JUNE 2000
Thursday June 29, 2000
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright failed to extract a Palestinian approval to hold a three-way summit in Washington between Arafat, Clinton and Barak on July 15.
France Press quoted a senior Palestinian official after Arafat’s – Albrigh meeting in Ramallah yesterday that the Palestinian leader rejected an American proposal to hold the summit on July 15. Another Palestinian official said the Palestinian side proposed holding a 2-week long marathon talks early next month to judge whether holding such a summit is possible. Simultaneously, Palestinian officials reaffirmed their intention to declare a statehood on Sept. 13 either by or without an agreement. They said, Israeli threats would not scare the Palestinian people or make them surrender. President Arafat asked Israel to carry out all UN Resolutions pertinent to the Arab-Israeli conflict giving special emphasis to resolution 242. He said this will be an important step on the road of defusing tension in the area. During a joint press conference held with Mrs. Albright yesterday president Arafat noted Israel has carried out UN Resolution 425 and 242 in connection to the Egyptian and Jordanian fronts dismantling its settlements from the Sinai peninsula. He asked why Israel is reluctant to implement that part relevant to the Palestinian track.
A final communiqué issued by Muslim foreign ministers at the end of their meetig in Malaysia reaffirmed that Jerusalem was always the political and historic capital of Palestine. The statement said Jerusalem is an inseparable part of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in June 1967 and Israel should therefore terminate its occupation to the holy city in conformity with international legitimacy resolutions. In a separate incident about 20 Palestinians were hurt by Israeli police near Al-Aqsa Mosque. A large Israeli force intervened to prevent Palestinians defending themselves against Jewish settlers who tried to infiltrate to the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Wednesday June 28, 2000
President Arafat outlines the Palestinian red lines to Clinton
Presidential advisor Nabil Abu Rudineh confirmed yesterday that President Arafat has clarified to President Clinton during their last meeting the Palestinian red lines. He said president Arafat told Clinton: I am not authorized nor any other Palestinian individual to accept a Palestinian state without East Jerusalem and will never sign any final peace agreement without Jerusalem stressing there are red lines which nobody can cross.
He said President Arafat who is scheduled to receive US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in Ramallah today, will ask the American Secretary of State to clarify to the Israelis there will be no more Palestinian concessions on the final status issues.
In another statement the head of the Palestinian delegation to the final status talks Ahmed Qrei dismissed the need for continuing the peace talks before holding a summit meeting between Arafat, Clinton and Barak.
He said the Israeli side is still opposed to withdrawal to the 4th of June 1967 borders or the return of Palestinian refugees. As for Jerusalem the Israeli position is even worse.
He accused the Israelis of trying to draft a final agreement to satisfy their whims and exclusively serve their interests. He expected the summit to be a complete failure if the controversial issues between the two sides are not bridged up to a reasonable limit. He refuted Israeli allegations that the unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state next September violates the peace process.
He said I believe that the Israelis have exhausted the negotiations and they are not willing to continue the talks preferring to submit the entire file to the summit.
On the opposite side, the head of the Israeli delegation to the final-status talks Shlomo Bin Ami said the Israeli government would not dismantle any of its settlements in the occupied territories. However PM Barak has offered to keep 80% of the Jewish settlers in the occupied territories.
Tuesday June 27, 2000
Arafat to Ross: The Israelis are not serious
President Arafat told US peace envoy Denis Ross during their meeting in Ramallah yesterday that the ongoing negotiations with Israel failed to bring about anything tangible and therefore the holding of the three-way summit is of no avail at the present time.
Reliable Palestinian sources said President Arafat told Ross that the Palestinian side is convinced of the non-seriousness of the Israeli side and that holding a summit under such circumstances will be doomed to failure and will leave negative implications on the entire peace process.
President Arafat assessment for the process of negotiations was further consolidated after meeting in Nablus last Sunday night with Shlomo Bin Ami head of the Israeli delegation to the final status talks.
Ross said after the meeting, the US government did not take a decision yet to host the proposed summit in Washington early next month. In Tel-Aviv, PM Ehud Barak warned that his coalition government would respond to a Palestinian unilateral declaration of statehood with annexing more Palestinian territories.
Dr. Erekat described Barak's statement "deplorable and unjustified" and called on Israeli officials to stop this language of threats because it does not serve the peace process. He said the Israelis are aware that we are not scared by threats and blackmailing.
The Israeli daily newspaper Yedeot Ahronot said yesterday that PM Barak sent his minister of justice Yossi Beilin on an urgent mission to Cairo to try to convince President Hosni Mubarak to press Arafat to accept the holding of the three-way summit in Washington as soon as possible and without preconditions.
The paper concluded that Beilin's mission indicates the importance of holding such a summit at the present time for Israel.
An Israeli new offer to hand over 92% of the West Bank including the Jordan valley
A senior Palestinian official who preferred not to be identified told the Associated Press about a new Israeli offer to surrender 92% of the West Bank (80% right now and 12% during the next few years).
The source said the Israeli government offered to return the Jordan Valley provided that it keeps its control on the crossing points which is a new development on the previous Israeli stance.
Monday June 26, 2000
Arafat prefers leaving the homeland to surrendering Jerusalem or the right of return for Palestinian refugees
Close sources to President Yasser Arafat revealed during his last meeting with President Clinton his threat to quit his position and leave to Cairo or Tunisia rather than surrendering the right of the Palestinians to regain control on East Jerusalem or the right of return for the Palestinian refugees.
The sources said Arafat's threat came when he was discussing with President Clinton a mechanism to resolve the stalemate on the Palestinian track.
According to the sources, President Clinton asked the Palestinian leader to understand Barak's difficult position and to give up demanding for the restoration of East Jerusalem or the return of the Palestinian refugees.
The sources said President Arafat told President Clinton that the best solution to this problem is to leave the Palestinian land for good and leave Barak to settle his accounts with the Palestinian people.
In Nablus, President Arafat said during a meeting for Fateh that the next few weeks will be decisive and the most serious in the history of the Palestinian people. He said at the end of these weeks the Palestinian statehood will be declared with Jerusalem as its capital. He called for complete Israeli withdrawal from all the occupied territories and renewed his support for a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
He said the Arabs went to Madrid as one delegation seeking durable and just peace for the Palestinian problem which is the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He said Israel should withdraw from the occupied territories as it did in Egypt , Jordan and Lebanon and in Syria in the future.
He said we are proud of our sons, bothers, friends and allies in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Syria. In reply to threats by some Israeli military officers against the Palestinian people, he said: We are not scared of warplanes or others and we recall them of the long days of the Palestinian Intifada and the Karama battle. He added we are prepared for a new intifada contending the next few weeks will be the most serious witnessing the birth of a Palestinian state.
Asfour: No single issue was sorted out in the final-status talks
As the proposed date set by Israel for holding a three-way summit culminating into a deal over the final-status issues is coming nearer, senior Palestinian negotiator Hassan Asfour revealed that nothing has been resolved of these controversial issues not even we did write a letter on paper to resolve any issue.
He said the gap between the Palestinian and Israeli position is still unbridgeable.
He accused the Israeli media of drawing a rosy picture to the process of the peace talks claiming that the talks are advancing steadily while in fact nothing tangible was reached nor did we draft a common political document.
On the other hand the PNA Minister of Planning & International cooperation, Dr. Nabil Shaath, rejected half-way solutions proposed by the Israeli side including for example a recent Israeli offer to withdraw from 75% of the West Bank.
He said we insist on 100% withdrawal to the 4th of June 1967 lines in conformity with UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, and 194 the latest ensuring the right of the Palestinian refugees to return home.
He also said that holding the three-way summit is contingent to scoring real progress in the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.
Israel builds 400 apartments near Efrat
According to the Israeli Channel Two TV, the Minister of Housing Yitzhak Levy has decided to construct 400 apartments near Efrat settlement in the southern part of the West Bank.
The broadcast said that Levy, of the National Religious Party, has signed last Thursday a 3 million dollar agreement to build such apartments at Talat Zaytoon near Efrat.
In the Gaza Strip Jewish settlers erected scores of green houses opposite to Neveh Dakamim settlement on the outskirts of Khan Younes city.
Jewish settlers have erected about 200 green houses since the beginning of this month.
Sunday June 25, 2000
President Arafat criticizes PM Barak for lack of progress in the peace talks
President Arafat blamed PM Barak for lack of progress in the peace talks and not giving enough powers to his negotiating delegation with the Palestinian side.
President Arafat told reporters after a meeting yesterday with his Tunisian counterpart in Tunis that the Israeli coalition government has built 7128 apartments in the occupied territories during Barak's tenure in office.
This figure is three times more than what was constructed by the previous government in three years.
In Ramallah, the head of the Palestinian delegation to the interim status talks Dr. Saeb Erekat told reporters that the Palestinian National Authority has requested US peace envoy Denis Ross to seek a mechanism for carrying out the third Israeli redeployment from the West Bank.
He said this request came after the PNA has accepted the American request to postpone this redeployment which was supposed to be carried out two weeks ago. He said we told Mr. Ross that restoring credibility to the peace process comes through the implementation of the third redeployment.
Yesterday Dr. Erekat met with his Israeli counterpart Eran, with Ross attending, the outstanding items in the interim agreement. They agreed to hold another meeting during the next two days.
Topics raised during this meeting included the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, the expansion of Jewish settlements, the safe passage, and handing over Qalandia Airport to the Palestinians and other issues.
In another serious development, the Israeli army admitted yesterday of fortifying the defenses of the Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. These reinforcements coincide with a statement by Shlomo Ibn Ami, the Israeli Minister of Intertior Security and head of the Israeli delegation to the final status talks Odid Eran, ruling out the possibility of dismantling Jewish settlements within the framework of a permanent settlement.
Yesterday the Palestinian leadership accused the Israeli government with escalating tension in the area.
Israeli settlers continue their aggression
Dozens of Israeli settlers from the settlements of "Neve Danial" and " Eli Azer" attacked the agricultural land belonging to the Palestinian village AL-Khader.
The settlers destroyed water wells and fences in their recent attack, which was preceded by two other attacks that happened in the previous two days.
The settler's attacks are being perpetrated in a show of objection to the Palestinian citizens working on their land.
Saturday June 24, 2000
The Palestinian leadership reiterated its rejection to all trial balloons and scenarios circulated by the Israeli media over postponing the Jerusalem or the refugee's issues or for annexing the Jewish settlements in the occupied territories to the Israeli sovereignty.
In a statement issued by the Palestinian Cabinet in Gaza yesterday, the Palestinian leadership reaffirmed its clear stance towards the finals status issues particularly redeployment, Jerusalem, refugees and settlements. It said the Palestinians are adhering to all international Legitimacy Resolutions and there will be no compromises or halfway solutions of such resolutions.
It called upon Israel to carry out all UN Security Council Resolutions pertinent to land, Jerusalem, refugees and settlements including 242, 338, 252 and 478 resolutions as those implemented with Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
The meeting was chaired by President Arafat and attended by members of the PLO Executive Committee, cabinet ministers, and the head of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
The Palestinian leadership reiterated its rejection to the serious Israeli military escalation, the armament of settlers, and its threats to send tanks and helicopters against any new Palestinian Intifada.
The statement added, such threats prove the Israeli government is reneging on its commitments towards all agreement and showing indifference to the peace process.
The final statement issued after the 33rd session of the Arab ministers council, called for conducting a wide Arab media effort to press the US into refraining from relocating the American embassy from Tel -Aviv to Jerusalem depending on the illegality of signing a land-lease contract between US and Israel as the land in question is totally owned by Palestinians. The ministers also called for supporting the city in every aspect so as to lend support to the Palestinian Jerusalemites steadfastness in facing the juadizing efforts and designs carried out by Israel.
The Head of the Palestinian National Council Saleem Zanoon said yesterday that the Palestinian state will be declared by the end of this year no mater a peace agreement was reached or not.
He also noted that the interim period has expired after extending it to seven years instead of five, which means that the Palestinian people have waited long enough. Zanoon also expressed hope that the international efforts being exerted would lead to signing an agreement with Israel the result of which would be declaring a Palestinian state.
Thursday June 22, 2000
President Arafat returned home yesterday from a short visit to Jordan during which he held a summit meeting with King Abdulah II. President Arafat and the Jordanian monarch held a closed-door meting at Raghadan palace before they were joined later by delegations from both sides.
President Arafat updated King Abdullah II on the latest developments in the peace process and the difficulties encountered due to the Israeli policy of reneging on commitments towards the peace process in addition to the outcome of his meeting with president Clinton in the White House last week.
The two leaders discussed ways of surmounting difficulties obstructing the peace process within the framework of coordination and consultation between the two leaderships.
The two sides agreed to hold a meeting for their joint higher committee within the next two weeks. Following his arrival in Ramallah President Arafat presided over a meeting for Fateh's Central Committee discussing the peace process on the Palestinian track and other domestic issues.
The Palestinian leader will receive at his presidency office in Ramallah today UN Secretary General Koffi Anan to discuss the Middle East peace process.
A joint press conference will take place at the end of this meeting.
On the process of the Palestinian - Israeli talks, Dr. Saeb Erekat declared after a meeting with his Israeli countepart Odid Eran that they have agreed to hold a meeting by the negotiating steering committee next Sunday to be preceded by a three-way meeting to be attended by Ross.
He said the Israeli side promised to reply on the Palestinian demands concerning releasing 230 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails during next meeting.
Yesterday's meeting focused on third redeployment from the West Bank, the northern safe-passage, handing over of Qalandia Airport to the PNA, and water issues. Dr. Erekat hinted that Israel is still procrastinating in carrying out the singed agreements.
Wednesday June 21, 2000
A Palestinian - Jordanian summit in Amman
President Arafat leaves for Amman today on a short visit to Jordan for talks with King Abdullah II on the Middle East peace process. Arafat's advisor Nabil Abu Rudineh told reporters that the Palestinian leader will update the Jordanian monarch on the outcome of his talks with US president Bill Clinton at the White House last Thursday.
The Palestinian ambassador in Amman Omar Khatib said this visit comes within the framework of continued coordination and consultation between the Palestinian and Jordanian leaderships on the peace talks.
He added this summit attains a special significance for being arranged at this very delicate stage of the peace process, which reached a critical and decisive junction.
In Ramallah, yesterday the PLO Executive Committee renewed its opposition to a partition or an extension to the peace talks beyond deadlines.
The meeting, which was presided over by President Arafat, discussed the political developments following Arafat's meeting with President Clinton last week.
A statement issued by the meeting called for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 and land for peace principle.
The committee renewed its call for further Arab coordination and welcomed holding an Arab summit.
In a separate statement, speaker of the PLC and the head of the Palestinian delegation to the final status talks Ahmed Qrei said, the Palestinian side is expecting from US peace envoy Denis Ross to bring with him American assurances concerning the implementation of the third redeployment from the West Bank after two weeks.
He clarified, President Arafat asked President Clinton last Thursday for American assurances to carry out the third redeployment and not to negotiate it or to link it with the framework agreement.
President Clinton replied: "I realize that you are in need for this guarantee"
Qrei said we did not discuss nor we are going to discuss in future any alternative to reaching an agreement on all the final status issues. He added the three way summit will only be held when the gap between the Palestinian and Israeli position is bridged.
In Tel-Aviv, Israeli political sources said the Israeli army has laid down a proposal for an interim settlement with the Israeli side. A report published by Haaretz yesterday said PM Barak received recently proposals for temporary settlement with the Palestinian worked out by the Israeli army. The proposal calls for establishing a Palestinian state with an Israeli approval to continue the talks over the permanent settlement.
Tuesday June 20, 2000
President Arafat receives a letter from President Chirac
President Arafat appreciated on behalf of the Palestinian people and leadership the strenuous efforts exerted by the French government and President Jaques Chirac to advance the peace process.
Arafat's statement was broadcasted following his meeting in Ramalah yesterday with the French Minster for Development and Cooperation.
President Arafat conveyed his best wishes to the French President and confirmed that the French efforts are part of those exerted by the EU states to advance the stalled peace talks.
For his part, the French Minster, who started yesterday a two day visit to the Palestinian territories said his country is committed to recognizing the Palestinian state when it is declared.
Arafat insists on the return of all of the Palestinian land occupied by Israel in the war of 1967
Heads of Israeli security and military systems warned against the flare up of a new Palestinian Intifada if the peace talks on the Palestinian track collapse.
According to a report issued by the Israeli security establishment, President Arafat wants to reach an agreement with Israel and not to enter into confrontation with it. However the agreement must include the Israeli withdrawal from all Palestinian territories and solving the problem of Palestinian refugees based on resolution 194.
According to Israeli officials, President Arafat is resolved to restore not less that 100% of the West Bank and reject any compromise on Jerusalem and the right of the Palestinian refugees to return home.
Unemployment rate in Palestine increased by 18-25% in four years
A report prepared by "Gaza for Rights and Law" to be presented today to the UN committee being convened in Cairo to consider the economic prospects in light of the peace process, said that the suffering and the unemployment rates among the Palestinian increased by 18-25% between 1994 and 2000. The report further showed that the majority of the Palestinians were pleased by the peace process, but there hopes started to fade away when the peace process reached a deadlock with no signs of progress looming in the horizon.
Monday June 19, 2000
The Palestinian leadership warns against any Israeli military adventure against the Palestinian people
The Palestinian leadership warned against initiating any military adventure against the Palestinian people.
The leadership views Mofaz provocative statements to deploy aircraft and tanks against the Palestinians, the position taken by the Israeli mini-cabinet, and talking about a military confrontation, as pointing at an Israeli plan to attack the Palestinian people.
Presidential Secretary General Tayib Abdulrahim said the PNA believes that Mofaz statement aggravated tensions between the two sides, and said instead of inflaming tension, both sides should concentrate on achieving positive results in the negotiations.
The Palestinian leadership said in its statement that the Israeli PM plan to strike against the PNA and the Palestinian people was considered by the Israeli government after all Israeli attempts to shatter our steadfastness have failed.
President Arafat met the US Consul General in Jerusalem Mr. John Herbst, the Russian Ambassador to the PNA Serji Baskov, the Chinese representative to the PNA, and a delegation of the EU headed by Portuguese Consul General to inform them about the PNA’s rejection and protest to Gen. Mofaz statement.
The Palestinian leadership yesterday asked the Clinton administration and all cncenrned Arab and world parties to stand firmly against the rigid attitudes of Barak’s government which would lead to an imminent collapse of the peace process.
The statement said President Arafat told President Clinton during their summit in Washington last Thursday that the Palestinian people will not relinquish its national rights and its occupied territories including Arab East Jerualem. He said Israel should carry out international legitimacy resolutions, all signed agreements and abide by the land for peace principle and that there will be no peace unless the Palestinian and Arab rights are restored.
The Palestinian leader called for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 242, which called upon Israel to withdraw from all the occupied Arab territories.
The interim and final status delegations leave Washington
The two Palestinian interim and final status delegations left Washington heading for home yesterday to continue peace talks with their Israeli counterparts in the region within the next few days. The new round of talks coincides with the arrival in the region next Thursday of US special peace envoy Denis Ross.
Ross’s visit will be followed by another visit next
Sunday by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright as confirmed
by the representative of the PLO office in Washington Hasan
Abdulrahman.
Palestinian sources declined to reveal any progress in both the
interim and final status negotiations. However they said the next
couple of weeks will witness intensified negotiations with an
influential US positions on both the interim and the final status
tracks.
The sources added that in case of failing to reach an agreement within this period, the US government will work towards the implementation of the interim agreement. Palestinian officials said the success of the negotiation hinges on a complete Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories and solving the refugee’s issues.
Sunday June 18, 2000
Clinton assures Arafat of his commitment to advance the peace talks
President Arafat announced yesterday that US President Bill Clinton is profoundly committed to advance the stalled Palestinian - Israeli talks and will send high-level delegations to follow up the process of negotiations. He described his last meeting with President Clinton as "very important".
President Arafat added there are delegates from both sides currently engaged in negotiations over the final-status, the interim agreements and the third redeployment in addition to other issues.
He emphatically affirmed of scoring no progress in the peace talks contending that the two-weeks period required to finalize a framework agreement is sufficient.
In Cairo President Arafat updated his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak on the outcome of his meeting with President Clinton. Simultaneously Egyptian Foreign Minster Amr Musa warned against the dangerous consequences of the indifferent Israeli positions in the peace talks.
On the other hand, well-informed Palestinian sources said UN special envoy Dennis Ross will arrive in the Middle East tomorrow, and US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is expected to be here on June 25.
In Washington Palestinian and Israeli delegations concluded the first round of talks on the final-status and interim issues.
Reliable Palestinian sources said the talks will resume today in Washington.
In Tel-Aviv, Israel called for a three-way summit to advance the peace talks.
In a separate statement, the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council and the head of the Palestinian delegation to the final status talks Ahmed Qrei said the gap between the Palestinian and Israeli position is considerably big while simultaneously hailing the significance of the American participation in the talks.
In a statement to France Press Qrei said, the dialogue continued within the framework of clarifying each other position while focusing on the issues of land and border. He said there is still a big gap in the positions of both sides but admitted of a new Israeli "attempt" to approach the right course.
For his part the PNA's Minster of Planning and International Cooperation Nabil Shaath said the negotiations will witness a momentum during the next three weeks. He said President Arafat has received American assurances to press Israel to carry out the interim agreement.
Saturday June 17, 2000
The General Chief of Staff of the Israeli army Gen. Shaoul Mofaz threatened to use heavy artillery including tanks and warplanes to confront and curb any new Intifada (uprising) in the West Bank and Gaza.
Yedo'ot Ahronot quoted Mofaz as expecting hot events in the Palestinian territories in the next few months. He said the situation could deteriorate in the region and might turn into a big fire.
On a different level, economic sources in Tel-Aviv said Barak's government intends to reach a free-trade protocol with the PNA within the final status agreement.
The sources said the Israeli government would endorse the financial policy to be chosen by the PNA including the issuing of Palestinian currency.
Thursday June 15, 2000
The Palestinian suspends the interim talks
The Palestinian delegation to the Washington talks, yesterday decided to suspend the interim negotiations to protest over the Israeli government's indifference towards the peace process.
The decision to stop the interim talks was taken while the final-status talks between the PNA and Israel witnessed a disappointing beginning.
Head of the Palestinian delegation to the interim talks said in an interview with the " voice of Palestine radio" that the Palestinian delegation has decided to suspend the talks to protest over the Israeli government's decision to release only three Palestinian prisoners and the Israeli negotiator's rejection to lay down a mechanism to carry out the third redeployment from the West Bank scheduled to take place on June 23.
He said, the Israeli delegation did not submit during yesterday's session lists of Palestinian prisoners to be released according to signed agreements.
He also described yesterday's meeting in Washington "incredible"
An Israeli plan to attract more settlers to come and settle in Arab East Jerusalem
According to Hebrew sources, formal Israeli ministerial committee has laid down yesterday a new plan to lure Jewish settlers to move to live in Arab East Jerusalem to form a Jewish settlement in the holy city.
The sources said the ministerial committee for legislation adopted yesterday a plan to provide assistance for youth, students, and craftsmen willing to move and settle in Arab East Jerusalem.
The committee also decided to speed up registration and administrative procedures ahead of building thousands of new apartments in East Jerusalem.
In retaliation, Faisal Husseini, member of the PLO Executive Committee and in charge of the Jerusalem portfolio at the PNA said, the peace process will not advance and no body could push it forward if the price of peace was the suspension of the issue of Jerusalem and the right of return for the Palestinian refugees.
He said, the peace option is not the only option before the Palestinian people.
Adding that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state over all the territories occupied by Israel in June 1967 is a basic guarantee for the survival of the peace process.
Tuesday June 13, 2000
President Yasser Arafat attends the big funeral procession of passing-away president Hafez Assad at His birthplace town Qirdaha.
Palestinian officials stressed that this participation will lead to opening a new chapter of Palestinian - Syrian relations. The ex-president of the Palestinian National Council Khalid Fahom said President Arafat and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will arrive in Damascus from Cairo today after the two leaders held important talks. Arab and foreign heads of states and government representatives will take part in the funeral procession.
Jewish settlers are staging a race with-time campaign to capture as much possible new Palestinian plots to expand existing settlements in the occupied territories or build new settlements.
To this effect reliable Palestinian sources confimred yesterday that the Israeli settlement assault against the Palestinian land was represented in building large areas of Arab land to be annexed to Jewish settlements.
The Palestinian Land Defense Committee said in a statement, the Jewish settlement campaign was concentrating in three new settlement spots south of Dahereya town in the Hebron district.
Meanwhile, the head of the Israeli opposition and leader of the Likud party, Ariel Sharon warned the government against taking any decision to dismantle any Jewish settlement in the West Bank in any peace agreement to be reached with the Palestinians.
He claimed any peace agreement with the Palestinian would be dividing the geographical continuity of Israel. In Hebron Jewish settlers inaugurated a new settlement spot in down town Hebron.
In Rafeh City, Israeli soldiers prevented a farmer from irrigating his field lying near Moraj settlement north of the city.
Saturday June 10, 2000
The PNA: The Palestinian national rights are not for negotiation
The PNA stressed yesterday that the Palestinian national rights are redlines that must not be crossed or negotiated, the PNA's statement issued after its weekly meeting held yesterday that, the Palestinian rights to homeland, return and Jerusalem are national, religious, political and international rights as stipulated in the international legitimacy resolutions 242, 338 and 194, also the resolutions 252 related to Jerusalem and 465 related to the illegal status of the settlements.
The statement added, Israel has to comply with the signed interim agreements, as the third phase of withdrawal can't be ignored despite Israeli attempts to do that under many pretexts.
Israel hints at postponing peace talks due to government crisis
Doubts are growing on the possibility of going ahead with the resumption of the peace talks in Washington. The doubts are based on the recent crisis that Barak's government is facing in the Kneset due to which the Israeli premier is forced to devote his efforts to solve his government crisis. The crisis erupted with the government coalition parties supporting an opposition draft submitted to the Kneset calling for early elections.
Abed Rabbo: The Washington summit will be held in any case
Minster of Information and Culture Yasser Abed Rabbo warned against the Israeli designs for the Palestinian issue, and for the final status talks.
Abed Rabbo called for holding a national conference with the participation of all the political bodies, organizations and factions to decide on what to do with the final status issues and national rights.
Abed Rabbo said in an interview with Al-Quds daily that the Washington trilateral summit will be held anyhow. He also pointed out that the US Administration is bracing for the elections and so it can't exercise any pressure on Israel and so Israel makes use of this situation to make every possible political or geographical gain.
Finally Abed Rabbo called for a national policy to resist the Israeli settlement that steals the Palestinian land if we wanted to avoid the curse of future generations for not resisting the occupation.
Palestinian academic and political figures stress their rejection to any agreement unless the Palestinian full rights of return are guaranteed
Prominent Palestinian political and academic figures called on the Palestinian leadership, the Arab and Islamic countries to resist the Israeli and American pressure to solve the Palestinian refugees' issue according to the Israeli approach, they also stressed rejecting any agreement that concede any of the Palestinian national rights granted by the inetrnaiotnal legitimacy resolutions.
They stressed in a statement signed by the committee the refugees' right of return, the importance of having the world countries support for implementing international legitimacy resolutions on Palestine.
Finally the signatories stressed their rejection to any agreement that does not grant the refugees' full right of return without any postponement or delay.
Some of the signotories are George Habash, Edward Said, Nayif Hawatmeh, Khalid Fahom, Ibrahinm Abu Laghad, Bilal El-Hasan and Hayder Abdul Shafi.
Thursday June 8, 2000
President Arafat headed yesterday a meeting of the "Jerusalem Committee". The meeting reviewed the situation in the holy city in light of the vicious settlement campaign against the city and the attempts to juadize and evacuate it from its legitimate inhabitants.
The committee hailed the steadfastness of the Palestinian jerusalemites in face of the Jewish settlement activities and the attempts to juadize the city, stressing the Arab characteristics of Jerusalem, the capital of the Palestinian independent state.
Israeli PM Barak said yesterday that there will be no early elections in Israel despite the Knesset's vote in preliminary reading for a bill to dissolve the Israeli Knesset. "There will be no early elections and the ministers who voted for an early national ballot has ostensibly fired themselves," Barak said. He added that the government will convene to dismiss ministers who vote against the government. "In the coming days we will have a government either with different composition or with a similar composition, but which will act in a more uniform manner", Barak vowed.
He also said; "I am authorized by the people and what happened in the Kneset won't prevent me from concluding an agreement with the Palestinians and if possible with Syria."
In a 61-48 vote, Israel MK's supported a preliminary reading of a bill presented by the right-wing opposition to dissolve the Knesset and go for early elections.
The new situation in Israel placed dark shadows on Arab - Israeli peace process.
Fifty Israeli MK's right-wing activists demonstrate yesterday in the Palestinian village of Abu Dis demanding to build a Jewish settlement there. The demonstrators planted trees and erected fence around the place and announced their intention to stay where they were as long as the municipality did not commence the construction work.
Last week hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated to protest Olmert's municipality approval of building a settlement in the village of Abu Dis adjacent to Arab East Jerusalem.
Wednesday June 7, 2000
President Arafat meets US President Clinton on June 14th and the negotiations to resume next week in washington
President Arafat leaves next Wednesday for washisngton to hold talks with President Clinton on the final status negotiations to be resumed next Monday near the US capital, while the prospects to hold a three-way summit is diminishing.
In a lengthy talks held in Ramallah yesterday with Albright, President Arafat expressed the anger of the Palestinian side agasint Israeli procrastination and its non-seriousness in the final status negotiations.
Palestinian informed sources said that president Arafat informed the visiting US Secretary of State that he gives first priority to the implementation of the third phase of the Israeli redeployment form the Palestinian territories. This confirmation came a mid Palestinian concern agasint Israeli attempts to evade the implementation of this prerequisites by combining it with the final status agreement. The sources said that president Arafat reminded Albright of Ehud Barak's pledge to implement the third withdrawal by June 23 and the Palestinian side won't accept any delay.
President Arafat also stressed the need to release Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails noting the tension this issue raises in the Palestinian Street. The need to stop all settlement activities was also emphasized during the talks.
For his part, President Arafat advisor Nabil Abu Rudineh said that the meeting was positive and the Palestinian side presented a comprehensive assessment of the status of the peace process. He added that president Arafat has acquainted the visiting US officials on the latest developments in the negotiations.
Americans sell tomato in a protest show in Hebron
Members of the American Christina peace mission sold tomato yesterday in Hebron's central produce market that was closed by the Israeli occupation authority.
The protesting members said that, they are staging their protest to shed light on the irrational Israeli military decision to keep that Palestinian market closed.
Ethnic cleansing against Palestinian Jerusalmeites
The participants of the ongoing conference "the role of the culture society in Jerusalem" which is organized in Jerusalem by the "law" society said that Israel continues its ethnic cleansing policy against the Jerusalemites. They also said that Israel shows itself to the Americans and Europe as a democratic country, and at the same time it adopts a back door and shady ways to carry out ethnic cleansing agasint the Palestinian citizens in Jerusalem, they also pointed out that, the Palestinian Bedouins have lost more than 90% of the land that was in their position before the Israeli occupation in 1967.
The inauguration of a new Jewish settlement near Ramallah
An official source said that the inauguration of a new settlement in the Jewish settlement of Kochav Ya'acove close to the Palestinian city of Ramalah will redouble the number of Jewish settlers in this settlement.
The new settlement will include the construction of 1100 new housing units dedicated for religious settlers.
Member of the Israeli Meretz party Mosy Raz condemned the construction of the new settlement saying that it will consitutiute another obstacle in the way of the peace process.
Tuesday June 6, 2000
President Arafat receives Fisher
President Arafat received in Ramallah yesterday the German Foreign Minster Y. Fisher discussing with him the Middle East peace process and bilateral relations.
Both sides described the talks as "very fruitful and beneficial".
In a joint press conference with Nabil Sha'th, the Palestinian Minster of Planning and International Cooperation, Mr. Fisher said the Palestinian side will not accept any solution that fails to include the Jerusalem issue. He said our vast experience in this process indicates that the Palestinian side will not accept any solution without Jerusalem.
He added I believe that sorting out problems can only be achieved through dialogue and negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.
The German minister renewed his country's support and that of the EU to the peace process. He said there is a real opportunity to advance the peace process and approach a permanent settlement between the Palestinian and Israeli peoples.
He described his talks with president Arafat over the peace process and other important issues as constructive. News reports also referred to a Palestinian - German accord on not to exclude the issue of Jerusalem from final settlement.
ALBRIGHT: The hour of truth is coming nearer towards a historic compromise
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said on the first day of her visit to the Middle East that the hour of truth to approach a peaceful agreement between the Palestinian and Israelis is near.
She said there exists a possibility to put an end for the conflict.
A Palestinian official said Albright's visit could pave the way for a three-way Palestinian -American - Israeli summit. Mrs. Albright is scheduled to visit the Palestinian territories today for a meeting with president Arafat in his office in Ramallah. The US Secretary of State did not rule out the possibility of holding a three-way summit in Washington and asked the Israelis and Palestinians to move at maximum speed to reach a deal.
Sunday June 4, 2000
The PLO Executive Committee meets in Ramallah
President Arafat presided over a meeting by the PLO Executive Committee in Ramallah yesterday. The meeting attended by Saleem Zanoon, head of the Palestinian National Council, discussed the Palestinian developments in the region. The Executive Committee reaffirmed full adherence to the national goals of the Palestinian people as expressed by international legitimacy resolutions in order to achieve genuine lasting peace.
It acknowledges that all previous negotiations have reached a deadlock due to the Israeli policy and the rigid positions of the Israeli government.
In a separate incident presidential advisor Nabil Abu Rudineh yesterday urged the Clinton Administration to resolve the most sensitive issues on the Palestine track including border, Jerusalem, and refugees.
He asked for new ideas to break the stalled peace talks suggesting solutions on both sides as occurred when reaching the Egyptian - Israeli peace treaty signed in Camp David in 1978.
He called on President Clinton to exercise pressure on Barak's government to pullback from all the West Bank including Arab East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip.
The Israeli settlement
The National Islamic Committee on Confronting settlement has staged a sit-in strike in cooperation with Beddya municipality to protest the ongoing damaging of Palestinian land near the town in preparation to confiscate the land so as to build a settlement road that divides the town into two parts consequently denying the Palestinian farmers access to their farms on the other side of the proposed road.
Settlers elsewhere in the West Bank and Gaza continued their aggression against the Palestinian land. In Bethlehem settlers from "Eli Azer" settlement uprooted trees belonging to Palestinian citizens, while other settlers from the settlements of Efrat and Danial flushed sewage water into Palestinian farm land, in Gaza also, the settlers embarked on expanding their Tal Qatif and Neve Dqalim settlements already build on confiscated Palestinian land.
Saturday June 3, 2000
Jerusalem and refugees form the backbone of the entire peace process
The Palestinian leadership reiterated in a statement released last night following its weekly cabinet meeting that the issues of Jerusalem and refugees are the backbone of the entire peace process and the Palestinians will never sign a peace treaty except after the return of Jerusalem as capital of the independent Palestinian state and the implementation of UN Resolution 194 which ensures the right of Palestinian refugees to return home.
The statement added that the Palestinian delegation to the Stockholm back-channel talks will not relinquish any of the Palestinian national rights and will not accept less than complete implementation to the signed peace agreements and international legitimacy resolutions especially UN Resolution 242 which calls on Israel to withdraw from all occupied Arab territories.
The weekly cabinet meeting was held in Ramallh yesterday under the chairmanship of President Yasser Arafat and attended by members of the PLO Executive Committee, cabinet ministers and heads of the Legislative and national councils.
The Palestinian leadership denounced the celebrations held in Jerusalem last Thursday to mark the illegal and unilateral annexation of Arab East Jerusalem. It also rejected all attempts by the Israeli government to bypass the third redeployment from the West Bank.
It was also announced in Ramallh that the Foreign Minister of Germany Y. Fisher will arrive in the city next Monday and will be received by President Arafat.
This is Fisher's third visit to the area since his appointment as Foreign Minister.
Stockholm Back-channel talks resume in Israel
The final-status talks resumed in an unidentified location in Israel last Thursday to reach a framework agreement on a permanent settlement.
According to Radio Israel, the Israeli delegation has offered to transfer 75% of the West Bank to the PNA provided that Israel annexes 10 per cent and keeps another 15% along the Jordan Valley under its control for what it termed security reasons. The broadcast said the offer was rejected by the Palestinian side.
In a separate incident MK Yossi Belin confirmed that the Israelis cannot evade talking with the Palestinians over Jerusalem but this should not be conducive to the partition of the city or ceding any part thereof to the Palestinians.
He said Israel is obligated to hold negotiations over Jerusalem but will not okay any agreement which might speculate the partition of the city or giving any sections to the PNA.
On the other hand a Palestinian-Israeli conference was opened in Cyprus yesterday over the future of the holy city.
Thursday June 1, 2000
The Palestinian leadership decided yesterday to resume the final-status talks with Israel today. The decision was taken during as meeting by the Higher Negotiation Committee presided over by President Arafat. The Palestinian leadership also called on Israel to comply with and carry out UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 and to withdraw to the 4th of June 1967 border lines including Arab East Jerusalem and the implementation of UN resolution 194 affirming the right of the Palestinian refugees to return home.
President Arafat intensified diplomatic moves yesterday when meeting the US ambassador in Tel-Aviv Martin Indyk and receiving a telephone call from President Clinton and other contacts from world leaders. President Arafat asked for a more influential and international role to advance the peace process and for an Israeli precise and accurate implementation to all agreements signed between the Palestinians and Israel.
President Arafat described his meeting with Indyk "important and positive". He also thanked President Clinton for his keen interest to advance the peace process.
Yesterday the Palestinian leader met at his office in Bethlehem City the visiting Polish President Aleksander Kwasnieski and discussed with Kwasniewski the peace process particularly on the Palestinian track. The two leaders also discussed a variety of topics of mutual interest.