Tag Archive for Mahmoud Abbas

| May 30, 2013
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Palestinian leader under int’l pressure to enter peace-talks

Aides reveal Mahmoud Abbas is torn between alienating Washington & Western countries or public backlash over his dropping settlement freeze as a precondition to begin negotiating.

Associated Press

 

The Palestinian president has told advisers that as the US tries to restart Mideast peace talks, he is under intense international pressure to return to negotiations with Israel and drop demands for a Jewish settlement freeze in the West Bank, officials said Wednesday.

Kerry, Abbas in Ramallah – Photo: AFP

In a closed meeting, Mahmoud Abbas lamented his difficult choice: Rebuff the Americans and alienate Washington, or cave in and face an uproar at home. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| May 29, 2013
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Terrorist who killed 38 Israelis elevated to PA adviser to cease hunger strike

Madman behind 1978 Coastal Road massacre made adviser to President Abbas, when he stopped his hunger-strike after being ignored & publicly humiliated.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

 

 

Hussein Fayyad, one of the commanders of the terror group that carried out the 1978 Coastal Road massacre, revealed on Tuesday that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had appointed him as one of his advisers.

Coastal Road Massacre Bus - Photo by Wikimedia Commons

Coastal Road Massacre Bus – Photo by Wikimedia Commons

The attack, which led to the killing of 38 Israeli civilians, including 13 children, was planned and carried out by Abbas’s Fatah faction.

Fayyad, who was released in a prisoner swap with Israel in 1985, said that Abbas signed a decree in 2008 promoting him to the position of “advisor” to the PA president.

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Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| May 27, 2013
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Quartet to invest $4 billion economic plan on Palestinians to make peace

Economic Plan headed by Quartet special envoy Tony Blair, will focus on developing the Palestinian private sector, allowing for an independent Palestinian economy to sustain state.

Kerry cautions: Success of plan depends on Palestinians reaching a diplomatic solution.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF

 

 

DEAD SEA, Jordan – US Secretary of State John Kerry unveiled on Sunday a $4 billion economic plan to revitalize the Palestinian economy, as he called on Israelis and Palestinians to forgive past wrongs and return to the negotiating table.

President Shimon Peres, US Secretary of State John Kerry and PA President Mahmoud Abbas. - Photo World Economic Forum,Benedikt von Loebell

President Shimon Peres, US Secretary of State John Kerry and PA President Mahmoud Abbas. – Photo: World Economic Forum/Benedikt von Loebell

 

“The plan for the Palestinian economy is bigger and bolder and more ambitious than anything proposed since Oslo more than 20 years ago,” said Kerry as he spoke at the closing session of the World Economic Forum by the Dead Sea in Jordan.

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Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| May 26, 2013
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Who will Kerry blame for failed peace-talks Netanyahu or Abbas?

 

John Kerry might not be returning to the region soon, but he will continue to pressure Abbas & Netanyahu into saying yes to his plan, the outlines of which are explained here.

By

 

Secretary of State John Kerry tried to explain at a press conference at Ben-Gurion International Airport why he had been investing most of his time over the past months in a desperate attempt to renew the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Kerry and Netanyahu

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, meeting with Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem May 23, 2013. – Photo: Reuters

 

He said that in every country he had visited – China, Japan, throughout Europe and in the Persian Gulf – and before coming here, during meetings with the foreign ministers of Brazil and New Zealand – the first question that came up was the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| May 23, 2013
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PA maintains preconditions to end settlement construction, release prisoners.

Large protest rally outside PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s office in Ramallah to demonstrate Washington’s perceived ‘Israel bias.’

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

 

 

US Secretary of State John Kerry met in Ramallah Thursday with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and discussed with him ways of resuming the peace talks with Israel.

Palestinian protester holds a poster with a caricature of John Kerry in Ramallah May 23, 2013.

Palestinian protester holds a poster with a caricature of John Kerry in Ramallah May 23, 2013. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday reiterated his demand for a full cessation of settlement construction and the release of Palestinian prisoners before returning to the negotiating table with Israel. Continue Reading »

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| May 21, 2013
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Former PA intel officer ‘sentenced to death for selling home to a Jew’

Capital crime in what is to become Palestine: Former Palestinian Authority intelligence officer Muhammad Abu Shahala was sentenced to death for selling his home in Hebron to a Jew.

By Daily Mail Reporter

 

A former Palestinian intelligence officer has reportedly been sentenced to death after it was revealed he had sold his home to Jews.

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas - Photo Mark Israel Sellem

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas – Photo: Mark Israel Sellem

Muhammad Abu Shahala, who worked for the Palestinian Authority reportedly confessed under torture to selling his home in Hebron on the West Bank to a Jewish man.

Jewish officials are now calling for the international community to get involved to save Mr Abu Shahala’s life. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , , ,
| May 13, 2013
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Abbas Warns Israel Over the Temple Mount

“Eastern Jerusalem is our capital city, Al-Aqsa belongs to us, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre belongs to us, and we will not accept [the Israelis’] harassment.” warns PA Chairman.

By Elad Benari

The Palestinian Authority on Sunday sent a warning to Israel, over what it calls its attempts to harm the  on the Temple Mount.

Mahmoud Abbas - Photo Reuters

Mahmoud Abbas – Photo Reuters

Speaking during a meeting of the PLO’s Executive Committee, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that it is impossible to hold back in the wake of what he called the attacks by Israel on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and PA Arabs in Judea and Samaria, in particular by local Jewish residents. Continue Reading »

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| May 9, 2013
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Chinese president urges Palestinian & Israeli leaders to start ‘building trust’

Chinese media reported the visit this week of both Netanyahu and Abbas, emphasize China’s ‘active involvement in Middle East affairs.’

By DPA

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to “build mutual trust” and resume dialogue, saying China wanted to promote peace in the Middle East.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu clinking glasses with his Chinese counterpart, Li Keqiang, May 8, 2013. – Photo: AP

“We hope Israel and Palestine can work together, take feasible measures, gradually build mutual trust, restart the peace talks as soon as possible and make substantial progress,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry quoted Xi as telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , ,
| May 5, 2013
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Was PM Fayyad coerced into denying criticizing PA in New York Times interview?

Outgoing Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad, who was quoted slamming the PA leadership, says he was misled by the NYT correspondent.

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Salam Fayyad has denied criticizing the Palestinian Authority leadership in an interview with the New York Times.

Prime Minister Salam Fayyad

Outgoing Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. – Photo: Daniel Bar-On

In a statement published on Saturday by the Palestinian Wafa news agency, the prime minister’s office said that Fayyad “did not make any statements or conduct any interviews for the New York Times or any other newspaper or agency since his resignation.”

In an article published on Friday titled “Fayyad steps down, not out,” New York Times correspondent and columnist Roger Cohen quotes Fayyad as saying: “Our story is a story of failed leadership, from way early on… It is incredible that the fate of the Palestinian people has been in the hands of leaders so entirely casual, so guided by spur-of-the-moment decisions… we hold ourselves hostage to our own rhetoric.” Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , , ,
| May 3, 2013
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China invites Netanyahu & Abbas to Beijing talks

Chinese Foreign Ministry official says that solving Palestinian issue would promote peace & stability for the entire world.

A senior Israeli source writes-off any likelihood of the meeting taking place.

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The Chinese government announced on Friday that it would arrange a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas next week, when both leaders simultaneously visit the country, should the leaders be willing to do so.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, left, walks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, left, walks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, at his residence in Jerusalem, Israel Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010. – Photo: AP

During a daily press briefing, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said his country would be happy to facilitate such a meeting. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| April 30, 2013
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PA President Abbas: Palestinian Arabs who kill Jews should not be punished

Palestinian President repeats his demand that Israel cannot punish Arabs who kill Jews. Israel must release all jailed terrorists for the sake of peace.

Unbelievably, European & US leaders support this position.

By Ryan Jones

 

Abbas was hosting a two-day “Freedom and Dignity” conference in Ramallah to mark the 11th anniversary of Israel’s arrest of Marwan Barghouti, a senior member of Abbas’ own Fatah party who was convicted of directing numerous terrorist attacks against Israelis.

wafa al bass

Polls show that a vast majority of Palestinians want to elect Barghouti as their president, if he is every freed by Israel.

At the event, Abbas declared that whether or not Israel frees the thousands of jailed Palestinian terrorists will determine its true commitment to peace. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , ,
| April 29, 2013
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Obama now knows that Abbas doesn’t want to make Peace

Senior Israeli diplomatic official: PM Netanyahu is willing to make significant progress toward a peace deal, but “everybody knows” that PA President Mahmoud Abbas won’t allow this, continuing to insist on numerous & unacceptable preconditions just to commence peace talks.

By Shlomo Cesana and Israel Hayom Staff

“U.S. President Barack Obama understands today that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is not interested in reaching an agreement with Israel,” a senior Israeli diplomatic source has said.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Barack Obama and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas meet in Washington in September 2010 – Photo: AFP

According to the official, a regular participant in policy-making, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to make significant progress toward a peace deal, but “everybody knows” that Abbas will not allow this.

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Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| April 16, 2013
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Fatah: Now that Fayyad Quit, Go Make Peace with Hamas

A member of the Fatah party says PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas must now form a gov’t with Gaza’s Hamas terror group.

By Elad Benari

 

 

Now that Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has resigned, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas must form a government with the Hamas terror group, a high-ranking member of Abbas’s Fatah party said on Monday, according to an AFP report.

Abbas

Mahmoud Abbas

“The president must hold consultations with Palestinian movements to form a national unity government and set a date for elections,” Azzam al-Ahmed, a leader of the Fatah party, told Voice of Palestine radio.

Fatah, which controls the PA-assigned areas of Judea and Samaria, has been at odds for years with its bitter rival, the Hamas terror group that governs Gaza. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , ,
| April 14, 2013
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Will PM Fayyad’s resignation be the beginning of the end for the PA?

It was actually Fayyad successes that eventually led to his downfall. His relative popularity, vision & effective management meant he was a threat to too many people.

By

 

The resignation of Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Saturday is a dramatic development. Its ramifications won’t just reverberate in the part of the West Bank under Palestinian control, but also affect Israel and the Obama administration’s efforts to renew the peace process, as well as, the European Union’s policy towards the Palestinians.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (R) with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in 2010.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in 2010. – Photo: Reuters

 

For Israel’s government and defense establishment, the U.S., Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| April 12, 2013
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Abbas & Abdullah Playing the Jerusalem Card

Article IV of the Faisal-Weizmann Agreement agreement states the following:

“All necessary measures shall be taken to encourage and stimulate immigration of Jews into Palestine on a large scale, and as quickly as possible to settle Jewish immigrants upon the land through closer settlement and intensive” cultivation of the soil.

By Mudar Zahran

 

The “Judaization” of the British Mandate for Palestine was the very thing the Hashemites were committed to support, in exchange for establishing an Arab state under Hashemite rule. The terms of the agreement were clear: Jews were to settle in the British Mandate for Palestine with no exclusion of Jerusalem.

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Category: Israel News, Jewish News | Tags: , , , ,
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