Source: Israel Hayom, 5-7-13
Yair Lapid’s faction poised to vote against bill demanding referendum and a special Knesset majority for any cabinet decision involving ceding territory in future peace deal despite coalition agreement • Likud: Lapid-Bennett alliance is disintegrating….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on May 7, 2013
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/israel-political-brief-may-7-2013-yesh-atid-to-oppose-referendum-on-land-for-peace-bill/
Source: Reuters, 5-2-13
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he would put any peace deal with the Palestinians to a referendum, raising expectations that direct negotiations might soon resume following a two-year stalemate….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on May 2, 2013
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/israel-political-brief-may-2-2013-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-says-would-put-peace-deal-to-referendum/
Source: Ynetnews, 5-1-13
The Palestinians have rejected Netanyahu’s demand to recognize Israel as the Jewish state, saying it would undermine the rights of Israel’s Arab minority as well as millions of refugees scattered throughout the world whose families lost properties….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on May 1, 2013
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/israel-political-brief-may-1-2013-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-conflict-over-recognition-not-territory/
Source: JPost, 4-10-13
Henry Kissinger talks to The Washington Post. Photo: Screenshot
WikiLeaks has published 1.7 million US diplomatic documents ranging from 1973-1976 online. It is their largest release to date and it is named after the former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger because many of the documents were addressed to or written by him.
The Jerusalem Post has uncovered a cable sent from the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia on January 9, 1975, which analyzed the Israeli-Arab conflict. It was concluded that it was Israel’s stubborn position that was holding back peace.
Related:
“Nevertheless, viewed from here, the Israeli pessimism seems largely if not entirely unwarranted. It seems based on an extraordinary lack of understanding of what happened in the Arab world in the last year and a half. Rather than girding their loins for the fifth, sixth, seventh Israeli-Arab wars. The Israelis might examine more carefully than they seem to have done so far the alternative of a peaceful accommodation with the Arabs.”…READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on April 10, 2013
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/israel-political-brief-april-10-2013-wikileaks-us-blamed-israel-for-holding-back-peace-in-1975/
Source: JTA, 4-9-13
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Jerusalem to discuss restarting negotiations with the Palestinians….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on April 9, 2013
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/israel-political-brief-april-2013-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-us-secretary-of-state-john-kerry-meet-in-jerusalem-to-discuss-restarting-peace-talks/
Source: State.gov, 4-9-13
Remarks
SECRETARY KERRY: I want to thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for, first of all, his extraordinary hospitality yet again. We had an extremely friendly, very productive, long discussion last night. I think it’s fair to say that we made progress, that we were pleased with the substance of the discussion and agreed, each of us, to do some homework. And we’re going to do our homework over the course of the next weeks, and today we’re going to continue some of that discussion with a view to seeing how we can really pull all of the pieces together and make some progress here. And I want to thank the Prime Minister for his good-faith efforts here. It’s been serious, it’s been focused, and I would characterize it as very productive.
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Thank you. Thank you, John. It’s good to see you again in Jerusalem and to work at our common goal for peace. I am determined to not only to resume the peace process with the Palestinians but to make a serious effort to end this conflict once and for all. This has economic components. We welcome any initiatives that you and others will bring forward in this regard. But it also has a political component, political discussions that will address a myriad of issues. Foremost in our minds are questions of recognition and security. This is a real effort, and we look forward to advance in this effort with you.
We’ve been talking about several other issues, and I’ll only mention two. First, we’ve been talking about Syria and the human tragedy there. But the fragmentation of that country is creating a situation where one of the most dangerous stockpiles of weapons in the world is now becoming accessible to terrorists of every shade and hue. This is of great concern for both of us, for both the United States and Israel, and we are talking about addressing this problem specifically.
And last, and certainly not least, we’ve been talking about Iran. I think everybody understands that Iran has been running out the clock, has been using the talks to continue to advance its nuclear program. You’ve just heard by Iranian state television about a new production facility for nuclear material and two new extraction sites. I think we also understand what it means for the world to have rogue states with nuclear weapons. Iran cannot be allowed to cross into that world. It cannot be allowed to continue its program, its nuclear weapons program, and we must not allow it to continue to do so in defiance of the entire international community.
These are the three most obvious subjects we’ve been talking about. You may not believe it, but we’ve actually talked about a few others as well. It’s good to see you again.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much.
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Thank you for everything. Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Could I just add very quickly one thing? We have been talking about some economic initiative, but I think both of us – and the Prime Minister just said this – we want to make it absolutely clear that whatever steps we take with respect to economics are in no way a substitute but they are in addition to the political track. The political track is first and foremost; other things may happen to supplement it.
Secondly, with respect to Iran, I have reiterated to the Prime Minister, as I did yesterday to the President, President Obama could not be more clear: Iran cannot have and will not have a nuclear weapon. And the United States of America has made clear that we stand not just with Israel but with the entire international community in making it clear that we are serious, we are open to negotiation, but it is not an open-ended, endless negotiation; it cannot be used as an excuse for other efforts to try to break out with respect to a nuclear weapon. And we are well aware and coordinating very, very closely with respect to all of our assessments regarding that. But President Obama doesn’t bluff; he’s made that very clear to me. And we hope the Iranians will come back to the table with a very serious proposal.
Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Thank you.
Posted by bonniekgoodman on April 9, 2013
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/full-text-israel-political-brief-april-9-2013-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-us-secretary-of-john-kerrys-remarks-before-their-meeting/
Source: JTA, 4-8-13
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Israel said he sees “a road ahead” on the two-state solution for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Read more »
Posted by bonniekgoodman on April 8, 2013
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/israel-political-brief-april-8-2013-us-secretary-of-state-john-kerry-tells-president-shimon-peres-he-sees-road-ahead-on-peace/
Source: Jewish Daily Forward, 4-4-13
More than one hundred U.S. Jewish leaders urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make clear “Israel’s readiness to make painful territorial sacrifices for the sake of peace….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on April 4, 2013
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/israel-political-brief-april-4-2013-american-jewish-leaders-push-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-to-trade-land-for-peace/
Source: JTA, 3-31-13
An Israeli boy and several Israeli soldiers were injured during Israeli-Arab and Palestinian protests marking Land Day….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on March 31, 2013
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/israel-political-brief-march-31-2013-israeli-boy-soldiers-injured-during-land-day-protests/
Source: Haaretz, 3-21-13
Obama in Jerusalem. Photo by AFP
U.S. President Barack Obama‘s second day in Israel opened with sirens sounding in southern Israel, after four rocket launches from Gaza were detected by the IDF. No casualties were reported.
Obama began the day with a visit to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, where he saw the Dead Sea Scrolls, accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At 10:30 the U.S. president took off for Ramallah to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Palestinian ministers.
Obama addressed Israeli students at the International Convention Center in Jeruslaem on Thursday afternoon….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on March 21, 2013
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2013/03/21/israel-political-brief-march-21-2013-live-blog-us-president-barackobama-visits-israel-day-two/
Source: Times of Israel, 3-14-13
US President Barack Obama is interviewed on Channel 2 News, Thursday, March 14 (photo credit: image capture Channel 2)
Ahead of his first visit to Israel as president next Wednesday, Barack Obama was interviewed Wednesday by Israel’s Channel 2. The interview at the White House, with news anchor Yonit Levy, was screened on Thursday.
“You can’t just slip out and interact with people without having a bunch of guys with machine-guns” hanging out with you….
Ventures Levy: There must be some compensations?
Obama: Well, there’s “a nice plane.”
“I recognize the emotions involved in this… My first obligation is to observe the law.”…
Levy pushes on the Obama-Netanyahu relationship.
“The bottom line is that Israel’s security is going to be at the forefront.” It’s not a factor of who’s president or prime minister.
“Any time you read something where the president allegedly said something in as private meting, I think you should … take that with a pinch of salt.”…
Levy asks about some Israelis’ negative perceptions of him.
“Some of this is politics… There are conservative views both here in the United States and Israel that may not jive with mine.”… “I’ve run my last election…”
“The fundamental right of Israel to be secure as a homeland of the Jewish people, and its connection to the land.”
“Resolving the Palestinian issue is good” for Israel’s security. If it can be resolved, he stresses….
“My cabinet is prepared for a whole range of contingencies.” Kerry and Hagel “share my fundamental view” on a nuclear Iran as a threat to US interest….
“We think it would take over a year or so for Iran to actually develop a nuclear weapon but obviously we don’t want to cut it too close.”…
What took you so long to come?
Well, we’ve had some crises in the United States…. It’s a chance to connect with the Israeli people. The bonds.. are so strong. Shared values. Shared families… Unshakeable commitment… and a shared vision… I’m really looking forward to it.
“I’d love to sit at a cafe and just hang out. Sometimes I have this fantasy that I can put on a disguise and wear a fake mustache” and wander into Tel Aviv, go to a university and speak to some students, “in a setting that wasn’t so formal.”…
We think that it would take over a year or so for Iran to actually develop a nuclear weapon but obviously we don’t want to cut it too close. So when I am consulting with Bibi… my message to him will be the same as before: If we can resolve it diplomatically, that’s a more lasting solution.
When I say that all options are on the table, all options are on the table….
Obama: We think that it would take over a year or so for Iran to actually develop a nuclear weapon.
And: I have no plans for releasing Jonathan Pollard immediately….
Posted by bonniekgoodman on March 14, 2013
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/full-text-israel-political-brief-march-14-2013-us-president-barack-obamas-interview-with-yonit-levy-on-israels-channel-2-excerpts-white-house-interview-ahead-of-israel-visit/
Source: Jerusalem Post, 2-17-13
According to the Al-Masreyoon website, an Israeli delegation of four people arrived in Cairo on Thursday on an Israeli military plane. They met with members of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service led by intelligence chief Raafat Shehata….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on February 17, 2013
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/israel-political-brief-february-17-2013-israel-hamas-in-egypt-mediated-indirect-talks/
Source: JTA, 2-10-13
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Obama will focus on Iran, Syria and advancing the peace process when Obama visits Israel….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on February 10, 2013
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2013/02/10/israel-political-brief-february-10-2013-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-says-syria-iran-and-peace-process-on-obama-agenda-in-israel/
Source: Haaretz, 2-6-13
Spokesman Jay Carney says U.S. president’s trip, which is scheduled for the end of March, is not connected to efforts to restart Mideast peace talks….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on February 6, 2013
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/israel-political-brief-february-6-2013-white-house-obama-will-not-bring-a-new-peace-plan-to-israel/
Source: JTA, 12-30-12
Israeli President Shimon Peres praised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as a partner for peace while slamming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ex-Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on December 30, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/israel-political-brief-december-30-2012-president-shimon-peres-praises-mahmoud-abbas-rips-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-and-avigdor-liberman/
Source: Embassies.gov.il, 11-29-12
Mr. President,
Today I stand before you tall and proud because I represent the world’s one and only Jewish state. A state built in the Jewish people’s ancient homeland, with its eternal capital Jerusalem as its beating heart.
We are a nation with deep roots in the past and bright hopes for the future. We are a nation that values idealism, but acts with pragmatism. Israel is a nation that never hesitates to defend itself, but will always extend its hand for peace.
Peace is a central value of Israeli society. The bible calls on us:
בקש שלום ורדפהו
“seek peace and pursue it.”
Peace fills our art and poetry. It is taught in our schools. It has been the goal of the Israeli people and every Israeli leader since Israel was re-established 64 years ago.
Israel’s Declaration of Independence states, “We extend our hand to all neighbouring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighborliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help…”
This week was the 35th anniversary of President Anwar Sadat’s historic visit to Jerusalem. In a speech just before that visit, President Sadat famously stood in the Egyptian parliament in Cairo and stated that he would go “to the ends of the earth” to make peace with Israel.
Israel’s Prime Minister at the time, Menachem Begin, welcomed President Sadat to Israel, and paved the way for peace. This morning Prime Minister Netanyahu stood at the Menachem Begin Center and said this about the resolution that you are about to vote on:
“Israel is prepared to live in peace with a Palestinian state, but for peace to endure, Israel’s security must be protected. The Palestinians must recognize the Jewish State and they must be prepared to end the conflict with Israel once and for all.
None of these vital interests, these vital interests of peace, none of them appear in the resolution that will be put forward before the General Assembly today and that is why Israel cannot accept it. The only way to achieve peace is through agreements that are reached by the parties and not through U.N. resolutions that completely ignore Israel’s vital security and national interests. And because this resolution is so one-sided, it doesn’t advance peace, it pushes it backwards.
As for the rights of Jewish people in this land, I have a simple message for those people gathered in the General Assembly today, no decision by the U.N. can break the 4000 year old bond between the people of Israel and the land of Israel.”
Mr. President,
The People of Israel wait for a Palestinian leader that is willing to follow in the path of President Sadat. The world waits for President Abbas to speak the truth that peace can only be achieved through negotiations by recognizing Israel as a Jewish State. It waits for him to tell them that peace must also address Israel’s security needs and end the conflict once and for all.
For as long as President Abbas prefers symbolism over reality, as long as he prefers to travel to New York for UN resolutions, rather than travel to Jerusalem for genuine dialogue, any hope of peace will be out of reach.
Mr. President,
Israel has always extended its hand for peace and will always extend its hand for peace. When we faced an Arab leader who wanted peace, we made peace. That was the case with Egypt. That was the case with Jordan.
Time and again, we have sought peace with the Palestinians. Time and again, we have been met by rejection of our offers, denial of our rights, and terrorism targeting our citizens.
President Abbas described today’s proceedings as “historic”. But the only thing historic about his speech is how much it ignored history.
The truth is that 65 years ago today, the United Nations voted to partition the British Mandate into two states: a Jewish state, and an Arab state. Two states for two peoples.
Israel accepted this plan. The Palestinians and Arab nations around us rejected it and launched a war of annihilation to throw the “Jews into the sea”.
The truth is that from 1948 until 1967, the West Bank was ruled by Jordan, and Gaza was ruled by Egypt. The Arab states did not lift a finger to create a Palestinian state. Instead they sought Israel’s destruction, and were joined by newly formed Palestinian terrorist organizations.
The truth is that at Camp David in 2000, and again at Annapolis in 2008, Israeli leaders made far-reaching offers for peace. Those offers were met by rejection, evasion, and even terrorism.
The truth is that to advance peace, in 2005 Israel dismantled entire communities and uprooted thousands of people from their homes in the Gaza Strip. And rather than use this opportunity to build a peaceful future, the Palestinians turned Gaza into an Iranian terror base, from which thousands of rockets were fired into Israeli cities. As we were reminded just last week, the area has been turned into a launching pad for rockets into Israeli cities, a haven for global terrorists, and an ammunition dump for Iranian weapons.
Time after time, the Palestinian leadership refused to accept responsibility. They refused to make the tough decisions for peace.
Israel remains committed to peace, but we will not establish another Iranian terror base in the heart of our country.
We need a peace that will ensure a secure future for Israel.
Three months ago, Israel’s Prime Minister stood in this very hall and extended his hand in peace to President Abbas. He reiterated that his goal was to create a solution of two-states for two-peoples
—where a demilitarized Palestinian state that will recognize Israel as a Jewish State.
That’s right. Two states for two peoples.
President Abbas, I did not hear you use the phrase “two states for two peoples” this afternoon. In fact, I have never heard you say the phrase “two states for two peoples”. Because the Palestinian leadership has never recognized that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people.
They have never been willing to accept what this very body recognized 65 years ago. Israel is the Jewish state.
In fact, today you asked the world to recognize a Palestinian state, but you still refuse to recognize the Jewish state.
Not only do you not recognize the Jewish state, you are also trying to erase Jewish history. This year, you even tried to erase the connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem. You said that Jews were trying to alter the historic character of Jerusalem. You said that we are trying to “Judaize Jerusalem”.
President Abbas, the truth is that Jerusalem had a Jewish character long before most cities in the world had any character! Three thousand years ago King David ruled from Jerusalem and Jews have lived in Jerusalem ever since.
President Abbas, instead of revising history, it is time that you started making history by making peace with Israel.
Mr. President,
This resolution will not advance peace.
This resolution will not change the situation on the ground. It will not change the fact that the Palestinian Authority has no control over Gaza. That is forty percent of the territory he claims to represent!
President Abbas, you can’t even visit nearly half the territory of the state you claim to represent.
That territory is controlled by Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization that rains missiles on Israel’s civilians. This is the same Hamas that fired more than 1,300 rockets into the heart of Israel’s major cities this month.
This resolution will not confer statehood on the Palestinian Authority, which clearly fails to meet the criteria for statehood.
This resolution will not enable the Palestinians Authority to join international treaties, organizations, or conferences as a state.
This resolution cannot serve as an acceptable terms of reference for peace negotiations with Israel. Because this resolution says nothing about Israel’s security needs. It does not call on the Palestinians to recognize Israel as the Jewish State. It does not demand an end of conflict and a termination of all claims.
Let me tell you what this resolution does do.
This resolution violates a fundamental binding commitment. This is a commitment that many of the states here today were themselves witness to. It was a commitment that all outstanding issues in the peace process would only be resolved in direct negotiations.
This resolution sends a message that the international community is willing to turn a blind eye to peace agreements. For the people of Israel, it raises a simple question: why continue to make painful sacrifices for peace, in exchange for pieces of paper that the other side will not honor?
It will make a negotiated peace settlement less likely, as Palestinians continue to harden their positions and place further obstacles and preconditions to negotiations and peace.
And unfortunately, it will raise expectations that cannot be met, which has always proven to be a recipe for conflict and instability.
There is only one route to Palestinian statehood. And that route does not run through this chamber in New York. That route runs through direct negotiations between Jerusalem and Ramallah that will lead to a secure and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
There are no shortcuts. No quick fixes. No instant solutions. As President Obama, said in 2010, “Peace cannot be imposed from the outside.”
The real message of this resolution for the people of Israel is that the international community will turn a blind eye to violations of these agreements by the Palestinians.
Mr. President,
In submitting this resolution, the Palestinian leadership is once again making the wrong choice.
65 years ago the Palestinians could have chosen to live side-by-side with the Jewish State of Israel. 65 years ago they could have chosen to accept the solution of two states for two peoples. They rejected it then, and they are rejecting it again today.
The international community should not encourage this rejection. It should not encourage the Palestinian leadership to drive forward recklessly with both feet pressing down on the gas, no hands on the wheel, and no eyes on the road.
Instead it should encourage the Palestinians to enter into direct negotiations without preconditions in order to achieve an historic peace in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the Jewish state.
Mr. President,
Winston Churchill said, “The truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it … ignorance may deride it … malice may distort it … but there it is.”
The truth is that Israel wants peace, and the Palestinians are avoiding peace.
Those who are supporting the resolution today are not advancing peace. They are undermining peace.
The UN was founded to advance the cause of peace. Today the Palestinians are turning their back on peace. Don’t let history record that today the UN helped them along on their march of folly.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Posted by bonniekgoodman on November 29, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/full-text-israel-political-brief-november-29-2012-israeli-united-nations-ambassador-ron-prosor-speech-to-the-un-general-assembly/
Source: JTA, 9-23-12
Mitt Romney’s pessimistic take on Israeli-Palestinian peace prospects drew some media attention but not much noise from centrist Jewish groups….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on September 23, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/israel-political-brief-september-23-2012-mitt-romneys-peace-pessimism-draws-muted-response-from-jewish-groups/
Source: JTA, 8-19-12
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas promised an all-out effort to bring to justice the perpetrators of a firebombing that wounded six Palestinians….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on August 19, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/israel-political-brief-august-19-2012-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-calls-pa-president-mahmoud-abbas-to-discuss-firebomb-attack-at-ramadan-end/
Source: Israel National News, 7-17-12
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came and went and nothing changed, not even the hot weather, except that the U.S.-led “peace process” was left behind in lost baggage.
The only question is if it was lost in Washington or Jerusalem.
Clinton arrived for her 24-hour visit to Israel almost at the same time that President Barack Obama admitted that his worst personal failure since being elected president was his inability to achieve the Palestinian Authority’s stated desire to be recognized as a new Arab country within Israel’s current borders.
Two previous presidents also failed….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on July 17, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/07/17/israel-political-brief-july-17-2012-us-sec-of-state-hillary-clinton-leaves-israel-with-peace-process-in-lost-baggage/
Source: JTA, 7-16-12
President Obama said in an interview that he has failed to advance the Middle East peace process “the way I wanted.”…READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on July 16, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/israel-political-brief-july-16-2012-obama-says-he-has-failed-to-advance-mideast-peace-the-way-i-wanted-in-interview/
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will meet Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz next week, Channel 2 News reported on Tuesday.
It will be Abbas’ first meeting in months with an Israeli cabinet minister. The report said that Mofaz will arrive in Ramallah on Sunday for the meeting.
The meeting comes after many attempts by Mofaz to bring Abbas to meet with him. He recently indicated that he means to meet with Abbas in order to get the peace process going, which is one of the four major issues to be addressed as part of the recent coalition agreement between Likud and Kadima….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on June 27, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/israel-political-brief-june-27-2012-deputy-pm-shaul-mofaz-to-meet-pa-chairman-mahmoud-abbas-in-ramallah/
Source: JTA, 6-24-12
Rockets continued to fall on southern Israel despite a truce with Gazan terrorist groups.
The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted five rockets fired at Ashkelon shortly after the truce, which was mediated by Egypt, went into effect at 8 p.m. Sunday. Several rockets also hit southern Israel on Sunday.
An Israeli man, 50, was seriously injured by shrapnel when a rocket exploded near a factory in Sderot. A school in Sderot also was damaged by rocket fire.
Israel struck several targets in Gaza over the weekend, according to the Israeli military, including a terror cell about to detonate a rocket. Hamas reported that at least three Palestinians were killed in retaliatory attacks over the weekend, including a child and a terrorist.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of the regularly scheduled Cabinet meeting on Sunday said “the IDF is taking strong action against those who are attacking us and it will take even stronger action if need be. Our policy is to use force in order to restore security and quiet to the residents of the south.”
At least 150 rockets fired from Gaza have struck southern Israel since the cross-border attacks began last week, the Israel Defense Forces reported.
Posted by bonniekgoodman on June 24, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/israel-political-brief-june-24-2012-rockets-still-falling-on-southern-israel-despite-egypt-brokered-truce-with-gazan-terrorist-groups/
Dozens of activists and regional leaders sat down with residents of the Ulpana neighborhood after the Regulation Bill was voted down to discuss the next stage of the struggle. Yesha (Judea and Samaria) Council head Danny Dayan spoke to Arutz Sheva about the meeting.
“We’re very determined, I believe that we will ultimately be the winners here,” Dayan said. The residents have not yet decided exactly what form the struggle will take, he added, “or what kind of physical confrontation, if there will be one.”
Residents, regional officials, and rabbis sat and talked from Wednesday night until early Thursday morning.
The meeting took place in the home of Didi Dickstein and his wife. Dickstein lost his parents and a sibling in a terrorist attack in 2002; he and his wife and two children now live in Beit El, where he chairs the official Ulpana neighborhood Neighborhood Committee….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on June 8, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/06/08/israel-political-brief-june-8-2012-ulpana-supporters-prepare-for-struggle-after-the-regulation-bill-failed-to-pass-knesset/
Source: JTA, 6-7-12
The announcement of new settlement construction in the West Bank, following the defeat of a Knesset bill recognizing settlement outposts, draws U.S. rebuke….READ MORE »
Source: JTA, 6-7-12
The Obama administration said it “does not accept the legitimacy” of announced plans for up to 851 new housing units for West Bank settlements….READ MORE »
Source: Israel National News, 6-7-12
The United States condemned Israel on Wednesday, after Prime Minister announced that 300 new homes will be built in Beit El.
“We’re very clear that continued Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank undermines peace efforts and contradicts Israeli commitments and obligations, including the 2003 road map,” U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, according to the Chinese Xinhua news agency.
Toner told reporters, “Our position on settlements remains unchanged. We do not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity.”
He added, “You know, we want to see these parties — both parties, rather, refrain from these kinds of actions and to get back into negotiations.”
Netanyahu promised to expand construction in Beit El, in a special statement he issued Wednesday, regarding the impending demolition of the Ulpana neighborhood.
“This is not a simple or easy day,” said Netanyahu. “Relocating the houses is certainly not an action that the government is eager to carry out, but the court made a decision and we respect the court system’s decisions. At the same time, the community of Beit El will be widened. The 30 families from the Ulpana Neighborhood will remain in Beit El and they will be joined by 300 new families.”
Netanyahu’s statement was made shortly after the Knesset rejected a bill aimed at circumventing a court order to destroy five residential units in the Ulpana neighborhood.
The vote was 22 for the bill and 69 against. Absent from the vote were all of the ministers and deputy ministers who vowed to test Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s ultimatum to vote against the bill or be fired.
The extreme leftist group Peace Now was not happy at all with the commitment by Netanyahu to build 300 more homes in Beit El, and was quick to start an online petition calling on him to rescind what they called “a collective punishment” that he has meted out against Israel’s citizens.
Posted by bonniekgoodman on June 7, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/israel-political-brief-june-7-2012-us-condemns-israel-over-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-announcing-beit-el-expansion-of-300-new-homes/
The head of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald S. Lauder, said that Canada should play a larger role in Middle East negotiations.
Lauder met with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Foreign Minister John Baird in Ottawa on Wednesday to discuss the situation in the Middle East, as well as the increasing threat of worldwide anti-Semitism.
The Jewish leader asserted that with the new coalition government in Israel, it may be possible to restart negotiations “I believe that in the coming months, Canada can play a role and I think will be invited to play a role,” Lauder said in an interview with the Canadian Press.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Peres visited Canada this spring to express support for the strong pro-Israel policies of the Harper government. “Canada’s long-standing position on a negotiated, two-state solution has not changed,” a spokesman for Baird said.
“Our government always stands ready to work in a constructive way to help solve international disputes,” the spokesman added.
In a recent interview Baird asserted that, “Canada is not going to be an honest broker between an international terrorist organization and a liberal democracy, when the great struggle of our generation is the struggle between liberal democracies and international terrorist organizations.”
“Today it is a very dangerous world out there, there are very few true leaders out there,” Lauder told the Canadian Press.
Lauder continued to state that Prime Minister Harper is “a true leader” who speaks his mind.
Posted by bonniekgoodman on May 17, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/israel-political-brief-may-17-2012-ronald-s-lauder-canada-should-play-larger-role-in-mideast-negotiations/
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told CNN interviewer Erin Burnett on Tuesday he can “deliver a peace agreement” with the Palestinian Authority.
“I think that I could deliver a peace agreement,” Netanyahu said. “I could get the Israeli people to follow me if I believe that I have a serious partner on the other side willing to make the necessary compromises on the Palestinian side.”
However, Netanyahu stressed that compromise was a two-way street and no agreement would be possible if PA officials refused to make concessions as well.
“Many compromises that people talk about are on the Israeli side. But there are necessary compromises on the Palestinian side… peace is always a two-way compromise,” Netanyahu told Burnett.
“I think that peace would benefit us, as I think it would benefit the Palestinians, as it would benefit the entire region,” he added.
He also said he was committed to a contiguous PA state in Judea and Samaria. The future PA state should not “look like Swiss cheese,” Netanyahu said.
“I’m the prime minister who removed 400 checkpoints, barriers, roadblocks and so on to facilitate the growth of the Palestinian economy. This is in line with what I believe is essential.” he said.
He added, “It’s not a substitute for a political peace… There are so many issues to discuss but you have to discuss them. We have to sit down opposite one another. That’s what leaders do.”
During the interview Netanyahu also told Burnett that his concerns were rooted in security, saying Israel had no desire to meddle in a future PA state’s domestic affairs.
“I don’t want to govern the Palestinians. I don’t want them as subjects of Israel or as citizens of Israel. I want them to have their own independent state. But a demilitarized state,” Netanyahu said.
He explained that a demilitarized PA state “just means that they can’t field the armies. They can’t fire rockets. That they won’t be used a third time by Iran and its Palestinian proxies to fire rockets on Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. But we don’t want to run their lives.”
During the interview on Wednesday, Netanyahu also discussed Iran’s nuclear program, saying “they – they say they need it for, what? Medical isotopes?”
“Well, you know – well, you have a sense of humor…. This is a farce. Nobody can seriously– nobody can take them seriously,” Netanyahu said, laughing after Burnett asking him about Iranian claims that their nuclear program is peaceful.
Posted by bonniekgoodman on April 25, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/israel-political-brief-april-25-2012-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-says-he-can-deliver-peace-deal-in-cnn-interview/
Source: JTA, 4-20-12
Hamas would view any future agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israel not as a permanent peace treaty but rather as a truce, a senior Hamas official told a Jewish newspaper.
Mousa Abu Marzook, the deputy director of Hamas’ political bureau, told the Forward newspaper in an interview published online Thursday night that even if a permanent peace agreement were negotiated by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas would not be obligated to recognize it as anything more than a hudna, an Arabic word for a temporary truce.
“We will not recognize Israel as a state,” he said. “It will be like the relationship between Lebanon and Israel or Syria and Israel.”
Abu Marzook spoke with the Forward during two days of sit-down interviews in Cairo, where he now lives. According to the Forward, this was the first-ever interview between a top Hamas official and a Jewish publication….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on April 20, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/israel-political-brief-april-20-2012-hamas-official-no-permanent-peace-agreement-with-israel/
Source: PMO, 4-11-12
Israel welcomes the Quartet statement that calls for the continuation of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians without preconditions. At his meeting next week with a Palestinian delegation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will propose raising the level of the talks and to hold them directly with Abu Mazen. This message will also be delivered by the Prime Minister’s personal envoy, attorney Yitzhak Molcho, who is expected to meet with Abu Mazen and give him a letter about Israel’s position regarding a future agreement with the Palestinians.
Posted by bonniekgoodman on April 11, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/israel-political-brief-statement-israel-welcomes-quartet-statement-that-calls-for-the-continuation-of-direct-talks-between-israel-and-the-palestinians-without-preconditions/
Source: JTA, 4-11-12
A J Street-backed letter from 74 Congressional lawmakers urged President Obama to reaffirm support for a two-state solution in the Middle East.
The members of the U.S. House of Representatives, all Democrats, signed on to what was the key agenda item during J Street’s advocacy day on March 27, which coincided with its annual conference.
“In our view, support for a two-state resolution is inseparable from such support for Israel, its special relationship with the United States, and its very survival as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people,” the letter said.
Seven Jewish members signed on to the letter, including two of the letter’s chief sponsors, Reps. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and John Yarmuth (D-Ky.). Other notable Jewish members to sign the letter were Reps. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), Bob Filner (D-Calif.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.).
Another signatory was Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the ranking member of the budget committee.
In a press release announcing the letter’s signers, J Street’s director of government affairs, Dylan Williams, noted that the lawmakers “are making clear that to be pro-Israel is to support active U.S. engagement in achieving a two-state solution.”
“If the U.S. Congress does not make a viable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a cornerstone of foreign policy in the region, then we are not truly helping Israel to face one its most critical challenges,” Williams said in the press release.
Posted by bonniekgoodman on April 11, 2012
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/israel-political-brief-april-11-2012-us-congress-democrats-urge-president-obama-to-advance-2-state-solution-supported-at-j-street-conference/
Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich said in a cable television interview that Palestininans are an “invented” people with no apparent right to their own state, a rejection of a decade of bipartisan U.S. foreign policy calling for an independent Palestinian state.
House Newt Gingrich (R-GA) speaks during the Republican Jewish Coalition 2012 Presidential Candidates Forum December 7, 2011 at Ronald Reagan Building and International Center in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong – GETTY IMAGES)
The interview, which was taped in Washington Wednesday and will be broadcast on The Jewish Channel Monday, was first reported by Politico.
In the interview, Gingrich was asked if he is a Zionist, and he responded:
“Remember, there was no Palestine as a state. It was part of the Ottoman Empire. We have invented the Palestinian people, who are in fact Arabs and are historically part of the Arab people, and they had the chance to go many places.”
“For a variety of political reasons,” Gingrich continued, “we have sustained this war against Israel now since the 1940s, and I think it’s tragic.”
Gingrich’s comments are sure to inflame Arabs but may also have repercussions among Jews who support the policy, begun by former president George W. Bush and continued by President Obama, of calling for a separate Palestinian state.
“It was definitely a surprise,” said Steven I. Weiss, who conducted the interview with Gingrich for The Jewish Channel. “It’s a comment I’ve heard before because I’ve covered the far right in the Jewish community and the pro-Israel community. But I was surprised to hear a mainstream Republican figure say it, and I’ve tried to research to find other mainstream Republican figures who said it. I’ve yet to find that.”
Gingrich’s remarks may also feed into a longstanding narrative about him that includes the idea that he says provocative things that excite some of his supporters but leave others worried that he is too volatile to muster the rhetorical discipline to survive the rigors of a presidential campaign.
Posted by bonniekgoodman on December 10, 2011
http://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/israel-political-brief-december-9-2011-us-gop-presidential-candidate-newt-gingrich-says-palestinians-invented-people-jewish-channel-interview/
Full Coverage of President Barack Obama's Middle East Tour & Israel Visit from March 20-23, 2013 @ Obama Israel Visit
