09 mai 2009
Meshal: We won't accept two-state solution
The Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas will not accept a two-state solution as a means to end the conflict with Israel, the movement's Damascus-based politburo chief Khaled Meshal said Saturday. Meshal said that Hamas rejects the two-state solution but could still be part of a national unity government if a Palestinian state is established based on 1967 borders. Meshal told the New York Times last week that Hamas has agreed with the rival Fatah movement to a state based on 1967 borders, including East Jerusalem, the dismantling of settlements and a right of return for Palestinians. He said such a deal could be the basis for a long-lasting ceasefire. Some analysts saw the remarks as an indirect recognition of Israel. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, will continue its dialogue with Fatah in Cairo on May 16. The goal is the formation of a national government. The two-state solution, which is supported by the United States and the European Union, has not been accepted by Israel's new government under the premiership of Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile Saturday, Meshal warned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas against asking his prime minister to form a new government. Hamas and Abbas' Fatah movement have held negotiations for months in efforts to form a unity government. But an Abbas aide has signaled that the Egypt-brokered talks had failed, and that the Palestinian president would soon ask his prime minister, Salam Fayyad, to form a new government without Hamas. Fayyad had stepped down in March to clear the way for the latest round of unity talks. Meshal said reconciliation talks were ongoing and warned that such unilateral steps by Abbas would lack legitimacy. He spoke during a meeting of Damascus-based Palestinian groups Saturday. (00,16)
Hizbullah slams statements by senior UN envoy who criticized group's actions beyond Lebanon
The Lebanese group Hizbullah has condemned recent comments by a senior United Nations envoy in which he criticized the organization for providing support to Palestinian fighters in Gaza via Egypt. Saturday's statement by Hizbullah accused Terje Roed-Larsen of supporting Israel and said his position provided cover for Israeli "criminal practices." Roed-Larsen is the UN Chief's envoy dealing with implementation of a 2004 Security Council resolution that includes demands for Hizbullah's disarmament. Larsen on Thursday criticized Hizbullah's admission that it supported fighters in Gaza from Egypt and said there is growing concern the group has engaged in militant activities beyond Lebanon. Roed-Larsen said that in recent weeks, "There has been a growing concern that Hizbullah has engaged in clandestine and illegal militant activities beyond Lebanese territory." He cited Egypt's announcement on April 8 that it had uncovered a plot by 49 men linked to Hizbullah to destabilize the country by carrying out "hostile operations" on Egyptian institutions and Israeli tourists. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was alarmed by Hizbullah's admission that it was indeed helping the Palestinians via its actions in Egypt, Larsen said. (19,08)
Former Iranian PM to run for president
Former Iranian Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi formally submitted his candidacy to run for president of the country on Saturday. Mousavi, affiliated with the reform party, is considered the most significant challenger of current Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is running for reelectionThe only two reformist challengers to hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in upcoming elections vowed Saturday to bring change to Iran and restore the country's dignity. Mir Hossein Mousavi, the leading reformist candidate in the June 12 vote, said he will improve Iran's economy and relations with the international community that suffered under Ahmadinejad's hard-line rule. "I've come to be a means of restoring Iranian power, dignity and identity," Mousavi told reporters after formally registering as a candidate Saturday. The other reformist challenger, Mahdi Karroubi, said he will reverse Ahmadinejad's policies that brought international isolation and harmed Iran's economy. He said reformists view Ahmadinejad and his allies "as weak for administering the country." "I've come for change," Karroubi told reporters after registering as a candidate. (19,05)
08 mai 2009
UN team probing Gaza war to visit Strip
Two days after Israel blasted a UN report that claims the IDF failed to take adequate precautions to ensure that UN installations and civilians would not be harmed during Operation Cast Lead, a team set up to probe alleged war crimes announced its plans to visit Israel and the Gaza Strip soon. The fact-finding mission appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate rights violations during the Gaza war also renewed a call for Israel to support their investigation. Richard Goldstone, who heads the four-member mission, stressed his team will adopt a law-based approach in preparing its report to UN Human Rights Council in July, and will investigate alleged rights violation by both Israel and Hamas. "I would like to emphasize that we will focus our investigation not on political considerations, but on an objective and impartial analysis of compliance of the parties to the conflict with their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law, especially their responsibility to ensure the protection of civilians and non-combatants," said Goldstone, a former UN war crimes prosecutor. "I believe that an objective assessment of the issues is in the interests of all parties, will promote a culture of accountability and could serve to promote greater peace and security in the region," the South African judge said. The mission intends to conduct visits to Southern Israel, to the West Bank and to Gaza, and has requested the cooperation of the Israeli government in this regard. The other members of the team include Christine Chinkin, Professor of International Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science at the University of London; Hina Jilani, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and former Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders; and Colonel (retired from the Irish Armed Forces) Desmond Travers, member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for International Criminal Investigations (IICI). On Wednesday, President Shimon Peres told reporters that IDF forces did not intentionally aim at civilians or United Nations facilities during Operation Cast Lead, but acknowledged that Israel may have made "some mistakes." Speaking after a private meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Peres repeated the government's position that it would not accept "one word" of a report about attacks on UN facilities during the war that was released Tuesday. The report, commissioned by Ban in February, blamed Israel for failing to take adequate precautions to ensure that UN installations and civilians sheltering in them would be protected from shells or other fire intended for Hamas terrorists. According to the UN report, the IDF was responsible for fatalities and damage in six cases, including a strike that killed people sheltering at a Gaza school. (22,14)
Obama renews sanctions against Syria due to 'serious concerns'
Despite sending two top officials to Damascus this week to try to improve ties, the US has decided to renew sanctions against Syria due to "serious concerns" over the country's behavior, an Obama administration official said on Friday. One of US President Barack Obama's first foreign policy moves was to reach out to Syria as part of a new approach to the Mideast, but State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the renewal of sanctions is not a contradiction in US policy toward Syria. "We have very serious concerns about Syrian behavior," he said. "And those haven't gone away. But what we're saying is instead of isolating Syria, we're willing to engage them." "The president felt it was necessary to take these measures," Wood said, noting that by law Obama is required by law to review the sanctions every year and report to Congress. "The Syrians have said a lot of very positive things, but we need to see actions," Wood said. "And as far as I'm aware, they haven't taken any steps that - at this point - would lead us to change, to move in another direction right now." Obama signed an executive order on Thursday renewing the sanctions, shortly after senior State Department official Jeffrey Feltman and White House National Security Council official Daniel Shapiro met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem in Damascus. Bush first imposed the sanctions in May 2004, citing Syrian support for terrorism, its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and other activities including efforts to undermine US operations in Iraq. The sanctions are meant to target terror groups such as Hizbullah, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, and aim to limit Syria's arms procurement. The sanctions also affect the national airline company "Syrian Air." Washington has not had an ambassador in Damascus since Margaret Scobey was recalled in 2005. During their visit in Syria on Thursday, the two US envoys assured the government in Damascus that the US is committed to pursuing a comprehensive Middle East peace that would include the Syria-Israel track. "We came here today as part of President Obama's commitment to use diplomacy, to use dialogue in order to try to see where we can move forward, where our interests overlap, and to see where we can try to work together to bridge the differences that remain in some of our policies," Feltman said. Their trip was part of the Obama administration's outreach to nations shunned by former president George W. Bush, including Syria's close ally Iran. (22,11)
Jerusalem worried over breakdown of U.S.-Israel cooperation under Obama
Senior officials in Jerusalem expressed concern recently over the sharp decline in the coordination between Israel and the United States on security and state affairs since President Barack Obama's entered the White House and especially since the formation of Israel's new government, Haaretz reported. Senior White House officials told their Israeli counterparts that Obama will demand Netanyahu completely suspend construction in the settlements, the officials said. "Obama's people brief their Israeli counterparts in advance much less about security and Middle East policy activities than the Bush administration used to," the officials said. In addition, when they do brief Israeli officials, they don't consult with them or coordinate their statements in advance. This has caused several coordination "malfunctions" between the two states in the past two months, they said. The last incident was the statement of Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller, calling on Israel to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The statement had not been coordinated with Israeli officials in charge of the nuclear issue and they heard it first from the media. This followed other equally problematic incidents. The American policy shift toward Syria and opening direct talks with Damascus followed minimal coordination with Israel. For example, Israel was not briefed about senior American diplomats' trip to Damascus, which the U.S. had initiated. Another incident concerned U.S. envoy for Iranian affairs Dennis Ross' trip to the Gulf states a few days ago for talks on Iran. Israel was briefed on the trip in general details, but no consultations or message-coordination took place before the trip. In addition, Ross did not pass through Israel on his way to the Gulf or back to brief Israel on the talks' outcome. The American policy toward Iran has remained generally ambiguous as far as Israel is concerned and the administration has not outlined to Israel its plan for a dialogue with Iran in an orderly way. Many of the details Israel learned about this plan were obtained via European channels. The Israeli officials said the problem also stems from the government change in both states and because clear work procedures between the sides have not been set established. "This will be one of the most important things Netanyahu will have to settle with Obama," a senior official said. However, the official said the new administration no longer seems to see Israel as a "special" or "extraordinary" state in the Middle East, with which the U.S. must maintain a different dialogue than with other states. "The feeling is that the dialogue and coordination with the Arab states and with Europe is today no less important to the U.S. and perhaps more so than with Israel," the official said. Uzi Arad, the official in the Prime Minister's Office in charge of the liaison with the American administration, maintains ties with various American officials but has not yet forged a direct channel to his counterpart, National Security Advisor General James L. Jones. Arad is scheduled to go to Washington next week to prepare for Netanyahu's trip. Arad will outline the first chapters of Israel's new foreign policy, with an emphasis on the Palestinian and Iranian issues, at his meeting with Jones next Tuesday in Washington ahead of Obama's meeting with Netanyahu May 18. The Americans are expected to tell Arad what Obama expects of his meeting with Netanyahu and coordinate the meeting's agenda, issues and the two men's statements in the news conference after the meeting. The Americans are also expected to brief Arad on the talks between American and Syrian officials in Damascus on Thursday. During the Olmert government, Israeli officials kept very close ties with their counterparts in the American administration. This included advanced briefings about almost every American move. The Israelis were even briefed about former president George W. Bush's speeches or former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice's foreign policy statements. Former prime minister Ehud Olmert used to have regular conversations with Bush while former foreign minister Tzipi Livni kept in touch with Rice. Olmert's chief of staff Yoram Turbowicz and political advisor Shalom Turgeman coordinated foreign policy activities with National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and his deputy Elliot Abrams. (11,37)
07 mai 2009
Syrian FM: There's no need to amend Arab peace initiative
Syria's foreign minister on Thursday rejected amending an Arab peace offer to Israel to make it more acceptable to Jerusalem, saying there's no justification for making another concession. Arab diplomats have said that the US has asked Arab nations to amend the 2002 land-for-peace proposal as part of a new approach to peacemaking. Jordan's king Abdullah II said Wednesday a new "combined approach" currently under discussion with the US would have Israel, Syria, Lebanon and other nations sitting down together to try to resolve the Middle East conflict. The idea is the latest indication that the Obama administration is trying to build on the shared interest of its Arab allies and Israel in blunting the threat from Iran. 's no justification for making another concession. "It is not possible to amend the Arab peace initiative. ... I don't see any justification for amending this initiative," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem told a news conference with the foreign ministers of Finland and Estonia. (17,20)
Abbas to form new government without Hamas deputies
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas plans to ask his prime minister within the coming week to form a new government without the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers, signaling a breakdown in unity talks with the Islamic militant group. "Months of power-sharing talks between Abbas' Fatah movement and Hamas have gone nowhere. If they continue like this, it could last for years," aide Yasser Abed Rabbo said. "Formation of a new government enjoys external support," he added, referring to Egypt, which has mediated the floundering power-sharing talks. There was no immediate comment from Egyptian officials. Abed Rabbo said the next round of Egyptian-brokered contacts would take place on May 16 as planned. But Hamas shared his pessimism regarding their outcome. "This announcement sabotages the Palestinian unity talks, it's a big blow to the Egyptian efforts and proves Fatah isn't sincerely interested in achieving unity," said Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas politician in Gaza. The Palestinians have had two rival governments since Hamas violently seized control of Gaza from Abbas' forces in June 2007. Abbas has ruled from his West Bank stronghold since then. Abbas' prime minister, Salam Fayyad, stepped down in March to clear the way for the latest round of unity talks. "Fayyad will head the new government," Abed Rabbo said. The sides remain deadlocked over Fatah's insistence that Hamas yield to international demands to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept existing agreements between Israel and the Palestinians. Mahmoud Ramahi, a Hamas official in the West Bank, said his movement could not accept these demands under any condition. While efforts to reconcile the Palestinians sputtered, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the appointment of a committee to examine ways to help rally the West Bank's economy. The committee is part of Netanyahu's vision of economic peace with the Palestinians. Netanyahu has said the Palestinians aren't ready to govern themselves and has so far resisted international pressure to endorse the concept of Palestinian independence. He wants to focus instead on bringing greater prosperity to the West Bank to lay the groundwork for future peace efforts. He is to head the five-member panel, which will also include Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. As defense minister over the last two years, Barak resisted international pressure to lift a significant number of the hundreds of Israeli military roadblocks throughout the West Bank. The roadblocks badly impede the movement of people and goods and have been a major factor blocking an economic rally in the West Bank. Lieberman has repeatedly expressed contempt for the year of U.S.-backed peace talks launched in Annapolis, Maryland, in November 2007 that produced no tangible results. (17,01)
Egypt: Uranium traces do not indicate nuclear activity
The Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority chief, Dr. Mohamed al-Olali said on Thursday that the traces of uranium found in his country do not indicate any Egyptian nuclear activity. In an interview to the Arabic-language BBC radio, the chief added that Egypt was operating under full transparency with the International Atomic Energy Agency. "The IAEA knows this full well," he added. According to the British network, the Egyptian authorities claimed that the uranium traces originated in trucks carrying the residue of radioactive materials for medical purposes. The UN nuclear watchdog agency said Wednesday its inspectors have found traces of weapons-grade uranium in Egypt. A restricted report from the International Atomic Energy Agency said the particles were detected last year and in 2007, and remain under investigation. The report also said the highly enriched uranium particles were found alongside traces of low-enriched uranium particles. Both were detected at the Inshas site, northeast of Cairo, where Egypt's two small research reactors are located. On Wednesday Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit conveyed the concerns this week when US envoy Dennis Ross, who is dealing with Iran, visited Cairo. "Iran's behavior in the region is negative in many aspects and does not help in advancing security, stability and peace," he told Ross.(11,13)
Soldier killed in military operation north of Ramallah
An IDF soldier was killed Wednesday night during a Duchifat Reconnaissance Unit operational activity in the town of Bir Zeit north of Ramallah. The soldier, 20-year-old Sergeant Noam Adin Rechter Levy from Mitzpe Netofa, sustained mortal gunshot wounds to the head. The incident occurred shortly after 3 am, while the unit was conducting searches in the town. During the operation several Palestinians started a riot, which escalated into a violent clash with the soldiers, during which at least one shot was fired, hitting Rechter Levy the head. He received medical treatment on the scene, but was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting. The circumstances of the incident are being investigated. One of the options that is being examined is that Rechter Levy was killed by friendly fire. IDF forces operate routinely at night in the West Bank's Judea region. Their activity focuses on arresting Palestinians suspected of being involved in terror. Five wanted suspects were arrested in the area of the incident Wednesday night; three other have been arrested in Nablus and eight in Bethlehem. This is the military's first casualty in the last three and-a-half months. The latest fatal incident took place on January 27th, six days after the conclusion of Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip, after an explosive device blew up near a force moving close to the Kissufim crossing. An officer was killed in the explosion, and three soldiers were injured. A sharp rise in security incidents was registered in the West Bank in April. The IDF reported of 57 terror attacks taking place in the West Bank and Jerusalem, compared to 46 in March. Many of the incidents involve the throwing of Molotov cocktails at Israeli vehicles. On Wednesday Border Guard officers stationed at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron shot and killed a Palestinian man who approached a guard post and disobeyed several orders to halt. One officer was lightly wounded in the incident. (11,12)