14 novembre 2009
PA negotiator Erekat: We may seek UN recognition of Palestinian state
The Palestinian Authority is considering seeking recognition from the United Nations Security Council of a Palestinian state along 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital, senior negotiator Saeb Erekat told Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam in a report published Saturday. Erekat said that the Palestinian Authority has already received support for the idea from other Arab states and added that Russia and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have also apparently expressed support for the plan. Erekat also said that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is trying to garner additional support for the proposal during his current visit to South American countries. (21,08)
Iran forms unit to go after opposition on Internet
Iran has formed a special unit to monitor Web sites and fight Internet crimes, in a clear attack on an opposition that relies almost exclusively on online means to broadcast its message, local newspapers reported Saturday. Police Col. Mehrdad Omidi, who heads the Internet crime unit, said the committee will fight insults and the spreading of lies, terms widely used by the judiciary to describe opposition activities.Given the spread of Internet use, police must confront crimes taking place in the Web atmosphere, he said. A special committee has been set up to monitor the Internet and deal with crimes such as fraud, insults and the spreading of lies. Omidi specifically said the 12-member unit will intervene in political matters on the Internet should there be an illegal act. The official said the unit will operate under the direction of the prosecution office. Iranian authorities have banned most Web sites linked to Iran's opposition or those containing articles supporting the reform movement. The opposition has continued to set up new Web sites within days of the old ones being blocked. The opposition has no access to state media and has been promoting its message largely through the Internet. Iranian newspapers are warned by authorities from time to time not to publish articles in support of the opposition leaders. Iran's state radio and TV are directly controlled by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who strongly endorsed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election in June. The opposition maintains the contest was marred by fraud. It was not immediately clear exactly how the new unit would carry out its surveillance. Reform-minded journalist Akbar Montajabi described this as the latest set of restrictions being imposed on media in Iran. That police monitor Web sites and impose restrictions is nothing new. Authorities know that Internet is the one of few available channels for the opposition to make its voice heard, he said. They want to silence opposition voices. Montajabi said popular sites such as Facebook and Twitter were some of the few available channels to inform the world on what was happening in Iran after the disputed June elections and the authorities want to limit them - if not stamp out that avenue altogether. Aboutorab Fazel, manager of ILNA news agency, said Iranian police have long monitored Web sites but now they are refining their techniques to gain even more control. Almost every day, authorities impose new rules on how to operate Web sites. It is not new but they are organizing their efforts to be more effective, he said. (21,05)
Russia said to be ready to back new sanctions against Iran
Russia is reportedly ready to support stepping up sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. The daily Kommersant newspaper cites sources in the Russian administration as saying that Moscow is "100 percent" ready to back international sanctions if Iran rejects the UN-brokered proposal on uranium enrichment. According to the paper, the last word on the adoption of sanctions rests with the Russian and American presidents, who are scheduled to meet Sunday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific summit in Singapore. (21,03)
'Italy won't help Iran launch satellite'
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi pledged to Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham H. Foxman that Italy will not cooperate with Iran to launch an Iranian data communications satellite, a statement issued by the ADL said Friday. Foxman turned to Berlusconi following news reports that quoted Iranian officials as saying Italy would cooperate with Iran to launch the satellite, Foxman expressed serious concerns to the Italian prime minister Italy might be moving away from its longstanding policy of support for existing sanctions against Iran. "We welcome hearing directly from Prime Minister Berlusconi of Italy's unequivocal denial of reports to the contrary coming from Iran," Foxman said. In a meeting between Berlusconi and Foxman on Thursday, Italy's premier emphasized his country's firm commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and its unwavering support for the efforts of the United States and the international community to stymie Iran's nuclear program. "Italy has been a staunch supporter of the safety and security of Israel, a strong ally of the United States and plays an important role in the international effort to curtail Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions. The prime minister reiterated that support. We appreciate Prime Minister Berlusconi's willingness to hear our concerns and his explicit statement that Italy will not cooperate with Iran to launch a communications satellite," Foxman said after the meeting. (07,59)
13 novembre 2009
Assad to Sarkozy: If Netanyahu is sincere, let us resume talks
Following his meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday, Syrian President Bashar Assad called for an immediate resumption of peace talks with Israel. "If [Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu's intentions are sincere … we can renew talks through the appropriate mechanisms," said Assad, stressing that Turkey had proven an experienced and capable mediator thus far and should broker the next round of talks between the two countries, despite the deepening rift between Ankara and Jerusalem. The Syrian president reiterated, however, that his country would not surrender what he termed its "rights," expressing doubt that the fine print of any agreement would bring Israel to "respect those rights" in practice. Damascus would also demand guarantees from Washington for any future deal with Israel, reported Israel Radio later on Friday, citing sources in Assad's entourage. The Syrian president's meeting with Sarkozy kicked off at Paris's Elysee Palace on Friday afternoon. Prior to the meeting, Assad stated that the talks would center on issues relating to Mideast peace, adding that "France must act" to ensure progress in the region. Meanwhile, in an interview published Friday in the daily Le Figaro, Assad was critical of what he termed the US "weak link" in Mideast peace efforts and urged President Barack Obama to lay out a plan of action for renewed peace talks. Assad's visit to Paris comes two days after that of Netanyahu, giving the impression that France was positioning itself for what it has long sought - a larger role in the push for Mideast peace. On Wednesday, Netanyahu told Sarkozy during a meeting in the French capital that he would speak with Assad "anytime, anywhere" and "without preconditions." However, a member of Assad's delegation in Paris told Israel Radio on Friday that Netanyahu's comments were a "public relations exercise." He added that Damascus wanted Ankara to resume mediation between Syria and Israel. A government source clarified that the prime minister would be willing to talk directly with Assad, something that has not happened since Defense Minister Ehud Barak was serving as prime minister 10 years ago. (19,55)
Sarkozy to urge Assad today to open direct talks with Israel
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to urge his Syrian counterpart to open direct talks with Israel, when the two men meet in Paris on Friday. While the US has focused mostly on jump-starting the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, France has recently spent a lot of its energy on the Syrian track, which it believes is a critical key to Middle East peace. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told Sarkozy during a meeting in the French capital that he would speak with Syrian President Bashar Assad "anytime, anywhere" and "without preconditions." A government source clarified that the prime minister would be willing to talk directly with Assad, something that has not happened since Ehud Barak was in the post 10 years ago. Netanyahu himself has never spoken directly with Syria. Ehud Olmert held four rounds of indirect talks with the Syrians when he was prime minister, which were brokered by Turkey. But the Turkish-Israeli relationship has recently become strained, opening the door to speculation that France could mediate any new talks. The Prime Minister's Office on Thursday declined to comment on the possibility. Looking to jump into the game of Middle East peacemaking, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim told Army Radio on Thursday that his country would be willing to broker Israeli-Palestinian talks. But with both Netanyahu and Assad meeting separately with Sarkozy this week, France has held center stage in the process of late. The Prime Minister's Office denied, however, reports that Israel has passed to Sarkozy a written message for Assad. It also rejected an Al-Arabiya report that Netanyahu has said that Israel is willing to cede the Golan Heights. Vice Premier and Regional Development Minister Silvan Shalom said Thursday that such reports were "nonsense." The prime minister "is ready to resume the negotiations without preconditions. Without preconditions means that everyone will come and raise their demands. The Syrians will say we want you to withdraw fully to the borders of June 4, 1967, and we can say we would like to keep the Golan in our hands," Shalom told an audience at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. "To say that we will accept from day one their demands, then what do we need the negotiations for?" he asked. "It was the same with Egypt and the same with Jordan. Let's negotiate, not only in order to negotiate, but [to have] real negotiations." Shalom said he hoped that Assad was not exploiting the idea of Israeli-Palestinian talks to curry favor with the United States and Europe. The Syrian peace track to date has differed from the process that lead to deals with Egypt and Syria, Shalom said. Both Egypt and Jordan were willing to renounce violence, whereas Syria has continued to support terrorism against Israel. "It's like I would tell every one of you that I would like to have peace, but at the same time I'll have someone wait outside to kill you. It looks a bit strange," he said. On Wednesday in Syria, Assad said he would be willing to talk with Israel without preconditions, but he added that peace could also be obtained through "resistance." And he has no intention of breaking his ties with Iran, he said. A source in Jerusalem said that the prospects of talks with Syria were very real, but that the countries were very far from resolving the issues that divide them. One source said that any substantive progress could only be made through private talks. If the talks are public, then the political realities in both countries would make it hard for the two leaders to finalize an agreement. (09,30)
PA: Why Israel to focus on Syria
Despite Israel's denial that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a secret message of reconciliation to Syrian President Bashar Assad, the Palestinian Authority is convinced that something has changed in the Israeli approach, and that Jerusalem is now planning to focus its efforts on renewing talks with Damascus. A PA source told Ynet that the Palestinians received guarantees from two Arab states, and information from European sources that Israel has reached understandings with the American government according to which efforts will be focused on reviving the Israeli-Syrian track in the near future. The source said this does seem like another Israeli attempt to maneuver between the various channels, but more like a strategic decision on Israel's part to focus on Syria. "We understand that this time the Israelis are determined to make the most of talks in the Syrian track, after they noticed that the Palestinian leadership is not willing to discuss any options of a temporary Palestinian state," the source said. According to the source, at least on the outside, it seems the PA is not troubled by Israeli contact with its northern neighbor: "It's not the talks that are troubling, but the fact that Netanyahu will sell them to the International community, and wave it in the face of those who demand he renew talks with us." (07,39)
IDF vs. Goldstone: PR 'commando' explains war against Hamas to Americans
When it comes to public relations for Israel, Col. (res.) Ben Tzion Gruber is a one-man self-appointed PR commando unit. Deputy commander of the reserve division that served in Operation Cast Lead, Gruber has crisscrossed the United States - even before the Gaza campaign - explaining the unique way the Israel Defense Forces conducts itself in its war against Hamas terror. Gruber, from Efrat, is a businessman who serves an average of 100 days a year of reserve duty. Over the past 20 years, during which he also served as a reserve brigade commander during the second intifada, he frequently lectured to IDF units, in schools and abroad. The pay he receives for his foreign lectures "more or less covers expenses," he says. Gruber returned from the Gaza campaign with a deep awareness of the complexities of fighting terrorists operating among civilians. He bases his lectures on his own experiences, and uses films and data to illustrate the difficulty of making decisions under such circumstances. He received some of the films (particularly those showing cases where the IDF chose not to attack, so as to avoid harming civilians), from the IDF Spokesman's Office. Gruber says he wants to deliver a message to those who don't get all the facts. "The problem is when they are bombarded all the time with Goldstone, Goldstone, Goldstone. Without hearing anything from the other side, they begin to believe the report," he says. Only some of Gruber's lectures are for Jewish audiences. He also speaks on college campuses, at think tanks, in Congress and in courses for Western military forces. Foreign journalists here also consider him a good source of information about the nature of fighting in the territories. On campuses he has encountered organized, vocal opposition from Palestinian students and anti-Israeli leftist groups, in which Jews feature prominently. "They interrupt every lecture, and shout 'Liar.' Some bring their laptops and quote the Goldstone report from the Internet. It's become their bible," he says. At Brown University in Rhode Island, his picture was distributed with the caption: "Wanted for war crimes in Gaza." Still, he feels he has made an impact. "When people hear what warnings we give before we bomb the house of a terrorist, their perception changes," Gruber says. Other than the films, Gruber receives no state assistance. At least five government bodies deal with PR, but it's doubtful that any of them have managed to wage a campaign as extensive as Gruber's. For now, Gruber is limiting his activities to the United States. "I know that if I try to do the same thing in Western European countries, pro-Palestinian groups may try to have me arrested for participating in the Gaza operation," he says. (07,30)
Goldstone to Haaretz: U.S. does not have to protect Israel blindly
Judge Richard Goldstone Goldstone told Haaretz Thursday that President Shimon Peres' remarks criticizing him were "specious and ill-befitting the head of State of Israel." Peres was quoted Wednesday as calling Goldstone "a small man, devoid of any sense of justice, a technocrat with no real understanding of jurisprudence," who was "on a one-sided mission to hurt Israel." In Thursday's interview by e-mail with Haaretz, Goldstone said: "I am content to be judged by my actions over the course of my career both in terms of my professional judicial career and my voluntary service." Goldstone also said he had anticipated that the report would engender considerable criticism. "After all, no one likes to be accused of committing serious war crimes. However, I was surprised at the many nasty attacks made against me personally. In my view, it was a classic case of attacking the messenger rather than addressing the message." Goldstone also rejected the claim that the fact that he is Jewish was exploited to make it more difficult for Israelis to challenge his conclusions. "I was approached because of my experience with regard to the investigation of serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law." The Goldstone report is expected to be raised for discussion in the United Nations Security Council in the near future, and Goldstone Thursday discussed the possibility that the United States would veto any resolution that would hurt Israel when it comes to the implementation of the report's findings. "I do not believe that any nation should protect another nation blindly. I would prefer to see the United States furnish reasons for criticizing the report. The United States has supported our call for credible investigations by Israel and by the Gaza authorities, whether the PA or Hamas," he said. Goldstone reiterated statements he has made, as well as those made by a number of Israeli human rights groups, inviting an open, public investigation and categorically rejecting a probe by the Israel Defense Forces of the Gaza campaign. "It does not suffice for the military to investigate itself. That will satisfy very few people and certainly not the victims." However Goldstone stressed that "in any public inquiry, it would be open to the Israeli government and the IDF to have sensitive security information protected from public disclosure." When asked how far up the chain of command he felt such a criminal investigation should go, and whether decision-makers in government be its subject, he replied: "A criminal investigation should go as high up the chain of command, both military and civilian, as the evidence justifies." Goldstone, who is widely considered one of the fathers of transitional justice and has extolled its virtues in achieving peace and reconciliation in post-conflict societies, was asked what role he thought a truth and reconciliation commission - which received international recognition as a tool for probing the South African government's actions during apartheid - could play in contributing to a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by establishing accountability in a more constructive fashion than criminal proceedings. Goldstone said he believed it would, "on condition that it is set up to look at allegations on all sides and is established by a democratic process." Goldstone was asked how he reconciled his finding that kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit should be accorded the privileges of a prisoner of war, and calling for his immediate release as a humanitarian gesture, with the fact that Hamas is a non-state actor not bound by the Third Geneva Convention, which defines the concept of prisoner of war status. Should not Shalit be defined as an illegal abductee, the victim of a war crime, and his release not subject to the goodwill of Hamas? Goldstone replied: "In no way did we regard Hamas as a state party. We decided that it was in the interests of giving greater protection to people in the position of Gilad Shalit to extend prisoner-of-war status to them. We extended existing norms in order to do that. We based this decision on the military operations being controlled by the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention, i.e., that it was an international armed conflict." In response to the Israeli allegation that Goldstone's mandate was one-sided, he replied: "This incorrect allegation continues to be made in the attempt to discredit the report despite the fact that it is demonstrably false. The claim is based on a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution that I specifically and explicitly rejected." Goldstone also said that he had "demanded and received a balanced mandate to enable me to investigate allegations of war crimes by all sides. The government of Israel clearly knows this, as it is all a matter of public record that I discussed at the press conference announcing the inquiry and its mandate. I believe that the continued reference to the mission's mandate is yet another attempt to avoid addressing the substance of the report." Goldstone said he believed that for Israel, "this is unfortunate because the report contains the clearest finding that Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups committed serious war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity. The acceptance of those findings by the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly has been ignored completely by Israel. "I suggest that Israel has not acknowledged that because it would confer credibility on the report," Goldstone also said. Goldstone called the allegation that the report encourages terror and negates Israel's right to self-defense "quite untrue and a fallacious attempt to win opposition to what is contained in the report. "The report is based on the assumption that Israel was entitled to act in self-defense. The investigation was concerned with whether the exercise of the right to self-defense was lawful or unlawful. The condemnation in the report of the rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza is the clearest possible statement against terror, and the endorsement of the report by the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly is probably the first time that the United Nations has recognized Israel's right to act in self-defense against such terror." Goldstone also said: "Many Israelis are right to feel that the United Nations and its member bodies such as the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly have devoted inordinate and disproportionate attention to scrutinizing and criticizing Israel. This has come at the price of ignoring violations of human rights in other countries, some of them members of those very same bodies. The time has come for the investigation of all violations of international human rights law and international law whenever they are committed, in any state. "However, this disproportionate focus on Israel does not exempt Israel from respecting international law," Goldstone also said. "I would suggest that time has come for Israel to look at the allegations not only of the killing and injuring of so many civilians but also the collective punishment meted out to the people of Gaza by the substantial destruction of the infrastructure, and particularly the food infrastructure of Gaza. The debate should continue, not attempt to be silenced." (07,28)
Israel accuses Sweden of trying to change EU stance on Jerusalem
Israel has accused Sweden of trying to carry out a diplomatic coup aimed at altering the position of the European Union regarding the status of Jerusalem in a way that would define it officially as the capital of Palestine and Israel. The Foreign Ministry is trying to block the initiative among EU member states. Senior officials in Jerusalem and European diplomats perceive the initiative as putting pressure on Israel in the current political impasse in the peace process. A senior Israeli official said that earlier this week the Foreign Ministry relayed instructions to missions in EU countries, asking them to take action against the Swedish initiative on Jerusalem. One of the telegrams (which Haaretz has seen) says reports have been received on statements by senior Swedish officials and on official documents Sweden has circulated, as the holder of the rotating EU presidency, referring to Jerusalem as the capital of two states - Israel and Palestine. The reference was to speeches by Sweden's representatives during the United Nations General Assembly meet six weeks ago and during discussions in Geneva, as well as in official announcements regarding the peace process in recent weeks. The telegram also stated that some European Union countries have denied that the new phraseology was being implemented in cooperation with them. For their part, the Swedish officials claimed, according to the Foreign Ministry document, that they had gained the approval of EU member states as part of quiet consultations that they had carried out within the internal exchange of documents in the EU. A European diplomat noted that Sweden has claimed that its statements on Jerusalem reflect the position of the European Union and enjoy the full support of all country members. "What is new is the position of the government of Israel on this issue," the diplomat said. Initially, Israeli missions in Europe were instructed to investigate, discreetly, the position of the EU member states regarding the Swedish initiative, and whether this was an attempt at a diplomatic coup or an initiative that enjoys broad support. Several days later, Israeli missions were instructed to issue a protest on the matter in every one of the EU member states and take action to block it. In parallel, the deputy director at the Foreign Ministry in charge of Western Europe, Naor Gilon, met with the 27 ambassadors of EU countries in Israel and stressed that adopting such a view on Jerusalem predetermines the results of the negotiations on core issues in a permanent settlement with the Palestinians. European diplomats who attended the meeting with Gilon told Haaretz that the Foreign Ministry official had stressed that the Swedish initiative negatively affects the EU's ability to contribute and be part of the political process with the Palestinians. "Jerusalem is a very sensitive issue," he said. "We have the feeling that a new position has been adopted in the process that bypasses the institutions of the European Union." European diplomats say this is not a new position of the EU toward Israel, but a position that so far had only appeared on internal documents and was not made public as an official position. "There is serious pressure from many sides in the EU to transform this unofficial position into an official one and to determine that a two-state solution will also apply on Jerusalem," the diplomats said. Since Sweden assumed the EU presidency, tensions have characterized its relations with Israel. (07,26)