The Enemy Within America

In a shocking discovery, an Arab millionaire who has dual citizenship and made his fortune in America is now funding terrorists who are committed against peace between Israel and Palestine.. The US State Department has contacted the ambassador to the country and demanded the man stop funding these anti-peace terrorists. However, in a bold move the Prime Minister of the country re-buffed the American demands. Additionally, the Arab man sponsors a video game that encourages the player to kill pro-peace people.

100% True Story,only the people are reversed. The Arabs are not the enemy, instead it's actually "America's Best Friends" Yes, America has a "Frenemy" that's a "friend" who is an "enemy" The real truth is that a Zionist millionaire, Irving Moskowitz, who lived in America, still has a shady business, and used America to make millions (off the backs of Latinos and other minorities) so he could then take that Shady American made money, to support Zionist racist settler expansion in areas deemed "no go" by the American Government. And more recently he has garnered the ire of the US State Department and Obama, over his refusal to halt building in illegal land inside East Jerusalem which is destined to be the Capitol of Palestine in the two state solution. In essence he’s told the US government to effectively “Piss Off” And, Netanyahu has backed him up and also told America to "Eff Off" as well.

And yes, it's true about the "assassination Video Game" Moskowitz sponsors the game, want to see it in action? go HERE

So, why does America allow these scammers to operate inside America, make money and effectively work as agents for Israel??? People like Zionist Bernie Made-Off, who stole 64 billion off Americans, and THESE Zionist agent scammers who just recently stole 25 MILLION off of elderly Americans, and then this lovely excuse for a human being Irving Moskowitz, the slum lord millionaire and gambling thug. Here's another must read about Americas Best Friend and Pimp Moskowitz. Americans should see what they are supporting and paying for, another MUST READ pdf file: Gambling on Extremism, How Irving Moskowitz took over a small town to bankroll Israel's anti-peace settlers. Here is more:

Irving Moskowitz is a Florida-based bingo and gambling magnate who uses proceeds from his businesses to fund right-wing pro-Israel organizations in the United States and radical Israeli settler groups. Moskowitz, a retired doctor and millionaire who originally built his wealth by buying and selling hospitals, also funds social service outfits in Hawaiian Gardens, California, a small, mostly Latino city just outside Los Angeles where Moskowitz's gambling business is located. A controversial figure both in the United States and Israel, Moskowitz's Hawaiian Gardens casino has been unsuccessfully sued by concerned citizens in the United States for alleged abuses committed against its workers (see the website of the Coalition for Justice in Hawaiian Gardens & Jerusalem, at ( stopmoskowitz.org ) In Israel, Moskowitz has been severely criticized for using his wealth to try to dictate government policy and making controversial land purchases in Palestinian enclaves in Jerusalem and the Occupied Territories LINK.

There's much more...And here’s today’s news story:

A Jewish-American bingo mogul with a penchant for buying up land in politically explosive areas of Jerusalem is the key figure in the latest dispute between Israel and the United States.

Israeli officials confirmed that the State Department called in the Israeli ambassador to demand that Israel halt plans to build 20 apartments for Jews in east Jerusalem, the section Palestinians claim for their capital.

The land, it turns out, belongs to Irving Moskowitz, an observant Jew with deep pockets and a hand that has generously doled out funds to settlers determined to cement Israel's hold on disputed areas of the holy city.

Israel claims it carefully protects the holy sites of the three religions, but the hawkish government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has revoked the hints of compromise from previous governments, insisting that Israel must remain in control of the whole city.

Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. Unlike the West Bank and Gaza, Israel annexed east Jerusalem. Though no other country recognizes the annexation,

Moskowitz has been a key, if shadowy, figure in the drive by some to cement Israeli rule in all of Jerusalem.

"This is Netanyahu and Moskowitz coming back for a repeat performance,"

Also, he was involved in the restoration of an ancient tunnel in Jerusalem's Old City in 1996, during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's first tenure. That touched off Palestinian riots in which 80 people were killed.

Attempts to contact Moskowitz or representatives through his foundation were unsuccessful. His lawyer in Jerusalem declined to comment.

Ah yes, tucked safely away in Israel, out of reach of the American system, which, he was happy enough to use in order to make his ill-gotten millions, I might add! When will America STOP allowing them to have dual citizenship???? sadly there's more:

Moskowitz, a former physician, made his fortune selling (American) hospitals, then augmented his wealth with bingo and casino operations in the Los Angeles area.

Several months ago, he received a permit from Jerusalem city hall to build 20 apartments on the site of the abandoned Shepherd Hotel, which he bought in 1985. This project has raised the ire of the Obama administration, which is trying to pressure a resistant Israel into announcing a total settlement freeze.

On Sunday, Netanyahu rejected the U.S. criticism of Moskowitz's Shepherd Hotel project.

Netanyahu to Obama: "Eff Off" and check this out:

"We cannot accept the fact that Jews wouldn't be entitled to live and buy anywhere in Jerusalem," Netanyahu declared, calling Israeli sovereignty over the entire city "indisputable." (that's your Best Friend talking to you!)

Moskowitz also has varying degrees of ownership in plans to build hundreds of apartments in other neighborhoods around east Jerusalem.

The projects, while all permitted under Israeli law, are extremely contentious because they are in the middle of Palestinian neighborhoods that surround the most volatile site in the walled Old City of Jerusalem _ a shrine known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and distinguished by its well-known golden dome.source

Jeez, America you have a serious infestation problem devouring you from the inside out, sucking all your money, and creating hatred against you in the world. Time to call the pest exterminators to clean your country and government of these vermin who control you.

When Does The Hatred End?

I’m starting things off today with a post that can, and will, apply to Israel and Palestine one day in the future. What is the price for Peace, and when does the hatred die? Using the Irish Peace Process as an example.

As I check this morning’s news, the first thing I saw was a report about another Irish Catholic in the North of Ireland being murdered by Pro British loyalist gangs. The answer to the Israeli/Palestine question is after the reports below:

Man 'killed by loyalist lynch mob'

Kevin McDaid, who is understood to be a father-of-three, died after being viciously attacked in the Somerset Drive area of the town at around 9.30pm yesterday. A crowd of around 40 people, many armed with home-made weapons, arrived in the area after the final matches in yesterday’s Scottish Premier League meant that Rangers won the title ahead of Celtic.

(Note: For those unfamiliar with things here, Loyalists support the Rangers Team, and Catholics support Celtic. Hence Irish Catholics are often attacked when walking home from a match and Loyalists always know that they can easily kill a Catholic after a game. It is a “sport” that has been going on here for too many years)

Sinn Fein councillor Billy Leonard said the attack on Mr McDaid, a Catholic, was based on “raw sectarian hatred”

“This is a totally devastating incident but unfortunately I have to say that I have warned that loyalists would take a life in Coleraine. They have now done that and for what?

He added: “This is raw sectarian hatred and Coleraine will now have to come to terms with this reality. There is now no room for denial and excuses. A family is reeling because sectarian hatred visited them in the form of weapon-wielding loyalists. Their lives will never, ever be the same.”

Mr Leonard said there is now immense anger and frustration in the area following last night’s attacks.

(What this means, we know only too well, see next paragraph below)

“This must stop forever and loyalist/ unionist politicians and community leaders must take a long look at the situation, be honest about its ramifications and work to finally rid this area of such hatred,” he added.

Mr McDaid’s death has sparked serious concern of further disturbances in the area where there has been a history of sectarian clashes. In August six people were injured following serious sectarian disturbances in the same area. At the time it was reported that trouble flared when up to 100 loyalists entered the estate armed with iron bars and wooden batons

(Think "Israeli Settlers" here, they attempt to burn and attack Catholics out of their homes)

Sinn Fein deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, said a "sizeable group of loyalists" were responsible for the killing and an earlier assault. "They decided it was a good idea to attack a Catholic area," he said.

'Lynching'

SDLP assembly member John Dallat said he knew Mr McDaid's family well.
"This man was doing nothing more than going down to check on his sons and lost his life when this lynching mob from a different part of the town came along and rendered their form of justice.

The Obama administration and much of the world like to use the North of Ireland Peace Process as a shining example of what can be achieved one day between Israel and Palestine. And that does have some merit. During our troubles here, much of the world’s media attention was focused on us. Even for several years after the Good Friday Agreement was signed and the people voted their support, we still had much coverage. But stories tend to die when there is not a continual live feed of murder and atrocities to feed their viewers with. They move on to other troubles, in other countries, for other causes. And so, this leaves the very wrong perception that all is now perfect here, and that once an agreement is signed life becomes perfectly normal for people and all hatred ends..

I say this because I believe many people who want peace between Israel and Palestine, do not realise the depth of that sentence. A “peace process” takes a great many years, and a great many failures and learning curves to finally take hold. There are ups and downs continually and people die all along the way, continually. This is the price for peace, but you have to pay that price for future generations. For only when we have come to the time when several generations have lived in peace; then, and only then, will the hatred die forever……….. Will Israel be willing to pay this price for peace? I doubt it!

It can be fearful making peace, it is unreliable. Whereas war is reliable, it is known, it can be felt, it is action for those making war. They can see it, measure it's progress. But within a Peace Process, now, that is scary indeed. People have no real control on the ground, you have to give up your comfort zone, you have to give up measuring progress in the terms of how many you killed, and start measuring your progress in how many you saved.

Gerry Adams once said in his historical speech upon entering into the Peace Process in 1997: “Peace is not simply the absence of violence” a quote he took from Gandhi, and that is so very true. However, this is the "type" of peace Israel wants, only the absence of violence, without addressing the core issues which create that resistance and violence. Smart people know the difference between real peace and the repressive peace created by an aggressor and occupier like Israel. Nelson Mandela spoke of this when he said: 'What challenges us, is to ensure that none should enjoy lesser rights; and none tormented because they are born different, hold contrary political views or pray to God in a different manner."

So in light of today's murder of Kevin McDaid, let us all keep working hard to ensure any peace deal for the Palestinians,will be one that is the “right” peace deal. And remember, a peace process is just that, a process, a long process where people will die along the way like Kevin McDaid and so many others. But you have to keep your eyes on the prize, that prize is “peace” for ALL children.

Israel, Obama & The Exorcist

Remember the famous "Head Spinning" scene?


Well, today's Israel/Obama news reminds me of that head spinning scene. You see, first we have this article Israel Plans to Remove 26 Settlement Outposts in West Bank and you immediately think to yourself "Yea, brilliant, great progress, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, and all those things.

Ah, but hold on there a wee minute. What's that article just below the one shown above when looking at ALL those "google" results, you may ask? Why it's yet another article, on the same subject, but just a wee bit different take Israeli minister: settlements construction not to be halted So, my head is spinning like the Exorcist scene.

Who's winning? What's the score? Visual Answer below supplied by "google":


According to this example, the score is now level penny, Obama=0 Israel=0

articles below:

Israel Plans to Remove 26 Settlement Outposts in West Bank
Israel appears to be responding to American pressure to curb settlement activity. But implementation could be difficult.

Israel's new right-wing government says it plans to remove 26 illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank.

The declaration came several days after a White House summit, where U.S. President Barack Obama urged hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to crack down on settlement activity.

"We have to make progress on settlements; settlements have to be stopped in order for us to move forward," said Mr. Obama. link

OBAMA, SCORE +1
then this...............

Israeli minister: settlements construction not to be halted

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Saturday that the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank will not be halted.

"Settlements are not the reason that the peace process is failing, they were never an obstacle, not at any stage,"

Israel evacuated the small outpost of Maoz Esther on Thursday morning.(note: See TREEHOUSE post, seriously!) Local analysts believed that it was carried out due to the U.S. pressure. link

ISRAEL, SCORE -1
TOTAL SCORE=0

Is your head spinning yet?

New Palestinian Government-"Yeah Right"

The New Un-Democratic, I mean Democratic, US/Israel Government, I mean Palestinian Government, which is a Puppet Government, I mean Care Taker Government, is expected to be put into place Tuesday. Listen, can you hear that sound? That is the sound of US/Israel meddling. Amazing that two countries who "claim" to be democracies, exclude a majority who were elected in a democratic election. Oh, the Irony of it all LOL.

Ramallah- A new Palestinian caretaker government headed by Salam Fayyad could be sworn in on Tuesday, according to Palestinian official sources.

A week after the Fatah movement blocked its own leader, President Mahmoud Abbas, from appointing a new government, new names are being suggested for cabinet positions.

The governor of Ramallah and Al-Birah, Fatah member Sa’id Abu Ali, could be given portfolio of interior, replacing Abdul-Razzaq Al-Yahya.

According to the Palestinian daily newspaper Al-Ayyam, the new cabinet will include figures affiliated to Fatah, Fida, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), and the Popular Struggle Front.

Two leftist parties, the Popular front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and the Palestinian People’s Party (PPP) plan to boycott the government. Hamas, the winner of the most recent parliamentary elections, will be excluded as Palestine’s political crisis continues. source

HAMAS Rightly Rejects Fayyad Government

Ya know, I just get so sick of the "meddling" by outside forces and the weak corrupt Fatah. As difficult and hard as it may be, and as much as America and especially Israel would like to see a bunch of Palestinians in Government where they are sure they can get a "good deal" for their side, it will never last, and never work. If the US learns anything from the Irish Peace Process, then let this be lesson number one. Hamas is correct in its assessment. The talks need to continue until all Palestinian sides are represented and an agreement is reached. You cannot form a government that then goes on to negotiate for a Palestinian state, where this government is not representative of a vast portion of the Palestinian population. Can't do it, that is not "democracy" and it is not respecting the vote.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has refused to accept any government formed by former Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad.

The Palestinian leader in exile, Khaled Meshaal, discredited Fayyad's government in a speech he made in Yarmouk Camp near the Syrian capital, Damascus.

"The rush in re-forming Fayyad's government is a response to an American demand. This government wasn't legal in the past and even not legal when it resigned. We don't accept a government that is not based on Palestinian legislation and law," Meshaal said. source

Peace is Not the Absence of Conflict

Excellent op-ed by Ken Foley today on the Palestinian conflict seen through the eyes of an Irish Republican. Ken is a member of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign and also a member of Sinn Fein.

The recent Israeli actions in Gaza demonstrated not only the brutal nature of the occupation and the ideology behind it, but also the deep internal division within the Palestinian body politic. It was already common knowledge that Israel had effectively ended the ceasefire on 4 November with an attack that left six members of Hamas dead. Yet, as pictures of dead, dying and wounded Palestinian police cadets flashed through the world's television screens, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was busy toeing the Israeli line that Hamas was responsible for the ending of ceasefire. He said this, not because it was true, but as a way of undermining the political authority of Hamas in Gaza and increasing his own. Ordinary Palestinians saw through the quite crude and transparent attempt, forcing Abbas to backtrack on his earlier assertion.

The now un-mandated Palestinian president has overseen a situation where his political legitimacy rests, not on his acceptance by the Palestinian people, but on his acceptance by Israel and the West as "a man we can do business with." Of course they mean business on their terms, not on terms that will bring about a lasting peace but on terms that will preserve Israeli hegemony and reinforce the notion among Palestinians that they are a defeated people. Coming from Ireland and understanding the nature of conflict resolution in the case of the Irish peace process, it is clear that peace is not achieved on such terms. Without justice there can be no peace.

Peace is sometimes defined as an absence of conflict. However, I would define it as an absence of injustice. In the years leading up to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, the British government approached the concept of peace in the narrow terms of defeating and undermining armed resistance, primarily by the Irish Republican Army, against the British occupation of Ireland. For them, armed resistance was a direct challenge to their position of dominance and privilege.

The Good Friday Agreement was not the first attempt to end conflict in the north of Ireland. The Sunningdale and Anglo-Irish Agreements in the 1970s and '80s respectively were attempts to end conflict but also to preserve the status quo position of dominance and privilege. There was no acceptance that the armed conflict was the inevitable manifestation of the political conditions in which Nationalist Republicans found themselves. The institutionalized discrimination in areas such as jobs and housing were still a daily reality. In addition, there were concerted attempts to treat the situation in the north of Ireland as a simple security situation that could be defeated militarily. The aim was to reinforce in the minds of Irish Republicans that they were a defeated people. However, the resistance, both politically and militarily, continued against the politics of occupation, subjugation and discrimination until the more recent peace process began. Read more HERE

New Palestinian Government in 2 Days?

Sounds too good to be true, and it is.....Only one big fat glaring problem, HAMAS is not included, so you can't really all it a government now can you. Not when you exclude a huge portion of the electorate and whom they voted for. Nice try tho.........

New Palestinian govt within 48 hours: Abbas
3 hours ago

RAMALLAH — President Mahmud Abbas said on Monday that a new Palestinian government will be formed within 48 hours, to replace the current cabinet headed by Salam Fayyad.

"A new government will be formed within the next 48 hours," Abbas told a meeting of his secular Fatah party.

According to Palestinian officials, Abbas will once again ask Fayyad to form the new government that will not include the rival Islamist movement Hamas.

But Abbas also said that a new Fayyad-led government will step down if Egyptian-brokered negotiations between Hamas and Fatah to set up a unity cabinet succeed.

"If the dialogue succeeds, the government will step aside for a unity cabinet," he said at the meeting in the West Bank political capital of Ramallah.

Hamas, which won the last Palestinian election in 2006 but whose government was boycotted by Israel and the West, reacted by accusing Abbas of trying to sabotage the reconciliation talks which have going on in Cairo.

"He is already penning the obituary of the (inter-Palestinian) dialogue, and this reflects the absence of any will to reach an agreement," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said in a statement.

"This decision could cement divisions."

Fayyad, a US-educated economist widely respected in the West, announced on April 1 that he would remain in office until the end of unity talks between Hamas and Fatah.

The two factions long been at odds and their feud boiled over when the Islamists grabbed power in the Gaza Strip in June 2007 after a week of deadly clashes, booting out supporters of Abbas's party.

The two factions have held several rounds of talks in Egypt trying to cobble together a unity government, with an initial target of March 31. But negotiations were adjourned last month to May 16.

source

A Report From Gaza

You can't get a more Senior Sinn Fein delegation than this one. The US appear to be using leading Irish Republicans possibly as part of a beginning peace process attempt. I hope the US plays fairly and honestly, and is not using Irish Republicans for a peace process that will never be fair for Palestinians. Last month in Washington Adams met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Special Envoy George Mitchell about the Middle East. When Adams arrived in Israel to pass into Gaza, the Israelis banned him for entering because he refused to agree not to meet with Hamas (the elected government of Gaza!) Then, suddenly the very next day, Adams was immediately let into Gaza. This after a scolding to Israel by Blair and Mitchell. I posted about this the other day. Anyhow, I said I would follow up, and so am doing that now.

The following is a report of Gerry Adams visit to Gaza. as told by Richard McAuley a member of the delegation. Take a deep breath for some reality of what it is like there right now. This is just so devastating to read, truly devastating.

On 7 April, the Sinn Féin delegation – Gerry Adams, Richard McAuley, Ted Howell and Harry Thompson – visited the region for four days. Richard McAuley tells of their time in Gaza, including meeting the Hamas Prime Minister and Fatah and the PLO.

THE sights and sounds, the silences and smells of Gaza will stay with me forever.

There’s the father and mother standing in a hospital room waiting for their 13-year-old to die from bone cancer because the Israelis wouldn’t allow her to get the medical treatment she needed.

Then there’s the family living within a cave made from the twisted ruins of a bombed building after their home was blasted by Israeli shells.

The smell of burned timber in the hospital devastated by Israeli bombs.

The state-of-the-art radiation machine standing quiet because the spare parts needed for it to save lives cannot be brought into Gaza because of the Israeli siege.

The derelict ruined buildings with empty windows and huge holes punched through their walls.

From the moment we drove through the huge gates, under sullen watchtowers and between the enormous blast walls of the Erez Crossing, we knew we were going into a prison – a monstrous affair in which one and a half million people have been held in the worst of conditions by the Israeli siege.

The derelict landscape which greeted us on the other side of the Erez Crossing – from Israel into Gaza – looked like a scene from some apocalyptic movie. But this wasn’t the work of clever Hollywood designers and scenic artists or CGI experts – this was real. Real buildings, real workplaces, real homes, real farms, real schools, real hospitals. The hearts of real communities that had been bombed and bulldozed into rubble.

And within this landscape of twisted girders, collapsed buildings, of toppled walls and concrete blocks, human beings are trying to survive.

And good people in UNWRA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, in the International Committee of the Red Cross, in MFS and Oxfam, in the Palestine Red Crescent Society and countless other NGOs and individuals are working exhaustively to help over a million refugees, many of whom are still stunned – shell-shocked – by the destruction around them.

Gaza was not the starting point of our four-day visit to the region but the 48 hours we spent there have left memories and images of despair and pain and of hope and courage that are unforgettable.

Gerry and I were in Israel and the West Bank two-and-a-half years ago. Then we were unable to visit Gaza because of insufficient time. Following the 23-day Israeli assault on that besieged territory over Christmas and the start of the New Year, Gerry was determined to visit the Middle East again, and especially Gaza.He wanted to talk to as many people as possible – Israelis and Palestinians – and receive as much information as he and we could absorb.


Watchtowers

support for the Palestinians
Irish republicans are in an exceptional position. Unlike most of those who are part of the enormous conflict resolution business around the world, republicans have experienced the reality of conflict and peace-making, and not just the theory.

Sinn Féin is for an end to:–
• The Israeli occupation of Gaza;
• The blockade and sanctions;
• The wall which steals Palestinian land and divides families and communities;
• The refugee camps.

With a new US President in Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declaring that the resolution of Palestinian and Israeli issue is a strategic priority for the new US administration, and with the appointment of George Mitchell as Obama’s special envoy to the Middle East, Gerry believed that the time was right for a visit to the region and for the production of a report which might be useful to those likely to be involved in any new peace efforts.

Such an initiative appears likely. George Mitchell’s appointment has especially heightened interest in the Middle East into his role in the negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement.

Last month, when we were in Washington, Gerry and I and Rita O’Hare spent over an hour with Senator George Mitchell, mainly talking about the Middle East. In our meeting with Hillary Clinton we also discussed this issue.

In this context, Gerry felt very strongly that a visit to the region at this time and a report containing observations and suggestions could be helpful.

Our first day in Israel
So, four of us – Gerry, myself, Ted Howell and Harry Thompson – travelled to Jerusalem on Monday, 6 April. We arrived in the early hours of Tuesday morning and a few hours later met Tony Blair, the British former Prime Minister, in the American Colony Hotel.

Blair is in the region representing the interests of the Big Four or what is known as the Quartet – the EU, the USA, Russia and the UN. Latterly much of his focus appears to have been on economic development.

With the long lead-in to the US elections last November and the Israeli elections of last month, and the negotiations underway between the Palestinian groups in Cairo, there has been a political hiatus in effect for some time.

The plan for our visit was that we would spend the first day in Israel. Trocaire funds a number of NGOs in southern Israel specialising in trauma counselling for families living in Sderot. This Israeli city has been the target for many of the thousands of primitive Kasssam rockets fired out of Gaza, The Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem had also arranged a number of engagements for us.

Following an hour with Tony Blair talking about the current situation in the region, we travelled to the Sderot Resilience Centre and met local activists as well as representatives of the Israeli Trauma Coalition. We were told that the rockets have killed up to eight people in the seven years of their use and injured many others.

By this point some of the media in Israel were reporting that we were to be refused entry into Gaza. The Israeli Government had asked for a commitment from Gerry that we would not meet Hamas. We refused to give such a commitment. Our position was quite simple – we would meet anyone who wished to meet with us, and especially democratically-elected representatives.

The Israeli Government had said that neither ministers nor officials would meet us. Apparently, this approach by the Israelis has so far succeeded in securing such a commitment from other delegations visiting Gaza.

On the kibbutz
From Sderot we travelled to the kibbutz at Kfar Aza (Gaza Village), where we met Shai Hermesh, a member of the centre-left Kadima party in the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset. Up to last month his party had been in government. Shai told us the story of Israel and its relationship, from his perspective, with the Palestinians. He brought us around the kibbutz and it was from there that we had our first real glimpse of Gaza in the distance beyond the barbed wire surrounding the village.

Hours later, back in Jerusalem, we met Rabbi Arik Asherman from the Rabbis for Human Rights group. They have taken a very strong stand against human rights violations by the Israeli Government and its agencies and have stood with Palestinian families whose homes have either been destroyed or are threatened with destruction. He brought Gerry to meet several such families in east Jerusalem.

Later again, we met with members of the Van Leer institute and it was during the evening that we received confirmation that we were to travel into Gaza the next morning. The Jerusalem Post was still claiming the next morning we were not getting in.

The Jerusalem Post was wrong.
We were on our way into Gaza – what Gerry Adams was to call “a huge, outdoor prison”.

PART 2 of Report from Gaza:

Erez Crossing
Bright and early on Wednesday morning we were on the road to Erez Crossing – the entry point into Gaza. At a nearby café we met John Ging, the United Nations director who was hosting our visit.

We drove in UNWRA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) vehicles to Erez Crossing. As we approached this massive border crossing I was struck by its similarity to Long Kesh. A high concrete wall stretched for miles with guard posts positioned along it.

The crossing itself, which is three years old, resembles an airport terminal but has never been properly used. It was built to accommodate up to 30,000 Palestinians crossing each day back and forward to work in Israel. But since its construction Gaza has been under siege so Erez sits largely unused, except for the occasional travellers, mainly UN and other NGO workers.

On this dazzling sunny morning it was four Irish republicans who made our way through it. After having our passports checked we were allowed to travel through in our UN vehicles.

The gates through which we passed from one air-lock to the next are massive metal things weighing tons. The concrete blast walls are enormous, and at the other side of this there is a 600-metre-wide no-mans land before you reach the ramshackle Palestinian border crossing.

There we climbed into armoured UN vehicles before beginning our two-day visit in Gaza.

Gaza
Our first stop, a short distance away, was the village of Izbet Abd Rabo, which was destroyed during the Israeli assault. There was nothing of value still standing. Nothing salvageable. And in the midst of this desolation Gerry held his press conference. He spoke first in Irish – which clearly took his media audience and interpreter by surprise.

Then, in English, he told them who he was and why we were in Gaza. He set the tone of the two-day visit by describing the Israeli assault as wrong and declaring that all people have the right to live in peace and safety and security. He made it clear that, while he was in no way accepting that the rocket attacks into Israel justified the Israeli response, he called for an end to them and to all armed actions by all sides.

And he stated Sinn Féin’s belief that dialogue, involving all parties, is essential to any peaceful resolution.

Gerry described the international community’s response to the plight of the Palestinians, and in particular of Gaza, as “shameful”.

An elderly and angry Palestinian woman confronted him. It appeared she thought he was with the UN. She had lost her home, her husband and a large number of family members in the Israeli bombardment and ground offensive. We met another family living in a cave created by the collapsed walls of a nearby building. They had nothing but the clothes on their backs and a few mats on the floor.

After that it was off on a round of meetings that lasted until midnight. UNWRA brought us to the industrial area closeby, where thousands of workers lost their jobs when scores of factories were destroyed; to the American International School, flattened by Israeli rockets; to the offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross; to a lunchtime meeting with civic society leaders, including human rights groups; to the Islamic University and a meeting with the heads of several universities in Gaza; and to the Al-Quds Hospital.

The hospital was one of those severely damaged during the Israeli air attack. We walked through destroyed hospital wards and listened to accounts from doctors and others of their efforts to provide medical attention to the wounded and dying in the midst of chaos and war.

We also met with Karen Koning Abuzzayd, who is the Under-Secretary General for UNRWA and who gave us a sense of the huge relief operation they run to feed and care for the needs of the almost one million, one hundred thousand refugees living in Gaza. It is an amazing enterprise involving a staff of almost ten thousand.

Meeting Ismail Haniyeh – Hamas Prime Minister
That evening we met with women’s groups. At 9.30pm, representatives of the Hamas Government arrived to take us at high speed through a confusion of darkened streets to a meeting with the Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza. It was obvious that his colleagues remain deeply concerned for his safety and they took precautions to protect their leader.

He’s a big man with a warm smile and friendly demeanour who readily shook all our hands and urged us to sit.

Through an interpreter he welcomed Gerry and the rest of us. He spoke of the Irish republican struggle and of the Irish Peace Process. The Prime Minister explained to us the Hamas decision to stand in the elections of 2006, of their success and of the subsequent hostile reaction of Israel, the EU and USA. He told us of the human and economic cost of the Israeli blockade and of the recent air and ground offensive.

Gerry and he spoke about peace and how to achieve it, of the difficulties involved and of the possibilities arising from the appointment of George Mitchell. They spoke about Hamas’s attitude to Israel and the accusation that Hamas was for the destruction of the Israeli state and against peace.

It was a long meeting. Almost an hour and a half. When it was over we were whisked back to our hotel. I used the hotel internet to immediately issue a statement from Gerry explaining that we had met the Hamas leader. In it Gerry said:
“I was pleased to speak directly with Mr Haniyeh. I outlined to him Sinn Féin’s view that there should be a complete cessation of all hostilities and armed actions by all sides.

“I emphasised our opinion that dialogue, including substantive and inclusive negotiations, and a genuine peace process, is the only way forward for Palestinians and Israelis.

“The fact is that the people of Palestine and the people of Israel are destined to live side by side. I believe that most people want a peaceful accommodation.
“Following my meeting with Mr Haniyeh I believe that progress is possible. Mr Haniyeh told me that Hamas wants a peace agreement.

“As I have said consistently: there needs to be a dialogue between the people of Palestine and their leadership and the people of Israel and their leadership. That is what worked in Ireland.

“I believe that there is a duty on the international community to recognise the democratic outcome of the elections in Palestinian Territories. I believe that the people of Palestine and the people of Israel have the right to live free from the fear of threats, with human rights and in dignity and as equals.

“The citizens of Gaza are living in an open-air prison. They are being denied their human and national rights. This has to be rectified.”

The human cost of the siege
The next morning we were up early for an intensive round of further meetings. Local business leaders expressed their anger at the impact of the siege on efforts to stimulate jobs and commerce. The blockade means that no reconstruction of the damaged caused during the Israeli attack has been possible. The business and commercial life of Gaza is being strangled.

Other political meetings took place during the day with representatives from Fatah, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the People’s Party and others.

In the afternoon, we met the Hamas Mayor of Gaza and the City Council, Minister for Health Dr Bassem Na’im, and senior Hamas government officials, the Palestinian Legislative Council, including the Minister for Justice, and we visited Shifa Hospital.

The director of the hospital, which is the largest in the Palestinian Territories, gave us a quick tour and explained some of the grave medical and human problems confronting them. He told us that within minutes of the commencement of the Israeli attack in December around 140 bodies were brought to the front door of the hospital. The medical staff were swamped and there were so many bodies in such desperate condition that initially they couldn’t tell the dead from the severely wounded.

The director pointed to a half-finished building for much-needed intensive care units. It can’t be completed because the Israeli blockade prevents building materials coming into Gaza. During a tour of the hospital we were taken into rooms containing modern radiation machines for treating cancer patients that are lying idle because the Israeli authorities will not allow spare parts in.

In one particular hospital room we were introduced to a father and mother watching over their 13-year-old daughter who lay curled up on a hospital bed and will die shortly because she could not receive the treatment she needed for bone cancer. It was a heart-breaking experience.

The political meetings and interviews with the media continued again up to very late that evening. It was our last night in Gaza.

The next morning we were at Erez at 8am waiting to cross back into Israel. This time, however, the Israeli authorities would not allow us to use the cars. We had to walk through ‘No Man’s Land’ with our bags and baggage to the terminal.

There, a remote voice instructed us through air-locks and computer-controlled doors. Bags on one track to be scanned and X-rayed, and us into an enclosed contraption that whizzed around us to presumably detect anything illegal.

A long, deliberately dragged-out process that took two-and-a-half hours. A new experience for us but for the dozen or so NGO workers who travel back and forward every few weeks it was an old routine experienced many times. Some told us that they can wait up to 12 hours! I felt sorry for them having to put up with that nonsense but they took it in their stride – fair play to them.

Behind us, one and a half million people remained locked up in their huge out-door prison. The Israeli blockade allows a drip-feed of food and other resources. It’s all minimal. Barely enough to keep the place ticking over. Barely enough to feed people. The electricity network often fails. The sewage system is inadequate and is frequently on the point of collapse. People – children mostly – are dying because of inadequate medical resources or access to outside care. No substantial repairs have been carried out on damaged property, no homes being built, no factories being repaired and there is no sign of any relaxation of the siege.

It is a depressing, disastrous human crisis that looks set to get worse unless wiser heads prevail.

The Israelis seem determined to sustain the siege while the international community appears equally determined to stand by and allow this inhumanity to continue. It’s a disgrace but, worse, without a solution soon, it is a powder keg waiting to explode.

With 60 per cent of the population of Gaza under 18, the consequences for the region of this huge youth population isolated and trapped in a small confined geographical area and within a cycle of violence and poverty is obvious – or at least it should be. As Gerry warned:

“If allowed to fester and grow, in 20 years the world will look back at this time and remember Hamas as the moderates!”

And then we were out and on our way to Ramallah in the West Bank where we had a meeting with the Palestinian Authority.

We were now back on republican time – that is, we were running late. Later on still, we travelled to Bethlehem where Dr As’ad Abdul Rahman of the PLO Executive walked us around Al Duhasha, a Palestinian refugee camp established 60 years ago.

In the evening, we held discussions with members of the PLO Executive, including Rafiq Husseini, President Mahmoud Abbas’s Chief of Staff, and again Dr As’ad Abdul Rahman of the PLO Executive.

Back in Ireland
Saturday morning before Easter Sunday and we were on our way home.
Speaking on his return to Ireland, Gerry summarised the four days and outlined our next steps.

“I left the Middle East even more convinced that a process of dialogue between all of the participants is essential for progress.

“Democratic mandates must be respected and in any negotiation process there must be clear objectives set, within a fixed timeframe, if there is to be confidence that any new round of negotiations will be real.

“I believe that only a two-state solution which provides for the security and prosperity of Palestinians and Israelis, as well as national rights for Palestinians, can deliver a durable peace settlement.

“The response of the international community over many years to the political and humanitarian crisis in this region, and in particular to the plight of the Palestinian people, has been shameful.

“With George Mitchell travelling to the Middle East early next week there is a new opportunity opening up which must be grasped. But as that new initiative takes shape, the siege of Gaza should end immediately, all armed actions should cease and the reconstruction of Gaza, which the Israeli blockade is preventing, should begin.
“I intend to submit a report of my visit to Senator Mitchell and to the Irish, British and US governments and others with an interest in and influence on the situation there.

“Eleven years ago on Friday, the Good Friday Agreement was achieved. Many of those I have spoken to in recent days in the Middle East clearly take hope from that achievement. With political will it can be done in the Middle East also.”

Hamas & Clinton & Netanyahu-Peace Dance Begins

Devil is in the details, always. Two days ago I wrote here about Netanyahu suddenly abandoning the mantra that Hamas must recognise Israel as a pre-condition to talks, see below:

Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu is no longer demanding that Palestinians recognize Israel as a "Jewish state" as a precondition for talks, according to a statement sent to Ma'an.

The prime minister's media advisor said that the Netanyahu "has never set this as a pre-condition for the opening of negotiations and dialogue with the Palestinians."

However, the statement went on to say that "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is insistent in his approach that recognition of Israel as the national state of the Jewish People is a matter of substance and principle that enjoys wide recognition in the country and around the world, without which it will not be possible to advance the diplomatic process and reach a peace settlement."

This is very telling. What it means is that talks will go forward, those talks will include Hamas, either directly or indirectly. My guess is that at this point it will be indirectly, through an intermediary. The signs have been taking shape. One big hint for me personally was when Gerry Adams went to Gaza. If you recall, Israel said he would not get in unless he said he would not meet with members of Hamas. He refused to give that stipulation and so Israel banned him for entry. Next day, suddenly he was inside Gaza. This after intervention by Tony Blair and most likely at the behest of Mitchell who Adams had met with a month prior in Washington when Adams going to Gaza was discussed. Additionally, Adams said he would be “reporting” to Mitchell after his visit. I believe the US government have asked for assistance from Adams. This is evident by the sudden reversal of the Israeli ban on his entry into Gaza. Afterall, Adams has a long history with both Blair and Mitchell, and on a lesser scale Hillary Clinton. Additionally he has met with Hamas and the PLO several times in the past, most recently in 2006.

Firstly, I can tell you that Hamas will never agree to this stipulation at this point in time and the US knows this. As for Israel and the US, Like it or not, Hamas has an electoral mandate, and as such should be included, otherwise nothing will ever come of any talks. To move forward without Hamas, would effectively say to the voting public that their elected officials AND their supporters and voters have no rights. Can't do this, it didn't work in Ireland and won't work in Palestine.

Then today I happened upon this article about Clinton saying that Hamas must recognise Israel, renounced violence and adhere to all previous agreements made by the PA. Upon first read you’d think this is in exact opposition to what Netanyahu said two days ago. However, look closer. What is really being said here is that “talks” can move forward without recognition, however, for the US to support the Palestinian government or fund such government, Hamas will have to agree to those terms. There will be a long time between those to point of “talks” and “government” of a Palestinian state. This would mean that the settlement issues and most of the serious issues Palestine has with Israel would be mostly resolved, before Hamas would be expected to meet those three requirements.

This is the peace process dance. It’s a process, and it will be a very long process at that. In Ireland it took many years, and the IRA did not disarm during talks or even after the Good Friday Agreement was voted for and partially implemented. I think the US is modelling much after the Irish peace process at this initial stage anyway. Clinton article below:

Clinton sets conditions on Palestinian govt with Hamas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday the United States would not deal with or fund a Palestinian government that includes Hamas unless the Palestinians meet three international conditions.

"We will not deal with nor in any way fund a Palestinian government that includes Hamas unless and until Hamas has renounced violence, recognized Israel and agrees to follow the previous obligations of the Palestinian Authority," Clinton told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee.

"We want to leave the door open" to including Hamas, Clinton said.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged Israel and the Palestinians to "step back from the abyss" and invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for separate talks in early June.

Psychotic Israel Off its Medication Again

Today, Israel's Military Intelligence Chief (AAGHH, sorry, gotta say this, those three words should NEVER be put together, but that's another story) Anywho, he says that Obama's Middle East policy puts poor little Israel "under threat" What a load of bollox. C'mon Israel, we see through your HASBARA.

To the rest of the world let me explain why they keep saying this. Two reasons; Firstly they must keep their population living in constant fear and paranoia. After all, Israel lives in constant imagined "crisis" mode. They do this to keep getting money off Americans (for security supposedly) but they have the 4th largest army in the world WITH nuclear weapons, so scratch that for reality purposes. No, the REAL reason is just simply this: If America develops a decent relationship with Iran (the major player in the Middle East) then where does that leave poor little Israel? It would mean no more billions from the poor American taxpayer, who, I may remind people, are loosing their jobs and houses, whilst the US govt sends billions to Israel.

Moreover, Israel will become nothing, meaning without a constant "imagined threat" to beat over the heads of the world, they become nothing special. They become a tiny little Jewish country in the middle of a whole bunch of Arab countries, albeit surrounded by them. They would have to live in peace. In short, the REAL players in the Middle East are the Arab nations, not Israel. The only thing that keeps Israel at the top of the list is their constant never ending, never relenting mantra of "being under threat" Take that away and what are you left with? See my point? I think Obama sees it, I know Iran sees it...

MI Chief: Obama Mideast policy threatens Israel

Military Intelligence Chief Amos Yadlin said Monday that the Middle East policy of U.S. President Barack Obama's administration could endanger Israel.

"The Obama administration is determined to take initiative and move forward central processes in the Middle East," Yadlin told ministers at a special cabinet meeting.

"Obama wants to advance the peace process in the direction of realistic discussions with extremist elements," Yadlin said, adding that the struggle between extremist and moderate elements in the region was worsening.

(bullshit!!! It's worsening with Illegal Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians, stealing land, uprooting trees, invading Al Aqsa mosque THREE TIMES THIS WEEK, and the IDF killing people at protests, check this weeks news. Hey Israel, I'm keeping score!)

In a surprising shift, Yadlin also said that the Islamist Hamas movement has been deterred and is now interested in reaching a peace settlement with Israel.

(He is saying this now because Israel is now moving on in their dream of attacking Iran, Obama's policy can end that should the US and Iran develop a relationship, Israel knows this!)

Yadlin added that the struggle between moderates and extremists in the Middle East is intensifying and that the moderate Arab states understand that Iran is a threat to the region.

(Just like I said above, done murdering Palestinians in huge numbers, now they want to bomb Iran. Notice a theme here? Israel is never happy unless it is murdering people!)

"Iran and Hezbollah have an infrastructure of terror around the world with the aim of striking against Israel," Yadlin said. "Hezbollah is restrained and deterred on the northern border because it fears an Israeli reaction during the upcoming elections in Lebanon."

(Hey, forgot to take yur Prozac today? Remember when they invaded Gaza, back then it was "Hamas and Hezbollah, now it's "Iran and Hezbollah" just keeps changing to suit Israels thirst for blood)

Yadlin noted that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is lobbying the U.S. and European countries to force Israel to meet conditions to counter those demanded of the Palestinians by the Quartet. The Palestinian leader is seeking to secure an Israeli recognition of the principle of two states for two peoples, a cessation of settlement expansion, and restoring the security situation to that which was extant prior to September 2000.

(And there you have it folks, the real reason. Israel cannot have peace because it would then become a little "nobody" and would no longer get billions off the American taxpayer!) source

Netanyahu Now Channelling Obama

A new Article out today (below) stating Netanyahu claims that “recognizing Israel as a Jewish State” is no longer required as a precondition to talks. Yup, read it again. Now, for sometime I have had inkling that perhaps there is a bigger picture happening here with the Obama Administration. I am beginning to think he may be going to actually “do the deal” in the Middle East. I am still too much a sceptic at this point but some signs are emerging and if so then I am happy to be proven wrong on Obama.

Negotiations, be it between Israel/Palestine, or the ones that took place in Ireland. They always start from the most extreme positions, and move from there. The fact that Netanyahu has given up on this “pre-condition” that Israel has used to avoid talks, could possibly mean that the US has made its position clear to Israel. And that means Israel will not be allowed to scupper another chance at peace. Let’s hope the US keeps the pressure up on Israel, it is the only thing they react to, or understand.

Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu is no longer demanding that Palestinians recognize Israel as a "Jewish state" as a precondition for talks, according to a statement sent to Ma'an.

The prime minister's media advisor said that the Netanyahu "has never set this as a pre-condition for the opening of negotiations and dialogue with the Palestinians."

However, the statement went on to say that "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is insistent in his approach that recognition of Israel as the national state of the Jewish People is a matter of substance and principle that enjoys wide recognition in the country and around the world, without which it will not be possible to advance the diplomatic process and reach a peace settlement."

A demand that Palestinians recognize Israel “as the state of the Jewish people” as a condition for resuming peace negotiations is unacceptable to the US, the State Department said this weekend.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz, quoting statements from the State Department, indicated that the US would not back Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demand for this recognition.

The US released these statements during a visit by Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell. Mitchell met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after meeting Israeli leaders.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) recognized “the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security.” In return, Israel did not recognize an independent Palestinian state but rather acknowledged the PLO as the legitimate representative of the Palestinians.

Palestinian negotiators have rejected this demand for recognition of Israel as a “Jewish state” because Israel conceives of its Jewish nature in terms of its Jewish majority. This, in turn, would preclude the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in what is now Israel.

Some 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from Palestine during the 1948-49 war that saw the creation of Israel. Today more than 4.6 million UN-registered Palestinian refugees live throughout the Middle East and elsewhere.

The fate of the refugees is one of the “final status issues” that has still to be negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians.

Lieberman Bullshits Mitchell

I hope Mitchell took his "bullshit" meter with him to Israel, he's gonna need it!

Lieberman to Mitchell: Israel making efforts at economic improvement in Palestine

Special US Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell met Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Jerusalem Thursday morning, and stressed the American preference for a two-state solution, a statement from the US consulate said.

Describing his first meeting with the right-wing Lieberman, Mitchell said they two had “a good, full and candid discussion covering both the history of the process, going back to the 1990’s, and continuing to the present, and also looking into the future on what can be done to achieve our common objectives.”

In response, Lieberman “described the efforts being made to make economic improvements [in Palestine] and to get involved in other discussions with the Palestinians in the West Bank,” according to Mitchell.

For his part Lieberman stressed “that the traditional approach has so far brought neither results nor solutions,” according to an Israeli Government press release.

The Israeli FM also noted that his government will have to formulate new ideas and a new approach to solving the conflict with Palestinians, but that Israel will do whatever is necessary to improve their “economic condition.”
***Updated 16:19 Bethlehem time

Hamas & Fatah Solution In The Works

Yet more good news, an interim solution may be available which will allow the parties to work together whilst still recognising that a continued approach to a political resolution must still be worked out. If agreed, this would allow both parties to work for the good of Gaza, whilst still working on the outstanding issues of party representation. This is good for two reasons, firstly it means Gaza benefits,but most importantly, it re-focuses attention where it should be, on Israel!!

Hamas is studying an Egyptian proposal that suggests the construction of a national committee charged with hashing out the vision of a new transitional government, defining its mission and clearing political issues in advance of its creation.

On Wednesday official Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum confirmed that the party has received the proposal and is drafting questions about it that will be addressed at the next round of conciliation talks in Cairo on 26 April.

Barhum said the party had rejected the idea of the proposal after hearing several Egyptian media reports, saying Hamas felt the proposal would have resulted in a confederation between the West Bank and Gaza, but the party insisted on establishing Palestine as one state with one people. The party was also concerned about the proposal initially because it had not been covered during their talks in Cairo.

Hamas “has questions” about the proposal, Barhoum said. “The most important of which is the fate of the two governments in the West Bank and Gaza once the committee is formed.”

Barhoum noted Egypt proposed the committee as a way out of the political deadlock and it will be examined thoroughly with the will to bringing Palestinian unity to its people.

Explaining Hamas’ stance on the proposal thus far, however, he said the party understands membership in the committee as not being aligned with any of Ramallah’s political policies. The committee itself, according to the proposal, is envisioned as an umbrella body coordinating between the West Bank and Ramallah governments.

One elements essential to the committee is its role in the reconstruction of Gaza.
link

Hamas and Fatah Talking Again

Fatah has agreed with Hamas to continue talks in Gaza in advance of scheduled talks in Cairo, senior Fatah official Abdallah Al-Ifranji said Wednesday following his return from meetings with Hamas and factional leaders in Gaza.

This, is a GOOD Thing, they need to work it out so the can tackle Isarel with a united front.

Al-Ifranji entered the Gaza Strip last week on orders from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas along with his colleague President of the Gaza Development and Reconstruction Committee Marwan Abd Al-Hamid. The two returned to Ramallah on Tuesday.

Al-Ifranji called his mission in Gaza an “ice breaking” one that would prevent factional members from “using weapons against each other.” He also confirmed that the talks in Gaza were not a replacement for the 26 April talks in Cairo but rather a parallel process.

“Dialogue with Hamas has created chances to continue discussions that began in Cairo,” Al-Ifranji said. He noted Abbas would be updated on the mission when he returned to the West Bank. link

PA Says Israel Rejects Negotiations

Israel’s refusal to commit to the creation of a Palestinian state amounts to a rejection of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, said top negotiator Saeb Erekat on Tuesday.

Erekat, the head of the Negotiations Affairs Department in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) said that “Israel has to make a choice between continued occupation and abiding by its obligations.”

Erekat was speaking during a meeting with the Belgian Consul General in Jerusalem, Leo Peters, at Erekats office in the West Bank city of Jericho.

Commenting on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ surprise visit to Iraqi Kurdistan which began on Monday, Erekat said that the trip was part of efforts to resolve the issue of Palestinian refugees in Iraq. Abbas also visited Baghdad earlier this month as a part of this effort. source

Israel "No Right To Exist" Until Palestinians Have Rights!

This past weekend there was a huge fundraising event at the RDS in Dublin for Palestine. The event was organised by Palestinian Rights Institute which was created some years ago by Palestinians living in Ireland. The event was televised so may ultimately appear on YouTube in a few days.

this from the Irish Times. Violence in Gaza a 'victory' for Palestinians

PRO-HAMAS SPEAKERS at a fundraising event held at the RDS in Dublin at the weekend argued that the recent violence in Gaza, in which more than 1,300 Palestinians were killed, was a “victory” because it put the Middle East conflict back on the international agenda and galvanised Muslims worldwide.

The Al-Aqsa Festival, which was headlined “Gaza Victory: The Road to Al-Quds”, drew hundreds of people to the RDS Concert Hall on Saturday.

The event, organised by the Palestinian Rights Institute – a body established several years ago by Palestinians living in Ireland, was covered by a TV crew from Al Jazeera’s Arabic-language channel.

Speakers included Azzam Tamimi, the Palestinian director of the London-based Institute of Islamic Political Thought, and Sheikh Yousef al Baz, a Muslim cleric from the West Bank.

Speaking in Arabic, Sheikh al Baz said the January conflict between Israel and Hamas had “revived the issue of Palestine throughout the world after it was almost dead”, and it had “restored to every Muslim his honour and dignity”. He argued that the war had proved that “resistance is the only way, and not negotiation”.

Sheikh al Baz’s speech prompted shouts of “Allahu Akbar” from the audience, drawn mostly from the Muslim community. “We supported the jihad and we will do so until Allah grants us victory,” the cleric said. “And that day is not far.”

Mr Tamimi, who has written a number of books on Hamas, railed against the US and Europe for insisting that the organisation must meet certain conditions, including recognising Israel’s right to exist, before any engagement occurs.

“Once you recognise Israel, you say to the world that the rape of my country and my people is acceptable,” Mr Tamimi said. “It is a crime against humanity to recognise Israel’s right to exist because that would legitimise the crimes against humanity Israel has committed.”

Had Hamas agreed to meet the conditions laid down by the international community, he said, “they would no longer have my support”.

Hamas, Mr Tamimi argued, was “an alternative to those who sold out” and it “represents our dream” as the “true representative of the Palestinian voice”.

“When the world opposes Hamas, it opposes Palestinian self-determination,” he said, adding that the international community must recognise the “legitimacy Hamas has gained through resistance and elections”.

Branding the EU as “cowards” for not engaging with Hamas, Mr Tamimi added: “Hamas is who the world should be talking to if it is serious about solving the Palestinian issue.”

Richard Boyd Barrett of the Irish Anti-War Movement told attendees that it was “entirely legitimate” to argue that “Israel has no right to exist” because “it is not a normal state but a state built on violence, oppression and apartheid”.

“We must convince people that [Israel] has no right to exist as long as it denies rights to Palestinians,” he added.

Organisers told The Irish Times that the €7,000 raised at the event would be given to Human Appeal International, a registered charity with offices in Manchester.

Arabs New "Love Fest" with Obama

BEIRUT - Barack Obama's open-handed approach to the Middle East has won him praise from some Arab leaders viewed by previous U.S. presidents as deadly enemies.

"Obama is a flicker of hope amid the imperialist darkness," Muammar Gaddafi told a rally of his supporters last week.

The Libyan leader, once a thorn in America's side, was dubbed a "mad dog" by former President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. He has mended ties with Washington since 2003.

"He (Obama) speaks logically. Arrogance no longer exists in the American approach which was previously based on dictating to the rest of the world to meet its own conditions," Gaddafi said.

Obama has also earned conditional tributes from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Palestinian Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal and Lebanon's Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah -- all at times linked by Washington with terrorism.

Even non-Arab Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has recognised that Obama might offer something new. "We speak with great respect for Obama. But we are realists. We want to see real change," he told Germany's Der Spiegel magazine. "We feel that Obama must now follow his words with actions."

The readiness of America's adversaries to acknowledge that Obama has brought a more sensitive verbal approach to the region is striking. In contrast, some traditional U.S. allies such as Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak have kept tight-lipped.

Now Arab leaders wonder whether Obama is able or willing to change the substance, not just the tone, of U.S. policy. source

US Jewish Leaders Angry at Obama~Oh Well

The first US Presidential Seder in History, and the reaction of the US Jewish communities leaders are, well, a picture is worth a thousand words they say:



They all expected to be invited, so now they are angry. And, there is stirring in the Zionist circles that the Seder is to soften the Zionists up, before Obama sticks it to Israel on the peace process. Let's all hope so!

Jewish leaders are miffed as to why they weren't invited to tonight's White House seder, the first on record that will be attended by the U.S. president. Wrote a staffer who sought to remove the dinner from the official White House schedule, "Apparently Jewish [sic] here and in neighboring states are now calling wondering why they have not been invited.”

The email was accidentally released by a sleepy staffer, the White House said. The Obamas are keeping the seder traditional, ie, intimate, with prominent Jewish staffers Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod skipping the event to spend the holy feast with their families, Politico reports. Still, proving that there is little President Obama can do these days without attracting some controversy, Jewish leaders aren't just mad over not snagging an invite.

According to the National Review's Tom Gross, "Many in Israel fear that Obama’s Passover meal may be a stunt designed to soften up Jewish Democrats for what are likely to be some strong differences with the new Israeli government." source

Mitchell & Obama~ Knew Adams Would Meet Hamas

Ha Ha Ha, the two beards meet:) LOL

It appears as if our people will be helping as contacts within the peace process perhaps. This is why Israel had to ultimately let Adams into Gaza after threatening not to. It seems that George Mitchell (and Obama) was well aware of Adams planned visit and more over, Adams himself will be briefing Mitchell on his meetings when he leaves Gaza.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - The leader of Irish Republican Army-linked Sinn Fein party met with the head of the internationally shunned Hamas government during a two-day visit to Gaza and said he plans to brief President Obama's special Mideast envoy about his contacts.

Gerry Adams, a key player in Northern Ireland's peace process, met with Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh late Wednesday and planned more talks with officials of the Islamic militant group Thursday.

Haniyeh's meeting with Adams, at an undisclosed location in Gaza City, was not announced ahead of time. TV footage from a local news outlet showed Adams sitting in an armchair next to Haniyeh

"We want to help. We support the Palestinian people," Adams said.

Adams told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday he said he met Obama's special Mideast envoy George Mitchell in Washington last month and told him of his plan to visit Gaza. He said he plans to "brief the Irish government, friends in the U.S., others I deal with internationally, and that would include Sen. Mitchell."

Mitchell did not meet with Hamas officials during a visit to the region several months ago. Mitchell and Adams have known each other since the former U.S. senator helped broker a Northern Ireland peace deal in the 1990s.

Sinn Fein is a political party linked to the Irish Republican Army _ a group that, like Hamas, was labeled terrorist because of violent tactics used to battle Britain. But unlike Hamas, Sinn Fein engaged in negotiations that transformed it into a legitimate political player, recognized by Britain and local foes.

Haniyeh welcomed Adams as "a man of rich political experience who faced circumstances in Ireland similar to what we face in Gaza."

Hamas, which seized control of Gaza by force in 2007, is widely shunned by the West. Some European politicians have called for dialogue with Hamas, but few Western politicians have met with Hamas officials. Hamas is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the U.S. and the European Union.

A willingness to talk and compromise produced success in the case of Northern Ireland. Following the IRA's cease-fire in 1997, Sinn Fein joined in negotiations with other parties and the British and Irish governments, and is now the second-largest political party in Northern Ireland.

He also said Gaza's border crossings _ kept tightly closed by Israel and Egypt since the Hamas takeover _ should be opened. source

Gerry Adams Meets With Ismail Haniya~Talks of Peace

Adams said Gaza is an "Open Air Prison" how true!

Adams meets Hamas PM in Gaza

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams says he believes there can be progress in the Middle East after talking to Gaza's Hamas prime minister.

Mr Adams had an hour long meeting with Ismail Haniya on Wednesday night.

Mr Adams said he was encouraged by the dialogue. "Mr Haniya told me that Hamas wants a peace agreement," he said.

The meeting came at the end of a day in which Mr Adams met with civic, political and business leaders in Gaza.

He also toured parts of northern Gaza devastated by the Israeli operation in the Palestinian territory in January.

He said: "I welcome the opportunity to engage with so many people.

"I was pleased to speak directly with Mr Haniya. I outlined to him Sinn Féin's view that there should be a complete cessation of all hostilities and armed actions by all sides.

"The fact is that the people of Palestine and the people of Israel are destined to live side by side. I believe that most people want a peaceful accommodation.

"Following my meeting with Mr Haniya I believe that progress is possible.

"As I have said consistently there needs to be a dialogue between the people of Palestine and their leadership and the people of Israel and their leadership.

"That is what worked in Ireland."

On Tuesday, Mr Adams visited Sderot and Kfar Aza - a town and Kibbutz - in southern Israel that have been the targets for rocket attacks from Gaza.

However, before he set off for the Middle East Israeli officials said they would not meet him because he would not rule out meeting Palestinian militants.

They had threatened not to allow him to enter Gaza.

He said he regretted the Israeli government's refusal to meet him VIDEO LINK HERE.