Israel-Palestine Inside Line: Hamas & Syria Criticise Abbas; Israel VP Cancels Britain Trip Over "War Crimes" Fears

Israel-Palestine: More Clashes in Jerusalem

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Hamas, Syria Line Up Against Palestinian Authority Over Goldstone: The furour over the Goldstone Report on the Gaza War continues after Palestinian representatives supported Israel in deferral of a UN vote on the conclusions. Palestianian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas backtracked on Sunday, announcing that a committee would investigate the circumstances surrounding the deferral. Hamas, however, maintained its pressure on the PA, accusing Abbas of betraying Palestinians: “The decision of deferral was merely justifying the war and encouraging the occupation.”

Damascus has also jumped into the dispute, postponing a scheduled visit by Abbas.

Israel's VP Cancels Britain Trip Because of Fear of Arrest: Concerned that he would be detained on war crimes charges, Israeli Vice Premier Moshe Ya'alon has declined an invitation to a charity event in London next month. According to the Jerusalem Post, the Foreign Ministry advised Ya'alon not to travel, because of possible charges from his involvement in the 2002 assassination of a Hamas leader that killed 14 other people. The Ministry played down the arrest warning, saying that Ya'alon called off his trip "to avoid playing into the hands of anti-Israel propaganda."

Israel-Palestine: More Clashes in Jerusalem

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Recent clashes between Israeli policemen and Palestinian demonstrators flared again this weekend in East Jerusalem. On Sunday, the Islamic Movement urged protesters to come to the Temple Mount to "defend Al-Aqsa [Mosque]". After this announcement, Israeli police closed the Temple Mount compound on Sunday morning and reopened it, but only to those of certain ages, later in the day.

The following day, Arabs from northern Israel and East Jerusalem began throwing stones and bottles at police and others threw stones and Molotov cocktails at a Border Police roadblock near the Shuafat refugee camp. Israeli police arrested the deputy head of the Islamic Movement, Sheikh Kamel Khatib, and Hatem Abdel Qader, the Fatah representative overseeing Jerusalem, on suspicion of incitement to violence.

On Monday evening, the Palestinian Authority called on Palestinians "to confront Israel and its plans" and accused the government of Israel of "trying to thwart the creation of a Palestinian state". Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said, “We call on the Palestinian public to confront Israel and its plans, which are intended to prevent the Palestinian people from fulfilling their aspirations of establishing a Palestinian state in the occupied territories.” The Palestinian Authority also urged the world "to force Israel to halt is efforts to Judaize the city".
Israeli police will remain on high alert on Tuesday for the annual Jerusalem March. Organizers said they expected 70,000 people from across the world to participate.

A Survey of US Jews: Support For Israel and US Strikes Against Iran

Israel-Palestine Inside Line: No Peace Talks; Row Over Goldstone Report Continues

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The results of the 2009 Annual Survey of American Jewish Opinion, sponsored by the American Jewish Committee, are remarkable. including responses on U.S.-Israel relations, the Arab-Israel conflict, and the Iran nuclear threat.

A. US-Israel Relations

1. How would you characterize relations between Israel and the United States today? Are they very positive, somewhat positive, somewhat negative, or very negative?

Very positive 11
Somewhat positive 70
Somewhat negative 14
Very negative 2
Not sure 3

2. Do you approve or disapprove of the Obama Administration’s handling of US-Israel relations?

Approve 54
Disapprove 32
Not sure 14

3. Do you approve or disapprove of the Netanyahu government’s handling of Israel-US relations?

Approve 59
Disapprove 23
Not sure 17

4. Do you agree or disagree with the Obama Administration’s call for a stop to all new Israeli settlement construction?

Agree 41
Disagree 51
Not sure 8

B. Arab-Israel Conflict

5. As compared with one year ago, are you more optimistic about the chance for a lasting peace between Israel and the Arabs, less optimistic, or do you think the chance for a lasting peace is about the same as it was one year ago?

More optimistic 12
Less optimistic 23
Same as one year ago 65
Not sure 1

6. In the current situation, do you favor or oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state?

Favor 49
Oppose 41
Not sure 1

7. In the framework of a permanent peace with the Palestinians, should Israel be willing to compromise on the status of Jerusalem as a united city under Israeli jurisdiction?

Yes 37
No 58
Not Sure 6

8. As part of a permanent settlement with the Palestinians, should Israel be willing to dismantle all, some, or none of the Jewish settlements in the West Bank?

All 8
Some 52
None 37
Not sure 2

9. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “The goal of the Arabs is not the return of occupied territories but rather the destruction of Israel.”

Agree 75
Disagree 19
Not Sure 5

10. Do you think there will or will not come a time when Israel and its Arab neighbors will be able to settle their differences and live in peace?

Will 43
Will not 51
Not Sure 6

11. Do you think that Israel can or cannot achieve peace with a Hamas-led Palestinian government?

Can 17
Cannot 79
Not Sure 4

12. Should the Palestinians be required or not be required to recognize Israel as a Jewish state in a final peace agreement?

Required 94
Not required 5
Not Sure 2

C. International Issues

13. Do you approve or disapprove of the Obama Administration’s handling of the Iran nuclear issue?

Approve 49
Disapprove 35
Not sure 15

14. Would you support or oppose the United States taking military action against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons?

Support 56
Oppose 36
Not sure 7

15. Would you support or oppose Israel taking military action against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons?

Support 66
Oppose 28
Not sure 5

16. Do you think that anti-Semitism around the world is currently a very serious problem, somewhat of a problem, or not a problem at all?

Very Serious problem 56
Somewhat of a problem 43
Not a problem at all 1
Not sure 1

17. Looking ahead over the next several years, do you think that anti-Semitism around the world will increase greatly, increase somewhat, remain the same, decrease somewhat, or decrease greatly?

Increase greatly 15
Increase somewhat 30
Remain the same 42
Decrease somewhat 9
Decrease greatly 1
Not sure 2

D. Background Factors

18. In politics as of today, do you consider yourself a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent?

Republican 16
Democrat 53
Independent 30
Not sure 1

19. Do you think of yourself as . . .

Orthodox 9
Conservative 24
Reconstructionist 2
Reform 27
Just Jewish 36
Not sure 1

20. How important would you say being Jewish is in your own life?

Very important 51
Fairly important 33
Not very important 15
Not sure 1

21. How close do you feel to Israel?

Very close 28
Fairly close 41
Fairly distant 22
Very distant 8
Not sure 1

Israel-Palestine Inside Line: No Peace Talks; Row Over Goldstone Report (Video)

A Survey of US Jews: Support For Israel and US Strikes Against Iran
Hamas-Israel Deal: 20 Palestinians for Shalit’s Videotape
Palestine: Watching the Division of a City (Hebron)

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Fatah Holds Line on Israel's Settlements: On Tuesday, Fatah's Central Committee, the movement's key decision-making body, met with the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Last week's tripartite meeting was discussed during the meeting. The faction declared that Abbas must not resume peace talks unless Israel freezes its settlement construction.

Mohammed Dahlan, a committee member, said the panel told Abbas he must not budge, as "settlements and negotiations are two parallel lines that will never meet". According to Dahlan, Fatah's reservation on the peace process is also an advantage that can be used as leverage against President Barack Obama's insistance on peace talks "without preconditions".

Netanyahu Blasts Goldstone Report on Gaza: Richard Goldstone told CNN on Wednesday that Israel had targeted civilian sites during the Gaza War, though he stressed that he did not believe it was an Israeli policy: "Some of the killing...was certainly intentional. There was no mistake in bombing factories. The Israeli intelligence has very precise information."

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NCcexzbAkw[/youtube]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisting that any trial by the International Criminal Court of the war crimes alleged in the report would deal a death blow to peace:

[The UN] could revert back to the days when it compared Zionism to racism. It's starting in Israel, but it will reach other nations and it will hurt the UN. Anyone who supports the Goldstone report and its conclusions is in effect against peace.

If the report reaches the international court in Hague, it will bring the peace process to a halt because Israel won't take the risks necessary to achieve peace if it is not assured the right to defend itself. Anyone who desires peace must stop this report right now.

Palestine: Watching the Division of a City (Hebron)

Hebron, the largest city in the West Bank, is home to more than 165,000 Palestinians and more than 500 Israeli settlers.

A video of daily life, shows a divided city. Split into two different communities through checkpoints, Hebron turns from a crowded bazaar into empty streets.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X6TYjELzCs[/youtube]