PMW: Why Abbas thinks Jewish state is a ‘delusional myth’
Abbas’s denial of Jewish history and refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state are the ideological foundations for the PA teachings that the existence of the State of Israel constitutes a theft by “Zionist gangs” and that Israel’s existence is temporary. This is not PLO rhetoric from the pre-Oslo days. This is current PA education and indoctrination and remains a most severe impediment to a genuine peace process.Abbas defined Jewish history in Jerusalem as a "delusional myth"
Netanyahu’s demand and the PA’s refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state are clearly not just a quibble over semantics, and Netanyahu’s demand is in fact a minimalist request. Any PA recognition – if it is to impact at all on peace – must include recognition that Israel is the continuation of thousands of years of Jewish history and therefore Israel has a right to exist. Furthermore, in order for these declarations to be more than mere embellishments to yet another insincere agreement, they must be immediately integrated into PA children’s education and public discourse. Without this, Abbas’ recognition of the Jewish state would be like Arafat’s recognition of Israel in 1993: a meaningless ornament to a deceptive peace process that is cited regularly by the PA to create a façade of sincerity.
PA public recognition and education of its citizens to see Israel as a Jewish state with a history and right to exist are absolute necessities if there is ever to be a Palestinian population that accepts Israel as a neighbor and truly seeks peace. For now, while Abbas’ recognition on the diplomatic level would certainly not be enough to affect this change, it is nonetheless a necessary first step in the right direction. (h/t Elder of Lobby)
Amb. Alan Baker: Arafat and the Jewish State: Setting the Record Straight
Kerry opined that he views Israel’s position “as a mistake,” considering that the “Jewish State” issue was “sufficiently addressed by UN General Assembly Resolution 181 of 1947, which recommended the establishment of independent Arab and Jewish states in Palestine.”1 He said there are “more than 30–40 mentions of a ‘Jewish state’” in the resolution, and added that the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat “confirmed that he agreed it [Israel] would be a Jewish state” in 1988 and in 2004.The debate is about our right to exist
It would appear that once again, as with previous one-sided and pre-judgmental statements, Secretary Kerry has either been ill-advised or is deliberately engaged in an effort to neutralize the “Jewish State” issue in the current negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. He is doing so by attempting to determine that the question of Palestinian support for a Jewish state was already resolved by PLO leader Yasser Arafat in 1988, and is therefore redundant and unnecessary.
This is what you found? A murmured response to the question by PLO leader Yasser Arafat in 1988, and an additional hum directed toward Haaretz journalists? And after this, they'll be angry that people talk about U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in terms of messianic obsession.Are the Palestinians Prepared for Peace?
Why should it be necessary to search high and low for Palestinian recognition of a Jewish state? Because there is none. One can read the declarations of the Palestinian Authority and its leaders over the past 20 years. Indeed, opposing recognition of Israel as the national home of the Jewish people is more important to the Palestinians than land, since this is the true heart of the conflict, rather than the other territorial nonsense that the Left has been selling for years. It's not about territory and not about settlements and not about refugee rights, not at all. (h/t Bob Knot)
The Israelis remain hesitant and with good reason. It is unclear how long Mahmoud Abbas will remain in office; his presidency may easily be ended by a coup that will extend Hamas's power from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank.
Unfortunately, whenever Mahmoud Abbas speaks he contradicts himself, increasing Israel's reservations. The Palestinians are brainwashing the younger generation with hatred and hostility, and preparing them for continuing the conflict. We all understand Abbas's manipulations: talk about peace and prepare the Palestinians for the next war with Israel.
U.S. Wavers on ‘Jewish State’ Recognition While Cameron Endorses It
An Israeli official told the Times of Israel that the U.S. administration finds it easier to criticize Israeli positions rather than confronting Palestinian obstinacy. Even though the U.S. may perceive that symbolic recognition is futile, it is a major root of the broader conflict – insinuating that the Palestinian Authority and the majority of Palestinian society reject the fact that Israel exists as a Jewish State in any form. Continuously advocating for a ‘Right of Return’ of Palestinian refugees to pre-1967 Israel would upset the demographic balance in favor of the Arab population in Israel and would lead to the de facto destruction of the Jewish State.Palestinians must recognize Jewish state, Labor chief says
Moreover, State Department officials told the Jerusalem Post that Israel’s decision on whether to allow its final release of prisoners next week, as per the initial agreement that initiated direct negotiations, would be critical for discussions to continue.
In contrast, British Prime Minister David Cameron supported calls to recognize Israel as a “Jewish State” on Thursday. “That’s what Israel is and that’s what it will be,” Cameron stated at a joint press conference with Abbas in Ramallah. “Jews were persecuted around the world, including those murdered in the Holocaust, and so the decision was taken that Israel should be the homeland of the Jewish people and this is what it is,” he said.
Herzog, who also serves as Knesset opposition chief, didn’t go as far as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in demanding that the Palestinian Authority recognize Israel’s Jewish character as a central condition.Jews love Jerusalem more than we do, Islamic Jihad head complains in Iran
In recent months Netanyahu has insisted that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas recognize Israel as “a Jewish state” — something Palestinians are refusing to do, believing it would irrevocably torpedo chances for the return of refugees living in exile. Israel rejects any mass “return” of refugees and their descendants to Israel, since this could drastically alter the Jewish state’s demographic balance, and says Palestinian refugees should become citizens of a Palestinian state.
As for the issue of Jerusalem’s status in a final deal, Herzog said that the city should remain united but could still serve as both an Israeli and Palestinian capital.
Addressing a clerical conference in the Iranian capital, Ramadan Shalah lamented that Palestinians and other Muslims showed insufficient love for Al-Quds, the Arabic name for Jerusalem, according to a recording obtained Monday by Israel’s Army Radio.Khaled Abu Toameh: Palestinian People's Message to Kerry: Go Away!
Shalah contrasted the inadequate Palestinian and Muslim love of the holy city with the heartfelt attachment of the Jews, and — speaking in Hebrew and Arabic — quoted the famous Israeli ballad “Jerusalem of Gold,” penned by Zionist songstress Naomi Shemer.
The Palestinians feel that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is not listening to what they have to say about his efforts to achieve peace in the middle East.Danny Ayalon: Can NATO guarantee peace in the Middle East?
That Is why they have decided to express their views through a new song that is dedicated to Kerry personally.
A video of the song, by Qassem Najjar, was posted on YouTube and other social media outlets on the eve of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's visit to Washington for talks with President Barack Obama on the peace process with Israel.
While heaping praise on Abbas, the singer mocks Kerry and accuses him of presenting a "Zionist plan" with the intention of eliminating the Palestinian cause.
Israel is kept safe because Hamas, Syria, and Hezbollah all know that Israel will not hesitate to send soldiers to the front lines, or conduct raids in light of suspicious activity, nor will it hesitate to fire back when fired upon. Can NATO truly guarantee that if things heat up in Jenin, or on the border of Syrian, that it will do all that is necessary to keep Israel secure, or will it, more likely, be a hindrance?Minister Calls to Refuse Release of Terrorist Mastermind
To make matters worse, if Israel were to leave the West Bank as part of a peace agreement without leaving a military presence, there would almost certainly be an inpouring of terrorist groups. We have already seen Hamas seizing power in Gaza after Israel withdrew in 2005, and we have already seen Al Qaeda enter the Sinai, despite the presence of the multinational force stationed there. Israel cannot afford for the same to happen in the West Bank, a few short miles from our major cities.
“Abu Mazen [Abbas] will stand in the White House today and demand the release of Barghouti and other terrorists in exchange for continuing the talks. Israel needs to respond in just one word: no,” Katz declared in a post to Facebook.Peres throws support behind ‘good partner’ Abbas
“Barghouti is a cowardly mass murderer who sent ‘shaheeds’ to blow themselves up among innocent civilians during the Second Intifada,” Katz recalled. “He should rot in jail until he dies.”
“I plan to act against terrorist release,” he declared. It was a “mistake” for the government to agree to free terrorist murderers in order to bring the PA to the negotiating table, he added.
“It would be moral bankruptcy to free Barghouti and his friends in exchange for continuing talks,” he argued.
Countering recent comments by Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, President Shimon Peres on Monday praised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as a serious peace partner while expressing hope for successful talks.Israel Tightens Procedures After Malaysia Mystery
“President Abbas is a man of principle, he is against terror, against violence,” Peres said in a meeting with Congolese human rights activist, UN Humanitarian Award winner Rose Mapendo. “He is a good partner and I’m glad that our government is negotiating with him. Disagreements are normal but we also agree on opposition to terrorism.”
In an interview on Saturday, Ya’alon said there would not be peace in his era and decried Abbas as someone who is not a partner for a final agreement.
In the wake of "conclusive" suspicions of hijacking in the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which vanished without a trace along with its 239 passengers last Saturday, Israel has decided to tighten its security measures for foreign aircraft entering Israeli airspace.Jordan king visits family of ‘martyr’ judge
Security and airport officials discussed the changing security situation in light of the disappearance, and eventually decided to change regulations for foreign aircraft, which now will be required to identify themselves well before entering Israeli airspace, reports Channel 2.
King Abdullah II on Sunday visited the family of a Jordanian judge killed by Israeli soldiers to offer his condolences, the palace said on Twitter.Mashaal: Suicide is our 'Life'
A picture on Twitter showed the king hugging the father of 38-year-old Raed Zeiter.
“His majesty King Abdullah II offers condolences to the family of martyr judge Raed Zeiter,” reads the caption.
Hamas head Khaled Mashaal said on Saturday that there is no solution to the Palestinian problem, except through renewal of the spirit of jihad and self-sacrifice for Allah. He stressed that this would happen “soon.”PA Leaves Gaza in the Dark Another Day
Mashaal spoke at an event in Qatar, dedicated to the memory of Palestinians who were killed in terror attacks against Israel, whose remains were recently transferred by Israel to the Palestinian Authority (PA).
An anonymous Arab official revealed that "problems in transferring funds between the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and the Hamas government in Gaza are to blame" for the delay.Gazan Sick Protest Egyptian Siege
The tensions between Hamas and the PA reportedly caused the power outage to begin with, as Hamas refused to pay the exorbitant fuel fee imposed by the PA on gas purchased from Israel for the Gaza government.
Those tensions were only display Sunday, when Hamas arrested 13 pro-PA demonstrators, allegedly beating them and others.
Dozens of sick and disabled residents of Gaza protested the Egyptian siege on Saturday, demonstrating across from Egypt's Rafah Crossing leading to Sinai. Their demand -- passage to Egypt for ongoing medical treatment in the Nile state and other countries.U.S. admits contact with terrorist Brotherhood org — to ‘support people of Egypt’
Roughly 1,500 sick and injured people in Gaza are waiting for the reopening of the Rafah Crossing, which has been closed for 36 days, reports a spokesperson for the protest group.
QUESTION: So do you think that these contacts have any effect on the United States relations with Egypt? And are these just mere contacts or support? Because this is very important for the Egyptian public opinion. Thanks.Lebanon car bomb kills two Hezbollah members
MS. HARF (State Dept): Well, they’re contacts, and let’s just – I’ll put it in a little context here. We think it’s important to have contacts with all the parties in Egypt, because all the parties in Egypt ultimately are going to need to be a part of Egypt’s future, and that we want to help them be a part of that future and move Egypt out of the situation it’s in today. So we think this is important to do. Do we always agree, do they always agree with what we’re saying? Of course not. But we believe it’s important to have the dialogue.
The attack in the Bekaa Valley was claimed by the jihadist Al-Nusra Front in Lebanon, as well as by a little known extremist Sunni Muslim group based in the region.Iran’s Ramped-Up Cold War With Israel Is a Sign of Tehran’s Weakness, Not Strength
The bomb killed two Hezbollah members, including local official Abdel Rahman al-Qadi, and a woman and her husband who died from their wounds shortly after the blast, the source said.
This week, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inspected a cache of Iranian arms seized earlier this month from a Gaza-bound ship, he told the TV cameras accompanying him that the array of rockets represented “the true face of Iran.” In a way, he was right: Tehran is months into negotiations over limiting the scope of its nuclear program in exchange for relaxing international sanctions but still decided to risk sending a shipment of advanced weaponry to terrorists in Israel’s backyard.As Syrian War Enters 4th Year, Observers Focus on Targeting of Civilians, Collective Punishment
But the cargo wasn’t evidence of Tehran’s incorruptible commitment to destroying the Jewish state. Rather, it was a window into the dynamics of intra-Muslim politics—and a sign that Iran is actually a weakened power desperately trying to hold on to regional influence among its Muslim neighbors and allies. It is telling that both the rockets on the ship, as well as the rockets fired into Israel over the past few days, are being tied not to Hamas, a fair-weather ally of Tehran and the undisputed power in Gaza, but rather to the much smaller Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Reuters on Thursday conveyed estimates from human rights organizations calculating that the death toll in the Syrian conflict had passed 146,000, as the war was set to enter its fourth year this weekend. The figures come a few weeks after Syrian forces fighting on behalf of the Bashar al-Assad regime intensified aerial bombardments across the country’s south.Israeli Officials Worry Syrian Warfighting Boosting Hezbollah’s Capabilities, Will Worsen Intensity of Future War
The regime’s targeting of civilians extends beyond indiscriminate bombing. AFP reported at the end of January that the Syrian government had “razed thousands of homes as ‘collective punishment’ of communities” linked to opposition elements.
On the one hand, Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese Shiite organization that fought a monthlong war against Israel in 2006, is preoccupied with shoring up the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria in its struggle against rebel forces, and is suffering losses.Al-Qaeda Calls for Car Bomb Attacks on American Cities, Targets Abroad
But Hezbollah is also acquiring battlefield experience, and the only way for Mr. Assad, a longtime Hezbollah ally, to repay the group is by supplying it with sophisticated weapons, according to Israeli military officials and experts — strengths that could eventually be used against Israel.
“A Hezbollah with modern surface-to-air systems, with modern U.A.V.’s, with modern cybercapabilities, well, this is a different Hezbollah,” the senior military official said, one that could have “much more appetite to taste another conflict with Israel.”
The latest issue of Al-Qaeda's Inspire magazine contains an article about using car bombs in U.S. cities as well as abroad during election seasons, both presidential and congressional, as well as on Christmas and New Years Eve.Saudi Arabia bans prominent Palestinian authors from Riyadh book fair
The cities and areas listed in the piece include Washington, D.C., New York, Northern Virginia, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Saudi Arabia reportedly banned hundreds of books and confiscated them from a Riyadh book fair including books by the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish and other prominent Palestinians.Saudi Cleric Issues Fatwa Against All-You-Can-Eat Buffets
Organizers of the Riyadh International Book Fair announced before the event began that books deemed "against Islam or "undermining security" in the country would be removed from the event, AFP reported.
Saleh al-Fawzan, an Islamic cleric in Saudi Arabia, has issued a fatwa (religious edict) against "all you can eat" buffets, saying they are un-Islamic. He said that the value and quantity of what is sold should be predetermined before purchase under Islamic law.
"Whoever enters the buffet and eats for 10 or 50 riyals without deciding the quantity they will eat is violating Sharia law," the cleric said on the Saudi-based al-Atheer channel.