23 jan 2016
Israeli authorities handed over the body of a Palestinian teenager to the Palestinian civil affairs department on Saturday evening.
Thirteen-year-old Ruqayya Eid Abu Eid, originally from the city of Yatta south of Hebron, was shot dead earlier on Saturday by an Israeli security guard after allegedly trying to stab him near the illegal settlement of Anatot.
Her body was taken to al-Ahli hospital in Hebron, after being received by her family.
Palestinian Public Prosecutor Alaa al-Tamimi said that "the necessary medical and legal procedures will be taken to document the Israeli crime."
The reported attack outside of Anatot is the most recent to take place amid an ongoing wave of unrest in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Last week a 15-year-old Palestinian, also from Yatta, was detained for being suspected of stabbing and killing an Israeli settler in the illegal settlement of Otneil, one day before another settler was stabbed and injured by a Palestinian in the illegal settlement of Tekoa.
The death of the 36-year-old mother in the Otneil settlement brought condemnation from Israeli leadership and UN officials, who called on Palestinian and Israeli leadership to stop incitement.
Over 20 Israelis have been killed in attacks carried out by Palestinian individuals since Oct. 1. More than 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military forces or settlers in the same time period, at least 30 of whom were under the age of 18.
Israeli authorities began holding the bodies of Palestinians killed while carrying out attacks on Israeli military or civilians in October. The practice has not been used with such frequency since the Second Intifada, according to rights group Hamoked.
However, Israel's withholding of bodies has only further stoked tensions in the occupied Palestinian territory, and Israeli authorities have since returned many of them of them to their families, on what they refer to as a "case-by-case" basis.
Israeli authorities have implemented a number of restrictions on Palestinian communities in the West Bank since violence increased in October, including road closures, sealing off movement in and out of villages and towns, and arrest campaigns.
The area around Hebron has been particularly affected by these measures, leading to further resentment from Palestinians.
Israeli army Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot said Monday that “it would be a bitter mistake to impose curfews and closures” on Palestinian communities, adding that such moves would “work against Israeli interests.”
While “security measures” have been eased over the past month according to documentation by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, many closures and restrictions on movement remain in place, particularly in the Hebron district.
Thirteen-year-old Ruqayya Eid Abu Eid, originally from the city of Yatta south of Hebron, was shot dead earlier on Saturday by an Israeli security guard after allegedly trying to stab him near the illegal settlement of Anatot.
Her body was taken to al-Ahli hospital in Hebron, after being received by her family.
Palestinian Public Prosecutor Alaa al-Tamimi said that "the necessary medical and legal procedures will be taken to document the Israeli crime."
The reported attack outside of Anatot is the most recent to take place amid an ongoing wave of unrest in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Last week a 15-year-old Palestinian, also from Yatta, was detained for being suspected of stabbing and killing an Israeli settler in the illegal settlement of Otneil, one day before another settler was stabbed and injured by a Palestinian in the illegal settlement of Tekoa.
The death of the 36-year-old mother in the Otneil settlement brought condemnation from Israeli leadership and UN officials, who called on Palestinian and Israeli leadership to stop incitement.
Over 20 Israelis have been killed in attacks carried out by Palestinian individuals since Oct. 1. More than 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military forces or settlers in the same time period, at least 30 of whom were under the age of 18.
Israeli authorities began holding the bodies of Palestinians killed while carrying out attacks on Israeli military or civilians in October. The practice has not been used with such frequency since the Second Intifada, according to rights group Hamoked.
However, Israel's withholding of bodies has only further stoked tensions in the occupied Palestinian territory, and Israeli authorities have since returned many of them of them to their families, on what they refer to as a "case-by-case" basis.
Israeli authorities have implemented a number of restrictions on Palestinian communities in the West Bank since violence increased in October, including road closures, sealing off movement in and out of villages and towns, and arrest campaigns.
The area around Hebron has been particularly affected by these measures, leading to further resentment from Palestinians.
Israeli army Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot said Monday that “it would be a bitter mistake to impose curfews and closures” on Palestinian communities, adding that such moves would “work against Israeli interests.”
While “security measures” have been eased over the past month according to documentation by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, many closures and restrictions on movement remain in place, particularly in the Hebron district.
The Hamas Movement has condemned Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas for likening the blood of Israeli killers to the blood of Palestinian martyrs, describing his remarks in this regard as "disastrous."
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called Abbas's comparison between the Palestinian and Israeli blood "a treacherous stab in the back of the Palestinian intifada (uprising) and tampering with the Palestinian people's fate and national cause."
Abu Zuhri demanded all Palestinian political forces to state their positions on such serious national decline.
He also said that Abbas's stated positions on his security cooperation with the occupation would never represent the Palestinian people, stressing that the intifada would continue until it achieved its objectives.
In another context, the Hamas Movement deplored the burning of pictures belonging to some Arab and Palestinian figures by angry young protesters in Rafah area, south of Gaza, on Friday.
Hamas stated that such behavior did not reflect the Palestinian people's morals, stressing that the popular indignation over the economic situation in Gaza does not give anyone the right to insult any Arab or Palestinian figure.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called Abbas's comparison between the Palestinian and Israeli blood "a treacherous stab in the back of the Palestinian intifada (uprising) and tampering with the Palestinian people's fate and national cause."
Abu Zuhri demanded all Palestinian political forces to state their positions on such serious national decline.
He also said that Abbas's stated positions on his security cooperation with the occupation would never represent the Palestinian people, stressing that the intifada would continue until it achieved its objectives.
In another context, the Hamas Movement deplored the burning of pictures belonging to some Arab and Palestinian figures by angry young protesters in Rafah area, south of Gaza, on Friday.
Hamas stated that such behavior did not reflect the Palestinian people's morals, stressing that the popular indignation over the economic situation in Gaza does not give anyone the right to insult any Arab or Palestinian figure.
PA Intelligence forces violently stormed Saturday morning a number of local homes in Bani Hassan town west of Salfit and arrested four local youths.
The arrests were carried out after local protesters sprayed slogans condemning PA crackdown on resistance operations against Israel, and accusing PA intelligence Chief Majed Faraj of high treason.
The detainees were brutally attacked during their arrest.
Faraj stated in a recent interview with the US magazine Defense News that the PA security forces had frustrated 200 resistance operations against Israel during the current intifada (uprising) in the occupied territories.
The arrests were carried out after local protesters sprayed slogans condemning PA crackdown on resistance operations against Israel, and accusing PA intelligence Chief Majed Faraj of high treason.
The detainees were brutally attacked during their arrest.
Faraj stated in a recent interview with the US magazine Defense News that the PA security forces had frustrated 200 resistance operations against Israel during the current intifada (uprising) in the occupied territories.
A European website has posted on its pages names of Palestinian journalists, bloggers and religious figures and accused them of inciting against the Israeli occupation state.
The European institute against incitement posted on its website pictures and identities of 22 Palestinians, including 10 journalist and bloggers, and described them as instigators because of their involvement in exposing Israeli crimes and stating positions in support of the Palestinian resistance.
The Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate expressed its concern over the European institute's incitement against Palestinian journalists.
"We are deeply concerned for what has come in the website, especially against well-known journalists and members of the syndicate working for renowned Palestinian, Arab and foreign media agencies and outlets," the syndicate stated in a press release.
The syndicate considered the website's incitement against journalists "incitement and permission to kill and assault journalists."
It stressed that such incitement against journalists put the website and its administration in the circle of suspicion in terms of their affiliation and goals.
For its part, the Palestinian information ministry condemned the website's accusations against Palestinians as "a blind bias for Israel's terrorism."
"Publishing the identities of 22 Palestinians, including 10 journalists, by the institute's website has reflected a pathological behavior defending the executioner that practices all forms of murder and aggression," the ministry stated.
The ministry affirmed it would take all legal and technical steps against the people in charge of the website.
The European institute against incitement posted on its website pictures and identities of 22 Palestinians, including 10 journalist and bloggers, and described them as instigators because of their involvement in exposing Israeli crimes and stating positions in support of the Palestinian resistance.
The Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate expressed its concern over the European institute's incitement against Palestinian journalists.
"We are deeply concerned for what has come in the website, especially against well-known journalists and members of the syndicate working for renowned Palestinian, Arab and foreign media agencies and outlets," the syndicate stated in a press release.
The syndicate considered the website's incitement against journalists "incitement and permission to kill and assault journalists."
It stressed that such incitement against journalists put the website and its administration in the circle of suspicion in terms of their affiliation and goals.
For its part, the Palestinian information ministry condemned the website's accusations against Palestinians as "a blind bias for Israel's terrorism."
"Publishing the identities of 22 Palestinians, including 10 journalists, by the institute's website has reflected a pathological behavior defending the executioner that practices all forms of murder and aggression," the ministry stated.
The ministry affirmed it would take all legal and technical steps against the people in charge of the website.
22 jan 2016
Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, said on Thursday evening Israel has not responded to a Palestinian initiative for a summit meeting with the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a conversation with Israeli reporters at the PA’s Ramallah headquarters, Abbas said he had sought to initiate a meeting with Netanyahu, but the latter did not respond.
That was two months ago, the Palestinian leader said, adding that since then he hasn’t heard from the Israeli side.
Abbas emphasized the PA would continue its security coordination with the Israeli occupation forces, saying that until this very minute, he has not changed his position on the issue.
He said the aim behind peace talks is to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict in accordance with international legitimacy and Palestinians’ aspirations to establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Netanyahu’s office, however, denied Abbas’s claim.
“It isn’t true,” a source in the Prime Minister’s Office said. “It’s an attempt by Abbas to evade responsibility for the lack of talks. Even today, Netanyahu called on Abbas at Davos to come to negotiate without preconditions.”
In a conversation with Israeli reporters at the PA’s Ramallah headquarters, Abbas said he had sought to initiate a meeting with Netanyahu, but the latter did not respond.
That was two months ago, the Palestinian leader said, adding that since then he hasn’t heard from the Israeli side.
Abbas emphasized the PA would continue its security coordination with the Israeli occupation forces, saying that until this very minute, he has not changed his position on the issue.
He said the aim behind peace talks is to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict in accordance with international legitimacy and Palestinians’ aspirations to establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Netanyahu’s office, however, denied Abbas’s claim.
“It isn’t true,” a source in the Prime Minister’s Office said. “It’s an attempt by Abbas to evade responsibility for the lack of talks. Even today, Netanyahu called on Abbas at Davos to come to negotiate without preconditions.”
Turkish activists have called on all religious figures and leaders of the Muslim nation as well as international organizations to take all necessary steps to put the issue of Jerusalem on their agendas and work for its liberation from the occupation.
This came in a statement released by the Multakayat Ayoub Forum under the title, "We will not leave the Aqsa Mosque alone" during a news conference held in Istanbul on Thursday.
The statement highlighted the dangers threatening the Aqsa Mosque and the measures pursued by the Israeli occupation to Judaize and create a fait accompli in Jerusalem.
The statement stressed that all Muslims and the entire humanity are responsible for protecting Jerusalem.
"It is time to do something for Jerusalem and not to leave the Aqsa Mosque alone," the statement underscored.
This came in a statement released by the Multakayat Ayoub Forum under the title, "We will not leave the Aqsa Mosque alone" during a news conference held in Istanbul on Thursday.
The statement highlighted the dangers threatening the Aqsa Mosque and the measures pursued by the Israeli occupation to Judaize and create a fait accompli in Jerusalem.
The statement stressed that all Muslims and the entire humanity are responsible for protecting Jerusalem.
"It is time to do something for Jerusalem and not to leave the Aqsa Mosque alone," the statement underscored.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces overnight Thursday broke into the Faraa refugee camp, in eastern Tubas city, and cracked down on the Palestinian protesters, sparking violent clashes in the area.
According to local sources, confrontations burst out near the main entrance to the camp, where Palestinian youths gathered in protest at the abrupt sweeps launched by the PA security apparatuses in the camp.
The protesters sealed off the access-road to the camp for fear of further assaults by the PA forces.
The PA troops reportedly summoned reinforcements around the Faraa camp, fanning the flames of the simmering tension in the area.
According to local sources, confrontations burst out near the main entrance to the camp, where Palestinian youths gathered in protest at the abrupt sweeps launched by the PA security apparatuses in the camp.
The protesters sealed off the access-road to the camp for fear of further assaults by the PA forces.
The PA troops reportedly summoned reinforcements around the Faraa camp, fanning the flames of the simmering tension in the area.
A solidarity vigil was staged Thursday by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in the blockaded Gaza Strip in support for the underway anti-occupation Jerusalem Intifada, which started in early October.
The rally-goers lifted the Palestinian flag and chanted slogans calling for keeping up the uprising until the end of the Israeli occupation.
Hamas leader Ismail Redwan said, “The Jerusalem Intifada will keep going until Palestinians’ goals see the day, despite Israeli attempts to abort it.”
“The crimes and field executions committed by the Israeli occupation against our children will never be tolerated,” he added.
He called on the Palestinian factions to show full commitment to the uprising, form a youth leadership to monitor the intifada in the West Bank, and to develop resistance strategies.
Redwan urged the international human rights organizations to file lawsuits against the Israeli occupation authority for its war crimes against the Palestinians.
Islamic Jihad leader Khaled al-Batesh, for his part, said that the fight with the Israeli occupation shall continue until the liberation of Palestine.
“Never ever shall we give up a single inch of our motherland; nor shall we recognize the legitimacy of the Israeli colonizer, no matter how cruel and bloody the Israeli crimes against us can get,” al-Batesh vowed.
The rally-goers lifted the Palestinian flag and chanted slogans calling for keeping up the uprising until the end of the Israeli occupation.
Hamas leader Ismail Redwan said, “The Jerusalem Intifada will keep going until Palestinians’ goals see the day, despite Israeli attempts to abort it.”
“The crimes and field executions committed by the Israeli occupation against our children will never be tolerated,” he added.
He called on the Palestinian factions to show full commitment to the uprising, form a youth leadership to monitor the intifada in the West Bank, and to develop resistance strategies.
Redwan urged the international human rights organizations to file lawsuits against the Israeli occupation authority for its war crimes against the Palestinians.
Islamic Jihad leader Khaled al-Batesh, for his part, said that the fight with the Israeli occupation shall continue until the liberation of Palestine.
“Never ever shall we give up a single inch of our motherland; nor shall we recognize the legitimacy of the Israeli colonizer, no matter how cruel and bloody the Israeli crimes against us can get,” al-Batesh vowed.
Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) MP Yahya Mousa called for prosecuting the director of the intelligence apparatus of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Majed Faraj.
The MP Mousa said, in a statement on Thursday, that he is going to file a memo with the military court in order to prosecute Faraj for his statements which reflect absolute betrayal.
The PA official Faraj made statements to an American newspaper, saying that the PA worked against resistance and foiled over 200 of anti-occupation operations during the Jerusalem Intifada.
MP Mousa called for the dismissal of Faraj and held the PA leadership responsible for the implications of Faraj’s statements on the national level.
Palestinian factions slam Faraj’s statements
Hamas Movement, Jihad Movement, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine have strongly condemned, in a joint statement issued Thursday evening, the remarks made by Palestinian Authority (PA) intelligence chief Majed Faraj.
Faraj stated in a recent interview conducted by the US magazine Defense News that the PA security forces had frustrated 200 resistance operations against Israel during the current intifada (uprising) in the occupied territories.
Faraj’s statements constitute a stigma to our people’s struggle and sacrifices and deepen in the same time the internal division, the joint statement said.
These statements reflect the PA monopoly over the national decision, the statement continued.
“Faraj's remarks are contrary to the Palestinian consensus and reflect the PA’s adherence to security coordination between PA and Israeli forces.”
Such a position equates the Palestinian people’s legitimate resistance with terrorism that is widely rejected, the statement concluded.
Hamas: Abbas's media law will entrench the national rift
The Hamas Movement has voiced its rejection of the higher media council's law, which was approved by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri warned on Thursday that Abbas's new media law would deepen the national division, describing it as a violation of the powers of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Abu Zuhri expressed his belief that the law was made within the circles of the Fatah Movement, with no participation of journalists from all spectra.
He also said that the law would make the Palestinian journalists' syndicate without any role and turn it into a government tool, pointing out that the law also ignored the Palestinian struggle against the occupation.
The law was formulated during recent meetings attended by journalists from Fatah and left-wing groups before it was sanctioned by president Abbas.
The MP Mousa said, in a statement on Thursday, that he is going to file a memo with the military court in order to prosecute Faraj for his statements which reflect absolute betrayal.
The PA official Faraj made statements to an American newspaper, saying that the PA worked against resistance and foiled over 200 of anti-occupation operations during the Jerusalem Intifada.
MP Mousa called for the dismissal of Faraj and held the PA leadership responsible for the implications of Faraj’s statements on the national level.
Palestinian factions slam Faraj’s statements
Hamas Movement, Jihad Movement, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine have strongly condemned, in a joint statement issued Thursday evening, the remarks made by Palestinian Authority (PA) intelligence chief Majed Faraj.
Faraj stated in a recent interview conducted by the US magazine Defense News that the PA security forces had frustrated 200 resistance operations against Israel during the current intifada (uprising) in the occupied territories.
Faraj’s statements constitute a stigma to our people’s struggle and sacrifices and deepen in the same time the internal division, the joint statement said.
These statements reflect the PA monopoly over the national decision, the statement continued.
“Faraj's remarks are contrary to the Palestinian consensus and reflect the PA’s adherence to security coordination between PA and Israeli forces.”
Such a position equates the Palestinian people’s legitimate resistance with terrorism that is widely rejected, the statement concluded.
Hamas: Abbas's media law will entrench the national rift
The Hamas Movement has voiced its rejection of the higher media council's law, which was approved by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri warned on Thursday that Abbas's new media law would deepen the national division, describing it as a violation of the powers of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Abu Zuhri expressed his belief that the law was made within the circles of the Fatah Movement, with no participation of journalists from all spectra.
He also said that the law would make the Palestinian journalists' syndicate without any role and turn it into a government tool, pointing out that the law also ignored the Palestinian struggle against the occupation.
The law was formulated during recent meetings attended by journalists from Fatah and left-wing groups before it was sanctioned by president Abbas.
A medic looks at blood stain of a Palestinian man who was killed by Israeli undercover forces during a raid at Al-Ahly hospital in the West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron) on November 12, 2015.
British doctors have called for the removal of Israel from the World Medical Association (WMA) over claims of “medical torture” on Palestinians seeking treatment.
Some 71 UK doctors have started to pressure the WMA to revoke the membership of the Israel Medical Association, over claims that “our doctors perform medical torture on Palestinian patients,” said Ze'ev Feldman, the representative of the Israeli doctors, during a Knesset meeting held on the subject of boycotts against Israeli academic institutions, on Wednesday.
According to Press TV/Al Ray, if the British physicians succeed, the Tel Aviv regime will be banned from taking part in international medical conferences and publishing in journals.
The move follows similar measures launched by scholars around the world over the past few months. In December, over 200 South African scholars released a statement announcing their support of an academic boycott of Israel.
In November, the American Anthropological Association, the largest professional organization of anthropologists in the world, approved a resolution to boycott Israeli academic institutions.
Moreover, the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel, known as BDS, is gaining momentum in US college campuses and churches as well as in many places in Europe. The BDS movement seeks to end the Israeli occupation and colonization of Palestinian lands.
British doctors have called for the removal of Israel from the World Medical Association (WMA) over claims of “medical torture” on Palestinians seeking treatment.
Some 71 UK doctors have started to pressure the WMA to revoke the membership of the Israel Medical Association, over claims that “our doctors perform medical torture on Palestinian patients,” said Ze'ev Feldman, the representative of the Israeli doctors, during a Knesset meeting held on the subject of boycotts against Israeli academic institutions, on Wednesday.
According to Press TV/Al Ray, if the British physicians succeed, the Tel Aviv regime will be banned from taking part in international medical conferences and publishing in journals.
The move follows similar measures launched by scholars around the world over the past few months. In December, over 200 South African scholars released a statement announcing their support of an academic boycott of Israel.
In November, the American Anthropological Association, the largest professional organization of anthropologists in the world, approved a resolution to boycott Israeli academic institutions.
Moreover, the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel, known as BDS, is gaining momentum in US college campuses and churches as well as in many places in Europe. The BDS movement seeks to end the Israeli occupation and colonization of Palestinian lands.
21 jan 2016
Spokesperson for the Palestinian Interior Ministry, Iyad al-Bazm, said on Wednesday evening the statements released by the head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) General Intelligence Service on having foiled 200 anti-occupation attacks are proofs of the ongoing PA-Israel security coordination.
Al-Bazm said serious endeavors should be made to put an end to the PA’s “dubious” security policies, which go against all national accords.
“At the same time, we confirm that our security apparatuses took it upon their shoulders to serve the Palestinian people, protect the internal front, and stand as the bulletproof vest for the Palestinian resistance,” he added.
Earlier, on Monday, Majed Faraj, head of the PA General Intelligence Service in the West Bank, said in an interview with Defense News Magazine that Palestinian security forces have foiled 200 attacks against Israelis since the beginning of the current wave of anti-occupation activism in early October.
He added that the PA was working with the Israeli occupation, the U.S. and others to prevent the collapse of the PA and that security coordination with the Israeli occupation is a bridge that can sustain a decent atmosphere until the politicians go back to serious talks.
Faraj widely slammed for his role in protecting Israel's security
Recent remarks made by Palestinian Authority (PA) intelligence director Majed Faraj about the role of the PA security forces in preventing resistance attacks against Israeli targets have been widely criticized by Palestinian factions and political forces.
Faraj stated in a recent interview conducted by the US magazine Defense News that the PA security forces had frustrated 200 resistance operations against Israel during the current intifada (uprising) in the occupied territories.
Faraj reiterated his position on the need to preserve the security cooperation between the PA and Israel, and expressed his belief that the resistance operations, which he described as terrorism, would not help the Palestinians to fulfill their dream of having an independent state.
Second deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Hasan Khreisheh deplored Faraj for bragging about the security collaboration with the occupation against his own people and trying to market himself as a man of peace.
Khreisheh told Quds Press that Faraj's position was contrary to the Palestinian consensus and reflected that the PA would never renounce its relations with the occupation.
He demanded Faraj to talk about what he had done for the protection of his own people instead of speaking proudly about his achievements for the occupation.
For its part, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) condemned Faraj's remarks as a political scandal and a cover-up for the daily murder of Palestinians.
The DFLP stressed the need to stop making what it described as "harmful and irresponsible remarks, which portrays the PA as an agency for the protection of Israel's security."
Al-Bazm said serious endeavors should be made to put an end to the PA’s “dubious” security policies, which go against all national accords.
“At the same time, we confirm that our security apparatuses took it upon their shoulders to serve the Palestinian people, protect the internal front, and stand as the bulletproof vest for the Palestinian resistance,” he added.
Earlier, on Monday, Majed Faraj, head of the PA General Intelligence Service in the West Bank, said in an interview with Defense News Magazine that Palestinian security forces have foiled 200 attacks against Israelis since the beginning of the current wave of anti-occupation activism in early October.
He added that the PA was working with the Israeli occupation, the U.S. and others to prevent the collapse of the PA and that security coordination with the Israeli occupation is a bridge that can sustain a decent atmosphere until the politicians go back to serious talks.
Faraj widely slammed for his role in protecting Israel's security
Recent remarks made by Palestinian Authority (PA) intelligence director Majed Faraj about the role of the PA security forces in preventing resistance attacks against Israeli targets have been widely criticized by Palestinian factions and political forces.
Faraj stated in a recent interview conducted by the US magazine Defense News that the PA security forces had frustrated 200 resistance operations against Israel during the current intifada (uprising) in the occupied territories.
Faraj reiterated his position on the need to preserve the security cooperation between the PA and Israel, and expressed his belief that the resistance operations, which he described as terrorism, would not help the Palestinians to fulfill their dream of having an independent state.
Second deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Hasan Khreisheh deplored Faraj for bragging about the security collaboration with the occupation against his own people and trying to market himself as a man of peace.
Khreisheh told Quds Press that Faraj's position was contrary to the Palestinian consensus and reflected that the PA would never renounce its relations with the occupation.
He demanded Faraj to talk about what he had done for the protection of his own people instead of speaking proudly about his achievements for the occupation.
For its part, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) condemned Faraj's remarks as a political scandal and a cover-up for the daily murder of Palestinians.
The DFLP stressed the need to stop making what it described as "harmful and irresponsible remarks, which portrays the PA as an agency for the protection of Israel's security."
Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, said that admitting foiling 200 of resistance operations against the Israeli occupation by the intelligence official of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Majed Faraj, proves the PA’s role in serving Israel.
Hamas’s spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri affirmed, in a statement on Wednesday, that Faraj’s statements prove that the PA’s statements on halting the security coordination with Israeli are just meaningless slogans.
Abu Zuhri pointed out that Faraj’s statements on the importance of the security coordination with Israel mean that protecting the Israeli occupation has become a strong belief to the PA apparatuses.
Hamas called for a national campaign for confronting the PA’s national and moral deterioration, stressing that all those practices will not succeed in ending the Jerusalem Intifada or guaranteeing security for the Israeli occupation.
Zahhar: The security coordination is the culture of negotiators
Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahhar has said that the security coordination is the culture of those who negotiate with the Israeli occupation.
Zahhar made his remarks during a festival organized on Thursday by the Hamas Movement in Gaza City.
"This is the policy and culture of traitors, and if half of those operations had been carried out, the occupation would have escaped Palestine," Zahhar stated.
"The negotiators have got a big zero, but the resistance have carried stones, knives and weapons and manufactured rockets despite exile and detention," he said.
The Hamas official was commenting on the recent remarks made by Palestinian Authority intelligence chief Majed Faraj about the frustration of 200 resistance attacks against Israel during the current intifada (uprising).
Hamas’s spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri affirmed, in a statement on Wednesday, that Faraj’s statements prove that the PA’s statements on halting the security coordination with Israeli are just meaningless slogans.
Abu Zuhri pointed out that Faraj’s statements on the importance of the security coordination with Israel mean that protecting the Israeli occupation has become a strong belief to the PA apparatuses.
Hamas called for a national campaign for confronting the PA’s national and moral deterioration, stressing that all those practices will not succeed in ending the Jerusalem Intifada or guaranteeing security for the Israeli occupation.
Zahhar: The security coordination is the culture of negotiators
Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahhar has said that the security coordination is the culture of those who negotiate with the Israeli occupation.
Zahhar made his remarks during a festival organized on Thursday by the Hamas Movement in Gaza City.
"This is the policy and culture of traitors, and if half of those operations had been carried out, the occupation would have escaped Palestine," Zahhar stated.
"The negotiators have got a big zero, but the resistance have carried stones, knives and weapons and manufactured rockets despite exile and detention," he said.
The Hamas official was commenting on the recent remarks made by Palestinian Authority intelligence chief Majed Faraj about the frustration of 200 resistance attacks against Israel during the current intifada (uprising).
20 jan 2016
A comprehensive statistical report by the Palestinian Ministry of Health showed that 14,250 Palestinians got injured in Jerusalem Intifada in the West Bank and Occupied Jerusalem since last October.
The report, which was published by the ministry on Wednesday, documented 1,234 injuries by Israeli live bullets, 2,980 others by rubber bullets and 323 injuries due to beating at the hands of Israeli soldiers.
38 Palestinians suffered burns and 9,675 others choked on Israeli tear gas during confrontations with Israeli troops, the report added.
The report, which was published by the ministry on Wednesday, documented 1,234 injuries by Israeli live bullets, 2,980 others by rubber bullets and 323 injuries due to beating at the hands of Israeli soldiers.
38 Palestinians suffered burns and 9,675 others choked on Israeli tear gas during confrontations with Israeli troops, the report added.
Israeli soldiers and settlers in Hebron
Both the EU and United States are becoming increasingly public in criticism of Israel's settlement policies.
The European Union finalised its resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and Israeli settlements Monday, confirming that the EU considers Israel's borders to be on the 1967 Green Line, and that any agreement made between Israel and member countries would accordingly not apply to settlements.
"The EU expresses its commitment to ensure that – in line with international law – all agreements between the State of Israel and the EU must unequivocally and explicitly indicate their inapplicability to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967," the resolution reads.
Israeli minister of foreign affairs and prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, worked on a last minute push ahead of Monday's meeting of the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council, to halt the first draft of the resolution, which would have broadened the distinction between Israel and the territories, and applied it to bilateral agreements between Israel and each of the 28 member states.
"Our intense diplomatic work prevented wording applying to each member state," said an Israeli official.
The EU has held for many years that a final agreement on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be based on a two-state solution, and that Israeli settlements are illegal and undermine peace efforts.
Relations have been strained between Israel and the EU after Netanyahu declared last year, during the Israeli national elections campaign, that the Oslo agreements are finished. While the prime minister later retracted this statement, it didn't manage to improve relations with the EU.
Employing a similar tone, American ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro criticized Israel’s settlements policies during a speech he gave Monday at an Institute for National Security Studies conference in Tel Aviv.
Ambassador Shapiro said that the US is concerned by ongoing building in the settlements and also criticised the Israeli authorities' lack of investigation into Jewish terrorism in the West Bank.
"Too much vigilantism goes unchecked," the ambassador said, stressing that "at times there seem to be two standards of adherence to the rule of law [in the West Bank]: one for Israelis and another for Palestinians."
Both the EU and United States are becoming increasingly public in criticism of Israel's settlement policies.
The European Union finalised its resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and Israeli settlements Monday, confirming that the EU considers Israel's borders to be on the 1967 Green Line, and that any agreement made between Israel and member countries would accordingly not apply to settlements.
"The EU expresses its commitment to ensure that – in line with international law – all agreements between the State of Israel and the EU must unequivocally and explicitly indicate their inapplicability to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967," the resolution reads.
Israeli minister of foreign affairs and prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, worked on a last minute push ahead of Monday's meeting of the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council, to halt the first draft of the resolution, which would have broadened the distinction between Israel and the territories, and applied it to bilateral agreements between Israel and each of the 28 member states.
"Our intense diplomatic work prevented wording applying to each member state," said an Israeli official.
The EU has held for many years that a final agreement on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be based on a two-state solution, and that Israeli settlements are illegal and undermine peace efforts.
Relations have been strained between Israel and the EU after Netanyahu declared last year, during the Israeli national elections campaign, that the Oslo agreements are finished. While the prime minister later retracted this statement, it didn't manage to improve relations with the EU.
Employing a similar tone, American ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro criticized Israel’s settlements policies during a speech he gave Monday at an Institute for National Security Studies conference in Tel Aviv.
Ambassador Shapiro said that the US is concerned by ongoing building in the settlements and also criticised the Israeli authorities' lack of investigation into Jewish terrorism in the West Bank.
"Too much vigilantism goes unchecked," the ambassador said, stressing that "at times there seem to be two standards of adherence to the rule of law [in the West Bank]: one for Israelis and another for Palestinians."
By Khalid Amayreh
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is quite addicted to lying. However, what makes this conduct on his part especially malicious is that he lies quite knowingly, without a twinge of conscience or feeling of regret.
During his visit to a small settlement in the southern Hebron hills Monday, the Israeli premier claimed that Palestinians were revolting against Israel because they wanted to kill Jews.
As usual, Netanyahu completely ignored the decades-old military occupation by Israel of Palestine and the conspicuously criminal treatment meted out to millions of Palestinians whose only "guilt" is their being born non-Jewish.
Netanyahu, who arrived at the settlement to show solidarity with the family of a settler woman who was killed a few days ago, allegedly by a Palestinian youngster, took advantage of the tragedy to hurl lies right and left in order to justify his intransigence and anti-peace discourse.
He overlooked the fact that since the beginning of October, trigger-happy Israeli soldiers and settlers killed more than 160 Palestinians, many in an execution style and without the slightest provocation.
According to eye-witness testimonies, Israeli soldiers and settlers on several occasions placed a knife or sharp object next to the Palestinian victim to give the impression that he was trying to stab Israelis.
More to the point, Israeli security forces made sure that Palestinians shot were left to bleed to death.
The murderous executions prompted the Foreign Minister of Sweden Krister Wickman to demand an inquiry into these crimes.
Israel, which always adopts a holier-than-thou attitude toward international criticisms, rejected the Swedish call, arguing that Israel has the right to self-defense.
Killing the two-state solution
The truth of the matter is that Israel has effectively killed any remaining prospects for a viable peace with the Palestinians by decapitating -once and for all- any remaining chances for the establishment of a viable Palestinian state, thanks to the ubiquitous metastasizing of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, especially East Jerusalem.
I think all honest observers, Palestinian, Israeli and international, agree on this prognosis. Hence, it would be an expression of dishonesty or utter ignorance and naïveté to deny the obvious.
This is unless what Israel, its guardian ally, the US, and the rest of the international community have in mind for the Palestinians is an insignificant state not worthy of the name, e.g. a state without Jerusalem, without demographic and territorial contiguity, without the right of return for the refugees, and without an Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders.
Needless to say, the vast majority of Palestinians would utterly reject such a deformed entity even if the entire world sang the hymns of praise for such misshapen creature.
Now Israel is facing a real dilemma, which makes Netanyahu and his ministers make nervous and totally mendacious statements almost on a daily basis.
Indeed, with the two-state solution now effectively in the belly of earth, Israel has only two alternatives left: Either one state for all- from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean-or an open-ended conflict.
But one state is impossible since it constitutes the antithesis of Zionism, and an open-ended conflict is a nightmarish scenario with unpredictable consequences.
Facing this increasingly stark dilemma (stark because there are today in mandatory Palestine as many Palestinians as there are Jews and the Palestinian population is forecast to exceed the Jewish population in a few years), Israel is now trying to effect more ghoulish tactics in the hope that more pressure on Palestinians would force them or many of them to leave their ancestral homeland.
One Israeli commentator remarked last week that if Bashar Assad could banish millions of Syrians around the world with total impunity and without incurring the wrath of the world, Israel should be able to oust some Palestinians without creating a huge international crisis.
In fact, Israel is already trying this ghoulish scenario.
Last week, it was reported that poverty in the West Bank and Gaza Strip has reached unprecedented levels, with many Palestinians selling their assets to remain afloat.
One Palestinian economist was quoted as saying that "I wouldn't be surprised to see starvation in some parts of the West Bank."
Hence the alarming question: Would the loaf of bread be used as Israel's ultimate weapon to force the Palestinians to leave their homeland, thus enabling Israel to succeed in liquidating the Palestinian cause once and for all?
Khalid Amayreh is a veteran Palestinian journalist based in Dura in Occupied Palestine
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is quite addicted to lying. However, what makes this conduct on his part especially malicious is that he lies quite knowingly, without a twinge of conscience or feeling of regret.
During his visit to a small settlement in the southern Hebron hills Monday, the Israeli premier claimed that Palestinians were revolting against Israel because they wanted to kill Jews.
As usual, Netanyahu completely ignored the decades-old military occupation by Israel of Palestine and the conspicuously criminal treatment meted out to millions of Palestinians whose only "guilt" is their being born non-Jewish.
Netanyahu, who arrived at the settlement to show solidarity with the family of a settler woman who was killed a few days ago, allegedly by a Palestinian youngster, took advantage of the tragedy to hurl lies right and left in order to justify his intransigence and anti-peace discourse.
He overlooked the fact that since the beginning of October, trigger-happy Israeli soldiers and settlers killed more than 160 Palestinians, many in an execution style and without the slightest provocation.
According to eye-witness testimonies, Israeli soldiers and settlers on several occasions placed a knife or sharp object next to the Palestinian victim to give the impression that he was trying to stab Israelis.
More to the point, Israeli security forces made sure that Palestinians shot were left to bleed to death.
The murderous executions prompted the Foreign Minister of Sweden Krister Wickman to demand an inquiry into these crimes.
Israel, which always adopts a holier-than-thou attitude toward international criticisms, rejected the Swedish call, arguing that Israel has the right to self-defense.
Killing the two-state solution
The truth of the matter is that Israel has effectively killed any remaining prospects for a viable peace with the Palestinians by decapitating -once and for all- any remaining chances for the establishment of a viable Palestinian state, thanks to the ubiquitous metastasizing of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, especially East Jerusalem.
I think all honest observers, Palestinian, Israeli and international, agree on this prognosis. Hence, it would be an expression of dishonesty or utter ignorance and naïveté to deny the obvious.
This is unless what Israel, its guardian ally, the US, and the rest of the international community have in mind for the Palestinians is an insignificant state not worthy of the name, e.g. a state without Jerusalem, without demographic and territorial contiguity, without the right of return for the refugees, and without an Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders.
Needless to say, the vast majority of Palestinians would utterly reject such a deformed entity even if the entire world sang the hymns of praise for such misshapen creature.
Now Israel is facing a real dilemma, which makes Netanyahu and his ministers make nervous and totally mendacious statements almost on a daily basis.
Indeed, with the two-state solution now effectively in the belly of earth, Israel has only two alternatives left: Either one state for all- from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean-or an open-ended conflict.
But one state is impossible since it constitutes the antithesis of Zionism, and an open-ended conflict is a nightmarish scenario with unpredictable consequences.
Facing this increasingly stark dilemma (stark because there are today in mandatory Palestine as many Palestinians as there are Jews and the Palestinian population is forecast to exceed the Jewish population in a few years), Israel is now trying to effect more ghoulish tactics in the hope that more pressure on Palestinians would force them or many of them to leave their ancestral homeland.
One Israeli commentator remarked last week that if Bashar Assad could banish millions of Syrians around the world with total impunity and without incurring the wrath of the world, Israel should be able to oust some Palestinians without creating a huge international crisis.
In fact, Israel is already trying this ghoulish scenario.
Last week, it was reported that poverty in the West Bank and Gaza Strip has reached unprecedented levels, with many Palestinians selling their assets to remain afloat.
One Palestinian economist was quoted as saying that "I wouldn't be surprised to see starvation in some parts of the West Bank."
Hence the alarming question: Would the loaf of bread be used as Israel's ultimate weapon to force the Palestinians to leave their homeland, thus enabling Israel to succeed in liquidating the Palestinian cause once and for all?
Khalid Amayreh is a veteran Palestinian journalist based in Dura in Occupied Palestine
A senior Palestinian official said the Palestinian security forces have foiled 200 attacks against Israelis since the beginning of the current wave of anti-occupation activism in early October, an American magazine reported Monday.
Majed Faraj, head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) General Intelligence Service in the West Bank, said in an interview with Defense News Magazine that the PA was working with the Israeli occupation authority (IOA), the U.S., and others to prevent the collapse of the PA.
He said the number of Palestinians supporting extremist ideologies is very marginal, but if Daesh and other extremist groups decide to fight the IOA, they will find sympathy in the Arab street.
Faraj claimed that Daesh was already around the corner.
He said security coordination with the IOA is a "bridge that can sustain a decent atmosphere until the politicians go back to serious talks".
Observers said recent talks on the possible collapse of the PA aims at inflating pressure on the Palestinian leadership to quell the ongoing anti-occupation activism and opt for maintaining the colonial status quo.
Faraj’s attempts to strike a comparison between the Palestinian resistance and terrorist groups comes as part of the ad hominem campaigns frequently waged against Palestinians’ legitimate resistance to the Israeli occupation of their motherland.
Majed Faraj, head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) General Intelligence Service in the West Bank, said in an interview with Defense News Magazine that the PA was working with the Israeli occupation authority (IOA), the U.S., and others to prevent the collapse of the PA.
He said the number of Palestinians supporting extremist ideologies is very marginal, but if Daesh and other extremist groups decide to fight the IOA, they will find sympathy in the Arab street.
Faraj claimed that Daesh was already around the corner.
He said security coordination with the IOA is a "bridge that can sustain a decent atmosphere until the politicians go back to serious talks".
Observers said recent talks on the possible collapse of the PA aims at inflating pressure on the Palestinian leadership to quell the ongoing anti-occupation activism and opt for maintaining the colonial status quo.
Faraj’s attempts to strike a comparison between the Palestinian resistance and terrorist groups comes as part of the ad hominem campaigns frequently waged against Palestinians’ legitimate resistance to the Israeli occupation of their motherland.
Director General of the Awqaf Property Department in Occupied Jerusalem, Sheikh Najeh Bkeirat, warned on Tuesday of the serious upshots of Israeli calls to perform sacrilegious rituals at Muslims’ the holy al-Aqsa Mosque.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the PIC, Sheikh Bkeirat sounded the alarm over the dramatic surge in Israeli aggression on al-Aqsa with the beginning of 2016.
He warned of ongoing calls by Israeli fanatics to perform prayers at the plazas of al-Aqsa and even to destroy the Mosque.
Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Tzachi Hanegbi, supported the calls to perform Jewish prayers at al-Aqsa during the daily break-ins.
According to Sheikh Bkeirat, such calls are proofs of Israeli intents to hold sway over the al-Aqsa.
He said the holy site has become a permanent target for Israel’s extreme right party, particularly in the electoral race.
He added that the Israeli occupation authority has been taking advantage of the turmoil rocking the Arab region to step up assaults on al-Aqsa and prop up settlers’ desecration schemes.
Sheikh Bkeirat spoke out against Israel’s "preplanned terrorism" against the Palestinians and their holy sites.
He said the occupation government and international Jewish organizations have been sponsoring the break-ins and inciting Israelis to desecrate al-Aqsa as part of intents to impose a new fait accompli on the ground and wipe out the site’s typically Islamic identity.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the PIC, Sheikh Bkeirat sounded the alarm over the dramatic surge in Israeli aggression on al-Aqsa with the beginning of 2016.
He warned of ongoing calls by Israeli fanatics to perform prayers at the plazas of al-Aqsa and even to destroy the Mosque.
Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Tzachi Hanegbi, supported the calls to perform Jewish prayers at al-Aqsa during the daily break-ins.
According to Sheikh Bkeirat, such calls are proofs of Israeli intents to hold sway over the al-Aqsa.
He said the holy site has become a permanent target for Israel’s extreme right party, particularly in the electoral race.
He added that the Israeli occupation authority has been taking advantage of the turmoil rocking the Arab region to step up assaults on al-Aqsa and prop up settlers’ desecration schemes.
Sheikh Bkeirat spoke out against Israel’s "preplanned terrorism" against the Palestinians and their holy sites.
He said the occupation government and international Jewish organizations have been sponsoring the break-ins and inciting Israelis to desecrate al-Aqsa as part of intents to impose a new fait accompli on the ground and wipe out the site’s typically Islamic identity.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to demolish the family home of the Palestinian minor Murad Id’is and to cancel Palestinians’ work permits as part of a preplanned policy of collective punishment.
Netanyahu voiced his support for the punitive measures pursued by the occupation army against the Palestinians of al-Khalil city.
The PM further accused the international community of “hypocrisy.”
Israel’s Construction Minister Yoav Gallant also called for deporting Murad Id’is’s family to Syria to deter further anti-occupation attacks.
The Israeli internal security agency, the Shabak, claimed responsibility for the abduction of 15-year-old Murad from his family home in al-Khalil on allegations that he carried out an anti-occupation stabbing attack in the illegal Israeli settlement of Otniel.
A video propagated by the occupation army shows Israeli soldiers as storming Murad’s family home and kidnapping the youth from his bedroom.
Along the same line, the Ynetnews newspaper said a state of frenzy has overwhelmed Israeli apparatuses due to the surge in anti-occupation stabbings.
The occupation army leadership opted for a series of measures to quell new anti-occupation operations.
Such measures include banning Palestinian workers’ access into West Bank settlements to reach their workplaces.
Israeli settlers, meanwhile, launched calls to carry arms and form armed groups to prevent anti-occupation attacks near illegal settlements.
Netanyahu voiced his support for the punitive measures pursued by the occupation army against the Palestinians of al-Khalil city.
The PM further accused the international community of “hypocrisy.”
Israel’s Construction Minister Yoav Gallant also called for deporting Murad Id’is’s family to Syria to deter further anti-occupation attacks.
The Israeli internal security agency, the Shabak, claimed responsibility for the abduction of 15-year-old Murad from his family home in al-Khalil on allegations that he carried out an anti-occupation stabbing attack in the illegal Israeli settlement of Otniel.
A video propagated by the occupation army shows Israeli soldiers as storming Murad’s family home and kidnapping the youth from his bedroom.
Along the same line, the Ynetnews newspaper said a state of frenzy has overwhelmed Israeli apparatuses due to the surge in anti-occupation stabbings.
The occupation army leadership opted for a series of measures to quell new anti-occupation operations.
Such measures include banning Palestinian workers’ access into West Bank settlements to reach their workplaces.
Israeli settlers, meanwhile, launched calls to carry arms and form armed groups to prevent anti-occupation attacks near illegal settlements.