Gaza flotilla scheduled for late June
AP By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA, Associated Press – Mon May 9, 3:45 pm ET
ISTANBUL – An aid flotilla will depart for the Gaza Strip in the third week of June, just over a year after a similar flotilla was raided by Israeli forces, leaving nine people dead on a Turkish boat, activists said Monday.A coalition of pro-Palestinian groups, most of them based in Europe, announced the date in a statement after a meeting in Paris. The unfolding plans for the new flotilla set up a possible confrontation with Israel, which has vowed to stop any attempt to breach its sea blockade of Gaza.Activists had originally planned to depart on May 31, the anniversary of the botched Israeli commando raid. The delayed departure appears at least partly related to Turkey's plans for parliamentary elections on June 12. Turkish activists, who are in contact with the government but say they operate independently, had said they wanted to leave after the vote for fear any controversy could disrupt the election debate.Turkish officials, who have stepped up criticism of Israel since the three-week war in Gaza that ended in early 2009, have indicated that the Turkish activists are free to sail from home waters.The Freedom Flotilla coalition said Marseille, France, was one of various European departure points for the convoy, and that it welcomed the recent addition of a Swiss-German boat. It did not say how many boats were participating, but IHH, an Islamic aid group in Turkey, has said it expects the convoy to be at least twice as big as the one that attempted to reach Gaza last year.Six ships set sail last year. This year's convoy includes the Mavi Marmara, the same Turkish vessel operated by IHH on which the activists died in the raid, and an American vessel named The Audacity of Hope, the title of a book by President Obama.
The coalition said organizers will head to Strasbourg, France, on Tuesday to seek the support of European parliamentarians.Eight Turks and one Turkish-American died in the raid last year. Seven Israeli soldiers were wounded. Each side accused the other of starting the violence. The incident drew world attention to the humanitarian situation in Gaza and plunged ties between former allies Israel and Turkey to a new low.Israel eased its land blockade of Gaza amid an international uproar over the raid. But it says its blockade policy prevents weapons from reaching Iran-backed Hamas militants who violently seized control of the territory in 2007.
Israeli military officials have confirmed that preparations are under way to stop any new flotilla while avoiding casualties, and that they would use different tactics this time around.
Hamas's Meshaal: U.S. had no right to kill bin Laden
Reuters By John Irish – Mon May 9, 1:47 pm ET
PARIS (Reuters) – Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said on Monday the United States had no right to kill Osama bin Laden but said this did not mean the Palestinian Islamist group supported al Qaeda's attacks on civilians.Speaking on France 24 television, the Damascus-based Meshaal also said there should be more freedom in Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad has deployed his armed forces to crush a seven-week-old revolt against his authoritarian rule.Concerning bin Laden everyone knows Hamas has differences from al Qaeda ... especially (its) operations targeting civilians, but all this doesn't give the U.S. the right to kill as they please without any regard for the law and to assassinate Arabs and Muslims, blaming everything on them and accusing them of terrorism, Meshaal said in the France 24 interview.During the height of a Palestinian uprising between 2000 and 2005, Hamas carried out dozens of suicide bombings in Israeli towns and it is classified by the United States and the European Union as a terrorist group.Questions about the bin Laden killing have multiplied since the White House said that he was unarmed when U.S. commandos shot dead the al Qaeda leader Monday in the walled villa where he had been hiding in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad.The fact they disposed of his body at sea is unacceptable and has touched the dignity of Muslims, Meshaal said, speaking through an interpreter.
SYRIA NEEDS MORE DEMOCRACY: MESHAAL
Meshaal, who lives in exile in Syria's capital while Hamas runs Gaza, took a cautious stance on events in Syria but called for more democracy.We want to see more stability, prosperity and a stronger government that responds to the people's aspirations, he said.(We want) more freedom and democracy in order to serve the interests of the people and reach a model between the regime and the people and help strengthen the country against external aggression.Hamas won a Palestinian parliamentary election in 2006.Meshaal was speaking in Cairo after attending a ceremony hosted by Egypt that formally ended four years of strife between Hamas and its more secular Palestinian rival Fatah, an accord aimed at advancing the Palestinians' goal of statehood in territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.He urged the United States and the European Union to support the reconciliation deal -- both are wary because of Hamas's refusal to recognize Israel or renounce violence -- but warned the Jewish state that if it continued to imprison Palestinians, Hamas would not free Israeli soldiers.Israeli efforts to secure Gilad Shalit, a soldier who vanished during an Israeli raid into Gaza in 2006, have stalled, Meshaal said, blaming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Netanyahu is responsible for the delay in his release... we hope negotiations will start again and I hope Netanyahu will not force us to kidnap other Israeli soldiers,he said.
Netanyahu is under growing domestic pressure to secure Shalit's release and meet Hamas demands to swap Shalit for imprisoned Palestinian militants charged with masterminding lethal bombings inside Israel over the past decade.If the only way to release our prisoners is the imprisonment of more Israeli soldiers then Israeli authorities and Netanyahu will have to bear the consequences of not having released our Palestinian prisoners,said Meshaal.(Reporting by John Irish; editing by Mark Heinrich)
France ups Palestinian aid as Israel holds tax funds
– Mon May 9, 1:12 pm ET
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – France on Monday announced it would donate 10 million euros ($14.3 million) to the Palestinian Authority after Israel froze tax revenue transfers following a Palestinian unity agreement.The aid infusion came as Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad told reporters his government was unable to pay employees because of Israel's decision to halt revenue transfers after Fatah and Hamas inked a unity deal.The Palestinian Authority cannot pay the salaries for the month until the Israeli government transfers the money, he said.If Israel transfers this money we will be able to pay the salaries immediately.The French foreign ministry criticised Israel for suspending transfer of Palestinian money after the Fatah movement signed a surprise unity deal with rival Islamist group Hamas.At a moment when the financial situation of the Palestinian Authority is stretched, these funds are a contribution to the payment of government employees' salaries,foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said in Paris.Valero criticised Israel's decision to not transfer to the Palestinian Authority tax revenue to which it has a right.
He said Israel's decision was detrimental to the reforms and the establishment of institutions put in place under the authority's president (Mahmud) Abbas.The aid infusion was formalised at a signing ceremony between Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad and France's Jerusalem consul-general Frederic Desagneaux in Ramallah on Monday.This payment intervenes in a critical moment and we hope it will have an inducive effect for it is important that the donor countries pursue their efforts in budgetary aid in favour of the Palestinian Authority, Desagneaux said in a statement.
The European Union announced last week it would offer the Palestinian Authority an additional 85 million euros in aid after Israel blocked the transfer of tax revenue in the wake of the unity agreement.Israel's Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said he had ordered the suspension of the revenue transfers until he could be sure that none of the funds would go to Hamas.But his decision to suspend the transfers has been criticised inside Israel and abroad.Valero on Monday welcomed the EU's decision to offer the Palestinian Authority additional aid, after Palestinian officials warned they would be unable to pay employee salaries without the tax revenues.We consider that the current Palestinian government, under the leadership of Salam Fayyad, has presented all the necessary guarantees of transparency in public finances and good use of international aid, Valero said.We expect that any future Palestinian government will maintain these guarantees.
Israel's Memorial Day highlights stark divisions
By AMY TEIBEL, Associated Press – Mon May 9, 4:45 am ET
JERUSALEM – They were two Israeli brothers with radically different views toward the Palestinians: One, an activist for Palestinian rights, the other, a resident of one of Israel's most radical settlements.Nothing, perhaps, reflected these stark differences more than the place Moti Fogel chose on Israel's Memorial Day to pay tribute to his brother — believed slain by Palestinian militants just two months ago: a ceremony mourning victims on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Raised as children of the settlement movement, Moti and Udi Fogel were taught that Jewish control of the West Bank — lands promised to the Jewish people in the Bible — was a supreme imperative that eclipsed the Palestinians' demand to control their own destiny in an independent state.But each took Jewish teachings in a different direction. Udi went to live in Itamar, a radical Jewish settlement deep inside the West Bank. Moti, convinced that the Jewish people should not rule another, became a champion of the idea that Israelis and Palestinians should live together in a single state.Relations between the two were strained over politics but the two tried to steer away from the subject, Moti Fogel said. Then in March, Udi Fogel, his wife, and three of their children, aged 11, 4 and three months, were stabbed to death at their home in the settlement of Itamar while they slept. Two Palestinian teenagers from a nearby village have been arrested in the attack.Moti Fogel is a rarity on the Israeli political landscape, an observant Jew active on behalf of Palestinian rights. Still, at the ceremony, he deplored the notion that his brother's death might be exploited for political means, repeating a message delivered at an emotional funeral attended by thousands of people, including hard-line Cabinet ministers.The use of the memory of the dead to justify war and the killing of others is no more wrong than using their memory to promote peace, he told an overflow audience of hundreds in Tel Aviv. It's a cynical use and an overly easy escape from the wordless sorrow of the death of a human being.The message did not resonate with the 10 or so young protesters outside the hall who found Fogel's presence there to be offensive.We won't allow the memory of the fallen to be disgraced,they chanted, pumping their fists in the air and hoisting Israeli flags emblazoned with the words, A Jewish Israel.A police cordon kept the protesters behind a barrier.
There were few Palestinians in the audience, organizers said, because Israel bans Palestinians in the West Bank from entering Israel during holidays as a security precaution.Clips of Palestinians whose relatives were killed by Israeli soldiers were shown at the event.The Fogels were among the more than 25,000 soldiers and civilians killed in fighting since 1860, the date cited as the beginning of modern Jewish immigration, honored this Memorial Day.During its six decades, Israel has fought a half dozen wars against neighboring nations and battled two Palestinian uprisings.Memorial Day is one of the most somber and emotional days on the Israeli calendar. Nearly every Israeli family has been touched during decades of conflict, either losing a relative or knowing someone who has had a loved one die in battle.A wailing siren that brought the country to a standstill in a minute of silence ushered in the day's observances Sunday night. Restaurants, movies, theaters and clubs shut down, the Israeli flag was flown at half-staff and radio and TV stations aired documentaries about Israel's wars and stories of fallen soldiers.A second siren sounded across the country Monday morning, followed by state ceremonies at military cemeteries.I am one of you, I know how immense the pain is, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose brother, Yoni, an army commander, was killed during a famous hostage rescue in Entebbe, Uganda.Amid grief, we take comfort in the flow of life and in our private and national endeavors, in the hope for reconciliation and peace,Netanyahu told the audience at the main ceremony at Mount Herzl, Israel's national cemetery.The somber tone will transition abruptly into Independence Day celebrations after sundown Monday at a colorful ceremony in Jerusalem capped with a fireworks display.
Fatah central committee welcomes unity deal
– Sun May 8, 2:53 pm ET
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – Fatah's central committee on Sunday welcomed a unity deal with rival Palestinian group Hamas and created a committee to follow up on forming an interim government.Members of the faction headed by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas met five days after the signing of a reconciliation deal between the groups in Cairo.The surprise deal, announced last week, was brokered by Fatah representative Azzam al-Ahmed and Hamas envoy Mussa Abu Marzouk and calls for an interim government of independents to pave the way for elections in a year's time.The central committee of the (Fatah) movement decided... to form a steering committee headed by Azzam al-Ahmed to follow up on issues related to the formation of a government agreed upon by all the Palestinian factions, Fatah spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP after the meeting in Ramallah.He said members expressed support for the deal and pledged to implement its terms, which include presidential and legislative elections in a year and the formation of committees to examine restructuring the Palestine Liberation Organisation and integrating Fatah and Hamas's rival security forces.Abbas addressed members of the central committee to explain the agreement in greater detail and was due to talk to Fatah's revolutionary committee on Monday morning.
Abbas joined Hamas head Khaled Meshaal in Cairo for a ceremony marking the signing of the deal, which is intended to heal the divided Palestinian leadership after nearly four years of bitter animosity.Among the difficulties Fatah and Hamas face are agreeing on members of the interim government, coordinating fresh elections, integrating their rival security forces and restructuring the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
Hamas breaks up Salafist bin Laden rally in Gaza
– Sat May 7, 12:59 pm ET
GAZA (Reuters) – Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas on Saturday broke up a Salafist protest against the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a U.S. raid in Pakistan this week.Dozens of Salafists -- conservative Islamists who have clashed with Hamas -- gathered in Gaza City's main square holding up posters of bin Laden and chanting We warn you America, we warn you Europe.Some banners read We are all your soldiers Osama and Osama is alive inside us.Hamas police forces cordoned off the square, stopped protesters from marching through the streets and ordered them to leave.Hamas's head in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh had denounced bin Laden's killing as an assassination of an Arab holy warrior.Analysts said he was trying to cool tensions with Salafist groups who consider Hamas too moderate and call for a fundamentalist version of Islam based on the faith followed by its founders.Hamas and Salafist groups have been caught up in gun battles in recent weeks.Hamas, classified by the United States and the European Union as a terrorist group over its violence against Israel, signed a unity deal this week in Cairo with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's more secular Fatah movement.(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Hamas edges toward tacit acceptance of Israel
by Selim Saheb Ettaba – Fri May 6, 12:59 pm ET
JERUSALEM (AFP) – Even as Israel slammed the door on any dialogue with the Palestinians after a unity deal with Hamas, the Islamic group has been slowly inching its way toward a tacit acceptance of Israel.Despite being officially dedicated to liberating all of Palestine, in recent days Hamas leaders have spoken of accepting a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders, effectively alongside Israel.
Speaking to AFP in Cairo on Thursday, a day after the ceremony to sign the surprise reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah, Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal said there was a broad consensus on the 1967 borders among Palestinian groups.Hamas agrees to the the establishment of a Palestinian state within 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital, without settlers and without giving up the right of return, he said.That implies, at least initially, a tacit acceptance of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.He made a similar statement at Wednesday's signing ceremony.And while Hamas has indicated it would support such a position in the past, such public, high profile endorsements give it added gravitas.There is a consensus on it among the majority of Palestinian political forces, which can be the basis on which to build, Meshaal said, calling for the development of a common vision.But a tacit nod to Israel's existence is not enough for the Jewish state, which has said it will not have any dealings with a Palestinian government that embraces Hamas unless it renounces violence and explicitly recognises Israel.If (Palestinian) national unity is unity for peace, then we would be the first to support it, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday after meeting French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris.
But if it's unity to move away from peace, pursue the battle for Israel's eradication, then obviously we oppose it and so should everyone else.Netanyahu has been meeting European leaders in a bid to convince them not to support a unilateral declaration of statehood from the Palestinians and to oppose the unity deal for co-opting Hamas.Some European leaders, including Sarkozy, have warned that they might recognise Palestinian statehood without waiting for a comprehensive peace deal, and a UN resolution to confirm it.If Hamas adopted positions of peace in the unity government I would say great, let's negotiate, Netanyahu said in an interview with CNN. But in fact the opposite has happened.European leaders reportedly told Netanyahu they endorsed the conditions for dealing with Hamas -- first laid out by Quartet of the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia.But they also indicated they were willing to give the new Palestinian government time to prove itself.Meshaal rejected Netanyahu's stance, saying the Israeli leader was using it as another excuse to avoid real peace talks.When we were divided Netanyahu did not give Abu Mazen (Abbas) or the Palestinian Authority anything and I am sure that after the unity he will give us nothing,he told AFP.Peace talks between Israel and Abbas ground to a halt weeks after the began in September when Israel refused to renew a partial halt on West Bank settlement construction.The Palestinians said they would not continue talks as long as Israel was building on land they want for a promised state.We have nothing to lose and we don't expect anything else from Netanyahu,Meshaal said.
Egypt to oversee Palestinian security talks
– Fri May 6, 9:55 am ET
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – A senior Egyptian intelligence official will oversee talks between the rival Hamas and Fatah on reshaping their security forces, a Palestinian official said Friday.The unity agreement signed this week called for a security oversight committee to work out the details of the thorny issue of reforming the partisan security forces who have battled each other in the past.We were informed today by Egyptian officials of the formation of a panel of experts including General Ibrahim Mohammed, the deputy chief of Egyptian intelligence, said Yasser al-Wadiah, an independent politician from Gaza.Wadiah returned Thursday night from Cairo where he had attended the signing of the surprise reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah.The accord called for the two to work together to form an interim government of technocrats unaffiliated with either party, who would govern until presidential and legislative elections to be held within a year.Members of this oversight committee would visit Gaza soon for intensive meetings with all parties to begin implementing the terms of the agreement,he added.The issue of integrating the rival security apparatuses is considered particularly problematic, with Fatah and Hamas forces having clashed in the past.The American-trained Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank frequently cooperate with Israel, while Hamas forces often clash with the Israelis in Gaza.Wadiah also said talks would begin next week on picking the prime minister of the interim government.
France: Peace talks soon or Palestinian state
By GREG KELLER and JOSEF FEDERMAN, Associated Press – Thu May 5, 4:10 pm ET
PARIS – French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he will support a unilateral declaration of Palestinian independence if peace talks with Israel don't restart by September, dealing a tough setback to Israel's campaign to isolate the incoming Palestinian unity government.The comments published Thursday — similar to a message from Britain a day earlier — suggest Europe may be inching toward a watershed moment, joining those in favor of recognizing Palestine even if there is no peace deal with Israel.However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated Thursday that she is opposed to any unilateral move.We (Germany) don't think unilateral steps are further helpful, she said after meeting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Berlin.
Sarkozy's comments were published shortly before his meeting with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is touring Europe to rally opposition against the Palestinians decision to form a unity government. Netanyahu says it is impossible to talk peace with a government that is set to include the Islamic militant group Hamas.But so far, Netanyahu appears to be making limited progress. Western governments have called on Hamas to moderate its views, but are also urging Israel to make a new push for peace.Speaking to the weekly newsmagazine L'Express, Sarkozy was quoted as saying if talks between Israel and the Palestinians don't resume over the summer, France will help promote the international recognition of a Palestinian state.The idea that we have time is a dangerous idea, we must finish, Sarkozy said.Speaking briefly to reporters after leaving the Elysee Palace, Netanyahu was unconvinced.A serious quest for peace can only happen through negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, not a U.N. dictat,he said.And he suggested he had no doubts about Hamas' intentions.Hamas unfortunately remains committed to our destruction and remains committed to pursue the war of terror, he told reporters.In fact, what is being discussed (by the Palestinians) today is to create a Palestinian state in order to improve the positions from which Hamas wants to drive Israel to the sea.He said the idea of a state should be to end the conflict as Israel and anybody interested in peace wants,not to continue the conflict as Hamas wants.If Palestinian national unity is unity for peace then we would be the first to support it, Netanyahu said But if it's unity to move away from peace and to pursue the battle for Israel's eradication then obviously we oppose it and so should everyone else.
Peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel broke down last September with the expiration of an Israeli settlement freeze in the West Bank. They say there can be no talks if Israel continues to build homes in the occupied territories.With peace talks stalled for months, Palestinian officials say they will ask the United Nations to recognize their independence in September with or without an agreement with Israel.Palestinians say their state should include the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with east Jerusalem as the capital. Israel captured all three areas in the 1967 Mideast war, although it withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Netanyahu has said the borders of a future Palestine must be negotiated.Palestine is already recognized by dozens of countries but not by the United States or most European nations. France's endorsement would be a major setback to Israel and could spark a trend.In a key step for their U.N. campaign, Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah agreed Wednesday to form a unity government and end a four-year rift that has left them divided between rival leaderships in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.Fatah, which dominates the West Bank government, favors a peace agreement with Israel, while the Iranian-backed Hamas government in Gaza opposes Israel's existence.World capitals have reacted warily but have not ruled out dealing with the new government. Instead, they are expressing hope that Hamas will assume a peaceful posture.German officials have made it repeatedly clear over recent weeks that they would not support a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood and Merkel said nothing had changed.We want a two-state solution, she said Thursday. We don't think unilateral steps are further helpful.She said despite Sarkozy's remarks, both Germany and France are pushing for the same thing — the resumption of negotiations.We believe we should concentrate on that, and I think France is also working in this direction, she said.Abbas said the unified Palestinians will promote peace, not hinder it.
The signing of the reconciliation between the Palestinians will not have any influence on the peace process, Abbas said.Quite the opposite, it will support the process and strengthen the two-state solution.He said Palestinians are willing to accept the outlines of a peace agreement proposed by Britain, France and Germany.
That proposal calls for an immediate halt to settlement activity by the Israelis, a solution to the question of Palestinian refugees and agreement on the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of both countries and on borders before the 1967 Mideast war, with approved land swaps. It also calls for security arrangements that respect Palestinian sovereignty and protect Israel, and prevent a resurgence of terrorism.We have said that negotiations are the way for reaching a solution, Abbas told reporters.We explained again that we are willing to accept the three-party solution that Germany, France and the UK have given the Security Council as the basis ... for the return to the negotiations.Sarkozy has long promoted a greater role for France and Europe in the peace process. He was expected to discuss a relaunching of the peace process in his talks with Netanyahu later Thursday. France expects him to take the risk of peace,Sarkozy said in the interview.Greg Keller can be reached at http://twitter.com/Greg_Keller-David Stringer in London, Matthew Lee in Rome and David Rising in Berlin contributed to this report. Josef Federman reported from Jerusalem.
Abbas now responsible for Israeli soldier: family
– Thu May 5, 12:02 pm ET
JERUSALEM (AFP) – The parents of an Israeli soldier detained in Gaza have urged Israel to hold Mahmud Abbas's Palestinian Authority responsible for his fate in the wake of a unity deal between rival groups Fatah and Hamas.In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Gilad Shalit's parents called on his government to impose punitive measures against the Fatah-dominated PA to secure their son's release.The Israeli government must meet to decide on the measures to be undertaken against the Palestinian Authority on the issue of Gilad Shalit, their letter reads.
Israel must make clear to them that after the signing of the reconciliation accord, it considers them bound to apply the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war.Parents Aviva and Noam Shalit also urged the government to suspend the transfer of Palestinian tax revenue to the PA, a move which the finance minister has said he will take following the unity deal which Israel has condemned.Shlomit Almog, a lawyer for the Shalit family, told AFP they intended to raise the issue of the transfer of Palestinian funds before the supreme court.Gilad Shalit, now 24, was seized in a dawn cross-border raid in 2006 by three groups of Gaza militants including Hamas, the Islamist movement which rules the Palestinian territory.Hamas has demanded Israel's release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit's freedom, including scores of militants responsible for deadly attacks.
Israeli PM's military attache stays away from UK
– Thu May 5, 2:11 am ET
JERUSALEM – The Israeli army says the prime minister's military attache did not accompany him to Britain this week, fearing pro-Palestinian activists might try to have him arrested on war crimes charges.Maj. Gen. Yohanan Locker was deputy chief of the Israel Air Force during Israel's war in Gaza two years ago.Activists critical of Israel's conduct in Gaza have sought to arrest other Israeli officials under a British law that allows foreigners to be prosecuted for alleged war crimes committed anywhere in the world.Given the threat, the military said on Thursday that Locker was advised not to travel to Britain with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week.Other Israeli officials have also called off visits to Britain. The law has strained relations between the two countries.
