Palestinian President Unleashes Profane Rant Against China, Russia, The U.S., And His Arab Neighbours

Leaked audio recording of Mahmoud Abbas cussing out Russia, the Arabs, and China (Fatah Central Committee meeting April 19,2021) pic.twitter.com/bLngjLMXl8

— Fadi Elsalameen فادي السلامين (@Elsalameen) April 22, 2021

Washington Free Beacon: Palestinian President Unleashes Profane Rant Against Rest of the World  

Abbas says Communist China is a 'c—t,' tells 'all the Arabs' to 'go to hell' 

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas was recently caught badmouthing several countries, including the United States and his Arab neighbors, during a profanity-laced rant that raises new concerns about the 85-year-old leader's deteriorating health. 

The Arabic language rant is renewing speculation that Abbas—who is overweight and a heavy cigarette smoker—is in poor mental and physical health as he carries out his 16th year in office. 

His government is under great strain amid monumental regional shifts that have seen Israel make peace with its traditional Arab foes. 

When asked by an unidentified attendee at the Fatah political party's April 19 meeting what his message to China is on the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, Abbas went ballistic. 

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WNU Editor: I would not be surprised if he is finally replaced/told to retire/removed/etc. within a year.

U.S. Halts Funding Of UN Agency That Assist Palestinians

The Guardian: Palestinian anger over US decision to end funding for UN agency

Critics say move to end all funding for agency that assists millions of refugees could further destabilise Middle East.

Palestinians have condemned the US decision to halt funding to a UN agency that helps educate, feed and provide healthcare for more than 5 million Palestinian refugees across several countries as a “flagrant assault” on their rights.

The US state department said on Friday that it would no longer support the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which operates in the occupied territories as well as Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. It described the organisation as “irredeemably flawed”.

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More News On The U.S. Halting Funding Of The UN Agency That Assists Palestinians

U.S. ends funding of UN agency for Palestinian refugees -- Politico/AP
Trump administration to stop funding for UN Palestinian refugee program -- The Hill
Palestinians brand US aid cut to UN group 'a flagrant assault' -- BBC
After defunding UNRWA, US said seeking to limit others’ aid to it, then close it -- Times of Israel
US will fuel radicalism in the Middle East by halting Palestinian aid, Jordan says -- The Independent
For weary Palestinians, U.S. decision to end refugee funding just latest setback -- NBC
EU Pledges to Continue Backing UNRWA After U.S. Cuts All Financial Aid -- Haaretz

Palestine: Hamas Ready To Reconcile With Fatah

CNN: Hamas makes move toward Palestinian reconciliation

Jerusalem (CNN)Paving the way for possible reconciliation between the West Bank and Gaza, Hamas said Sunday it would dissolve the Gaza administrative committee, allowing a Palestinian unity government to work in its place and move toward general elections.

The announcement comes after days of indirect negotiations between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Islamist Hamas in Cairo.

Hamas said the negotiations were "an expression of Egyptian interest in Palestinian reconciliation and ending the division, and our interest to realize the hopes of the Palestinian people by achieving national unity."

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WNU editor: Fatah .... at least publicly .... is welcoming this overture .... Abbas welcomes Hamas overtures (Arutz Sheva).

More News On Hamas Ready To Reconcile With Fatah

Hamas says ready to hand Gaza to a Palestinian unity government -- Reuters
In overture to Fatah, Hamas agrees to dissolve its governing body in Gaza -- The Jerusalem Post
Rival Palestinian groups appear to move toward unity after a 10-year split -- Los Angeles Times
Hamas Says Ready for Steps to End Decade-Old Palestinian Rift -- Bloomberg
Hamas agrees to dissolve governing body in Gaza -- UPI
Hamas Moves to End Dispute with Abbas's Fatah Movement -- Voice of America
What Does Hamas Want? Islamist Olive Branch Could Be Thorn in the Side for Mahmoud Abbas -- Newsweek

Majority Of Palestinians No Longer Support The Two - State Solution

Masked Palestinian protesters throw stones at Israeli troops during clashes in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, September 21, 2015. REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD

Reuters: Most Palestinians no longer support two-state solution

More than half of Palestinians no longer support a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel, a survey released on Monday showed, rejecting the goal that has underpinned four decades of international diplomacy.

The poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, a leading research group in the Palestinian territories, found that 51 percent of Palestinians oppose the two-state solution while 48 percent support it.

The figures were down from 51 percent support and 48 percent opposition three months ago. The survey was carried out on 1,270 people in the occupied West Bank and in Gaza from Sept. 17-19.

The two-state solution - an independent Palestine existing side-by-side with Israel - has been the broad objective of negotiations since the mid-1970s and the overriding focus of U.S.-led diplomacy for the past 20 years.

WNU Editor: A depressing poll .... but not surprising in view of the current situation in the Middle East.

Hamas And Fatah Reach A Reconciliation Agreement To Form A Unity Government

Hamas And Fatah Unveil Palestinian Reconciliation Deal -- BBC

Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have announced a reconciliation deal, saying they will seek to form a unity government in the coming weeks.

It comes as the peace talks between President Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel near collapse.

Hamas and Fatah split violently in 2007. Previous reconciliation agreements have never been implemented.

Israel's prime minister said Mr Abbas would have to choose between peace with Israel and peace with Hamas.

"You can have one but not the other. I hope he chooses peace; so far he hasn't done so," warned Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr Abbas sent a delegation to Gaza for talks earlier this week.

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More News On Hamas And Fatah Reaching A Reconciliation Agreement To Form A Unity Government

Palestinian factions to form unity government -- Al Jazeera
Hamas, Abbas's PLO announce reconciliation agreement -- Reuters
Abbas, rival Hamas give reconciliation another try -- AP
Fatah, Hamas agree to form Palestinian unity government -- France 24
Hamas and Fatah announce Palestinian unity deal -- The National
Palestinian Factions Announce Deal on Unity Government -- New York Times
PLO and Hamas agree landmark unity pact -- The Guardian
Palestinian Groups Agree on Unity Government, Officials Say -- Bloomberg

State Of Palestine Is Now Recognized By The U.N.

UN General Assembly Approves Palestinian Status Upgrade -- Voice of America

The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to recognize a Palestinian state with non-member observer status.

There was jubilation on the floor of the assembly after the resolution was approved Thursday by a vote of 138 to 9, with 41 nations abstaining. Palestinians in Ramallah, on the West Bank, erupted in wild cheers, hugging each other and honking horns after the vote.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the vote underscores the urgency for a resumption of meaningful negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. He urged both sides to renew their commitment to a negotiated peace.

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More News On The UN Voting To Recognize State Of Palestine

Palestinians win upgraded UN status by wide margin -- BBC
UN vote recognizes state of Palestine; US objects -- AP
Palestinians win implicit U.N. recognition of sovereign state -- Reuters
Palestinians Upgraded to ‘Observer State’ at UN -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Palestinians win UN recognition -- The Australian/AFP
U.N. approves Palestinian 'observer state' bid -- CNN
United Nations upgrades Palestine’s status -- Washington Post
Nine nations vote against Palestinian statehood upgrade at UN, including Israel, US and Canada -- Washington Post/AP
Palestinians celebrate UN statehood vote -- AP
UN Palestinian statehood vote a personal, political victory for Abbas -- NBC
UN vote boosts Palestinian statehood aspirations, could lead to new pressure on US and Israel -- FOX News/AP
What's all the fuss about a Palestinian U.N. upgrade? -- Louis Charbonneau, Reuters

A Sign Of Hope For The Palestinians

Image of Palestinian Internet cafe via Flickr user The Advocacy Project

The Cool New Palestinians: Geeks -- Jackie Spinner, Christian Science Monitor

The West Bank and Gaza Strip is home to hundreds of tech companies, creating everything from websites to smart phone apps.

In the hip Ramallah coffee shop ZAMN, Yousef Ghandour laments the slow Wi-Fi as he launches the beta version of one of his many start-ups, a social networking site that allows users to travel through time to find connections.

Mr. Ghandour, who never wastes a moment, shares the e-books he is currently reading on his iPhone (among them, "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap ... and Others Don't"), shows off his blog, and lingers for a moment on his latest vision for a social networking site for Muslims called AnaBasili, or "I'm praying."

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My Comment: This article is a breath of fresh air .... unfortunately .... we also know that these Palestinians entrepreneurs represent only a small percentage of the entire population .... but it is a start.

Palestinians Formally Make A Bid At The UN For Statehood

Palestine's President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 66th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York, September 23, 2011. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Palestinians Formally Request U.N. Membership -- New York Times

UNITED NATIONS — Resisting American pressure, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority formally requested full United Nations membership on Friday as a path toward statehood, rejecting arguments by the United States and Israel that it was not a substitute for direct negotiations for peace in the Middle East.

Mr. Abbas handed a letter requesting the membership to Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary General, before delivering his speech at the annual General Assembly. Mr. Ban was submitting the request to the Security Council.

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More News On The Palestinians Requesting UN Membership

Palestinian UN statehood bid: live -- The Telegraph
Palestinian UN bid for statehood: live coverage -- The Guardian
Palestinian bid for statehood: Live Report -- Yahoo News/AFP
Palestinians seek full UN membership -- AP
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas makes UN statehood bid -- BBC
Palestinians make formal statehood bid at U.N. -- CBS/AP
Palestinians Submit U.N. Statehood Bid -- Wall Street Journal
Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas Asks United Nations to Recognize State -- FOX News/AP
Palestinian leader asks U.N. to recognize state -- USA Today
Many facets to Abbas' U.N. move, analysts say -- CNN
Scenarios: Miracle, muddle or mess possible for Mideast -- Yahoo News/Reuters

Palestinians Call Elections

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (C) attends a Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah January 26, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Mohamad Torokman

Amid Egypt Aftershocks, Palestinians Call Elections -- Time Magazine

Satellite television reception being crisp and clear in Ramallah, the leadership of the Palestinian National Authority watched events in Egypt on Friday, then chose Saturday to announce that they would hold new elections, after all.

Balloting for Palestinian president and the legislature was originally scheduled for 2010, but was called off because the government is divided into warring factions. According to the results of the last round of elections, the militant Islamist Hamas is the ruling party in the legislature, while Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas is the president. New elections are long overdue, but the reality on the ground is that Fatah rules the 2.4 million Palestinians who live on the West Bank, while Hamas governs the Gaza Strip, home to another 1.5 million citizens. And in response to the latest announcement, Hamas made clear that Gaza would not be participating in the proposed poll.

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More News On Palestinian Elections

Elections envisioned in Palestinian territories this year -- CNN
Palestinian Leaders Suddenly Call for Elections -- New York Times
Palestinian Authority calls elections before Sept. -- Xinhuanet
Palestinians Announce Plans for Presidential Elections -- Voice of America
Palestinians to hold elections by September -- Forbes/AP

Palestinian election plan runs into Hamas obstacle -- AFP
Hamas rejects Palestinian Authority call for election -- Baltimore Sun
Hamas fears Palestinian elections could expose its waning popularity -- Haaretz
Hamas rejects Palestinian Authority call for election -- Reuters

Internal Palestinian Disagreements And Hostilities Are Increasing With Time

Several protests condemning Abbas over the UNHRC Goldstone
vote have taken place in Gaza [AFP]

Hamas Sets New Unity Talks Terms -- Al Jazeera

A Hamas delegation is meeting Egyptian officials in Cairo to try to set a new date for the signing of a Palestinian unity deal, a spokesman for the Palestinian group has said.

Sami Abu-Zuhri told the AFP news agency that the team led by Moussa Abu Marzuk, an exiled senior Hamas official, is to hold talks with Omar Suleiman, Egypt's intelligence chief, on "a new, appropriate date for the new session of inter-Palestinian dialogue".

Abu-Zuhri said "the atmosphere is not right for the signing of an accord".

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More News On The Palestinians

Hamas says Egypt to delay Palestinian dialogue upon request -- China View
Hamas wants to delay Fatah talks -- YNET News
Palestinian gunmen clash in Gaza -- YNET News
Gaza militants say Hamas stops their rocket fire -- Reuters
Palestinians despair over resuming talks before settlement freeze -- China View
Furor Sends Palestinians Into Shift on U.N. Report -- New York Times
Fatah seeks joint action with Hamas over Gaza report -- AFP
Going under in the Gaza Strip -- BBC
Hamas bails out Gaza's losing tunnel investors -- Reuters
Palestinians barred from Old City -- Al Jazeera
Security and Defense: Temple Mt. - a tinderbox of mixed interests -- Jerusalem Post

2008 'Deadliest' Year For Palestinians: Rights Group

Photo: Palestinians attend the funeral of 15 people killed during Israeli air strikes in December 2008

From AFP:

GAZA CITY (AFP) — More than 1,000 Palestinians were killed in 2008 in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, making it the deadliest year since Israel was founded in 1948, a Palestinian rights group said on Saturday.

A total of 820 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, while 40 were killed in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, an independent organisation based in Gaza.

At least half of them were civilians, including 108 children, the centre's director Raji Sourani said as he presented the rights watchdog's annual report to the media.

In addition, 143 Palestinians, among them 25 children and 13 women, were killed in inter-Palestinian violence last year, Sourani said.

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My Comment: As long as Hamas continues their policy of war against Israel (and fighting against other Palestinians), there is a very good chance that these stats will be repeated this year.

Palestinian Poll: 40 Percent Of Gaza Residents Wish To Emigrate

From Haaretz:

A Palestinian poll released on Thursday showed that most residents of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip wish to emigrate, compared to 25 percent in the West Bank.

The coastal territory is currently under an Israeli blockade, imposed by Israel in response to cross-border attacks by Gaza militants. According to the poll, 74 percent of Gazans support continuing the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in the Strip that is set to end next week.

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We Talk Or Go To Polls, Abbas Tells Hamas

From The Independent:

The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, who is facing a growing challenge from Hamas to the legitimacy of his rule, threatened yesterday to call elections unless the Islamic militant group agreed to a reconciliation with his Fatah movement.

Hamas, which staged an armed takeover of Gaza in June 2007, and Fatah, which controls the West Bank, were to hold talks earlier this month in Cairo to try to resolve their differences. But Hamas decided not to take part, citing continued arrests of its followers by Mr Abbas's security forces.

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Hamas To Accept Dialogue If Fatah Frees Its Prisoners

From The China View:

GAZA, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement on Thursday said it can withdraw its boycott of inter-Palestinian dialogue if its political prisoners in West Bank are freed.

The Egyptian-sponsored dialogue was due to start on Nov. 9 but Egypt postponed it after Hamas, who claimed more than 600 of its members are confined in West Bank prisons, decided to quit.

"We are ready to join the dialogue when our political prisoners are released and when West Bank-based members of our delegation to the dialogue are allowed to travel," Hamas spokesmen said in a press conference held in Gaza city.

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Abbas Accuses Hamas Leaders Of 'Not Wanting' Reconciliation

From The Daily Star:

RAMALLAH, Occupied West Bank: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas launched a bitter attack Tuesday on the Hamas movement, which controls Gaza, as a divided nation marked the fourth anniversary of historic leader Yasser Arafat's death. Abbas accused Hamas of sabotaging efforts to mend the rift in Palestinian ranks created by its seizure of Gaza last year and of using force to prevent any commemorations for Arafat in the coastal territory.

Speaking at Arafat's graveside at his political headquarters in the Occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, Abbas blamed Hamas for the abandonment of planned reconciliation talks due to have been held in Cairo Sunday, accusing it of "not wanting dialogue."

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My Comment: They expect Abbas like the Bush administration to be gone very soon.

Analysis: Cairo Concludes Fatah-Hamas Chasm Will Not End Anytime Soon

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh have agreed that Hamas and Fatah will form a unity government. Getty Images (Photo from Der Spiegel)

From The Jerusalem Post:

Fatah and Hamas representatives were supposed to meet at "reconciliation" talks in Cairo this week under the auspices of the Egyptian government and the Arab League.

However, the negotiations were called off by the Egyptians, who reached the conclusion that the gap between the rival Palestinian parties remained as wide as ever.

The week that was supposed to mark the beginning of a new era in relations between Fatah and Hamas has turned into one of mutual accusations, threats and bad-mouthing.

The Egyptians, along with several Arab countries, are now convinced that the split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is a long-term phenomenon. Many Palestinians have also come to accept the fact that they now have two mini-states.

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My Comment: The Egyptians are right.

Where Now For Palestinian Unity?

Although inter-faction fighting has ebbed, political reconciliation remains elusive
[GALLO/GETTY]

From Aj Jazeera:

The emnity between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah seems yet further entrenched, after Cairo-brokered reconciliation talks between the two groups broke down before they had even officially begun.

The Palestinian national dialogue, due to be held on Monday in the Egyptian capital, was to have been attended by all the major Palestinian political factions.

The main aim was to find some way of bridging the acrimonious divide between Hamas and Fatah following the bloody infighting that lead to Hamas seizing control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007 - pushing out security forces loyal to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and the head of Fatah.

Tellingly, when the news first broke on Saturday that the talks were off, there was confusion about why they had collapsed and who was responsible.

News agencies reported that Hamas was boycotting the event.

Not long after, Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas official denied they had withdrawn from the talks, saying the Egyptian authorities had postponed the conference because "there was a bad atmosphere between the two sides that would have most likely led to the failure of the talks".

Fatah blamed Hamas for the talks falling through, with Nabil Abu Rudeina, a spokesman for Abbas, saying they had also lost "the opportunity to regain Palestinian unity".

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No Peace Between Israel And The Palestinians This Year

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reviews an honour guard during a welcoming ceremony at Romania's presidential palace in Bucharest November 3, 2008.
(Bogdan Cristel/Reuters)

Abbas Sees No Peace Deal With Israel This Year
-- Yahoo News/Reuters

BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Israel and the Palestinians will not be able to reach a peace agreement before Washington's target date of the end of this year, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday.

"I don't think it's possible to clear an accord by the end of this year as both the U.S. and the Israeli administrations are now busy with other matters and the very short time does not allow for striking such a deal," Abbas said at the start of a two-day visit to Romania.

"I would like to say after the election processes are over, we will resume negotiations and contacts to clear all the outstanding files in discussion. We will try to close these files because up until now none have been closed," he said, speaking through an interpreter.

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My Comment: I would add a few more years to this prediction.

After Abbas, There Is No One To Lead Fatah

Fatah Militants (Photo from Sydney Morning Herald)

Leadership Vacuum Feared After Abbas -- Washington Times

Term ends in January; Fatah, Hamas can't agree on elections

TEL AVIV | A constitutional crisis is brewing in the Palestinian territories that could make the dim prospects of Arab-Israel peace even more remote.

The four-year presidency of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas ends Jan. 8 and, so far, his Fatah party and Hamas haven't reached agreement on the terms for a new presidential election.

Palestinians fear a failure to resolve the crisis could embolden Hamas, which took over Gaza 20 months ago, encourage political violence and further undermine the Abbas-led Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

"There is a political crisis of legitimacy," said Sam Bahour, a Palestinian businessman and political analyst. "Abbas has already proven that he is willing to stretch the law as much as possible to avoid a political vacuum, and the question is whether he will do it again now. People are very worried about what comes next."

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My Comment: After Abbas, there is no one of substance to lead Fatah.

Hamas And Fatah Looking For Common Ground

Hamas Agrees To Egypt Plan For Palestinian Unity -- West Australian

Hamas tentatively agreed today to an Egyptian proposal for reconciliation between the Islamist movement and the rival Fatah faction of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

“We will agree to the draft of the agreement and will not reject it, but there needs to be guarantees that what is agreed upon will be implemented,” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum told AFP.

“Hamas will work towards the success of the Egyptian effort to reach a national reconciliation that protects our principles, preserves our blood and unites our people,” he said.

But he said Hamas would request some changes.

“The draft contains positive elements, but also has some points that need to be modified and some points that need clarification from the Egyptian leadership.”

The two main Palestinian movements have been bitterly divided since Hamas drove Abbas’s security forces from the Gaza Strip in a week of fierce street clashes in June 2007, cleaving the territories into hostile rival camps.

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My Comment: The first step on a very long journey. But personally, I believe that both sides are too far apart for any hope of reconciliation.