19 septembre 2009
Merkel: Settlement freeze possible this fall
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has estimated that Israel will freeze construction in settlements by this fall, the London-based Al-Hayat reported Saturday. Merkel was asked about the matter during a press conference Friday and answered, "I do not think it is hopeless to reach progress on this issue soon, and especially this fall." Merkel referred to her meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Berlin last month, saying she had left feeling hopeful. "This issue may require more time and patience," she added. Merkel was also asked why Israel insisted on being recognized as a Jewish state by its Arab neighbors as a precondition for a settlement in the Middle East, and if the demand would not make the lives of its 1.5 million Arab citizens worse. "In Germany we also speak of a German nation, but without discriminating against anyone belonging to a different race," she answered. (18,49)
Abbas: Settlement construction main impediment to peace talks
The Foreign Ministry on Saturday said Palestinian preconditions for resuming negotiations are the main impediment to the peace process, rejecting Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's claims that Israel is responsible for the current stagnation because of its unwillingness to halt all settlement construction in the West Bank. The peace process is currently stagnant because of Israel's unwillingness to halt all settlement construction in the West Bank, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday. According to a report on Israel Radio, Abbas, following his meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, also said that progress on the matter was unlikely to be achieved until George Mitchell, the US Mideast envoy, returned to the region after the upcoming UN General Assembly gathering. In his latest visit this week, Mitchell, who met repeatedly with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Abbas, failed to secure an agreement which would pave the way to a renewal of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. On Friday, Saeb Erekat, the lead negotiator for the Palestinians, was quoted by Israel Radio as saying the United States wanted both a tripartite meeting between President Barack Obama, Netanyahu and Abbas, and a situation where Israel could continue to build settlements, but would not get its wish. The deep gaps between the Israeli and Palestinian positions raised doubt about Obama's plans to revive Mideast peace efforts, including the possibility of holding a trilateral meeting next week in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The key disputes are over West Bank settlement expansion and whether peace talks should begin where they left off.(16,32)
Chief armor, combat intelligence, artillery and engineering officers grant Ynet special holiday
Three years after the missed opportunities of the Second Lebanon War and less than one year after the accomplishments of Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, the IDF is gearing for the next war, which is unlikely to spare central Israel, Ynet reported. Four of the Israeli Defense Forces senior commanders spoke to Ynet about the challenges of the armed conflict looming ahead. "We are not heading towards war but we are getting ready for one – there's a big difference," says Combat Intelligence Corps Commander Brig.-Gen. Eli Polack. A veteran of the intelligence community Polack said the lessons learned form the summer of 2006 are extensive and that the IDF has since upgraded its training, weapons and operational battle plans. "The most important thing is the fundamental change the army underwent since then, both inside and out." Today's soldiers know what they are up against, says Armor Corps Commander Brigadier-General Agai Yehezkel. "No one thinks encountering the enemy will be a walk in the park, and we're making the effort to bolster field commanders' confidence. "Everyone knows we cannot afford a repeat performance the likes of the Second Lebanon War. There's a newfound understanding that when you go to war – you war until the very end." The war, they all agree, was somewhat of a life-changing event as far as the military was concerned; and the different approach to military campaigns was evident during the Israeli offensive in Gaza. The future, however, is a different story altogether. Nevertheless, said Yehezkel "Every commander is well aware of the difference between Gaza, with its minor, though dramatically-seeming firepower, and what might happen in the north. The challenge will be dealing with asymmetric fighting, which amplifies the innate firepower of explosives and anti-tank weapons, along with long-range rocket capabilities. (12,16)
Hamas: Too soon to declare Shalit talks a failure
A senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, Ahmed Youssef, on Saturday said that it was too soon to declare prisoner exchange talks between Israel and Hamas a failure, and that the group still required more time to formulate a deal that would see the release of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. "Even the German mediator is still studying the progress made in past talks," Youssef said. Youssef, a senior foreign ministry official for Hamas, added that it would take more than a few days or weeks. "There are points of serious disagreement alongside points that can be resolved," he said, adding that Israel was still refusing to release Palestinian prisoners sentenced to particularly long jail terms, whose freedom Hamas is demanding in exchange for Shalit. Israel has said in the past that there were several prisoners on Hamas' list that it was willing to release on the condition that they not be allowed to return to Gaza. Youssef explained that the contention between Hamas and Israel was not over whether to release these prisoners to the West Bank, Gaza, or elsewhere, but rather over their very release. On Friday, activists fighting for the release of Shalit held a Rosh Hashanah dinner at the protest tent erected across from the prime minister's home in Jerusalem. On Thursday, Shalit's father Noam arrived at the Karni border crossing between Israel and Gaza to deliver a package addressed to his son on the occasion of the holiday. Gaza resident and reporter Sami Abid took the package and assured Noam Shalit that it would reach its intended recipient. The package contained, among other things, letters from Shalit's family, apples, pomegranates, honey, a shirt, hygiene products, a bottle of wine and candy. In exchange for the delivery of the package, Israel permitted the delivery of 100 copies of the Koran to Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. (12,14)
Erekat claims Mitchell failed so far to get settlement halt
Top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said early Friday afternoon that the US envoy has failed to secure an Israeli agreement to halt settlement activity, but that the discussions are continuing. "There is no agreement yet with the Israeli side and no middle ground," said Erekat. Israel reportedly is ready for a settlement construction freeze of up to nine months or so. A Kol Yisrael reporter says that a senior official in the office of Palestinian Authority President Abbas told him that it would be enough for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to announce a readiness to stop settlement construction and to discuss the status of Jerusalem in order to pave the way for a three-way summit of Abbas-Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September. (12,00)
EU calls for halt to settlement activity
The European Union on Friday urged Israel "to immediately end all settlement activities, including in East Jerusalem," in a statement issued by the EU's Swedish presidency. Stressing the urgency of a durable solution in the Gaza crisis, the 27-member bloc also called for the "immediate and unconditional" opening of crossings for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons to and from Gaza. The statement came one day after EU leaders met informally in Brussels to discuss financial and economic issues ahead of the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh. "The European Union remains committed to a comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. We strongly support the United States' vigorous pursuit of a two state-solution and call on the parties to fully engage in resumed negotiations to create a viable Palestinian state on the basis of the June 1967 borders, living side by side in peace and security with the State of Israel," the statement said. The EU urged the Palestinian Authority "to continue in its efforts to improve security and the rule of law, building on the achievements reached so far." The EU underlined the importance of the Arab Peace Initiative and invited Israel and all Arab countries "to take confidence building measures to create an atmosphere conducive to conflict resolution." The EU said it stands ready to use all instruments at its disposal in order to support comprehensive peace in the Middle East, including a lasting settlement for the conflicts between Israel and Syria and between Israel and Lebanon. (02,29)
Nasrallah: We'll never recognize Israel
The leader of Lebanon's Hizbullah vowed on Friday that his Shiite terror group will never recognize Israel and that no Arab state has the right to do so either. Hassan Nasrallah spoke in a televised address to ceremonies marking Quds Day, an annual occasion created by Hizbullah's ally Iran to show support for the Palestinians. Quds is Arabic for Jerusalem. "No one has the right to recognize this entity (Israel) or approve its legitimacy," the black-turbaned Nasrallah said in a speech broadcast through a giant screen from a secret location to thousands of supporters who gathered in the group's stronghold south of Beirut. Nasrallah has been hiding since the Second Lebanon War almost continuously, for fear Israel might liquidate him if he shows up in public. Nasrallah's comments came hours after President Barack Obama's special Mideast envoy was unable to bridge wide gaps between Israelis and Palestinians on the terms of renewing peace talks. Mitchell had urged the Arab world to take steps toward normalizing relations with Israel as he pressed Israel to halt construction of settlements in the West Bank. (02,28)
New York's Helmsley Hotel said on Friday it canceled a banquet set for next week when it learned Iranian President Mahmoud Ahma
New York's Helmsley Hotel said on Friday it canceled a banquet set for next week when it learned Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was on the guest list, saying the man who called the Holocaust a lie was not welcome. Ahmadinejad was due in New York next week to attend the UN General Assembly, and his public appearances outside the meeting have generated controversy in recent years. "As soon as Helmsley corporate management learned of the possibility of either the Iranian mission or President Ahmadinejad holding a function at the New York Helmsley Hotel, they immediately ordered the cancellation of that function," hotel spokesman Howard Rubenstein said in a statement. "Neither the Iranian mission nor President Ahmadinejad is welcome at any Helmsley facility," the statement said without saying why. A group called United Against Nuclear Iran told the hotel that Ahmadinejad was on the guest list, he said. The New York Post reported the banquet was booked months ago by an Iranian student group. Ahmadinejad on Friday called the Holocaust "a lie based on an unprovable and mythical claim" in comments to worshipers at Tehran University, (02,25)
U.S. calls UN Gaza report unfair to Israel
The Obama administration sharply criticized a UN report Friday alleging that Israel committed multiple war crimes in its Gaza war this year. The State Department statement ended nearly a week of muted reactions to findings already rejected by Israel. The State Department said the conclusions of a UN commission headed by South African Justice Richard Goldstone were unfair to Israel and did not fully deal with the role in the conflict of the militant Palestinian group Hamas. It said the United States objected to a recommendation that Israeli actions be referred to the International Criminal Court. "Although the report addresses all sides of the conflict, its overwhelming focus is on the actions of Israel," spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters. While the report makes overly sweeping conclusions of fact and law with respect to Israel, its conclusions regarding Hamas' deplorable conduct and its failure to comply with international humanitarian law during the conflict are more general and tentative, he said. The UN report, released Tuesday, faulted Israel for civilian deaths in Gaza, saying it used disproportionate force in the offensive. About 1,400 Palestinians were killed during the three-week conflict. Israel charged that Hamas was to blame, saying its fighters placed rocket launchers and forces in crowded neighborhoods. The report also called Hamas' firing of rockets at Israeli civilians a war crime. On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the findings, saying Israel's security forces were exercising their country's right to self-defense. The United States had been largely silent until Friday, limiting its response to expressions of concern about unspecified content and the panel's mandate. That mandate was given to Goldstone and his colleagues by the UN Human Rights Council this year, before President Barack Obama decided to end the Bush administration's policy of snubbing the body and join it. Kelly said Friday that the United States wanted to keep discussion of the report within the council and had very serious concerns about a recommendation that it be raised at other bodies, including the International Criminal Court. "We note in particular that Israel has the democratic institutions to investigate and prosecute abuses, and we encourage it to use those institutions," he said. U.S. officials also are troubled by the possibility that Arab states and others might attempt to raise the report at next week's UN General Assembly session. Kelly said it was important for the world to remain focused on trying to relaunch Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. "We hope efforts related to the Middle East at the Human Rights Council and other international bodies will look to the future and how we can support the goal of a two-state solution," he said. (02,21)
Clinton warns Iran against continued nuclear defiance
Iran risks more international isolation and economic pressure if it continues to defy the world community over its nuclear ambitions, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday. Clinton told an audience at the Brookings Institution that talks next month between Iran and major powers concerned over its nuclear strategy represented a choice for Tehran and that there would be consequences for choices made. "Iran has refused for years to address the international community?s great concerns about its nuclear program," she said. "There will be accompanying costs for Iran's continued defiance: more isolation and economic pressure, less possibility of progress for the people of Iran. "We have made clear our desire to resolve issues with Iran diplomatically. Iran must now decide whether to join us in this effort." Iran has repeatedly said it will not agree to use the Oct. 1 meeting with major powers to negotiate away its right to a nuclear program, which it says is for producing nuclear energy. Israel, the United States and other Western countries are concerned the nuclear enrichment program is aimed at producing a weapon and Clinton said again that next month's talks must address the issue head-on. The international group, known as the P-5 plus 1, is made up of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - as well as Germany. Clinton said it was time for Iran to demonstrate that it is serious about allaying international concern. "Our concern is not Iran's right to develop peaceful nuclear energy but its responsibility to demonstrate that its program is intended exclusively for peaceful purposes," the secretary of state said. "This is not hard to do. Iran's continued refusal to cooperate has damaged the credibility of its claim that it does not seek a nuclear weapon." She added that she did not want to prejudge the potential outcome of the discussions, but repeated that Washington was "not in this just for the sake of talking". "We are to move forward, see what if any changes in approach, attitude, actions the Iranians are willing to entertain," she said. (02,20)