October 6th, 2009

Middle East News: World Press Roundup

Tensions continue to flare in occupied East Jerusalem, with some observers describing the situation as "explosive," and President Abbas accusing Israel of buying up billions of dollars worth of property in the city. Fallout from the deferral of the UN Human Rights Council's debate on the Goldstone report continues, with anger from the Palestinian public, a US denial that it pressured the Palestinian leadership, and a statement of support for the report by Prime Minister Fayyad's cabinet. Hamas arrests militants in Gaza money to fire rockets into Israel. The Arab News looks at Israel's "PA only" visas. Al-Ahram highlights a report on the suppression of nonviolent Palestinian protests against Israel's separation barrier in the occupied West Bank. Richard Falk makes the case for the historical importance of the Goldstone report.

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Palestinians warn Israel on Jerusalem tensions

A senior Palestinian official on Tuesday accused Israel of deliberately creating "an extremely dangerous situation" in East Jerusalem, to trigger violence, justify a crackdown and tighten its grip on the disputed city.

"Israel is lighting matches in the hope of sparking a fire, deliberately escalating tensions in occupied East Jerusalem rather than taking steps to placate the situation," chief peace negotiator Saeb Erekat said in a statement before meetings later this week with U.S. President Barack Obama's envoy.

Palestinians outraged over Abbas bowing to Israel, US

Demonstrators descended Monday on this city's most famous traffic circle, Manara Square, which for years was a launching point of Palestinian protests against the Israeli occupation.

US denies it pressured Abbas to delay UN action on Gaza

The United States denied reports on Monday that it pressured President Mahmoud Abbas to allow the United Nations to delay action to bring alleged Israeli war criminals to justice.

At the daily State Department press briefing on Monday, spokesperson Ian Kelly was asked about reports that US officials demanded that Abbas ask the UN Human Rights Council to delay a vote the report of investigator Richard Goldstone.

Ramallah PLC members side with Abbas over Gaza report fiasco

Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) asked Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad Al-Maliki on Monday for an explanation as to why Palestinian diplomats dropped their endorsement of a key United Nations report on alleged war crimes in Gaza.

A statement that emerged from the Ramallah meeting was much less critical of Abbas and his government than a parallel but separate meeting of Hamas-affiliated lawmakers in the Gaza Strip that denounced President Mahmoud Abbas as a traitor for moving to delay international action on the report by Judge Richard Goldstone.

Fayyad cabinet says it still backs Goldstone report

The caretaker government in Ramallah claimed during its weekly cabinet meeting on Monday that it still supports Judge Richard Goldstone’s report on alleged war crimes in Gaza.

According to a government statement, the West Bank cabinet headed by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said that the government reaffirmed its previous stance urging the United Nations Human Rights Council to take up the report at its next session next March.

It was “unacceptable” to waste an opportunity to bring alleged Israeli war criminals to justice, the cabinet said.

Border Control / Obama is no sucker

One minute they were getting ready at the City of David complex and the next, the prime minister was not coming. Maybe the American rescue over the Goldstone report had a price Last Wednesday passersby noticed considerable bustle on the outskirts of Silwan at the foot of the Old City walls in Jerusalem. Security guards were prowling hither and yon and workers were there was lot of business with tables. A sign announced the City of David would be closing.

Report: Hamas arrests militants planning to fire rockets at Israel

The Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip have arrested over the last two days a number of Palestinian militants planning to fire rockets at western Israel, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported Tuesday.

The report quoted group sources as saying Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has organized a crackdown against Palestinian factions to curb the attacks against Israel.

Hamas has warned the factions not to fire rockets under any circumstances, according to the report, even in response to Israeli measures at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Abbas: Jews spending billions on Jerusalem lands

On the backdrop of recent riots in the Old City of Jerusalem, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has warned against a Jewish takeover of all parts of the capital.

According to Abbas, the holy city requires much more effort, attention and dedication from the Arabs in order to deal with the Israeli attempt to change the reality in the city.

Abbas blames aides for motion's removal

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is considering firing a number of his top aides who advised him to withdraw a motion to the UN Human Rights Council regarding the findings of the commission of inquiry led by Justice Richard Goldstone into Operation Cast Lead.

Abbas's decision to withdraw the motion has triggered a wave of unprecedented criticism and condemnations among Palestinians and throughout the Arab world.

Clashes raise Jerusalem tensions

Tensions over the complex containing al-Aqsa mosque and the Western wall have boiled over into rioting several times in the past two weeks.

Police and rock-throwing Palestinians clashed on Sunday and Monday at the religious site and in East Jerusalem.

Palestinian officials accused Israel of trying to "Judaize" Jerusalem.

The religious site, known as Temple Mount to Jews and Haram al-Sharif to Palestinians is hotly contested and was the flashpoint that led to the Palestinian intifada, or uprising, which broke out in 2000.

Peace must be made on Temple Mount

With home demolitions and evictions occurring on a near daily basis, the theft of villagers' land going on round the clock, and the illegal and immoral siege of Gaza still in force years after it began, few would begrudge Palestinians airing their grievances against their oppressors. However, given that there are so many opportunities for legitimate protest against Israeli government policy, it is to certain Palestinians' discredit that they refuse to choose their battles more judiciously.

Syria cancels Palestinian leader's visit

Syria has postponed a planned visit by the Palestinian President amid controversy about his decision to suspend efforts to have Israeli officials prosecuted for war crimes over last winter's military offensive in Gaza.

A Syrian official refused to specify the exact reason for postponing Mahmoud Abbas's trip, which was scheduled to begin today. Yesterday's decision came a day after Syria criticised Mr Abbas's Palestinian Authority for backing down against Israel.

Threats led to deferral of UN Gaza investigation

Israel celebrated last weekend its success at the United Nations in forcing the Palestinians to defer demands that the International Criminal Court investigate allegations of war crimes committed by Israel during its winter assault on the Gaza Strip.

The about-turn, following vigorous lobbying from Israel and the United States, appears to have buried the damning report of Richard Goldstone into the fighting, which killed almost 1,400 Palestinians, most of them civilians.

Israel After Iran

If the agreement that Iran reached with Western states on its nuclear file is real- whereby nuclear enrichment will now take place outside of Iran thus preventing a major crisis- then now it must be Israel’s turn.

War criminals must not be shielded

Once again Palestinians have attempted to procure justice via recognised international channels to no avail. The United Nations Human Rights Council shelved the Goldstone report that compiled evidence that war crimes may have been committed by Israel in Gaza. This means that Israel has once again escaped referral to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The volte-face was the result of pressure from the White House which discounted the report as flawed and one-sided.

Israel restricting Arab Americans' travel

Arab Americans have reported difficulties in travel since Israel instituted a new entry visa policy early this spring that restricts them from entering Israel from the West Bank. The new passport stamp, issued by the Israelis at entry points, such as the Allenby Bridge border crossing between Jordan and the Israeli-controlled West Bank, says: "Palestinian Authority Only."

According to the new policy, those entering with the stated intention to visit the West Bank are being prohibited from crossing the "Green Line" into Israel.

Resistance denied

Established in 1992, the Addameer (Arabic for conscience) Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association helps Palestinian prisoners, and works to end torture, arbitrary arrests and detentions, other forms of abuse, and unjust, unequal treatment in Israel's criminal justice system, which handles Jews in one way and Palestinians in another.

Why Goldstone matters

So why did the Israeli government boycott the commission? The real answer is quite simple: they knew full well that the commission, any commission, would have to reach the conclusions it did reach.
-- Uri Avnery, Israeli peace activist and former Knesset member

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