Israel, Palestine (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Obama Concludes Trip with Netanyahu Meeting

President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu at the grave of Theodor Herzl at Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem (Photo: Getty)

See also EA Video Analysis: Iraq, 10 Years Later --- 5 Points About the "Intelligence" Factor
Israel Video and Analysis: President Obama's Speech in Jerusalem
Syria Live Coverage: Damascus Suicide Bomb Kills 42, Including Top Cleric
Thursday's Israel, Palestine (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Obama Visits West Bank

---

2002 GMT: Lebanon. The statement of Prime Minister Najib Mikati as he resigned, citing divisions on key issues and calling for the formation of a national unity government: "I announce the resignation of the government, hoping that this will open the way for the major political blocs to take responsibility and come together to bring Lebanon out of the unknown."

Mikati called for the "formation of a national salvation government in which all Lebanese political forces are represented in order to save the nation and deal with regional developments with a collective spirit of responsibility."

The resignation came after failures to agree the formation of an elections supervisory commission and on the extension of a mandate for the head of the Internal Security Forces, General Ashraf Rifi.

1848 GMT: Lebanon. Prime Minister Najib Mikati has announced his resignation.

1818 GMT: Israel and Turkey. According to a statement issued by Netanyahu's office:

"Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke today with the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. The two decided to normalize relations between the two countries including dispatching ambassadors and canceling legal proceedings against IDF soldiers. PM Netanyahu told Erdogan that he had good talks with President Obama on regional cooperation and the importance of relations between Israel and Turkey…Netanyahu expressed remorse for the deterioration in relations between Israel and Turkey and his commitment to resolving disputes so that peace and stability in the region can be promoted."

The statement continued: "In the light of Israel's investigation into the incident, which indicated a number of operational errors, the prime minister apologized to the Turkish people for any error that could have led to loss of life, and has agreed to complete the agreement on compensation."

1742 GMT:Israel and Turkey. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apologised to Turkey over the death of nine Turkish activists during a raid by Israel's commandoes on the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza in May 2010.

Netanyahu called Turkish Prime Minister counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to deliver the apology "for any error that may have led to the loss of life", and agreed to compensation to the families of the victims.

President Obama welcomed the step: "I am hopeful that today's exchange between the two leaders will enable them to engage in deeper cooperation on this and a range of other challenges and opportunities."

1552 GMT:Bahrain. Many citizens took part in a demonstration earlier today organised by opposition societies, calling for democracy, transitional justice and the release of all political prisoners.

A lot of protesters carried banners for prisoner of conscience and President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Nabeel Rajab, who is currently serving a two-year sentence for calling for and participating in protests.

#Bahrain freedom to all political prisoners twitter.com/ALWEFAQ/status…

— AlwefaqEN (@AlWefaqEN) March 22, 2013

Yesterday, activists around the world began a week-long campaign under the banner: "Don't Forget Nabeel Rajab". Tomorrow, protests will be held in Bahrain, America, Britain, Egypt, France and Ireland, with further events planned throughout the week. In a letter written from Jaw prison, Nabeel Rajab wrote to his supporters:

Despite all the suffering I have been through, your persistent campaign for my release and the release of all prisoners of conscience has kept my morale high and has kept my spirit strong and defiant against unjustness, tyranny and discrimination. That applies to all other prisoners.

The impact of your efforts is phenomenal as you are creating a moral model for all justice and peace seekers in the world and you are creating a better future for our nations and our next generations.

Writing earlier on Twitter, Maryam AlKhawaja, the acting President of the BCHR, noted: "It's important to remember Nabeel Rajab, but also crucial to remember more than 1500 other political prisoners. [...] There are cases of political prisoners that date back to before the uprising in Bahrain like Kumail AlManami."

1443 GMT:Egypt. Clashes are being reported about Muslim Brotherhood buildings in Cairo. Journalist Bel Trew narrates from one:

Clashes happening right now at Moqatam and I'm on the Muslim Brotherhood side. Cries of "God is great" and they push forward.

100s fighting rocks and sticks. Boy walks past soaked in blood. It's chaotic. Gunfire.

Oh man we're trapped with the Brotherhood, protesters just did a big push. Rocks. Lots.

Just crossed from Brotherhood side to protesters under fire by leaping over wall and barbed wire. Gunshots.

1058 GMT:Turkey. Prime Minister Erdoğan has responded to PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan's New Year statement, saying "Frankly, I see it as a positive move. It is a positive invitation. It is a positive call. But it is also important to see these moves in practice."

Erdoğan added:

They [PKK] should lay down arms. The ones who were involved in the guerrilla campaign should leave our country. Then our [Turkish] security forces will not have a luxury of launching operations. It is important to see these moves in practice. The messages [Öcalan's] is in harmony with our messages.

The Prime Minister also noted his disappointment that demonstrators in Diyarbakir celebrating the New Year yesterday did not use Turkish flags, calling it “a provocative move from the ones who want to influence the process negatively."

1039 GMT:Turkey. Firat News has published a full English-language transcript of the New Year statement by Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan calling on Kurdish militants to leave Turkey and for an end to hostilities.

See our Thursday’s feature analysing the historic development.

1021 GMT:Libya. The head of the Libyan Parliament’s Human Rights Committee, Hassan Al Amin, has fled to London, claiming he has received a series of death threats.

Al Amin’s departure follows a number of attacks against Christian sites in recent weeks, notably the burning of an Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church in Benghazi on 14 March.

0949 GMT:Israel. President Obama concluded his visit to Yad Vashem with the declaration, "The state of Israel does not exist because of the Holocaust, but with the survival of the state of Israel, there will never be a Holocaust again."

The President is now meeting Prime Minister Netanyahu.

0922 GMT:Israel and Palestine. US President Barack Obama concludes his three-day visit today with visits to memorials and a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today for the final stage of his trip to Israel and Palestine.

Obama is expected to brief Netanyahu on his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. We will also be watching for any signals of movement on the Palestine issues after Obama's speech in Jerusalem yesterday, seen by some --- but not us, in a separate analysis --- as a meaningful attempt to shift the peace process.

The US President will visits the Holocaust memorial museum at Yad Vashem and the Church of the Nativity, the birthplace of Jesus, in Bethlehem in the West Bank. He will depart for Jordan this afternoon.