On Tuesday, after the approval of 900 housing units in November and 700 new apartments in December, Israel’s Jerusalem municipality approved the construction of a further four apartment buildings in East Jerusalem.
Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erakat responded, ”We condemn this decision in the strongest language and we condemn the Israeli Government’s continuing construction of settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank….Netanyahu’s government is talking about peace and negotiations in a way that is totally opposed to the reality on the ground where settlement activity is continuing.”
Stephan Miller, spokesman for Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, was far happier about the decision, “As far as the municipality is concerned, building can begin”.
On Sunday (which was the anniversary of the symbolic Nov. 15, 1988 declaration of independence by the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat), Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said that the Palestinian Authority is working on a two-year development plan aimed at consolidating the groundwork for independence. It was also stated that these two issues- applying to the United Nations Security Council to have the independence legitimized in the eyes of international law, and the two-year-long economic development plan- were separate issues. Fayyad said:
I know some people are concerned that this is unilateral development plan. But it seems to me that it is unilateral in a healthy sense of self-development.
On Monday, Palestinian officials reiterated their position that there will be no progress in talks unless there is a freeze in Israeli settlements. The declaration came even as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Arab foreign ministers, praising both sides in an effort to convince Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas to return to the negotiation table.
After a meeting between Abbas and US special envoy George Mitchell in Amman, the chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said, “The President made it clear during the meeting that peace cannot be achieved with the continuation of the settlement activity.” Responding to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusations of Palestinian “preconditions”, he asserted: “We do not put conditions for resuming negotiations, but we want the talks resumed on the basis of the provisions of the road map, which stipulates the cessation of all forms of settlement activity in the Palestinian territories.” Erekat added that Mitchell emphasized there was no change in the US attitude, which rejects the Israeli expansion of settlements.
Later, answering Arab foreign ministers’ criticisms that Washington was “too soft” on Israel, Clinton said:
The Israelis have responded to the call of the U.S., the Palestinians and the Arab world to stop settlement activity by expressing a willingness to restrain settlement activity.
This offer [Israel's offer to restraint settlement activities] falls far short of what our preference would be, but if it is acted upon it will be an unprecedented restriction on settlements and would have a significant and meaningful effect on restraining their growth.
When either party takes any step that looks like it moves us in the right direction, even if it is not what I would like or I would prefer, I am going to positively reinforce that.
Despite US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s “positive statements” after her meetings with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, criticisms from the Arab side escalated on Sunday.
During their meeting, Abbas told Clinton that there would be no new negotiations unless Israel froze the building of settlements. Read the rest of this entry »
The Palestinian Authority, trying to fend off increasing pressure over its deferral of the Goldstone Report at the United Nations Human Rights Council last week, called for a general strike in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on Friday to protest Israel’s “measures against the al-Aqsa Mosque” and asked the Human Rights Council to discuss both the Goldstone Report and the recent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli policemen in East Jerusalem .
On Friday, the Central Council of Fatah, the party of the Palestinian Authority leadership, called on the populace to mobilize “in defense” of al-Aqsa Mosque, protesting Israel’s restrictions on access. Meanwhile, Ibrahim Khraishi, the Palestinian Authority’s ambassador to the UN, said, “We deferred, so we were expecting that the Israelis should respect in some way human rights, but this act of aggression against people, against the human rights and humanitarian law, is unbelievable.”
Israeli media, however, report that the Palestinian move will be blocked by the US, which is supposedly embarrassed by the situation. Israeli officials claim that the “number one topic” for US envoy George Mitchell during his meeting with Palestinian officials was to convince them not to pursue the initiative.
After U.S. President Barack Obama’s winning Nobel Prize, leaders of Israel and Palestine expressed their feelings. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed the hope that his presidency would “usher in a new era of peace.” In a message to Obama, he said:
Congratulations on winning the Nobel Prize for Peace… You have already inspired so many people around the world, and I know that this award also expresses the hope that your Presidency will usher in a new era of peace and reconciliation.
Another Npbel Prize holder, Israeli President Shimon Peres, also sent Obama a letter congratulating his Nobel Prize. In his letter, he wrote:
Very few leaders if at all were able to change the mood of the entire world in such a short while with such profound impact. You provided the entire humanity with fresh hope, with intekllectual determination, and a feeling that there is a lord in heaven and believers on earth.
Under your leadership, peace became a real and original agenda. And from Jerusalem, I am sure all the bells of engagement and understanding will ring again.
You gave us a license to dream and act in a noble direction.
On the Palestinian front, Fatah welcomed the prize but Hamas was sceptical. The chief Palestinian peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat expressed hope that Obama “will be able to achieve peace in the Middle East”. On the other hand, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said: “Obama has a long way to go still and lots of work to do before he can deserve a reward… Obama only made promises and did not contribute any substance to world peace… And he has not done anything to ensure justice for the sake of Arab and Muslim causes.”
While US special envoy George Mitchell’s latest tour of Israel and Palestine has not ended, it does not appear to have broken the deadlock over talks. A statement issued after the two-hour closed-door meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mitchell described the discussion as effective and constructive, but there was no indication of a change in the status of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
After his meeting with Netanyahu, Mitchell saw Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Abbas reiterated demand for a full halt in settlements.
Mitchell told reporters that efforts to find a solution would continue, although at a lower level for the time being. He added: “We invited the two sides to send their representatives to Washington in the very near future to continue our discussions.”
On Tuesday, after the approval of 900 housing units in November and 700 new apartments in December, Israel’s Jerusalem municipality approved the construction of a further four apartment buildings in East Jerusalem.
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At first, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat told Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam on Saturday that 
On Monday, Palestinian officials reiterated their position that there will be no progress in talks unless there is a freeze in Israeli settlements. The declaration came even as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Arab foreign ministers, praising both sides in an effort to convince Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas to return to the negotiation table.
Despite US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s “positive statements” after her meetings with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, criticisms from the Arab side escalated on Sunday.
On Saturday, 
The Palestinian Authority, trying to fend off increasing pressure over its deferral of the Goldstone Report at the United Nations Human Rights Council last week, 
After U.S. President Barack Obama’s winning Nobel Prize, 
While US special envoy George Mitchell’s latest tour of Israel and Palestine has not ended, it does not appear to have broken the deadlock over talks. A statement issued after the two-hour closed-door meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mitchell described the discussion as effective and constructive, but there was no indication of 
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