29 mar 2018
The Secretary of the Executive Committee of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Dr. Saeb Erekat, issued a statement, Thursday, strongly denouncing what he called a calculated incitement campaign by Israel and the United States, against the Palestinian people, their leadership and their legitimate, internationally-guaranteed rights.
Dr. Erekat said that both the U.S. Administration and Tel Aviv are spearheading this illegal campaign against the unalienable legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their internationally-guaranteed Right of Return, self-determination, independence and sovereignty on their land.
He added that both Washington and Tel Aviv are also calling for removing the Palestinian leadership, including President Mahmoud Abbas.
“These open campaigns are calculated and programmed by both Israel and the United States, to remove the Palestinian leadership, and replace it,” Erekat said, “They are ignoring International Law and all related United Nations and Security Council resolutions, and are just seeking to extend the life of this colonialist, Apartheid regime by keeping and supporting this illegal occupation.”
Erekat’s statements came in response to U.S. Ambassador in Tel Aviv, who expressed full support not only to Israel, but to its illegal occupation of Palestine, including Jerusalem, and its illegal colonies on Palestinian lands.
“From the moment he assumed his duties as Ambassador, David Friedman acted in support of the illegal annexation of occupied Palestinian lands, and has personally financed and supported colonialist activities,” Erekat said, “Such actions do not only violate International Law and its core foundation; they also grant Israel complete power and immunity to annihilate the Palestinian people, and their existence on their historic land, in addition to assassinating the entire Palestinian cause, the struggle for liberty, independence and justice.”
Furthermore, Dr. Erekat said that the personal attacks against him, and against the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the incitement by Israeli “Defense Minister” Avigdor Liberman, are open calls for assassinations.
Lieberman was attacking Abbas and the Palestinian Authority for paying salaries to Palestinian political prisoners, held by Israel, and supporting their families.
“Palestine continues to pay a heavy price for this illegal occupation, and for Israel’s defiance of International Law – It imprisons the detainees and violates their rights, and the rights of their families,” he said, “Articles 81 and 98 of the Fourth Geneva Convention require the occupation authorities to provide support to the detainees, and those dependent on them.”
The official said that the Palestinian struggle against the colonialist occupation is a legitimate, historic right, and added that all nations under foreign occupations must fight for their liberation and independence.
Furthermore, Erekat said that the Palestinian leadership will not abandon the detainees, and their rights, as its commitment to them is moral, and legal.
Erekat called on the International Community to act and perform its duties, to protect the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights, as stated by all International Resolutions and Treaties, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, and to end fifty years of brutal and illegal occupation, instead of encouraging Israel to escalate its violations and crimes against the Palestinians people.
|Article 81. Parties to the conflict who intern protected persons shall be bound to provide free of charge for their maintenance, and to grant them also the medical attention required by their state of health.
No deduction from the allowances, salaries or credits due to the internees shall be made for the repayment of these costs.
The Detaining Power shall provide for the support of those dependent on the internees, if such dependents are without adequate means of support or are unable to earn a living.|
|Article 82. The Detaining Power shall, as far as possible, accommodate the internees according to their nationality, language and customs. Internees who are nationals of the same country shall not be separated merely because they have different languages.
Throughout the duration of their internment, members of the same family, and in particular parents and children, shall be lodged together in the same place of internment, except when separation of a temporary nature is necessitated for reasons of employment or health or for the purposes of enforcement of the provisions of Chapter IX of the present Section. Internees may request that their children who are left at liberty without parental care shall be interned with them.
Wherever possible, interned members of the same family shall be housed in the same premises and given separate accommodation from other internees, together with facilities for leading a proper family life. – Chapter II. Places of Internment|
|Article 98: All internees shall receive regular allowances, sufficient to enable them to purchase goods and articles, such as tobacco, toilet requisites, etc. Such allowances may take the form of credits or purchase coupons.
Furthermore, internees may receive allowances from the Power to which they owe allegiance, the Protecting Powers, the organizations which may assist them, or their families, as well as the income on their property in accordance with the law of the Detaining Power.
The amount of allowances granted by the Power to which they owe allegiance shall be the same for each category of internees (infirm, sick, pregnant women, etc.) but may not be allocated by that Power or distributed by the Detaining Power on the basis of discriminations between internees which are prohibited by Article 27 of the present Convention.
The Detaining Power shall open a regular account for every internee, to which shall be credited the allowances named in the present Article, the wages earned and the remittances received, together with such sums taken from him as may be available under the legislation in force in the territory in which he is interned.
Internees shall be granted all facilities consistent with the legislation in force in such territory to make remittances to their families and to other dependents. They may draw from their accounts the amounts necessary for their personal expenses, within the limits fixed by the Detaining Power.
They shall at all times be afforded reasonable facilities for consulting and obtaining copies of their accounts. A statement of accounts shall be furnished to the Protecting Power, on request, and shall accompany the internee in case of transfer.| – Chapter VII. Administration and Discipline
Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949
Dr. Erekat said that both the U.S. Administration and Tel Aviv are spearheading this illegal campaign against the unalienable legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their internationally-guaranteed Right of Return, self-determination, independence and sovereignty on their land.
He added that both Washington and Tel Aviv are also calling for removing the Palestinian leadership, including President Mahmoud Abbas.
“These open campaigns are calculated and programmed by both Israel and the United States, to remove the Palestinian leadership, and replace it,” Erekat said, “They are ignoring International Law and all related United Nations and Security Council resolutions, and are just seeking to extend the life of this colonialist, Apartheid regime by keeping and supporting this illegal occupation.”
Erekat’s statements came in response to U.S. Ambassador in Tel Aviv, who expressed full support not only to Israel, but to its illegal occupation of Palestine, including Jerusalem, and its illegal colonies on Palestinian lands.
“From the moment he assumed his duties as Ambassador, David Friedman acted in support of the illegal annexation of occupied Palestinian lands, and has personally financed and supported colonialist activities,” Erekat said, “Such actions do not only violate International Law and its core foundation; they also grant Israel complete power and immunity to annihilate the Palestinian people, and their existence on their historic land, in addition to assassinating the entire Palestinian cause, the struggle for liberty, independence and justice.”
Furthermore, Dr. Erekat said that the personal attacks against him, and against the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the incitement by Israeli “Defense Minister” Avigdor Liberman, are open calls for assassinations.
Lieberman was attacking Abbas and the Palestinian Authority for paying salaries to Palestinian political prisoners, held by Israel, and supporting their families.
“Palestine continues to pay a heavy price for this illegal occupation, and for Israel’s defiance of International Law – It imprisons the detainees and violates their rights, and the rights of their families,” he said, “Articles 81 and 98 of the Fourth Geneva Convention require the occupation authorities to provide support to the detainees, and those dependent on them.”
The official said that the Palestinian struggle against the colonialist occupation is a legitimate, historic right, and added that all nations under foreign occupations must fight for their liberation and independence.
Furthermore, Erekat said that the Palestinian leadership will not abandon the detainees, and their rights, as its commitment to them is moral, and legal.
Erekat called on the International Community to act and perform its duties, to protect the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights, as stated by all International Resolutions and Treaties, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, and to end fifty years of brutal and illegal occupation, instead of encouraging Israel to escalate its violations and crimes against the Palestinians people.
|Article 81. Parties to the conflict who intern protected persons shall be bound to provide free of charge for their maintenance, and to grant them also the medical attention required by their state of health.
No deduction from the allowances, salaries or credits due to the internees shall be made for the repayment of these costs.
The Detaining Power shall provide for the support of those dependent on the internees, if such dependents are without adequate means of support or are unable to earn a living.|
|Article 82. The Detaining Power shall, as far as possible, accommodate the internees according to their nationality, language and customs. Internees who are nationals of the same country shall not be separated merely because they have different languages.
Throughout the duration of their internment, members of the same family, and in particular parents and children, shall be lodged together in the same place of internment, except when separation of a temporary nature is necessitated for reasons of employment or health or for the purposes of enforcement of the provisions of Chapter IX of the present Section. Internees may request that their children who are left at liberty without parental care shall be interned with them.
Wherever possible, interned members of the same family shall be housed in the same premises and given separate accommodation from other internees, together with facilities for leading a proper family life. – Chapter II. Places of Internment|
|Article 98: All internees shall receive regular allowances, sufficient to enable them to purchase goods and articles, such as tobacco, toilet requisites, etc. Such allowances may take the form of credits or purchase coupons.
Furthermore, internees may receive allowances from the Power to which they owe allegiance, the Protecting Powers, the organizations which may assist them, or their families, as well as the income on their property in accordance with the law of the Detaining Power.
The amount of allowances granted by the Power to which they owe allegiance shall be the same for each category of internees (infirm, sick, pregnant women, etc.) but may not be allocated by that Power or distributed by the Detaining Power on the basis of discriminations between internees which are prohibited by Article 27 of the present Convention.
The Detaining Power shall open a regular account for every internee, to which shall be credited the allowances named in the present Article, the wages earned and the remittances received, together with such sums taken from him as may be available under the legislation in force in the territory in which he is interned.
Internees shall be granted all facilities consistent with the legislation in force in such territory to make remittances to their families and to other dependents. They may draw from their accounts the amounts necessary for their personal expenses, within the limits fixed by the Detaining Power.
They shall at all times be afforded reasonable facilities for consulting and obtaining copies of their accounts. A statement of accounts shall be furnished to the Protecting Power, on request, and shall accompany the internee in case of transfer.| – Chapter VII. Administration and Discipline
Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949
The American ambassador to the Israelis, David Friedman, has threatened to replace Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas if he persists on refusing to resume the process of peace talks, and boycotts US administration.
“Time does not stop, and if Abbas continues to refuse to run the negotiations, someone else will come to do so, Friedman told the Israeli daily “Shavei”.
He said that he did not take Abbas’ remarks against him and calling him the son of the dog seriously, adding that such statements hurt the status of Abbas among his people, and that uttering abusive words will not improve the lives of the Palestinians in the end.
According to Al Ray, Friedman referred to the law “Taylor Force,” which was enacted by the US Congress recently, and which requires the PA to stop the payment of salaries of prisoners and martyrs in order to keep receiving US funding.
“You can not show hostility against US interests and, at the same time, get aid as if nothing happened,” he said.
Earlier this month, Abbas described the American ambassador to Israel as a “son of a dog,” in response to Friedman’s harsh criticism of the PA over its refusal to condemn acts of resistance carried out by Palestinians.
It is worth mentioning that peace negotiations stalled after Israel refused to halt settlements, accept a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, and release Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
“Time does not stop, and if Abbas continues to refuse to run the negotiations, someone else will come to do so, Friedman told the Israeli daily “Shavei”.
He said that he did not take Abbas’ remarks against him and calling him the son of the dog seriously, adding that such statements hurt the status of Abbas among his people, and that uttering abusive words will not improve the lives of the Palestinians in the end.
According to Al Ray, Friedman referred to the law “Taylor Force,” which was enacted by the US Congress recently, and which requires the PA to stop the payment of salaries of prisoners and martyrs in order to keep receiving US funding.
“You can not show hostility against US interests and, at the same time, get aid as if nothing happened,” he said.
Earlier this month, Abbas described the American ambassador to Israel as a “son of a dog,” in response to Friedman’s harsh criticism of the PA over its refusal to condemn acts of resistance carried out by Palestinians.
It is worth mentioning that peace negotiations stalled after Israel refused to halt settlements, accept a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, and release Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
27 mar 2018
“The UNHRC is manipulated by bloodthirsty dictatorships hiding their own massive human rights violations by attacking Israel,” a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said, after the council had adopted five decisions against Israel.
In diplomatic circles, language hardly changes from one scenario to the next. It is only the accusations levelled against different political actors that convey part of the context, which always disregards allegations of violence in order to maintain the level of impunity for all aggressors.
The latest UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session, during which five resolutions against Israel were passed, is one such example of how rhetoric has degenerated to the point that there is no longer any coherence between the human rights violations and condemnations thereof. Such rhetoric is irresponsible.
According to Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon, the UNHRC is “manipulated by bloodthirsty dictatorships hiding their own massive human rights violations by attacking Israel.” US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley displayed her devotion to the Zionist state by insisting that Washington’s “patience is not unlimited. Today’s actions make clear that the organisation lacks the credibility needed to be a true advocate for human rights.” This, of course, is all nonsense.
The context offered by Nahshon and Haley is reflective of nothing more than the impunity that Israel enjoys. The reality is that Israel employs violence against Palestinians as its trademark and there is no reason whatsoever why it should not be singled out as an agenda item at the UNHRC.
What stands out in all of this is not the juxtaposition of Israel’s human rights violations against those of other countries, but the international community’s passive response to Israeli violations. Resolutions are useless; Israel and the international community know this very well. Even so, the farce instigated by the international community through such statements continues to keep Palestinians tethered to the same cycle of abuse, worthy only of repetitive rhetoric which prompts momentary anger and then fades into oblivion.
Of particular note was the Palestinian Authority’s spokesman Yusuf al-Mahmoud who, as quoted in the Times of Israel, praised countries which voted in favour of the UNHRC resolutions “for their ability to stand in the face of injustice, arrogance, and occupation, and to reject the language of threats and coercion.”
The countries that he praises so effusively have merely acted in order to comply with measures requiring the least effort on their part; words are, after all, cheap. However, it is “language of threats and coercion” which requires further dissection when applied to the PA’s track record of rhetoric that invites violence against Palestinians.
Just days after the UNHRC resolutions were passed, PA leader Mahmoud Abbas told a press conference in Ramallah attended by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, that the PA “never rejected political negotiations with Israel.” Abbas also insisted that he would not “accept solutions outside the framework of international legitimacy.”
The ramifications of “international legitimacy” should be considered as part of the “language of threats and coercion.” In remaining aligned to obsolete paradigms, as well as institutions which granted legitimacy to Israel at the expense of Palestinian displacement and dispossession, Abbas is allowing violence against Palestinian society at every level.
Thus, not only does Yusuf Al-Mahmoud’s statement ring hollow, but it also reflects the perpetual dissonance when discussing the violence inflicted upon Palestinians by the political protagonists who claim antagonism against themselves while collaborating flawlessly in the elimination of Palestine and its people.
In diplomatic circles, language hardly changes from one scenario to the next. It is only the accusations levelled against different political actors that convey part of the context, which always disregards allegations of violence in order to maintain the level of impunity for all aggressors.
The latest UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session, during which five resolutions against Israel were passed, is one such example of how rhetoric has degenerated to the point that there is no longer any coherence between the human rights violations and condemnations thereof. Such rhetoric is irresponsible.
According to Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon, the UNHRC is “manipulated by bloodthirsty dictatorships hiding their own massive human rights violations by attacking Israel.” US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley displayed her devotion to the Zionist state by insisting that Washington’s “patience is not unlimited. Today’s actions make clear that the organisation lacks the credibility needed to be a true advocate for human rights.” This, of course, is all nonsense.
The context offered by Nahshon and Haley is reflective of nothing more than the impunity that Israel enjoys. The reality is that Israel employs violence against Palestinians as its trademark and there is no reason whatsoever why it should not be singled out as an agenda item at the UNHRC.
What stands out in all of this is not the juxtaposition of Israel’s human rights violations against those of other countries, but the international community’s passive response to Israeli violations. Resolutions are useless; Israel and the international community know this very well. Even so, the farce instigated by the international community through such statements continues to keep Palestinians tethered to the same cycle of abuse, worthy only of repetitive rhetoric which prompts momentary anger and then fades into oblivion.
Of particular note was the Palestinian Authority’s spokesman Yusuf al-Mahmoud who, as quoted in the Times of Israel, praised countries which voted in favour of the UNHRC resolutions “for their ability to stand in the face of injustice, arrogance, and occupation, and to reject the language of threats and coercion.”
The countries that he praises so effusively have merely acted in order to comply with measures requiring the least effort on their part; words are, after all, cheap. However, it is “language of threats and coercion” which requires further dissection when applied to the PA’s track record of rhetoric that invites violence against Palestinians.
Just days after the UNHRC resolutions were passed, PA leader Mahmoud Abbas told a press conference in Ramallah attended by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, that the PA “never rejected political negotiations with Israel.” Abbas also insisted that he would not “accept solutions outside the framework of international legitimacy.”
The ramifications of “international legitimacy” should be considered as part of the “language of threats and coercion.” In remaining aligned to obsolete paradigms, as well as institutions which granted legitimacy to Israel at the expense of Palestinian displacement and dispossession, Abbas is allowing violence against Palestinian society at every level.
Thus, not only does Yusuf Al-Mahmoud’s statement ring hollow, but it also reflects the perpetual dissonance when discussing the violence inflicted upon Palestinians by the political protagonists who claim antagonism against themselves while collaborating flawlessly in the elimination of Palestine and its people.
26 mar 2018
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened Sunday's cabinet meeting by praising the Taylor Force Act passed on Friday in the US under which the US government will cut financial aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) if it transfers money to Palestinian prisoners or their families.
Meanwhile, two similar bills in Israel have been delayed in recent months due to objections by the defense and finance ministries who prefer to leave the matter up to the security cabinet rather than have it legislated.
The first is sponsored by the government and initiated by Israel's War Minister Avigdor Lieberman while the second is private and presented by MK Elazar Stern.
Stern's bill to cut back funding to the PA was passed in its initial Knesset vote, while Lieberman's was approved a month ago by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.
War Ministry lawyer Gal Cohen said that the government bill is preferable because it is more flexible.
Meanwhile, two similar bills in Israel have been delayed in recent months due to objections by the defense and finance ministries who prefer to leave the matter up to the security cabinet rather than have it legislated.
The first is sponsored by the government and initiated by Israel's War Minister Avigdor Lieberman while the second is private and presented by MK Elazar Stern.
Stern's bill to cut back funding to the PA was passed in its initial Knesset vote, while Lieberman's was approved a month ago by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.
War Ministry lawyer Gal Cohen said that the government bill is preferable because it is more flexible.
On Sunday evening, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in its 138th session, in Geneva, Switzerland, voted to support the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, to have a state of their own with Jerusalem as its capital.
The resolution counters a statement that Donald Trump made in December in which he unilaterally bypassed all peace agreements and negotiations and declared that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel – thus denying all Palestinian claims to their historic capital city.
The IPU is a forum made up of representatives from the national legislatures of 176 countries.
At their annual session in Geneva this week, they considered four resolutions regarding Palestine and Israel – three proposed by the Palestinian Authority, and one proposed by the Israeli representative.
The Palestinian Authority was joined by Kuwait and Bahrain in introducing three resolutions condemning the declaration by Trump of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, as well as condemning the US decision to cut funding to the United Nations Refugee Works Agency, which provides food aid and schools to Palestinian refugees.
The Israeli representative responded with a resolution calling Iran a “terrorist state”. That resolution did not pass.
The three measures introduced by the Palestinian Authority did pass, despite the Israeli delegate’s meetings through the weekend to try to convince the delegations of Argentina, France, Russia, Mexico, Canada, Brazil and other countries to vote against the measure.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement strongly denouncing the resolutions and claimed on that the council is “adopting resolutions that have lost touch with reality.”
He also said that the time has come to change the name of the Human Rights Council to the “council that adopts resolutions against the only democracy in the Middle East.”
For his part, Israeli “Defense Minister” Avigdor Lieberman called on Israel to withdraw from the council, adding that Israel’s membership with this council “grants it recognition, and harms the Jews.”
Israel’s ongoing illegal occupation of occupied Palestine, including East Jerusalem, and its colonies, violate International Law, the Fourth Geneva Convention, and numerous United Nations and Security Council resolutions.
The resolution counters a statement that Donald Trump made in December in which he unilaterally bypassed all peace agreements and negotiations and declared that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel – thus denying all Palestinian claims to their historic capital city.
The IPU is a forum made up of representatives from the national legislatures of 176 countries.
At their annual session in Geneva this week, they considered four resolutions regarding Palestine and Israel – three proposed by the Palestinian Authority, and one proposed by the Israeli representative.
The Palestinian Authority was joined by Kuwait and Bahrain in introducing three resolutions condemning the declaration by Trump of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, as well as condemning the US decision to cut funding to the United Nations Refugee Works Agency, which provides food aid and schools to Palestinian refugees.
The Israeli representative responded with a resolution calling Iran a “terrorist state”. That resolution did not pass.
The three measures introduced by the Palestinian Authority did pass, despite the Israeli delegate’s meetings through the weekend to try to convince the delegations of Argentina, France, Russia, Mexico, Canada, Brazil and other countries to vote against the measure.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement strongly denouncing the resolutions and claimed on that the council is “adopting resolutions that have lost touch with reality.”
He also said that the time has come to change the name of the Human Rights Council to the “council that adopts resolutions against the only democracy in the Middle East.”
For his part, Israeli “Defense Minister” Avigdor Lieberman called on Israel to withdraw from the council, adding that Israel’s membership with this council “grants it recognition, and harms the Jews.”
Israel’s ongoing illegal occupation of occupied Palestine, including East Jerusalem, and its colonies, violate International Law, the Fourth Geneva Convention, and numerous United Nations and Security Council resolutions.
25 mar 2018
Head of the UK Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn has condemned American punishments against the Palestinian people, including the assault on their right to have Jerusalem is the capital of their state.
Labour Friends of Palestine met in British Parliament on 14 March, highlighting speeches by Palestinian Authority Ambassador Manuel Hassassian, Jeremy Corbyn and Palestinian teenage poet Leanne Mohamad.
Jeremy Corbyn slammed US President Donald Trump saying: “Donald Trump, his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has sparked a resurgence in tensions.
“And, we absolutely condemn that. What we want is peace achieved in the region. You don’t achieve it by the actions of Donald Trump, in that sense.”
Corbyn also spoke out against the cuts made to UNRWA, the United Nations body that deals with Palestine refugees, who have been enforced out of their homes by the Israeli Zionist since 1948.
“Also, the cuts that have been made to the funding of UNRWA, jeopardizing schooling and healthcare for Palestinian refugees across the Middle East, including 500,000 children whose only access to education is UN funded schools through UNRWA.
“No one can believe that such a state of affairs will ever bring about a long-lasting peace,” Corbyn said.
Labour Friends of Palestine met in British Parliament on 14 March, highlighting speeches by Palestinian Authority Ambassador Manuel Hassassian, Jeremy Corbyn and Palestinian teenage poet Leanne Mohamad.
Jeremy Corbyn slammed US President Donald Trump saying: “Donald Trump, his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has sparked a resurgence in tensions.
“And, we absolutely condemn that. What we want is peace achieved in the region. You don’t achieve it by the actions of Donald Trump, in that sense.”
Corbyn also spoke out against the cuts made to UNRWA, the United Nations body that deals with Palestine refugees, who have been enforced out of their homes by the Israeli Zionist since 1948.
“Also, the cuts that have been made to the funding of UNRWA, jeopardizing schooling and healthcare for Palestinian refugees across the Middle East, including 500,000 children whose only access to education is UN funded schools through UNRWA.
“No one can believe that such a state of affairs will ever bring about a long-lasting peace,” Corbyn said.
24 mar 2018
AIPAC President Mort Fridman has sent supporters an email announcing the approval, by US Congress, of almost $4 billion of US tax money to Israel, while cutting aid to Palestinians widows, orphans, Days of Palestine reports.
“Our work together just made a difference for Israel’s security and for its future,” wrote Fridman, according to If Americans Knew Blog.
“Early this morning, the United States Congress passed major pro-Israel legislation as part of its Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2018.
“This legislation includes many critical initiatives that will bolster Israel’s security, including:
“The bill was also the vehicle for Congress to pass the Taylor Force Act, critical legislation that cuts funding to the Palestinian Authority if it continues paying terrorists or their families.”
Reacting to the inclusion of the Taylor Force Act in the United States spending bill for 2018, Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) General Delegation to the United States, said on Saturday that with this act, the US Congress is rewarding occupation and punishing those who seek peace.
“Halting aid to the Palestinian Authority as a tool for a politically-motivated financial pressure does not work, and severely damages the prospects for peace in the Middle East,” said Zomlot in a statement. “The bill rewards the illegal Israeli occupation and ongoing violations of human rights, while simultaneously punishing the Palestinian Authority, which is the only agency committed to peace and nonviolence, and undermines the American-Palestinian bilateral relationship and decades of U.S. investments in the two-state solution.”
Zomlot added that “Congress’ bias is flagrantly obvious, targeting a stipend program that provides dignity and education for children and families of the victims of occupation, and security for both sides, while turning a blind eye towards Israel’s daily violations of US policy and international law.”
He said, according to WAFA, that the Taylor Force Act, which calls for cutting aid to the Palestinian Authority due to the latter’s financial support to families of Palestinians who resisted the Israeli occupation and got either killed or imprisoned, represents the most recent effort in this 30 year old trend of legislations that deliberately targets the Palestinian people.
Congress has targeted the PLO as a terrorist organization since 1987 to date, despite the signing of the Oslo Accords, Israel’s recognition of the PLO, and the numerous bilateral agreements with the United States.
“The ongoing bias against Palestinians in Congress is not irreversible. We have taken notice of the principled and brave members of Congress who have raised concerns over the Taylor Force Act. Also, we are inspired by recent efforts to promote Palestinian children’s rights included in H.R. 4391 Promoting Human Rights by Ending Israeli Military Detention of Palestinian Children Act introduced by the courageous Rep. Betty McCollum to prevent United States tax dollars from supporting the Israeli military’s ongoing detentions and mistreatment of Palestinian children,” said Zomlot.
“Our work together just made a difference for Israel’s security and for its future,” wrote Fridman, according to If Americans Knew Blog.
“Early this morning, the United States Congress passed major pro-Israel legislation as part of its Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2018.
“This legislation includes many critical initiatives that will bolster Israel’s security, including:
- $3.1 billion for U.S. security assistance to Israel, to help our ally defend herself and protect her citizens. [See this]
- $705.8 million for missile defense programs, representing $105 million more than last year’s funding level. [See this]
- $47.5 million for joint anti-tunneling technologies, a $5 million increase from last year. [More info on US aid to Israel]
“The bill was also the vehicle for Congress to pass the Taylor Force Act, critical legislation that cuts funding to the Palestinian Authority if it continues paying terrorists or their families.”
Reacting to the inclusion of the Taylor Force Act in the United States spending bill for 2018, Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) General Delegation to the United States, said on Saturday that with this act, the US Congress is rewarding occupation and punishing those who seek peace.
“Halting aid to the Palestinian Authority as a tool for a politically-motivated financial pressure does not work, and severely damages the prospects for peace in the Middle East,” said Zomlot in a statement. “The bill rewards the illegal Israeli occupation and ongoing violations of human rights, while simultaneously punishing the Palestinian Authority, which is the only agency committed to peace and nonviolence, and undermines the American-Palestinian bilateral relationship and decades of U.S. investments in the two-state solution.”
Zomlot added that “Congress’ bias is flagrantly obvious, targeting a stipend program that provides dignity and education for children and families of the victims of occupation, and security for both sides, while turning a blind eye towards Israel’s daily violations of US policy and international law.”
He said, according to WAFA, that the Taylor Force Act, which calls for cutting aid to the Palestinian Authority due to the latter’s financial support to families of Palestinians who resisted the Israeli occupation and got either killed or imprisoned, represents the most recent effort in this 30 year old trend of legislations that deliberately targets the Palestinian people.
Congress has targeted the PLO as a terrorist organization since 1987 to date, despite the signing of the Oslo Accords, Israel’s recognition of the PLO, and the numerous bilateral agreements with the United States.
“The ongoing bias against Palestinians in Congress is not irreversible. We have taken notice of the principled and brave members of Congress who have raised concerns over the Taylor Force Act. Also, we are inspired by recent efforts to promote Palestinian children’s rights included in H.R. 4391 Promoting Human Rights by Ending Israeli Military Detention of Palestinian Children Act introduced by the courageous Rep. Betty McCollum to prevent United States tax dollars from supporting the Israeli military’s ongoing detentions and mistreatment of Palestinian children,” said Zomlot.
22 mar 2018
Israeli finance minister Moshe Kahlon announced Wednesday he was instructing Israel’s planning and zoning authorities to offer the US diplomatic mission in Israel a blanket exemption from certain zoning requirements in order to allow for the moving of the US embassy to Jerusalem on May 14.
According to a Hadashot TV news report, over the past few days American officials have reportedly met with the relevant Israeli authorities to get permission for urgent security-related construction work they say is necessary to convert the consulate in the Arnona neighborhood in southern Jerusalem into an embassy.
The Americans want to build a three-meter wall around the site and pave a new road from the site, among other changes. However, the site’s current zoning status does not allow for such changes and need special permission.
In a Hebrew-language press release Wednesday, which he also posted on Twitter, Kahlon said:
“I am delighted, both as finance minister and as [the official] responsible for planning in the state of Israel, to sign today a recommendation to the [National] Council [for Planning and Construction] to issue an exemption from an infrastructures construction permit in order to enable the American embassy to move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Good luck, and [do it] as quickly as possible.”
In a follow-up tweet, Kahlon turned to English and addressed US President Donald Trump directly.
“President DonaldTrump, I’m happy to inform you that we are moving forward with the preparations, making sure that no bureaucracy slows down the process of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.”
According to a Hadashot TV news report, over the past few days American officials have reportedly met with the relevant Israeli authorities to get permission for urgent security-related construction work they say is necessary to convert the consulate in the Arnona neighborhood in southern Jerusalem into an embassy.
The Americans want to build a three-meter wall around the site and pave a new road from the site, among other changes. However, the site’s current zoning status does not allow for such changes and need special permission.
In a Hebrew-language press release Wednesday, which he also posted on Twitter, Kahlon said:
“I am delighted, both as finance minister and as [the official] responsible for planning in the state of Israel, to sign today a recommendation to the [National] Council [for Planning and Construction] to issue an exemption from an infrastructures construction permit in order to enable the American embassy to move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Good luck, and [do it] as quickly as possible.”
In a follow-up tweet, Kahlon turned to English and addressed US President Donald Trump directly.
“President DonaldTrump, I’m happy to inform you that we are moving forward with the preparations, making sure that no bureaucracy slows down the process of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.”
19 mar 2018
40 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli occupation forces since the US President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem as the capital of the self-proclaimed Israeli state, on December 6, 2017.
According to data by the Jerusalem Center of Studies of Israeli-Palestinian Affairs, Gaza topped the list of post-December 6 casualties with 22 victims, including two resistance fighters. A Gazan fisherman was killed by Israeli navy off Gaza seashore.
Six Palestinians from Nablus were also killed by the occupation forces during the same period, one among them breathed his last inside Israeli jails due to preplanned medical neglect.
The list also included three Palestinians from al-Khalil, three from Jenin, two in Jericho, two in Ramallah, one Palestinian in Qlaqilya, and another in Occupied Jerusalem.
Among the casualties were also 11 children below 18-years-old, including Mohamed al-Dahoudh, 14, and 18-year-old fisherman Ismail Abu Reyala.
75-year-old elderly woman Hamda Wahsh was killed during the same period after Israeli army troops rolled into Zbeidat town and showered civilian homes with teargas canisters. Nine-year-old girl Dalal Louleh died after Israeli forces prevented her family from reaching a hospital for urgent treatment.
33-year-old Yassin al-Saradeeh, from Jericho, died shortly after he was arrested by Israeli forces. Medical investigations showed that he was shot from zero distance and had been made to endure heavy beating.
According to data by the Jerusalem Center of Studies of Israeli-Palestinian Affairs, Gaza topped the list of post-December 6 casualties with 22 victims, including two resistance fighters. A Gazan fisherman was killed by Israeli navy off Gaza seashore.
Six Palestinians from Nablus were also killed by the occupation forces during the same period, one among them breathed his last inside Israeli jails due to preplanned medical neglect.
The list also included three Palestinians from al-Khalil, three from Jenin, two in Jericho, two in Ramallah, one Palestinian in Qlaqilya, and another in Occupied Jerusalem.
Among the casualties were also 11 children below 18-years-old, including Mohamed al-Dahoudh, 14, and 18-year-old fisherman Ismail Abu Reyala.
75-year-old elderly woman Hamda Wahsh was killed during the same period after Israeli army troops rolled into Zbeidat town and showered civilian homes with teargas canisters. Nine-year-old girl Dalal Louleh died after Israeli forces prevented her family from reaching a hospital for urgent treatment.
33-year-old Yassin al-Saradeeh, from Jericho, died shortly after he was arrested by Israeli forces. Medical investigations showed that he was shot from zero distance and had been made to endure heavy beating.
