1 june 2018
Permanent Palestinian Envoy to the United Nations, Ambassador Riyad Mansour, said the Palestinians reject the American-modified proposal for providing international protection to the Palestinian people, adding that the American revision is utterly hostile to the Palestinians.
On Friday at dawn, Mansour told the Palestinian TV that the United States is pressuring the United Nations Security Council to delay the vote on the proposal after seeking to amend and alter it.
The original proposal was submitted by Kuwait, which is currently a non-permanent Security Council member.
Kuwait later circulated an edited draft of the same proposal for an International Protection Mission, reportedly to gain the support of European counties and other states that are members of the Security Council.
However, late on Thursday evening, it was announced that the Security Council postponed the vote on the proposal because the United States wanted to modify and alter it.
Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi, the Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations, said the United States provided its edited version very late, “But we still have to discuss these changes.”
Instead for calling for an international protection mission, the United States’ version called on the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to submit “recommendations,” and asks for completing the report within 60 days.
Meanwhile, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said her country will use it Veto power to topple the Kuwaiti proposal for providing international protection to the Palestinian people.
In his interview with Palestine TV, Mansour said the proposal’s essence is about providing protection to the Palestinian people, living under Israeli occupation, and added that he hopes “the United States won’t obstruct it.”
“If the United States topples and obstructs this proposal, then we have other options, including heading to the General Assembly,” he added.
Danny Danon, the Israeli Ambassador to the UN, attacked the Kuwaiti proposal, described it as “shameful,” and alleged that it was “only meant to support Hamas.”
On Friday at dawn, Mansour told the Palestinian TV that the United States is pressuring the United Nations Security Council to delay the vote on the proposal after seeking to amend and alter it.
The original proposal was submitted by Kuwait, which is currently a non-permanent Security Council member.
Kuwait later circulated an edited draft of the same proposal for an International Protection Mission, reportedly to gain the support of European counties and other states that are members of the Security Council.
However, late on Thursday evening, it was announced that the Security Council postponed the vote on the proposal because the United States wanted to modify and alter it.
Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi, the Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations, said the United States provided its edited version very late, “But we still have to discuss these changes.”
Instead for calling for an international protection mission, the United States’ version called on the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to submit “recommendations,” and asks for completing the report within 60 days.
Meanwhile, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said her country will use it Veto power to topple the Kuwaiti proposal for providing international protection to the Palestinian people.
In his interview with Palestine TV, Mansour said the proposal’s essence is about providing protection to the Palestinian people, living under Israeli occupation, and added that he hopes “the United States won’t obstruct it.”
“If the United States topples and obstructs this proposal, then we have other options, including heading to the General Assembly,” he added.
Danny Danon, the Israeli Ambassador to the UN, attacked the Kuwaiti proposal, described it as “shameful,” and alleged that it was “only meant to support Hamas.”
30 may 2018
Kuwait on Tuesday circulated a watered-down draft UN Security Council resolution on setting up an international protection mission for the Palestinians in a bid to win European support in a vote expected this week, diplomats said.
The council could hold a vote, possibly on Thursday, on the draft resolution that is expected to face a US veto.
Kuwait, a non-permanent council member that represents Arab countries, is hoping to win a high number of votes in favor of its proposal to highlight Washington’s isolation on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
The revised draft drops an outright demand for an international protection mission and instead requests that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres present recommendations.
The new text “calls for the consideration of measures to guarantee the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilian population” in the occupied Palestinian territories and the Gaza Strip.
It requests that Guterres present a report within 60 days on proposals for the protection of Palestinian civilians including the establishment of an international mission.
France and Britain, two veto-wielding council members, have complained that the draft resolution lacked details on the scope and objective of the proposed protection mission.
The United States, meanwhile, claimed that the measure was biased against Israel during two expert-level meetings held last week, according to diplomatic sources.
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon has slammed the proposed resolution as “shameful” and claimed it was designed to help Gaza’s rulers Hamas.
Kuwait put forward the draft resolution ten days ago after Israeli forced killed dozens of Palestinians during protests on the Gaza border and the United States opened its embassy in Occupied Jerusalem.
Negotiations however have been tough-going with the Europeans and Africans pressing for more information on the proposed protection mission, according to diplomats.
Diplomats have said the Palestinians may turn to the UN General Assembly if the draft resolution on protection fails to win Security Council backing.
The council is due to meet Wednesday at the request of the United States to discuss alleged Palestinian rocket firings on Israel from blockaded Gaza.
The council could hold a vote, possibly on Thursday, on the draft resolution that is expected to face a US veto.
Kuwait, a non-permanent council member that represents Arab countries, is hoping to win a high number of votes in favor of its proposal to highlight Washington’s isolation on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
The revised draft drops an outright demand for an international protection mission and instead requests that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres present recommendations.
The new text “calls for the consideration of measures to guarantee the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilian population” in the occupied Palestinian territories and the Gaza Strip.
It requests that Guterres present a report within 60 days on proposals for the protection of Palestinian civilians including the establishment of an international mission.
France and Britain, two veto-wielding council members, have complained that the draft resolution lacked details on the scope and objective of the proposed protection mission.
The United States, meanwhile, claimed that the measure was biased against Israel during two expert-level meetings held last week, according to diplomatic sources.
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon has slammed the proposed resolution as “shameful” and claimed it was designed to help Gaza’s rulers Hamas.
Kuwait put forward the draft resolution ten days ago after Israeli forced killed dozens of Palestinians during protests on the Gaza border and the United States opened its embassy in Occupied Jerusalem.
Negotiations however have been tough-going with the Europeans and Africans pressing for more information on the proposed protection mission, according to diplomats.
Diplomats have said the Palestinians may turn to the UN General Assembly if the draft resolution on protection fails to win Security Council backing.
The council is due to meet Wednesday at the request of the United States to discuss alleged Palestinian rocket firings on Israel from blockaded Gaza.
American Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley condemns attacks out of Gaza at Israel's southern communities, saying Security Council should be 'outraged and respond,' calls to hold Palestinian leadership 'accountable'; Israel says not looking for escalation but warns Hamas it would retaliate if needed.
The United States has condemned the attacks out of Gaza and called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council in the wake of Palestinian rocket fire on Israel fired at Israel Tuesday.
US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the Security Council "should be outraged and respond."
The rocket and mortar firings from the Gaza Strip were claimed by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, prompting Israel to respond with air strikes on bases of the terrorist Palestinian groups.
It was the worst flareup since the 2014 war between Israel in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
"Mortars fired by Palestinian militants hit civilian infrastructure, including a kindergarten," US Ambassador Nikki Haley said in a statement on Tuesday.
"The Security Council should be outraged and respond to this latest bout of violence directed at innocent Israeli civilians, and the Palestinian leadership needs to be held accountable for what they're allowing to happen in Gaza."
The United States circulated a draft statement calling on the council to condemn "in the strongest terms the indiscriminate firing of rockets by Palestinian militants in Gaza" toward Israel, according to a copy of the text seen by AFP.
The council will hear a report from UN envoy for the Middle East Nickolay Mladenov during the meeting scheduled for 3pm (7pm GMT) Wednesday.
Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon the planned meeting was a "positive step. But the Council's members must take serious action, and not make do with words."
He called on the Security Council to "strongly condemn Hamas and hold the terrorist organization accountable for these latest attacks in order to restore calmness and protect the citizens on both sides of the fence."
He further demanded the Council "to officially recognize Hamas as a terror group."
"For weeks we've warned that the violent rioting along the Gaza border—including planting explosives along the fence and live fire at our security forces—were not a s spontaneous protest, but a violent coordinated attack against Israel," Danon elaborated.
"The dozens of rockets and mortars fired at Israel leave no doubt about the intentions of those who have incited, encouraged and went as far as paying for those ongoing riots," the Israeli ambassador went on say.
The IDF has said it was not seeking an escalation, but warned Hamas—with whom it has fought three wars since 2008—to rein in its fighters. Three Israeli soldiers were wounded in the exchange of fire.
Islamic Jihad announced an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The confrontation followed weeks of deadly demonstrations and clashes along the Gaza-Israel border.
Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the unrest.
The US-drafted council statement would demand that Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other militant groups "cease all violent activity and provocative actions, including along the boundary fence, and cease putting civilians at risk through their actions."
The council has been divided over the violence in Gaza and it was unclear whether the US-proposed statement would win full backing. Security Council statements are adopted by consensus by all 15 members.
Separately, council diplomats are negotiating a draft resolution, put forward by Kuwait, that calls for an "international protection mission" to be deployed for the Palestinians.
Diplomats said the United States is likely to use its veto to block adoption of that measure, but Kuwait is hoping to win backing from the 14 other council members to highlight Washington's isolation on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
6 may Israeli warplane strikes blockaded Gaza
9 may IOF targets 2 resistance sites in Gaza
10 may Israeli navy attacks fishermen north and south of Gaza
12 may Israeli jets target generator, agricultural area in northern Gaza Strip
14 may Israeli airstrikes reported in northern Gaza
16 may Israeli tanks strike resistance posts east of Gaza
17 may Israeli warplanes hit blockaded Gaza with 7 rockets
20 may Israeli warships attack Gaza fishermen with machine gunfire
22 may Israeli Air Force Fires Missiles Targeting Boats In Gaza Port
22 may Israel military strikes resistance site in besieged Gaza Strip
27 may Update: Israeli Strikes Raise Death Toll to Three
28 may Palestinian Killed in Israeli Attack North of Gaza
More attacks
The United States has condemned the attacks out of Gaza and called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council in the wake of Palestinian rocket fire on Israel fired at Israel Tuesday.
US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the Security Council "should be outraged and respond."
The rocket and mortar firings from the Gaza Strip were claimed by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, prompting Israel to respond with air strikes on bases of the terrorist Palestinian groups.
It was the worst flareup since the 2014 war between Israel in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
"Mortars fired by Palestinian militants hit civilian infrastructure, including a kindergarten," US Ambassador Nikki Haley said in a statement on Tuesday.
"The Security Council should be outraged and respond to this latest bout of violence directed at innocent Israeli civilians, and the Palestinian leadership needs to be held accountable for what they're allowing to happen in Gaza."
The United States circulated a draft statement calling on the council to condemn "in the strongest terms the indiscriminate firing of rockets by Palestinian militants in Gaza" toward Israel, according to a copy of the text seen by AFP.
The council will hear a report from UN envoy for the Middle East Nickolay Mladenov during the meeting scheduled for 3pm (7pm GMT) Wednesday.
Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon the planned meeting was a "positive step. But the Council's members must take serious action, and not make do with words."
He called on the Security Council to "strongly condemn Hamas and hold the terrorist organization accountable for these latest attacks in order to restore calmness and protect the citizens on both sides of the fence."
He further demanded the Council "to officially recognize Hamas as a terror group."
"For weeks we've warned that the violent rioting along the Gaza border—including planting explosives along the fence and live fire at our security forces—were not a s spontaneous protest, but a violent coordinated attack against Israel," Danon elaborated.
"The dozens of rockets and mortars fired at Israel leave no doubt about the intentions of those who have incited, encouraged and went as far as paying for those ongoing riots," the Israeli ambassador went on say.
The IDF has said it was not seeking an escalation, but warned Hamas—with whom it has fought three wars since 2008—to rein in its fighters. Three Israeli soldiers were wounded in the exchange of fire.
Islamic Jihad announced an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The confrontation followed weeks of deadly demonstrations and clashes along the Gaza-Israel border.
Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the unrest.
The US-drafted council statement would demand that Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other militant groups "cease all violent activity and provocative actions, including along the boundary fence, and cease putting civilians at risk through their actions."
The council has been divided over the violence in Gaza and it was unclear whether the US-proposed statement would win full backing. Security Council statements are adopted by consensus by all 15 members.
Separately, council diplomats are negotiating a draft resolution, put forward by Kuwait, that calls for an "international protection mission" to be deployed for the Palestinians.
Diplomats said the United States is likely to use its veto to block adoption of that measure, but Kuwait is hoping to win backing from the 14 other council members to highlight Washington's isolation on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
6 may Israeli warplane strikes blockaded Gaza
9 may IOF targets 2 resistance sites in Gaza
10 may Israeli navy attacks fishermen north and south of Gaza
12 may Israeli jets target generator, agricultural area in northern Gaza Strip
14 may Israeli airstrikes reported in northern Gaza
16 may Israeli tanks strike resistance posts east of Gaza
17 may Israeli warplanes hit blockaded Gaza with 7 rockets
20 may Israeli warships attack Gaza fishermen with machine gunfire
22 may Israeli Air Force Fires Missiles Targeting Boats In Gaza Port
22 may Israel military strikes resistance site in besieged Gaza Strip
27 may Update: Israeli Strikes Raise Death Toll to Three
28 may Palestinian Killed in Israeli Attack North of Gaza
More attacks
25 may 2018
A five-month grassroots campaign led by human rights groups and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Missouri celebrated a win on Friday, May 18, 2018, when the Missouri legislative session ended, failing to pass legislation that would have denied state contracts worth over $10,000 to businesses and organizations boycotting Israel over its subjugation and dispossession of the Palestinian people.
The legislation was widely predicted to pass, enjoying widespread support by right-wing Missouri legislators with House Bill 2179 sponsored by GOP Speaker of the House Todd Richardson; and Senate Bill (SB) 849 co-sponsored by Majority Floor Leader, Republican Sen. Mike Kehoe, and Democratic Sen. Jill Schupp. Disgraced Gov. Eric Greitens helped prompt the legislative push, following his November trip to Israel, where he met with officials keen to punish supporters of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian rights.
A growing number of celebrities, governments, and organizations worldwide are engaging in BDS in protest of Israel’s separate and unequal system of discrimination against Palestinians, which marked 70 years on May 15.
SB 849 stalled in March when staunch civil liberties advocate GOP Sen. Rob Schaaf filibustered the bill, introducing amendments that would add every country in the world to ensure Israel was not singled out for special protective treatment. Schaaf went through the list of nations alphabetically, describing in great detail exports and possible concerns with their policies. Two hours later, when he reached the Bahamas, Sen. Kehoe withdrew the bill from debate.
In a significant political upset, nearly 80% of Democratic House members present voted against HB 2179. Reps. Peter Merideth, Judy Morgan, Clem Smith, Brandon Ellington, Bruce Franks, Jr. (known for his leadership in protests against police brutality, including in the Ferguson uprisings), and others spoke strongly against the legislation, decrying Israel’s violence against Palestinians. Though HB 2179 passed through the overwhelmingly conservative House, HB 849 was never brought back to the Senate floor for debate, as Sen. Schaaf was at the ready to again mount a filibuster, this time with the likelihood of being joined by committed Democratic colleagues.
Israel has been widely criticized for war crimes and most recently killing more than 100 people and injuring thousands more as they demonstrated in Gaza for their internationally recognized refugee rights. Amidst the killings, the Trump administration began moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem last week, officially recognizing and actively participating in Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem in violation of international law.
Citizens from across Missouri, representing Mid-Missourians for Justice in Palestine, Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation, St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee, Jewish Voice for Peace, American Muslims for Palestine, the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and others in the Missouri Right to Boycott Coalition, lobbied lawmakers for months and testified against the bills during committee hearings.
Meanwhile, nongovernmental groups, including the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) joined right-wing legislators and Sen. Schupp in advocating for the bills, sparking criticism from progressive Jewish Missourians, including St. Louis Jewish Voice for Peace.
The Massachusetts Right to Boycott Coalition scored a win against similar legislation in February. On constitutional grounds, the ACLU has legally challenged anti-boycott legislation in Kansas — where a federal judge temporarily blocked the law — as well as in Arizona. A legal memo [PDF] from the Center for Constitutional Rights, National Lawyers Guild, Palestine Legal, and other legal and human rights organizations accused the Missouri legislation of imposing a “McCarthyite political litmus test” and lifted up the important role of boycotts throughout history from the Civil Rights Movement to divestment from apartheid South Africa.
For media inquiries and quotes, please contact:
Neveen Ayesh
St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee, American Muslims for Palestine
nayesh93@gmail.com
Anna Baltzer
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, St. Louis Jewish Voice for Peace
anna@uscpr.org
Via the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR).
Also from USCPR: 04/25/18 US City’s Ban on Police Training in Israel Builds Momentum against Racist Violence
The legislation was widely predicted to pass, enjoying widespread support by right-wing Missouri legislators with House Bill 2179 sponsored by GOP Speaker of the House Todd Richardson; and Senate Bill (SB) 849 co-sponsored by Majority Floor Leader, Republican Sen. Mike Kehoe, and Democratic Sen. Jill Schupp. Disgraced Gov. Eric Greitens helped prompt the legislative push, following his November trip to Israel, where he met with officials keen to punish supporters of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian rights.
A growing number of celebrities, governments, and organizations worldwide are engaging in BDS in protest of Israel’s separate and unequal system of discrimination against Palestinians, which marked 70 years on May 15.
SB 849 stalled in March when staunch civil liberties advocate GOP Sen. Rob Schaaf filibustered the bill, introducing amendments that would add every country in the world to ensure Israel was not singled out for special protective treatment. Schaaf went through the list of nations alphabetically, describing in great detail exports and possible concerns with their policies. Two hours later, when he reached the Bahamas, Sen. Kehoe withdrew the bill from debate.
In a significant political upset, nearly 80% of Democratic House members present voted against HB 2179. Reps. Peter Merideth, Judy Morgan, Clem Smith, Brandon Ellington, Bruce Franks, Jr. (known for his leadership in protests against police brutality, including in the Ferguson uprisings), and others spoke strongly against the legislation, decrying Israel’s violence against Palestinians. Though HB 2179 passed through the overwhelmingly conservative House, HB 849 was never brought back to the Senate floor for debate, as Sen. Schaaf was at the ready to again mount a filibuster, this time with the likelihood of being joined by committed Democratic colleagues.
Israel has been widely criticized for war crimes and most recently killing more than 100 people and injuring thousands more as they demonstrated in Gaza for their internationally recognized refugee rights. Amidst the killings, the Trump administration began moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem last week, officially recognizing and actively participating in Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem in violation of international law.
Citizens from across Missouri, representing Mid-Missourians for Justice in Palestine, Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation, St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee, Jewish Voice for Peace, American Muslims for Palestine, the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and others in the Missouri Right to Boycott Coalition, lobbied lawmakers for months and testified against the bills during committee hearings.
Meanwhile, nongovernmental groups, including the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) joined right-wing legislators and Sen. Schupp in advocating for the bills, sparking criticism from progressive Jewish Missourians, including St. Louis Jewish Voice for Peace.
The Massachusetts Right to Boycott Coalition scored a win against similar legislation in February. On constitutional grounds, the ACLU has legally challenged anti-boycott legislation in Kansas — where a federal judge temporarily blocked the law — as well as in Arizona. A legal memo [PDF] from the Center for Constitutional Rights, National Lawyers Guild, Palestine Legal, and other legal and human rights organizations accused the Missouri legislation of imposing a “McCarthyite political litmus test” and lifted up the important role of boycotts throughout history from the Civil Rights Movement to divestment from apartheid South Africa.
For media inquiries and quotes, please contact:
Neveen Ayesh
St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee, American Muslims for Palestine
nayesh93@gmail.com
Anna Baltzer
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, St. Louis Jewish Voice for Peace
anna@uscpr.org
Via the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR).
Also from USCPR: 04/25/18 US City’s Ban on Police Training in Israel Builds Momentum against Racist Violence
24 may 2018
Seventy-six Members of the US Congress have co-signed a letter to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urging him to end the demolitions and evictions of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
According to J Street, a Washington DC-based liberal Zionist pressure group, “the letter notes that the destruction and displacement of these communities pose a serious threat to the human rights of Palestinians, to the prospects for a two-state solution and to Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state.”
“This is the latest sign that US lawmakers are increasingly concerned by the alarming consequences of the Israeli government’s policies in the West Bank,” said Dylan Williams, J Street’s Vice President of Government Affairs.
In the letter, the members write: “The forcible eviction of Palestinian communities and the expansion of settlements in areas of the West Bank, which would become part of a future Palestinian state, abandon our two countries’ shared values of justice and respect for human rights.”
The letter also “cites over 300 rabbis, organized by J Street and other American Jewish groups, who wrote to Netanyahu in January opposing demolitions”.
According to J Street, a Washington DC-based liberal Zionist pressure group, “the letter notes that the destruction and displacement of these communities pose a serious threat to the human rights of Palestinians, to the prospects for a two-state solution and to Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state.”
“This is the latest sign that US lawmakers are increasingly concerned by the alarming consequences of the Israeli government’s policies in the West Bank,” said Dylan Williams, J Street’s Vice President of Government Affairs.
In the letter, the members write: “The forcible eviction of Palestinian communities and the expansion of settlements in areas of the West Bank, which would become part of a future Palestinian state, abandon our two countries’ shared values of justice and respect for human rights.”
The letter also “cites over 300 rabbis, organized by J Street and other American Jewish groups, who wrote to Netanyahu in January opposing demolitions”.
The Hamas Movement’s spokesman Fawzi Barhoum slammed the US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, for his cheerfulness to receive a picture of Occupied Jerusalem from Jewish settler groups, showing the holy city with the famous view of the Dome of Rock replaced by the alleged Jewish temple.
In a press statement on Wednesday, Barhoum described the behavior of Friedman who was smiling while receiving the picture as a racist action that reflects the US-Israeli serious partnership in attacking the Palestinian, Arab and Islamic holy places.
Barhoum perceived this step as inciting the demolition of al-Aqsa Mosque and called for taking serious actions by Arabs and Muslims to protect the holy site and to support the steadfastness of the Jerusalemite people.
In a press statement on Wednesday, Barhoum described the behavior of Friedman who was smiling while receiving the picture as a racist action that reflects the US-Israeli serious partnership in attacking the Palestinian, Arab and Islamic holy places.
Barhoum perceived this step as inciting the demolition of al-Aqsa Mosque and called for taking serious actions by Arabs and Muslims to protect the holy site and to support the steadfastness of the Jerusalemite people.
