Palestine to Israel: "What Kind of State Does Netanyahu Have in Mind?" (Yenidunya)

Before flying to Washington for this week's talks with the Palestinian Authority, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a series of statements ruling out any immediate movement on on key issues. After Sunday's Cabinet meeting, he said: “We have held talks with the Americans and there is no change in our stance. I assume that there will be problems, but the framework of negotiations is the way it was established, without preconditions. I do not know that there is any intention to go beyond discussion on procedure in Washington."

On Monday, the Israeli Prime Minister told his Likud ministers that Israel had made "no proposals" to the Americans on the settlement freeze. Netanyahu said that the future of settlements is not different than other core issues such as borders, Jerusalem and refugees; all of which are to be decided at the final stage.

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On the same day, Netanyahu told Likud activists at a pre-Rosh Hashana toast in Tel Aviv that he would be cautious during the talks and insist on security guarantees, so an Israeli withdrawal would not be met by the firing of hundreds of rockets. Indeed, Netanyahu said that he was not “naive”.

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon dismissed Palestinian pre-conditions:

Whoever places the settlements as a precondition is not serious. Preconditions are not conducive to successful negotiations and placing the blame on Israel before the negotiations have even started is extremely unhelpful and damaging for peace. All sides should arrive at the negotiations with good will.

The Palestinian Authority leader Salam Fayyad reiterated Ramallah’s position that the talks will collapse if Israel fails to deliver the extension of settlement freeze. In response to Israeli decision-makers’ emphasis on the “urgent need of guaranteeing Israel’s security”, Fayyad asked a key question: "What kind of state does Mr Netanyahu have in mind when he says 'Palestinian state'"?

Iran Document: Karroubi-Mousavi Meeting on Eve of Qods Day (31 August)

The English translation, provided by the Facebook page supporting Mir Hossein Mousavi, of  the Saham News report on Wednesday's meeting between Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi to discuss Qods (Palestine) Day, which takes place tomorrow:

.In this meeting, which lasted two hours various issues of ociety and the country were discussed....

In this meeting, Mehdi Karroubi, while commiserating about the economic hardship and living condition of the people, stated that elimination of the experienced and expert personnel on one hand and the government’s lack of attention to the plans and long term goals on the other have resulted in the inability to use the country’s rich resources in general and the proper use of energy in particular. Mehdi Karroubi added that currently Qatar is very active in the shared gas field and is enjoying its benefits, while the Iranian government has not paid the least attention to this important topic to explore and use this field. He also added if the fourth Development Plan was correctly implemented, today we would be extracting more than 6 million barrels of oil daily while our extraction is now less than 3.5 million barrels a day.....Mehdi Karroubi reiterated what is not important for the government in all these developments are the Iranian people and their national interests.

Mir Hossein Mousavi pointed out the dynamics of the Green Movement among various sectors of the society and reiterated that the Green Movement of Iranian people was formed based on demands seeking justice. In this movement different views and trends can be seen; in this movement promoting public awareness and removing ignorance plays an important role. Restoring basic and fundamental rights through peaceful movements is the common goal of all people who are present in this movement.

While condemning the uncompromising policy of violence, illegal arrests, political sentences and ignoring the basic rights of the prisoners, Mir Hossein Mousavi emphasized that experience of the last year shows the failure of the policy of resorting to violence and blind arrests and creating a security and police atmosphere. Mir Hossein Mousavi added that the elongation of the path of reform has imposed a heavy price on our society; however, through discusson different issues and topics by individuals and legal entities has resulted in the maturity and livelihood of this movement, and despite a very heavy security atmosphere, it has been able to include various layers of the society and become more influential every day.

Regarding the Qods Day and fighting against the culture of lies and the deplorable economic situation and livelihoods of the people, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi jointly emphasised the following:

The great Iranian nation and Imam Khomeini have always supported Muslims and oppressed nations particularly the Palestinian nation. Qods Day is the symbol of support of the free people for an oppressed nation who have been driven out from their homeland. During this period have suffered many hardships and pains. The oppressed nation of Palestine, despite numerous United Nations resolutions, has not been able to regain its legitimate rights because the occupying regime [of Israel] has not conceded to act....

It is obvious that a situation emerging from violence is not recognized and will not be recognized in today’s world, as the General Assembly of the United Nations, based on the fundamental principles of international law, repeatedly has announced that gaining territories by using force is not legitimate. Therefore, by emphasizing on the right to “choose destiny”, we support the justice-seeking struggles of the Palestinians and all sincere efforts to reinstate and regain this nation’s rights. We believe that, by preparing the suitable grounds and with the participation of all the people of Palestine including Muslims, Jews and Christians (with the right of equal vote) and in a healthy and fair process, the fate of this ancient and historic land can be determined and the followers of divine religions can live peacefully together.

In Islamic culture and teachings, telling lies is “one of the greatest sins and is recognized as the key of all evil deeds”. Imam Ali (Shi’a's first Imam) paid specific attention to the pest of the lie and its destructive consequences and stated, “No appalling deed is as ugly as telling lies.”

One of the problems of the country is the institutionalisation of telling lies and the reliance of officials on lies in various affairs, including the economy, management, statistics, and political and religious issues. They have been so much caught up in telling lies that finding a true word from this administration is like finding a precious pearl.

The remarks made by the Minister of Intelligence [Heydar Moslehi] about [Green Leaders] receiving billions of dollars from foreigners [to create chaos following the 2009 presidential elections], without presenting any proof and evidence, which of course he himself knows very well that is not true, is another insult to the spontaneous and reformist movement of the great and noble people of Iran. While condemning these illegal, immoral and against religion behaviors of these fellows, who for the hollow comfort of this short life in material world and staying in power legitimise any evil deed, we demand that they publish their documents even the fake ones so that those who lie would be embarrassed,

The economic situation and livelihood of the people, despite Iran being a rich land both in terms of materials and in terms of spirituality, are very disturbing. Unparalleled God-given resources in the depth of the layers of the earth and educated human resources are very valuable assets, which have not yet been utilized in the direction of national interests and prosperity for the country for various reasons including [the government’s] hatred toward science, mismanagement, lack of recognition for rights and freedoms of people, and lack of understanding and knowledge of international affairs.

Despite astronomical oil revenue, which is unprecedented in Iranian history, various classes of the people are today in very difficult conditions. Plans and national development projects are abandoned one after the other and in this chaos it is not clear how and where hundreds of billions of dollars of oil revenue have been spent. The economic situation and livelihood of the people, the real owners of this country is worsening every day, and unemployment along with the government’s corruptions and financial exploitations have sharply increased.

While the noble people of Iran are struggling to meet basic and essential needs, tens of billions are spent from the public money for a show conference [Iranians who live abroad recently gathered in Tehran]. The files of financial corruptions of the managers and officials are suddenly aborted before going through the judicial process so that those who make claims about confronting corruption continue to plunder the national resources without any concern. By militarising the economy and obtaining exclusive rights instead of privatising [the government-run businesses and industries], the presence and role of the people in the field of economy has been minimised and the country’s private sector, that has a small portion of Iran's economy, is about to collapse. Economic growth and development of the country based on social justice requires prerequisites such as change in the government’s role from ownership and management to policy making and monitoring, as well as transferring affairs to the private sector in the light of healthy and transparent competition and increasing the competitiveness of the national economy.

Israel-Palestine Talks: Will Confidence-Building Measures for Ramallah Work? (Yenidunya)

Today brings the first meetings in Washington between US officials and Israeli and Palestinian delegations, with direct talks between the Israeli Government and Palestinian Authority starting Thursday. The preliminary talk has begun, however.

Having met with Jordan’s King Abdullah on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak held a secret meeting with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas in Amman.

Jordan's King Abdullah is a key broker as the head of an Arab country which is at peace with Israel. He told Barak to be an honest partner, giving answers on central issues at the start of talks.

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But then the question: why Barak's secret discussion with Abbas? The Jerusalem Post says that two leaders discussed the further easing of security conditions for Palestinians in the West Bank as a confidence-building measure.

Haaretz has reported recently, from sources “close to the Obama Administration”, that Washington will urge Palestinians to soften their stance on an Israeli proposal for continued construction in large settlement blocs but not in isolated settlements. In response to this “concession”, land from Area C, which is both governed and controlled by Israel, will be transferred to Area B which is controlled by Israelis but governed by Palestinians.

Haaretz also reported in July that Netanyahu was thinking of some confidence-building measures such as enabling the Palestinian police to broaden its activities beyond Area A, which is under the Palestinian Authority's security control, setting up six new police stations in Area B, where the PA is currently responsible only for civilian affairs, and possibly having some authority over civilian matters in Area C.

However, Fatah spokesman Ahmed Assaf dismissed on Monday demands that the Palestinians accept Israel as a Jewish state. He said such a demand was in violation of international law and threatened to sabotage the peace talks.

So to Washington: will the “confidence-building measures” be discussed to get some Palestinian movement on the issue of Israeli settlements? Or is this an unrealistic plan given larger demands that may be on the table?

Gaza Latest: UN's Flotilla Interviews Start, More Aid Ships?, Worry Over Hamas Missiles

UN Flotilla Hearings: The UN Human Rights Council commission, headed by Karl Hudson-Phillips, former judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), conducted eight days of hearings in Turkey on Israel’s deadly attack in May on the Mavi Marmara. The commission then moved to Jordan on Monday.

Hanin Zoabi, a member of the Israeli Knesset who was a Flotilla passenger, and six other people have been interviewed. Zoabi told UN officials that Israeli commandos were on a mission to kill. She told The Associated Press:

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It was evident from the beginning that the commandoes viewed all of us activists as terrorists. Israel's use of large numbers of elite troops with sophisticated weaponry showed it intended to kill the passengers.

The panel is due to report back to the Human Rights Council during its next session between 13 September and 11 October. However, Israel has already refused to cooperate on the grounds of the fact that there is already an independent investigation hed by UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon, as well as Israel’s Turkel Commission’s probe and the now-concluded internal military investigation.

A Grand Flotilla Campaign: Sixteen NGOs who call themselves Lifeline for Gaza (LL4G) are determined to break the blockade imposed on Gaza. Citing he “necessity” of a humanitarian mission comprised of 200 ships which is expected to start in November, LL4G founder and president Dr Noorazman Mohd Samsuddin said, “Water pollution has led to kidney damage while phosphorous in the environment has caused heart and lung ailments.”

Hamas Worries Israeli Officials?: On Monday, Israeli Defense officials praised Egyptian efforts in curbing the flow of arms to the Gaza Strip. Egypt's forces had seized several hundred shoulder-to-air missiles in Sinai in recent days. However, Israelis are worried that the large number of missiles seized by Cairo indicates that a missile capacity already positioned to target Israeli forces in a possible war.

Another Flotilla to Gaza?: Pro-Palestinian groups have been campaigning in Ireland for another “freedom flotilla” to Gaza that is expected to involve an Irish boat and up to 50 Irish people.

Dr Fintan Lane, an Irish campaigner who travelled on the first flotilla who is spearheading the project, said:

We're in the process of putting a legal team in place in case there is a situation similar to what happened the last time, and so we can provide legal aid for people.

Israel-Palestine: Were 4 Settlers Killed to Sabotage Talks? (Yenidunya)

On Tuesday night, four Israelis were killed in a car by at least one gunman in the West Bank. The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, claimed responsibility for the attack. Osama Hamdan, a Hamas spokesman, told Al Jazeera that Hamas had not planned any attacks intended to sabotage the Israeli-Palestinian Authroity talks. However, Hamdan said he was speaking for the political wing of Hamas and the Qassam Brigades could have planned the attack independently.

Abu Mujahad, spokesman of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), told YNet that the West Bank attack was a message to the Palestinian negotiating team over the resumption of direct talks with Israel. "They should not have gone for this move without the support of the Palestinian people," he said. "Our people still abide by resistance and do no believe in the fictitious talks scheduled to commence tomorrow."

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Then another Hamas response came. "Hamas praises the attack and regards it as a natural response to the crimes of the occupation," said Sami Abu-Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak responded:

This is very grave incident. The IDF and Israeli security forces will do everything they can to capture the murderers. Israel will not allow terrorists to lift their heads and will exact a price from the murderers and those who sent them.

US State Department Spokesman Philip J. Crowley called the attack as a “tragedy” and continued:

Any time one human being takes out a weapon and fires and kills other human beings it’s a tragedy.

We are cognizant that there could be external events that can have an impact on the environment. We also are cognizant that there may well be actors in the region who are deliberately making these kinds of attacks in order to sabotage the process. We are very aware that as we go forward in this process, not everyone sees this in the same way, and there are those who will do whatever they can to disrupt or derail the process.

The most significant, if cynical, question is: which side can get the most benefit from this tragedy during direct talks? Will this attack boost Israel through attention to its security concerns? Will it make Ramallah a more valuable partner for peace, given the shadow  of Hamas and other opposition groups, especially at a time when polls show that more than half of Palestinians in the West Bank do not believe that there will be a peace agreement in Washington?