Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: Palestinian Unity Government Will Recognize Israel But Not Israel As A ‘Jewish State’

Arab League Chief Nabil al-Arabi (L) greets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who waves to the media, before attending an Arab Foreign Ministers' meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo April 9, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Asmaa Waguih

Palestinian Unity Government Will Recognize Israel: Abbas -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signaled on Saturday that he remains committed to troubled U.S.-backed peace talks, saying that any unity government agreed with the militant group Hamas would recognize Israel.

Abbas's comments appeared aimed at soothing U.S. concerns about the unity deal he reached on Wednesday with Hamas, an Islamist faction sworn to Israel's destruction and designated by the West as a terrorist organization.

Israel suspended peace negotiations with Abbas after the reconciliation pact, and the United States said it would reconsider annual aid to the Palestinians worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Read more ....

Update #1: Palestinian unity government will recognize Israel: Abbas -- Al Jazeera
Update #2: Palestinians will never recognise Israel as ‘Jewish state’: Abbas -- Nation.pk

My Comment: The devil is always in the details .... and in this case the detail is recognizing Israel as a 'Jewish state".

Six Shin Bet Chiefs Give Their Views On Peace With Palestine

Ami Ayalon, appointed to head the Shin Bet after Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, as shown in the new documentary. (Ami Ayalon/Sony Pictures Classics)

Israel’s ‘Gatekeepers’ -- Dan Ephron, Daily Beast/Newsweek

Six Shin Bet chiefs air their views on peace with Palestine.

In the hierarchy of Israeli intelligence agencies, the Shin Bet is the equivalent of the blue-collar worker. While Mossad handles the dazzling overseas operations—abducting a former Nazi or assassinating nuclear scientists—the Shin Bet for almost a half century has managed the dirty work of Israel’s dominion over millions of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Most Palestinians view Israel as a colonial intruder, the way, say, Algerians viewed France. To tamp down Palestinian rebellions and foil attacks on Israelis, Shin Bet operatives have regularly engaged in some unsavory measures—rough interrogations and targeted killings, to name two—all in the service of maintaining Israel’s grip over territories it captured in the 1967 war.

Read more ....

My Comment: Wow .... I did not expect such bluntness from these men.

Palestinian Leadership Ignores President Obama With UN 'Non-Member' Status Bid

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a ceremony marking the eighth anniversary of the death of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah November 11, 2012 (Photo: Reuters)

Palestinian Leadership Rejects Obama's Appeal To Delay UN Recognition Move -- The Guardian

Palestinians refuse to postpone attempt to get 'non-member state' status at UN despite personal appeal by US president

The Palestinian leadership has rejected a personal appeal by Barack Obama to delay its bid to win recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations general assembly, insisting that it will submit a resolution no later than 29 November.

The US president telephoned Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, on Sunday to reiterate his opposition to the move. The Palestinians have circulated a draft resolution to the 193 countries of the UN which seeks support for "non-member state" status.

Read more ....

More News On The Palestinians Proceeding With Their Goal Of Obtaining Observer Status At The U.N.

Abbas ‘No’ Puts Obama in His Place -- Arutz Sheva
Abbas tells Obama he'll seek Palestinian UN upgrade, defying U.S. -- Reuters
Despite Obama Plea, Palestinians Forge Ahead With United Nations Plans -- Slate
Palestinian UN observer state bid by 29 November -- BBC
Palestinian UN bid by Nov 29: Palestinian negotiator -- Ahram Online
Palestinians Renew Push for Enhanced U.N. Status -- New York Times
Abbas tells Obama he's intent on UN status bid -- Jerusalem Post
PA denounces sanction threats over UN bid -- Jerusalem Post

Selling Property To A Jew Is A Capital Offense In The West Bank

Former Palestinian Intelligence Officer 'Sentenced To Death For Selling Home To Jews' -- The Daily Mail

A former Palestinian intelligence officer has reportedly been sentenced to death after it was revealed he had sold his home to Jews.

Muhammad Abu Shahala, who worked for the Palestinian Authority reportedly confessed under torture to selling his home in Hebron on the West Bank to a Jewish man.

Jewish officials are now calling for the international community to get involved to save Mr Abu Shahala's life.

Read more ....

My Comment: If the law was written in such a way that it was a capital offense to sell property to a black man in the West Bank, the U.S. would have ostracized and cut off all contact with the Palestinian authority a long time ago.

A double standard at play ..... duh!

Israeli And Palestinain Officials To Meet On Tuesday

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat at a news conference in Ramallah. He will meet Israeli envoy Yitzhak Molcho. Photograph: Mohamad Torokman/Reuters

Israeli And Palestinian Negotiators Meet For First Time In A Year -- The Guardian

Middle East Quartet attend meeting as deadline for border and security proposals nears.

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will meet on Tuesday in Amman for the first time for more than a year in an effort to get negotiations restarted.

With low expectations on both sides, the meeting between Israeli envoy Yitzhak Molcho and Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat will be hosted by King Abdullah of Jordan and attended by the Middle East Quartet – the US, EU, UN and Russia.

Read more ....

More News On Israeli - Palestinian Officials Meeting Tomorrow

Palestinians hope to salvage peace efforts at meeting with Israelis -- Washington Post/AP
Israel, Palestinians to meet Tuesday; prospects hazy -- Reuters
Israeli, Palestinian negotiators to meet this week in Jordan -- L.A. Times
Israeli and Palestinian delegates to hold first talks for 15 months -- The Telegraph
Israel minister welcomes Tuesday Palestinian meeting -- AFP
Palestinians have low expectations for upcoming talks with Israelis -- Washington Post/AP
Israeli-Palestinian meeting not resumption of peace talks: Palestinian official -- Xinhuanet
Hamas calls on Palestinian Authority to boycott peace talks with Israel -- Haaretz
Why US won't be center stage in new Israeli-Palestinian talks -- Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor
Palestinians plan diplomatic steps to put Israel under 'international siege' -- Haaretz

My Comment: My prediction .... and it is not a hard one .... nothing significant is going to come out of this meeting.

Three Options For Peace Between Israel And The Palestinians

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Mapping Mideast Peace -- David Makovsky, New York Times

A two-state solution is the only viable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and therefore negotiators must take a close look at the land swaps necessary for a negotiated settlement. These maps outline three possible land-swap scenarios, followed by a map of the Geneva Initiative for comparison. The core principle of these swaps is to reconcile the Palestinian demand for a return to the pre-1967 lines with Israel’s desire to include as many of the West Bank’s 300,000 settlers in Israel proper as possible. Any feasible scenario must include Israel's granting Palestinians arable land from within Israel’s pre-1967 border in exchange for annexed settlement blocs (clusters of settlements). It is essential that, for any land annexed by Israel as part of a deal, Palestinians receive equal amounts of land.

Read more ....

My Comment: Unfortunately .... I do not see a ground swell of support for a peace agreement in either Israel or those in the "Palestinian" territories. And for the U.S., they are now faced with this approaching lose-lose situation.

Hamas And Fatah Agree To A Unity Government

Abbas Seeks To Allay Fears On Accord With Hamas -- Washington Post

RAMALLAH, West Bank — A day after his Fatah movement initialed a reconciliation agreement with militant Islamist group Hamas, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas sought Thursday to counter warnings from Israel and suggestions in Washington that the accord would undermine peace efforts.

Meeting at his headquarters with a group of Israeli businessmen and former security chiefs advocating an Israeli peace initiative, Abbas gave assurances that the Palestine Liberation Organization, which he heads, would still be responsible for handling negotiations.

Read more ....

More News On The Fatah - Hamas Accord

Palestinian Rivals Agree to End Feud -- FOX News
Egypt Invites Palestinian Factions to Sign Unity Deal -- Voice of America

US to Reassess Palestinian Aid After Hamas-Fatah Deal -- Voice of America
PA warned aid at stake if it unites with Hamas -- Washington Times
US could reassess aid to Palestinians -- Stars And Stripes/AP

Israel rejects Palestinian unity government with Hamas -- BBC
Palestinian rivals Fatah, Hamas reach accord seen as obstacle for peace with Israel -- Washington Post
Some Palestinians Skeptical About New Reconciliation Agreement -- Voice of America
Why Israel and Obama should welcome Hamas-Fatah reconciliation -- Christian Science Monitor
Negotiations: Vindicating Israel -- Jerusalem Post
Analysis: Palestinian unity deal brings with it risks -- Reuters

Tit For Tat Military Strikes Between Israel And Hamas

Israeli soldiers run past a bus after an anti-tank missile hit it in the southern Israeli kibbutz of Sa'ad Photo: REUTERS

Death Toll Rises As Israel Strikes Gaza Strip -- The Telegraph

Dozens of Palestinians, including children and other civilians, have also been wounded in the raids, which were launched after an anti-tank missile fired by a Hamas squad hit an Israeli school bus close to the border on Thursday, seriously injuring a 16-year-old boy.

Just minutes earlier, dozens of schoolchildren had got off the bus at a local kibbutz. The missile was one of about 50 the Israeli army said had been fired across the border on Thursday.

Immediately after the attack, Israeli forces shelled the border area from which the missile had been fired, killing a 50-year-old man and wounding five others, including a young child.

Read more ....

More News On The Escalating Violence Between Israel And Gaza

Israel shells Gaza after anti-tank missile hits school bus -- The Telegraph
Israeli Strikes on Gaza Continue -- New York Times
Gaza-Israel violence rages on -- Mail & Guardian
13 killed in retaliatory Israeli strikes in Gaza -- Washington Post
Grads, mortars hit south; man killed in IDF strike -- Ynet News
Hamas threatens to esclate if Israeli raids persist -- Reuters
Hamas: Our response has been restricted -- Ynet News
Israel believes Hamas trying to establish 'balance of terror' -- Haaretz
In Israel, the Shadow of a New Gaza War -- Time Magazine
Rising violence in Gaza stirs fears of another offensive -- CNN

The Israeli-Palestinian Doomsday Scenario

From Foreign Policy Blog:

In honor of Roland Emerich's apocalyptic "2012," let's parse out a Middle Eastern doomsday scenario: the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority and the revival of the Palestine Liberation Organization as the primary governing body of the Palestinian leadership. This threat has been wielded in recent days by PA President Mahmoud Abbas and his top deputies, most notably Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who told the New York Times that the issue surrounding Abbas's resignation "is not about who is going to replace him. This is about our leaving our posts."

Read more ....

My Comment: A sobering assessment on where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is going .... and there is nothing that we in the West can do to change it.

Further Proof That The Palestinians Are Not Interested In Peace

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, speaks at the Fatah conference in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.AP

Fatah: Return J'lem Before Talks Go On -- Jerusalem Post

The sixth Fatah General Assembly decreed on Saturday that the return of both east and west Jerusalem to Palestinian control was a "red line" which was non-negotiable, and would need to be fulfilled before any peace talks with Israel could renew, Israel Radio reported.

According to the report, a document adopted by the Fatah delegates of the assembly declared that Palestinians would "continue to be sacrificed until residents of Jerusalem are free of settlements and settlers." The document went on to state that all of Jerusalem, including the surrounding villages, belonged to the Palestinians, and lands conquered following the Six Day War shared the same status as those located within the Green Line

Read more ....

My Comment: This is a non-started .... and will kill any deal when proposed.

UN: Israel Must Tear Down West Bank Barrier

From Seattle PI/AP:

JERUSALEM -- Israel must tear down its West Bank separation barrier, a senior U.N. official said Wednesday, marking five years since the International Court of Justice declared the barrier illegal and a violation of Palestinian rights.

The barrier separates Israel from the West Bank and in places cuts into Palestinian territory. Israel started building it in 2002 to stop a wave of suicide bombing attacks by Palestinians, who infiltrated across the cease-fire line.

Read more ....

My Comment: Of course the UN will guarantee NO terrorism or bombing attacks once this wall is down.

Israel - Palestinian Conflict -- News Updates For May 4, 2009

Tensions Rise After West Bank Clashes And Gaza Air Strike -- The Australian

TENSIONS in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are worsening after the arrest of four Jewish settlers, including two Israeli soldiers, for firing towards a Palestinian village and the death of two Palestinians in an Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip.

The clash involving the settlers came on the West Bank between the Palestinian village of Khirbet Safa and the Jewish settlement of Bat Ayin.

Last month in Bat Ayin, a Palestinian with an axe killed a 13-year-old boy and wounded a seven-year-old. Flare-ups between the two groups have continued since.

Read more .....

More News On the Israeli - Palestinian Conflict

Israel Faces a Hard Sell in Bid to Shift Policy -- New York Times
Israeli FM commits to peace, not Palestinian state -- AP
Lieberman begins European tour in attempt to sway EU policy on Israel -- The Guardian
More Israeli Concerns Over Changing U.S. Policy -- CBS News
Will there be rifts in U.S.-Israel relationship? -- JTA
U.N. panel to probe Gaza war crime claims -- UPI
UN experts discuss Gaza mission -- BBC
Investigators To Set Agenda For Gaza Fact-Finding Mission -- Voice Of America
Hamas plans to form govt if Egypt reconciliation talks fail -- Arab News
Poll: Palestinians divided over unity dialogue -- China View
Meshaal re-elected Hamas chief -- AFP
Palestinian Paralysis -- Strategy Page

Jordan Sees New War If US Does Not Act Quickly

President Barack Obama and Jordan's King Abdullah II, left, talk as the king leaves, Tuesday, April 21, 2009, after their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

From Yahoo News/AP:

AMMAN, Jordan – Jordan's king urged President Barack Obama Sunday to take a more forceful role in the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, warning of a new Mideast war if there is no significant progress in the next 18 months.

Speaking to NBC's "Meet the Press," King Abdullah described the Israeli-Palestinian dispute as the core problem of the region and solving it would help the U.S. in dealing with Iran and combatting the appeal of radical Islamic groups like Al-Qaida.

Read more ....

My Comment: It is hard to negotiate with the other party when they and the majority of their people are dedicated to the goal of your extinction. With Hezbollah poised to win Lebanon's parliamentary elections this summer ... the prospect of war will only increase.

PA, Hamas Won't Recognize Jewish State

Photo: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, right, meets US Middle East envoy George Mitchell in Ramallah, Friday. AP

From Jerusalem Post:

The Palestinian Authority and Hamas rejected over the weekend Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people as a precondition for resuming the stalled peace talks between the two sides.

Netanyahu made the demand during a meeting last Thursday with US special Middle East envoy George Mitchell.

Mitchell met on Friday in Ramallah with PA President Mahmoud Abbas and other top PA officials, who urged him to pressure the new Israeli government to accept the two-state solution and honor all agreements signed with Israel as a precondition for resuming the peace talks.

Read more ....

My Comment: So much for the two state proposal that President Obama and his team are promoting.

Even After Exile, Palestinian Musician Vows to Play On

Wafa Younis, head of the "Strings of Freedom" orchestra based in Jenin refugee camp, takes part in a performance for an audience, including about 10 women who survived the Holocaust, in the Israeli city of Holon near Tel Aviv March 25, 2009. Gil Cohen Magen / Reuters

From Time Magazine:

Last week's story of a troupe of young Palestinian musicians from Jenin serenading a group of elderly Jewish Holocaust survivors near Tel Aviv seemed like an improbable ray of hope on a darkening political landscape. Instead, the music has died in Jenin, and the episode has turned into another of those daily tragedies that demonstrate the widening chasm between Israelis and Palestinians.

On March 25, Wafa Younis, 51, a vivacious Israeli-Arab conductor, led her students from the Jenin refugee camp — long a cauldron of resistance against the Israelis — through a medley of Arabic and classical tunes, while the Holocaust survivors clapped along to the violins and the oriental drumming. For the young musicians, raised behind the Israeli security barrier surrounding much of the West Bank, there was an added bonus to the trip: it was the first time many of the kids had seen the Mediterranean sea, which shimmered in the Spring sunshine. The kids even coaxed the event's benefactor, Sheri Arison, a philanthropist and probably Israel's wealthiest woman, onto the dance floor.

Read more ....