping the peace, residents have been put on guard by what officials have termed “precautionary security” measures. Many have welcomed the push for increased security, but complain that the security forces lack the power needed to address the camp’s serious problems.
“It is very important for us to have a security force like this one in order to uphold the peace but they should be given more power to track down and arrest those who threaten security,” local resident Mohammad Ayoub said.
Ziad Qamar said his only concern was maintaining stability, and he did not care which factions participated in the joint security forces.
“It is good that they are united on this,” he said. “Hopefully this committee will succeed and everyone will cooperate with it because we support it.
“The entire camp is just 1 kilometer squared and there are 100,000 people living here,” he continued. “There are schools, cars, traffic, bulldozers, construction sites, and it all needs to be regulated and organized on the ground.”
For his part, camp resident Ahmad al-Kazmawi praised the security forces for their efforts.
“We ask God to help them protect this camp from mischief and strife,” Kazmawi said.
Another woman, who went by the name Umm Fahed, also turned to God to bless the camp and find the “best solution for all.”
Mohammad al-Ali, a student, said he hoped the new security initiative would mean he “wouldn’t have to hear any more ‘bang-bang’” in the camp, referring to sporadic gunfire.
Palestinian security sources admitted the new initiative faced several challenges, including the presence of hostile entities. For example, some Islamist groups expressed trepidation about a proposal to place security forces along the stretch leading from the neighborhood of Tawari and Taamir, where some elements of Fatah al-Islam and Jund al-Sham still have a foothold and where Assir is rumored to be hiding. The neighborhood itself is controlled by the Islamist Osbat al- Ansar faction, and some fear trying to impose increased security measures may spark an even more serious crisis.
The second problem has to do with the refusal of Ansar Allah, a Palestinian Islamist organization close to Hezbollah and Iran, to participate in the new security measures, despite the fact that they have contributed five members to the joint security forces.
The five were not present on the day The Daily Star visited the forces.
After the personnel had deployed throughout the camp, representatives from all the participating groups met at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Palestine Liberation Front in Jabal al-Halib to discuss the initiative’s progress.
Salah Youssef, a member of the front’s political bureau, praised the consensus reached by all factions, both secular and Islamist, and warned against being drawn into the trap of strife.
“The joint forces’ primary duty is to make daily life easier for the people, to organize the traffic in and around schools, to ease congestion and to relieve, even if just a little, the suffering of our people in Ain al-Hilweh,” he told the assembled figures.
“If it proves successful and effective, which of course is what we hope, we can develop further to improve the security of the camp and the surrounding area.”(http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2013/Sep-16/231387-threats-bring-palestinian-factions-together.ashx#axzz2f1krwtyU)
From handshake of peace to handcuffs of subjugation
By Diana Buttu
Twenty years ago this week, the late Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the late Yitzhak Rabin, Israeli prime minister, shook hands on the White House lawn, launching the ‘peace process’ and purportedly marking a new era in Israeli-Palestinian relations.
Many Palestinians believed that this handshake would result in an end to Israel’s rule over them; that Palestinian rights would be recognized and upheld (including the right of refugees to return to their homeland) and that Palestinians would finally be free.
We had good reason to be optimistic: The handshake marked the beginning of a series of Israeli and international promises to the Palestinians that within five years Israel would end its military occupation, evacuate its illegal colonies and finally allow Palestinians to live in freedom.
For Israelis, the ‘peace process’ yielded positive results. Between 1993 and 1999, 45 countries established diplomatic ties with Israel; more than in the four preceding decades combined.
The Israeli economy flourished in part due to the financial support provided by the international community to the Palestinian people; funds that would have otherwise been paid by Israel. Israelis benefited from the new security arrangements (leading to the most secure years in Israel’s history to that point) as Palestinians were now absurdly responsible for providing security to their oppressor and occupier.
Finally, the PLO now recognized Israel’s ‘right to exist’ without securing any Israeli recognition of Palestine’s ‘right to exist’. Most importantly, it was business as usual for Israel’s colonies: Between 1993 and 2000, the colonist population in Palestine nearly doubled — from 190,000 in 1993 to 370,000 in 2000, marking the fastest rate of growth of colonies in Israel’s history.
Yet, for Palestinians, the peace process was a disaster. Palestinians were assured that Israeli checkpoints preventing their free movement, that the repeatedly missed deadlines for Israel’s withdrawal from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and the failure to release all political prisoners from Israeli jails were necessary “pains” along the path to achieving independence from Israeli rule.
They simply needed to be patient. However, 20 years later, they are no closer to being free: Due to Israel’s military rule, their children can only dream of visiting occupied Jerusalem or the sea; they live surrounded by checkpoints, walls and colonies and they live under a blockade, deprived of their basic rights. The Palestinian economy is worse now than it was 20 years ago.
It is therefore unsurprising that the Israeli government continues to demand a return to negotiations: The kind that improved Israel’s economy, improved Israel’s diplomatic status and simultaneously allowed Israel to continue to steal Palestinian land.
Today, even as the Israeli government demands a return to peace talks, it continues – like all of the governments preceding it, including Rabin’s – to build new colonies and expand existing ones. The colonist population has tripled since 1993 and even with the resumption of negotiations, the Netanyahu government has announced more than 1,500 new colony housing units.
Thirteen years ago, I skeptically joined the Palestinian negotiating team’s legal unit. I was skeptical because I saw what the first seven years of the Oslo Accords had yielded yet I also naively believed that an agreement was attainable. I believed that the numerous accounts of a “changed” Israeli leadership and the various opinion polls indicating that Israelis “wanted peace”.
I quickly learned, after partaking in these negotiations, that while “Israelis wanted peace” they wanted it on their terms — by getting rid of the Palestinians whether by caging them into Bantustans or keeping them as refugees, stealing their land, and all the while being rewarded by the international community for talking to the Palestinian leadership.
These lessons were learned very early on during the negotiations. Israeli leaders refused to engage in any discussion about the fate of Palestinian refugees; they deemed occupied Jerusalem as “off the table” (meaning that Palestinians would never be able to control their holy sites again); Palestinians were told that they needed to “accommodate” Israel’s illegal colonies and on the most basic issue — the international border — Israel refused to recognize the 1967 border, stating instead that Palestinians needed to be “practical” and not demand their rights.
All of this was allowed to continue as the international community simply watched. There were no sanctions for Israel’s illegal behavior and no ostracism for Israel flying in the face of international law. Even as the international court ruled Israel’s wall illegal, the international community simply stood by idly.
Much can be said about the ‘failures’ or ‘shortcomings’ of the peace process. Indeed, many have concluded that “if only X happened, there would be peace”. But, after two decades and ample opportunity to correct these shortcomings and failures, I can only conclude that the 1993 handshake was designed not to be a handshake of peace but a handcuff of subjugation. The international community, Israel and the Israelis cited in the opinion polls who “want peace” could have acted to assure Palestinian freedom.
Given their past experience with the peace process, it is little wonder that Palestinians remain highly skeptical that these new ‘talks’ will yield positive results. Israel is now demanding that it be recognized as a “Jewish state” (a euphemism for Palestinians acquiescing to racism), that it continue to hold on to Israeli colonies in the West Bank, that Palestinian refugees not be allowed to return to their homes (simply because they are not Jewish) and that occupied Jerusalem forever remain solely in Israel’s control.
Rather than push for a resumption of negotiations, as the US and the EU have done, the international community must now start holding Israel accountable. Rather than reward Israel for pursuing ‘talks’ with the Palestinians, the international community should sanction Israel for failing to evacuate its colonies; for continuing its blockade over the Gaza Strip, for denying Palestinians their rights (including the rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel) and for continuing to maintain its military rule.
Anything short of this will simply continue to reward Israel’s illegal behavior and send a message to Palestinians that the peace process was never designed to bring about peace — only their destruction.(http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/from-handshake-of-peace-to-handcuffs-of-subjugation-1.1231419)
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Opinions
In memory of "Oslo"
Amjad Arar
Palestinians and some Arabs still argue about the Oslo accords after twenty years of its signing,and about some of its sections, which are mainly not applied,apart from partial security missions and services authorities. Other than that, the occupation is still there, with its attacks, arrests, demolition of houses, its daily settlement activities that tears the remains of the Palestinian land with Judaizing Jerusalem and its Muslim and Christian holy sites.
Twenty years and the dispute is still the same, despite the facts and realities, and despite the fact that disappointments and losses turned out to be huge. The reason is the absence of standards and reference, so when the Palestinians’ reference is a party, a leader or an institute, they adopt whatever these references say as it is considered the national basis. Whoever took the Palestinian rights, national principles, historical rights and the Palestinian national consensus as a reference, without any factional consideration, can clearly see the Palestinian concessions path. This path seems shocking and terrifying when we see where the Palestinian cause started and where it ended.
If we wish to respect candor, we must recognize that Palestine, as a land, homeland and identity, is no longer an issue of principle considered by a Palestinian and Arab political group of beneficiaries represented by the formal regime and negotiators, in addition to a handful of writers, media analysts, party members and those interested, and finally those with blind faith. Many of those have a logic, similar to the position of those who supported the occupation of Iraq, with a desire to achieve democracy, and when they realized that all goals were excluded and that the only goal was destroying Iraq, they did not review their position, did not withdraw, and did notapologize.
When gregarious considerations and illusions overcome, applause to one’s spoils, exploiters and those who drive the people to an illusion and to the benefit of a group of leaders who mislead becomes normal. In this sense we can’t put all supporters in one basket, as we can’t put all opposition in one basket, but a flatworm where all can join together and be led by a blind obedience appears. And between this and that the question of Palestine trips, and Israel finds its chance to complete the Zionist project, based on gradual nibbling of land, and expanding on the land described in Zionist text as ending up by creating the “State from the Nile to the Euphrates", an area now living difficulties associated with this end.
In the equation of what is left of the conflict with the Zionist project, the Arab official factor only exists in negative sense, while the national factor is an Israeli monopoly. Therefore, we find the United States Secretary of State busywith resuming negotiations on the eve of the Oslo agreement anniversary. In all circumstances, "Israel" benefits the most from time, while the remnants of Palestinians and Arab monitor the Israeli "violations" in Jerusalem, and their media repeats routine news such as :settlers storm Al-Aqsa from Al-Magharebah gate”, but the truth is that settlers storm Al-Aqsa from the gate of Palestinian Division, Arab conspiracy and suspected Fatwas. (http://www.alkhaleej.ae/portal/c6c0b949-01a3-4bae-ac90-bc34b4de6fb9.aspx)
Who will reassure Palestinians and Arabs?!
Al-Quds Editorial
“Assurances” carried by US Senator John Kerry, who came specially to Israel to report to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US-Russian agreement on Syrian chemical weapons include fully stripping Syria of its Chemical arsenal, these assurances raised questions regarding the Israeli-Syrian conflict, the Palestinian issue or regarding the new world order.
Do the Syrian chemical weapons threaten Israel, that all foreign sources and even Israeli sources, confirm possession of nuclear, chemical and biological arsenals? And does Israel really need such reassurances, when it is the one who occupies the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967 and until today, or is it the Syrian people who need assurances that Israel would end its illegal occupation? And stop using its military superiority, which Washington repeatedly expressed its keenness to maintain, for the continued occupation of territories by force and continue to threaten others with non-conventional weapons that Israel doesn’t reveal, maybe to hide covermore intimidation under the so-called deterrence factor?!
With regards to the Palestinian cause and the threat imposes on its people’s safety and existence due to the illegal Israeli occupation, Israeli military force and what it owns of arsenals, wasn't the Palestinian side in need of reassurances about all of this, and at least for an end of Israel occupation of the territories occupied since 1967? And that Israel’s military power won’t constitute a threat to the Palestinian people? Knowing that the Palestinian side has demanded Washington for guarantees to ensure the success of the peace process, and that these guarantees were not provided.
If the international community looks for the disarmament of weapons of mass destruction — nuclear and non-conventional-is it not better to treat Israel similarly like the rest of the region, if wewish for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction? Or is it that such weapons must only not be obtained by states such as Syria, Iran, Egypt or other Arab and Muslim states? Knowing that the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories was a major cause of the arms race in the region.
As for the international community,it shows again the double standard, Israel with all its arsenals, and that clearly declare its refusal to join the Treaty for the prohibition of chemical weapons, occupy the territories of others by force and threaten all its neighboring countries with its destructive capabilities, is being ignored, and is not being require to subject its non-conventional arsenals to international supervision while demanding Arabs to do so, while they are the victims of the illegal Israeli occupation?
This fact points to a flaw in the new world order, and contrary to the spirit of the will of the peoples of the Earth as a whole, towards a more just, free and equal world, as referring to the abuse of power and lack of morals of this order that deals with crude selective way with the requirements and aspirations of humankind in the twenty-first century.
In total, if the Palestinians and Arabs need reassurances, they first impose their word on the international scene, which will not be achieved if both the Arab and Muslim worlds use their enormous hidden energies, and if they won’t unite in one position around the security and interests of the Arab peoples from the ocean to the gulf.(http://www.alquds.com/news/article/view/id/462394)
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