Erekat submits proposal to Kerry to end Israeli occupation

[Jefferson23]

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- US Secretary of State John Kerry met for over two hours with Palestinian negotiators for "constructive" talks on future relations with Israel, a US official said.

It was Kerry's first face-to-face talks with Palestinian negotiators since Washington found itself sidelined from the Gaza ceasefire talks in July, when the top US diplomat failed to broker a truce in the war between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

"Kerry met with Saeb Erekat and Majid Faraj for about two hours this afternoon," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

snip*But the resolution will likely be voted down by a veto from the US which has long opposed unilateral moves by the Palestinians to seek statehood.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=725333

[Jefferson23]

1. US open to new Gaza resolution if it helps truce

US envoy to the UN says resolution must 'do no harm' to ceasefire and should 'play a positive role in supporting a durable solution.'

Associated Press
Published: 09.04.14, 10:09 / Israel News

UNITED NATIONS - The United States is open to a new UN resolution on Gaza but only if it contributes to sustaining the Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire, the US envoy to the United Nations said Wednesday.

Ambassador Samantha Power told reporters that a resolution must "do no harm" to the ceasefire that has been holding in recent days and Israeli-Palestinian talks that are scheduled to resume in Cairo, and should "play a positive role in supporting a durable solution."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4567485,00.html

[Jefferson23]

2. Alleged mastermind of 3 teens’ killing indicted

Hussam Kawasme, on whose land the Israeli youths’ bodies were found, was arrested en route to Jordan; says the killers didn’t plan to seize 3 people

By Mitch Ginsburg September 4, 2014, 1:46 pm

The Shin Bet released on Thursday further information about the abduction and killing of three Israeli teens in June, including the transfer of money from Gaza to Hebron to fund the triple killing and the failed escape to Jordan of Hussam Kawasme, who allegedly helped bury the three teens on his land and was indicted Thursday in a military court.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/alleged-mastermind-of-3-teens-killing-indicted/

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

12. Will he share a cell with the mastermind of the Nakba day killings?

[bemildred]

3. Palestinians put Gaza reconstruction cost at $7.8 bln

RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Rebuilding Gaza will cost $7.8 billion, the Palestinian Authority said on Thursday, in the most comprehensive assessment yet of damage from a seven-week war with Israel during which whole neighborhoods and vital infrastructure were flattened.

The cost of rebuilding 17,000 Gazan homes razed by Israeli bombings would be $2.5 billion, the Authority said, and the energy sector needed $250 million after the Strip's only power plant was destroyed by two Israeli missiles.

"The attack on Gaza this time had no precedent, Gaza has been hit with a catastrophe and it needs immediate help because many things can't wait long," Mohammed Shtayyeh, a Palestinian economist and a senior member of the West Bank's dominant Fatah party, told reporters in Ramallah.

Rebuilding Gaza would depend heavily on foreign aid and would require an end to Palestinian rivalry and Israel opening its border crossings, said Shtayyeh, who heads the Palestinian Economic Council for Research and Development (PECDAR) which ran the survey.

http://www.trust.org/item/20140904135614-wgz6j/

[bemildred]

4. Israeli finance ministry, central bank clash over 2015 budget

JERUSALEM, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Days after Israel reached a ceasefire after 50 days of war against Hamas in Gaza, the finance ministry and the central bank are at odds over how to cover hefty defence costs in next year's budget.

Discussions on the 2015 spending package have just begun but Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Bank of Israel Governor Karnit Flug have already gone public with their opposing views.

The Gaza conflict, which ended on Aug. 26, has underpinned hefty budget demands by the Defence Ministry of 11 billion shekels ($3.1 billion) for 2015. The finance minister has said the 9-billion-shekel cost of the latest fighting can be absorbed in this year's budget with only a slight breach of the 3 percent deficit target.

But covering extra military costs by raising taxes or cutting expenses in civilian areas such as education or health - especially when economic growth is softening - are politically difficult options.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/04/israel-economy-budget-idUSL5N0R42E620140904?rpc=401

[Jefferson23]

5. Egypt: Israeli delegation expected to arrive soon for talks

CAIRO (Ma'an) -- Egyptian officials expect the Israeli negotiating delegation to arrive in Cairo within a week to continue indirect talks, sources in Egypt said.

Egypt has been in contact with both Palestinian and Israeli officials this week to determine a date for further talks following a cessation to hostilities last week.

Egypt is expecting the arrival of PA security teams in Cairo for training in order to deploy at the Rafah crossing and along the Gaza-Egypt border, the sources said.

On Monday, Israel's Channel 10 TV said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not send a delegation to Egypt for further talks.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=725499

[Jefferson23]

6. Israeli forces block roads in Hebron-area town

HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces blocked several roads west of the Hebron-area town of Idhna on Thursday, preventing locals from reaching their agricultural land.

Israeli soldiers in military jeeps closed the Oyoun al-Bas, Khirbet al-Baida, Khirbet al-Ras and Khulat Muhareb roads near the illegal separation wall west of Idhna.

Israeli forces also destroyed an agricultural structure in the area owned by Hasan Farajallah.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=725400

[Jefferson23]

7. Senior Fatah member: ICC indictment against Israel is ready for submission

Senior Fatah official Mohammed Ashtiya on Thursday declared that the Palestinians are ready to apply for International Criminal Court membership and take Israel to the court - and added that their demands should be taken seriously.

“The indictment against Israel at the International Criminal Court and all the accompanying documents are ready,” Ashtiya, a Fatah Central Committee member, said at a press conference in Ramallah. “We are telling the Israelis and the International community that we are very serious,” he said. "Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) is presenting his diplomatic plan to the international community and this time we will demand a timetable for ending the occupation and not negotiations.”

Ashtiya explained that the Palestinians have not set a deadline but he estimated that by November or December the picture should be clearer.

Ashtiya, who heads the Economic Council for the Rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip, made these remarks at the offices of the Palestinian Economic Council, where he presented a detailed report on the damage in Gaza in the wake of the fighting.

According to a document, which is based on an engineering opinion, the rehabilitation of Gaza requires an investment of $7.8 billion and could be completed within five years if the siege is lifted and the crossings are opened. Otherwise, says the report, there is no possibility of setting a timetable for the rehabilitation.

The report states that 9,232 buildings were destroyed entirely and 9,460 were damaged. In addition, 71 mosques were completely demolished and another 205 suffered partial damage.

The diplomatic plan put forward by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was presented on Wednesday in Washington to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his team at a meeting that lasted for about two and a half hours. According to high-level Palestinian sources, Kerry did not give a reply and the sides agreed to meet again.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.614171

[azurnoir]

8. Just a reminder Netanyahu already stated his case on 'Peace'

Netanyahu: Gaza conflict proves Israel can’t relinquish control of West Bank

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday vowed to fight Hamas and other Gaza terror groups until Israel was safe from the threat of missile attack, and then launched a highly unusual and extremely bitter verbal assault on would-be peace-brokers, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, who have been urging Israel to relinquish security control of the West Bank to a Palestinian state.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-gaza-conflict-proves-israel-cant-relinquish-control-of-west-bank/#ixzz3CMlDC0TC

[Scootaloo]

9. Punctuated with bombs, and a land-grab post script.

[Jefferson23]

10. As if he ever would have..piece of shit that he is. n/t

[Jefferson23]

11. Jittery Israel gears up for war crimes battle

A jittery Israeli military is gearing up for what could become its next big battle: dealing with UN investigations that could result in war-crimes allegations.


The army has beefed up its legal staff, is conducting internal investigations of its wartime actions and has prepared a detailed PR campaign of satellite photos and video clips - hoping to persuade the world that its war against Hamas was justified.


"We take our business seriously, and as such we operate within the rules and regulations under the laws of war," said Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a military spokesman.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4567805,00.html

[Israeli]

14. I doubt that you will hear much ....

discussion in the english media about " The Hannibal Directive " Jefferson but over here it is stirring up a lot of controversy ...

Richard Silverstein has been covering it @

http://www.richardsilverstein.com/2014/09/01/hannibal-directive-focus-of-war-crimes-inquiry/

While fighting still raged, the government and IDF appointed special investigative staff to inquire into tens of incidents, among them invocation of the Hannibal Directive in Rafah, out of fear of claims by the UN [Human Rights panel] and human rights groups alleging war crimes.

[Jefferson23]

15. Clever defense but will it hold up..I don't know. US protection as you know is always

reliable but might be contingent upon concessions by Israel this time around..we'll see.

[Israeli]

16. I dont understand your answer Jefferson....

this has nothing to do with the US ...

Hannibal Directive

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Directive

Hannibal Directive is the beginning of fascism in Israel

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4557951,00.html

There are no parents who would prefer their son's death over his capture. An attempt to prevent a soldier's capture at the cost of his life is a moral crime based on a fascist view of the world, showing preference to the country over the individual. It's true that the individual risks his life to protect the country, but he does this with confidence that the country will do everything in order to bring him or her home safely and most certainly without putting a gun at his back.

Even if this is not the stated intention of the protocol, the manner it which it is presented and apparently carried out explicitly indicates the reversal of these key values. No longer is the sanctity of the life of the individual important. Now, in place of the government serving its citizens, it is the citizens who are forced to pay with their lives in order to serve the interests of government. This is simply called fascism.

The extreme right still hasn't come to power, but there's no doubt that this fascist world view has capture the hearts of many. Israeli society succumbs to radicalism quickly when acts of racism, silence, incitement, exclusion of minorities, and violence against Arabs and leftists are commonplace.

The burning of Mohammed Abu Khdeir while still alive and the boycott of Israel Prize laureate Gila Almagor for daring to his family should disturb the sleep of every Israeli who still has some connection with his conscience. Under these circumstances, it is no surprise that the Hannibal Directive passes without raising any doubts.

These things do not happen in a vacuum. Today the dominant discourse in Israel belongs to people with an extreme, nationalist worldview and the responsibility for this rests primarily with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This shift in Israeli society is happening under his watch and his contributions have been many and significant throughout the years of his leadership.

His flattery of fascist rabbis, his path of de-legitimization against the left who's "forgotten what it means to be a Jew", his vanity and arrogance toward Mahmoud Abbas, his continuing support of settlement construction and racist legislation, his tireless use of techniques of fear and his failure to unequivocally condemn manifestations of racism, violence and fascist ideas, allow them to bloom and blossom.

I would like to think that Netanyahu himself is not a fascist in his consciousness and behavior which, at least in part, is due to his natural instinct to ensure his political survival. However, one day soon he may find that he can no longer control the flames threatening to burn down Israeli democracy.

There is only so much Israeli mothers of combat soldiers will take .... this one is going to blowback big time .

[Jefferson23]

17. I was referring to this part, here:

...out of fear of claims by the UN and human rights groups alleging war crimes.

The US always steps in, unfortunately.

[Israeli]

18. Ah ..ok ...

....the US wont be able to do a thing about the anger the Hannibal Directive has caused over here amongst Israeli parents or within the ranks .....that was my point .

BTW ... have you heard ?......

http://972mag.com/leading-israeli-human-rights-group-to-stop-cooperating-with-idf/96440/

[Jefferson23]

19. I agree with you, the US will not be able to do anything about that. I find B'Tselem's decision

an excellent one. They know from experience and are acting accordingly.

Abbas and all the factions have to think long and hard about sacrifices for the
greater good..he will be put to the test like never before with pressure about money/aid to not
sign the Rome statute and it's too soon to know if they will be faithful to the cause.

Thank you for the link, this is the first I have heard of their decision.

[Jefferson23]

13. 'Victory' in Gaza is illusory

How much longer is the farce of the Palestinian Authority going to continue? I ask because it has been obvious over the past few months that the PA, under President Mahmoud Abbas, is there more for Israel's benefit than that of the people it is meant to serve, the Palestinians. In such circumstances, any claim of "victory" by the resistance groups in Gaza is illusory.

So-called "security cooperation" with the Israeli occupation forces makes the PA's own 70,000-strong security agencies collaborators in the eyes of many Palestinians. Has anyone ever seen any PA security forces coming to the aid of Palestinian protesters against Israel's Apartheid Wall at the weekly demonstrations across the occupied West Bank? Such protests usually start peacefully but end in violence as those taking part are attacked by Israeli soldiers and illegal settlers. Do Palestinian security officers rush to their defence? Well, do they? Of course not, for that is not their role; they exist to police the Palestinians on Israel's behalf and stifle any form of resistance not tackled by the absurdly-named Israel Defence Forces. Hence, mass round-ups of non-Fatah activists and the suppression of anti-Israel demonstrations during the latest of the Zionist state's attacks on the civilians of the Gaza Strip.

The EU is the "biggest multilateral donor of assistance to the Palestinians", and in 2011 this aid amounted to €453 million. Ostensibly there to "build up the institutions of a future democratic, independent and viable Palestinian State living side-by-side with Israel in peace and security", the bulk of the aid is spent on security and salaries for PA officials and employees. It has been said that one of the reasons for Mahmoud Abbas' reluctance to sign up to the International Criminal Court to pursue alleged Israeli war criminals through legal means is that the funding which pays his and his cronies' salaries and pensions will be cut-off if he takes such a step. In other words, he has sold out, placing his personal wellbeing over and above justice for his people.

The "international community", meanwhile, goes through with the charade that the two-state solution is still viable and, through the "Middle East Quartet", seeks to impose its own conditions on the Palestinians to get them to acquiesce and offer yet more concessions "for peace". Israel is spared such pressure and gets away, literally, with murder as it continues to steal ever more Palestinian land while paying lip-service to a moribund peace process.

This is why I am concerned but not surprised to learn that PA negotiator Saeb Erekat has met with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington to discuss ways to reopen negotiations with the Israelis. It is as if the recent slaughter of Palestinian civilians in Gaza hasn't happened; that Israel's intense military bombardment and destruction of the infrastructure was just a blip on the screen; that normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/articles/middle-east/13928-victory-in-gaza-is-illusory