All items on West Bank/Gaza
- The Critical Role of Palestinian State-Building
- Original Commentary | Dec 22, 2010
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Palestinian worker in stone and marble factory outside Bethlehem
On December 10, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlined efforts necessary to achieving Middle East peace. She called on the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships to address the core issues of the conflict, and said that the United States would work with both parties towards this end. In addition, Clinton mentioned the need for regional states to continue to develop the Arab Peace Initiative, and stressed the importance of the Palestinian Authority (PA) state-building program while underscoring
- Working Towards Progress
- Original Commentary | Nov 17, 2010
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Secretary of State Clinton and Prime Minister Netanyahu at their recent meeting in New York (AP)
On November 11, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York. Reports suggest that the meeting helped pave the way for a U.S.-Israel agreement whereby the United States would provide Israel with incentives to extend a one-off settlement moratorium for 90 days. Construction in East Jerusalem would reportedly not be included in the extension. Reported incentives include the United States giving Israel 20 additional F-35 fighter jets worth about
- Netanyahu’s Moves Spark Debate on Intentions
- Analysis | Oct 13, 2010
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An offer on Monday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu … to freeze West Bank Jewish settlements in exchange for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state—instantly rejected by the Palestinians— was the latest complex maneuver engendering debate about his intentions. The offer … was aimed either at keeping talks with the Palestinians alive and his right-wing coalition partners in check, or at seeking to shift the burden of failure to the Palestinians and escape blame should the talks wither
- Palestinian Dream City Hits Snag From Israel
- Analysis | Oct 13, 2010
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It is billed as a symbol of the future Palestine: a modern, middle-class city of orderly streets, parks and shopping plazas rising in the hills of the West Bank, ready for independence, affluence and peace. But the $800-million project has hit a snag: Palestinians say construction of the city of Rawabi depends on getting an access road, which can’t go ahead without Israeli permission. …
The Palestinian Authority asked Israel last year for jurisdiction over the strip of land needed, and
- No to a Third Intifada
- Analysis | Oct 13, 2010
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The prospect of a breakdown again raises the specter of another intifada, since many Palestinians may conclude that the occupation is either permanent or that diplomacy is simply an ineffective tool in resolving it and that a new uprising is the only remaining way to pressure Israel. … [I]t is essential that Palestinians do not turn to, or allow themselves to be sucked into, another round of violence. … [T]he consequences of the second intifada were disastrous for the Palestinian
- U.S. Nudges Palestinians to Answer Israeli Proposal
- News | Oct 13, 2010
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The United States nudged the Palestinian Authority to make a counter-offer to Israel’s proposal for a new freeze on building in Jewish settlements if the Palestinians recognized Israel as a Jewish state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said if the Palestinian leadership recognized Israel “as the homeland of the Jewish people,” he was ready to ask his government to extend a freeze on West Bank settlement building.
- Israeli Presence in Jordan Valley Could Be Flexible
- News | Oct 13, 2010
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Israel’s insistence on maintaining a presence on the eastern border of a future Palestinian state could be reviewed over time, a government spokesman said Wednesday.
Israel’s demand for such a presence is one of the potential obstacles to a Mideast peace deal.The Palestinians say they will not accept any Israeli deployment in their future state, arguing that the deployment of international forces during a transition period—an idea they support—should be sufficient to address Israeli security concerns.
- Hamas Security Raids Gaza Journalist Union
- News | Oct 13, 2010
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Hamas security forces raided and shut down the headquarters of the Palestinian Journalists Union in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the head of the organisation said.
“Hamas internal security forces raided the headquarters today, and one of the officers informed the members of the board who were there that it would be closed until further notice,” Abdelnasser al-Najar told AFP.
- West Bank Protest Movement Leader Sentenced to a Year in Prison
- News | Oct 13, 2010
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An Israeli military court has sentenced the leader of a West Bank protest movement to a year in prison for incitement and organizing illegal demonstrations amid criticism from the European Union and human rights organizations that the conviction was politically motivated.
Palestinian activist Abdallah Abu Rahmah, 39, was convicted in August for his involvement in organizing weekly protests against the route of what Israel calls its security barrier and what Palestinians call an apartheid separation wall. In a statement released at
- Report: PA Submits Request for New Airport
- News | Oct 13, 2010
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The Palestinian Authority has submitted a request to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office for the construction of a new Palestinian airport in the central West Bank district of Jericho, Hebrew-language media reported Tuesday.
The four square kilometer airport, 10km southeast of Jerusalem, includes plans for a single terminal, six gates for boarding, a large parking lot and international airport facilities and was submitted by the PA transport minister, Israeli daily Maariv reported.