By JERUSALEM POST.COM STAFF
02/20/2011 13:59
Nabil Shaat says vote "proved Israel isolated internationally and is only protected by US veto"; Erekat: PA has become inefficient.
A senior Palestinian official said Sunday that the US should be ashamed over its veto of a UN resolution condemning settlement construction in the West Bank.
Senior PLO negotiator Nabil Shaat said Friday's vote "proved that Israel is isolated internationally and is only protected by the American veto."
The Security Council voted 14-0 in favor of the resolution, but the US used its veto power to reject the measure.
Shaath said that the Palestinians plan "large demonstrations" throughout the West Bank on Friday to express their anger at the US.
Earlier on Sunday, senior Palestinian Authority official Saeb Erekat criticized the US for its veto, saying that America's support of democratic change in the region stops at "the gates of Palestine," Israel Radio reported.
Erekat called for renewed examination of the Palestinian Authority and land transfers to Israelis. He commented that the Palestinian Authority has become inefficient in light of ongoing occupation by Israel of the West Bank, and that the Palestinian leadership should examine all pending issues, including negotiations, with Israel.
Speaking about Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Erekat said that he wields complete control, and that he is working solely to embed the occupation deeper.
The US government will not cut aid to the Palestinian Authority, he continued, because the US understands Netanyahu will be responsible for the Palestinian territories after the authority is dissolved.
According Erekat, the vote in the UN Friday over the settlement freeze showed the US how Israel has become a burden on American interests, and that more danger lies in supporting Netanyahu than Ahmadinejad in Iran.
Palestinian Public Works Minister Mohammad Shtayeh slammed America's veto of the UN resolution, saying "It will be hard for the Arab street to believe that America supports democracy after Obama's position was revealed by the US's veto [of a settlement freeze]. I don't think that the American threats to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority will be in beneficial to American or Israeli interests."
In an interview with Palestinian Arabic-language news daily Maan, Shtayeh also spoke about relations between Hamas and the West Bank authority, which have been bitter rivals since Hamas was elected to power in Gaza in 2006, saying that "A unity state could very well be achieved within the year. The invitation is serious and I hope that Hamas will not miss the chance."
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Palestinians to make fresh UN anti-settlement bid
Google News
By Nasser Abu Bakr (AFP)
1 hour ago
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories — The Palestinians plan to make another attempt to seek United Nations condemnation of Israeli settlement, after the US torpedoed a motion at the Security Council, a senior official said on Saturday.
Yasser Abed Rabbo, general secretary of the Palestine Liberation Organisation said that Palestinian leaders had decided to take a fresh bid before the world body's General Asembly, which convenes in New York in September.
"Our decision now is to go to the General Assembly of the United Nations to pass a UN resolution against the settlements and condemn them and to emphasise its lack of legitimacy," he told AFP.
"And then we will put forward a draft to condemn the settlements to the UN Security Council."
A widely-supported Palestinian drive to win the council's condemnation of Israeli settlement was brought down in flames by a US veto on Friday after Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas ignored sweeteners and reported strong-arm tactics from the White House and refused to have the motion withdrawn.
Abed Rabbo was defiant on Saturday.
"The US veto will not stop our move toward international institutions and it will not weaken our will for freedom and independence," he said.
Saeb Erakat, a senior member of Abbas's Fatah movement who last week quit as the chief Palestinian negotiator with the Israelis, said that the latest setback called into question the usefulness of the Palestinian government.
"Israel has stripped the Palestinian Authority of its meaning and (its continued usefulness) as a tool for the independence of the Palestinian people should be reconsidered," he told AFP.
Ahead of Friday's vote, the United States had pressured the Palestinians to drop their backing for the resolution, but to no avail, with Abbas rejecting a personal appeal from Obama.
Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down late last year after the expiry of a temporary freeze on Jewish settlement activity in the West Bank.
US attempts to coax Israel into renewing the freeze ran aground in December, with the Palestinians refusing to return to the negotiating table while Jewish settlers build on land they want for a future state.
Jewish settlement activity on Palestinian land seized during the 1967 Six-Day War is considered illegal by the international community, including the United States.
Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.
By Nasser Abu Bakr (AFP)
1 hour ago
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories — The Palestinians plan to make another attempt to seek United Nations condemnation of Israeli settlement, after the US torpedoed a motion at the Security Council, a senior official said on Saturday.
Yasser Abed Rabbo, general secretary of the Palestine Liberation Organisation said that Palestinian leaders had decided to take a fresh bid before the world body's General Asembly, which convenes in New York in September.
"Our decision now is to go to the General Assembly of the United Nations to pass a UN resolution against the settlements and condemn them and to emphasise its lack of legitimacy," he told AFP.
"And then we will put forward a draft to condemn the settlements to the UN Security Council."
A widely-supported Palestinian drive to win the council's condemnation of Israeli settlement was brought down in flames by a US veto on Friday after Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas ignored sweeteners and reported strong-arm tactics from the White House and refused to have the motion withdrawn.
Abed Rabbo was defiant on Saturday.
"The US veto will not stop our move toward international institutions and it will not weaken our will for freedom and independence," he said.
Saeb Erakat, a senior member of Abbas's Fatah movement who last week quit as the chief Palestinian negotiator with the Israelis, said that the latest setback called into question the usefulness of the Palestinian government.
"Israel has stripped the Palestinian Authority of its meaning and (its continued usefulness) as a tool for the independence of the Palestinian people should be reconsidered," he told AFP.
Ahead of Friday's vote, the United States had pressured the Palestinians to drop their backing for the resolution, but to no avail, with Abbas rejecting a personal appeal from Obama.
Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down late last year after the expiry of a temporary freeze on Jewish settlement activity in the West Bank.
US attempts to coax Israel into renewing the freeze ran aground in December, with the Palestinians refusing to return to the negotiating table while Jewish settlers build on land they want for a future state.
Jewish settlement activity on Palestinian land seized during the 1967 Six-Day War is considered illegal by the international community, including the United States.
Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Popular Committees Against the Israeli Occupation Press release
Popular Committees Against the Israeli Occupation
Palestine
Date:Feb.4th 2011
The great Arab nation
The Egyptian Arab nation; the cradle of great history and future
We salute this great Arab nation, our bothers. This is the salute of freedom from the people of Palestine who have been fighting for decades for freedom and independence, and to retain the honor of Arabs. The Palestinian nation is still standing against the Zionist occupation that is seeking to control all the Arab region, aided by the United States of America.
To the people of Egypt, standing tall like the pyramids and the great dam, to the heart of this Arab nation, that many thought went into a coma, at a time when Palestinians kept hope that something will come out of the Arab nations regardless of different setbacks and defeats, we kept hope that one day Arab nations will revolt to make one last stand against oppression and bring an end to the Zionist occupation of Palestine and all Arab lands.
To the great Egyptian Nation
The Palestinians are watching what is happening across the Arab world in general and Egypt in particular with great pride, from one side because of what the nations are reflecting of its will to change internally to a great better future without criminal outside interference, but from the other side with fear of losing direction.
Even though we fully trust the will of this rebelling people to differentiate between the good and the bad, and its ability to bring the revolution back on track, this could only be achieved, our brothers, by determining the goal and achieving national unity.
The goals set by the youth are clear -- a decent life and a society that can be up to the local and international challenges that face the people, the country and the nation. Since those demands affect all sections of society and do not go against any group in principle, we ask you, as our blood flows for freedom, do not let outsiders infiltrate and cause a deviation and, God forbid, the loss of this effort for change. This is what our enemy wants -- to destroy our hope once more. We see our future with the unification of our Arab nation; this is the great goal of this uprising in Egypt and all over the Arab world which will reflect positively on all the free nations of the world and especially on the Palestinians.
We call upon you from wounded Palestine, the Fathers and the martyrs, the children who still fight the Zionist occupation regardless of oppression, from Palestine that suffers from the internal split among its people, which is like a poisoned dagger in the back, we warn you of internal clash, and we say unity for our Arab nation.
Because our fight is with the Israeli occupation, it is not over until the occupation ends -- from our position that this occupation is the common enemy of all Arab nations and the free world; because of its terrorism on this region’s regimes; because it is the source of nation’s suffering, supported by the USA and some other countries; because of our duty to our cause we announce:
1- We salute the Egyptian and Tunisian people and reiterate the nation’s right to live in freedom and pride.
2- We call for national unity and the preservation of civil peace, and to protect the home front and tolerance among all segments of society, and to deal with conspiracies and foreign projects in order to pass this historic stage successfully.
3- We hope that the rebelling Arab people make it their priority to demand from any government or leadership to come to sever their ties with the Israeli occupation and abandon the Egyptian - Israeli peace treaty. We believe it would be better to direct the masses towards the Israeli embassies and interests as an alternative to targeting the capabilities of the Egyptian people and the headquarters of its security.
4- We call on all free nations in the world, especially Europe and the U.S., to get out in massive demonstrations on 11 \ 2 \ 2011 to confirm the right of peoples to live in freedom and dignity -- a day of anger against the Israeli occupation of Arab land, and as a beginning of the Global Intifada.
Long live Palestine
May god protect the Egyptian Nation
The Popular Committees Against the Israeli Occupation - Palestine
Palestine
Date:Feb.4th 2011
The great Arab nation
The Egyptian Arab nation; the cradle of great history and future
We salute this great Arab nation, our bothers. This is the salute of freedom from the people of Palestine who have been fighting for decades for freedom and independence, and to retain the honor of Arabs. The Palestinian nation is still standing against the Zionist occupation that is seeking to control all the Arab region, aided by the United States of America.
To the people of Egypt, standing tall like the pyramids and the great dam, to the heart of this Arab nation, that many thought went into a coma, at a time when Palestinians kept hope that something will come out of the Arab nations regardless of different setbacks and defeats, we kept hope that one day Arab nations will revolt to make one last stand against oppression and bring an end to the Zionist occupation of Palestine and all Arab lands.
To the great Egyptian Nation
The Palestinians are watching what is happening across the Arab world in general and Egypt in particular with great pride, from one side because of what the nations are reflecting of its will to change internally to a great better future without criminal outside interference, but from the other side with fear of losing direction.
Even though we fully trust the will of this rebelling people to differentiate between the good and the bad, and its ability to bring the revolution back on track, this could only be achieved, our brothers, by determining the goal and achieving national unity.
The goals set by the youth are clear -- a decent life and a society that can be up to the local and international challenges that face the people, the country and the nation. Since those demands affect all sections of society and do not go against any group in principle, we ask you, as our blood flows for freedom, do not let outsiders infiltrate and cause a deviation and, God forbid, the loss of this effort for change. This is what our enemy wants -- to destroy our hope once more. We see our future with the unification of our Arab nation; this is the great goal of this uprising in Egypt and all over the Arab world which will reflect positively on all the free nations of the world and especially on the Palestinians.
We call upon you from wounded Palestine, the Fathers and the martyrs, the children who still fight the Zionist occupation regardless of oppression, from Palestine that suffers from the internal split among its people, which is like a poisoned dagger in the back, we warn you of internal clash, and we say unity for our Arab nation.
Because our fight is with the Israeli occupation, it is not over until the occupation ends -- from our position that this occupation is the common enemy of all Arab nations and the free world; because of its terrorism on this region’s regimes; because it is the source of nation’s suffering, supported by the USA and some other countries; because of our duty to our cause we announce:
1- We salute the Egyptian and Tunisian people and reiterate the nation’s right to live in freedom and pride.
2- We call for national unity and the preservation of civil peace, and to protect the home front and tolerance among all segments of society, and to deal with conspiracies and foreign projects in order to pass this historic stage successfully.
3- We hope that the rebelling Arab people make it their priority to demand from any government or leadership to come to sever their ties with the Israeli occupation and abandon the Egyptian - Israeli peace treaty. We believe it would be better to direct the masses towards the Israeli embassies and interests as an alternative to targeting the capabilities of the Egyptian people and the headquarters of its security.
4- We call on all free nations in the world, especially Europe and the U.S., to get out in massive demonstrations on 11 \ 2 \ 2011 to confirm the right of peoples to live in freedom and dignity -- a day of anger against the Israeli occupation of Arab land, and as a beginning of the Global Intifada.
Long live Palestine
May god protect the Egyptian Nation
The Popular Committees Against the Israeli Occupation - Palestine
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Norwegian Nominates Wikileaks' Julian Assange for Nobel Peace Prize
Assange Cited for Promoting Human Rights, Democracy, Free Speech in Award Nomination
By DEVIN DWYER
ABC News
Feb. 2, 2011
A Norwegian parliamentarian has nominated Wikileaks founder Julian Assange for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, saying his publication of thousands of secret government documents has helped to promote human rights, democracy and freedom of speech.
Snorre Valen, 24, a member of the country's Socialist Left Party, announced his submission to the Nobel Committee Wednesday on his blog.
"Wikileaks have contributed to the struggle for those very values globally, by exposing (among many other things) corruption, war crimes and torture -- sometimes even conducted by allies of Norway," he said.
"Most recently, by disclosing the economic arrangements by the presidential family in Tunisia, Wikileaks have made a small contribution to bringing down a 24-year-lasting dictatorship."
Valen acknowledged the controversy surrounding Wikileaks' actions but insisted the whistleblower organization was working for the public interest.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee declined to comment on Valen's nomination of Assange or on any other potential nominations submitted ahead of Tuesday's deadline. The group's website noted it receives more than 200 nominations per year.
Typically, candidates for the prize are kept secret for 50 years unless the nominator makes his or her pick known. Only a select group of government officials and members of academia can propose candidates for the award, according to committee rules.
Assange is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Sweden and was jailed late last year in Britain. He later was released on bond while his case is pending.
He also has been under investigation by U.S. authorities and faces possible charges for his role in Wikileaks' release of classified U.S. documents.
Awarding Assange the prize would be a controversial move by the Nobel Committee, but not unprecedented. The organization drew consternation from China over awarding the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to human rights activist Liu Xiaobo, and created an international stir in 2009 when it gave the prize to President Obama just months after he had taken office.
Kristian Harpsviken, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo and an expert on the Nobel Prize, said he doesn't believe Assange is a strong candidate.
"The reason I think it's unlikely is that there has been so much criticism of WikiLeaks, not least how they have handled identification issues of people in the documents,'' he told the Associated Press. "I don't think it quite does the trick.''
The Nobel committee will announce the next Peace Prize winner in October and formally present a medal and $1.6 million award to the laureate in a December ceremony.
By DEVIN DWYER
ABC News
Feb. 2, 2011
A Norwegian parliamentarian has nominated Wikileaks founder Julian Assange for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, saying his publication of thousands of secret government documents has helped to promote human rights, democracy and freedom of speech.
Snorre Valen, 24, a member of the country's Socialist Left Party, announced his submission to the Nobel Committee Wednesday on his blog.
"Wikileaks have contributed to the struggle for those very values globally, by exposing (among many other things) corruption, war crimes and torture -- sometimes even conducted by allies of Norway," he said.
"Most recently, by disclosing the economic arrangements by the presidential family in Tunisia, Wikileaks have made a small contribution to bringing down a 24-year-lasting dictatorship."
Valen acknowledged the controversy surrounding Wikileaks' actions but insisted the whistleblower organization was working for the public interest.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee declined to comment on Valen's nomination of Assange or on any other potential nominations submitted ahead of Tuesday's deadline. The group's website noted it receives more than 200 nominations per year.
Typically, candidates for the prize are kept secret for 50 years unless the nominator makes his or her pick known. Only a select group of government officials and members of academia can propose candidates for the award, according to committee rules.
Assange is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Sweden and was jailed late last year in Britain. He later was released on bond while his case is pending.
He also has been under investigation by U.S. authorities and faces possible charges for his role in Wikileaks' release of classified U.S. documents.
Awarding Assange the prize would be a controversial move by the Nobel Committee, but not unprecedented. The organization drew consternation from China over awarding the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to human rights activist Liu Xiaobo, and created an international stir in 2009 when it gave the prize to President Obama just months after he had taken office.
Kristian Harpsviken, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo and an expert on the Nobel Prize, said he doesn't believe Assange is a strong candidate.
"The reason I think it's unlikely is that there has been so much criticism of WikiLeaks, not least how they have handled identification issues of people in the documents,'' he told the Associated Press. "I don't think it quite does the trick.''
The Nobel committee will announce the next Peace Prize winner in October and formally present a medal and $1.6 million award to the laureate in a December ceremony.
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- Prophesy bearer for four religious traditions, revealer of Christ's Sword, revealer of Josephine bearing the Spirit of Christ, revealer of the identity of God, revealer of the Celestial Torah astro-theological code within the Bible. Celestial Torah Christian Theologian, Climax Civilization theorist and activist, Eco-Village Organizer, Master Psychedelic Artist, Inventor of the Next Big Thing in wearable tech, and always your Prophet-At-Large.