Replies to post #194541 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[SPARK]

YES!!!~

[F6]

arizona1 -- good to see -- and at least somewhat likely not entirely uncoordinated with us

[StephanieVanbryce]

Good for them! wonder how far they'll go in light of this Despite the protests from Europe, a source in the Prime Minister’s Office said that Israel is planning to take more steps against the Palestinian Authority. “The Palestinians will soon come to understand that they made a mistake when they took unilateral action and breached their treaties with Israel. ?

If Britain & France are willing to take the final step .. IF they are .. omg! that would be HUGE! .. It would be the NEWS of the 2000's . .it would surpass 911, I think.... I have signed up now for Haraatz .. I ALWAYS used to read that paper and post from it .. then they went subscription and I've been blocked . .now I've got ten articles a month ... soon I will subscribe ... I'll be hard pressed not to do it sooner rather than later .. . ;) ..THANKS so much for that ARIZONA!!!!!!!!it's the PLUM of the DAY! .. ;) so so sweet!

[StephanieVanbryce]

today Israel did this - Israel seizes $120m in Palestinian tax revenue over UN vote

Palestinian official accuses Israel of desperation after second punitive response to UN vote recognising state of Palestine

Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem
Sunday 2 December 2012 09.33 EST

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/02/israel-palestinian-tax-revenue-un-vote

........you know they don't even have that news on the Guardian .. I'm sure it would be front left top .. if they did
... ;) another scoop from daily kos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.. ;)

[fuagf]

'U.S. angered by claim that new building at E-1 aimed at Obama, not Palestinians'

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer says Washington miffed by background briefing by
Israeli official that tied E-1 announcement to Obama’s refusal to confirm 2004 Bush-Sharon letter.

By Chemi Shalev | Dec.03, 2012 | 11:36 PM


U.S. President Barack Obama, right, meeting Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
at the United Nations in New York, September 11, 2011. Photo by Reuters

The U.S. Administration intensified its criticism of Israel’s decision to proceed with construction at the E-1 site near Ma'ale Adumim in response to indications that the move was meant to “retaliate” against U.S. President Barack Obama for his refusal to endorse the 2004 Sharon-Bush letter on settlement blocs.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer told Haaretz on Monday that the Administration was angered by a background briefing in which an Israeli official was quoted as saying that since the Obama Administration refused to reaffirm Bush’s 2004 letter “we no longer feel that we are bound by any commitment on E-1.”

“What that suggests to Washington is that Jerusalem was waiting for an opportunity to do this, that it was designed to provoke anger in the Administration, and that they picked what they thought was a convenient moment,” Kurtzer said. “It was a low blow."

Kurtzer, now a Professor of Middle East Policy Studies at Princeton University and editor of a new book entitled “Pathways to Peace: America and The Arab-Israeli Public” published by Palgrave Macmillan, said “Israel could have explained that E-1 was just in the planning stages but this background briefing indicated that it was a twofer as far as Israel was concerned: We will take $100 million from the Palestinians to pay the electricity bill and we will get back at you because you didn’t reaffirm the letter.

“So this was something they had wanted to do for four years. It wasn’t just retribution at the UN, it was retribution at the U.S. as well,” Kurtzer said.

The April 14, 2004 letter from then President Bush to then Prime Minister Sharon, part of an exchange of letters between the two in advance of the Israeli disengagement from Gaza, contained a clause that Israel views as U.S. support for its demand to hold on to the “settlement blocs” in the West Bank.

“In light of new realities on the ground, including already existing major Israeli populations centers, it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949, and all previous efforts to negotiate a two-state solution have reached the same conclusion. It is realistic to expect that any final status agreement will only be achieved on the basis of mutually agreed changes that reflect these realities,” Bush’s letter noted.

Israel failed in its efforts to convince the incoming Obama Administration to reaffirm the letter and to have it serve as a basis for the American position on the delineation of borders in any final status Israeli-Palestinian agreement. This lingering point of friction between the two countries developed into open confrontation in the wake of Obama’s May 19, 2011 speech in which he said that “The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps.”

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-angered-by-claim-that-new-building-at-e-1-aimed-at-obama-not-palestinians.premium-1.482197

[fuagf]

Israel defiant on settlements expansion after European condemnation

Official says Israel will 'stand by our vital national interests', after ambassadors summoned in five EU countries

Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem and Kim Willsher in Paris
guardian.co.uk, Monday 3 December 2012 19.25 GMT

.. with country links ..


The West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim, with the E1 area
in the background. Photograph: Ariel Schalit/AP

Israel was defiant on Monday in the face of a serious diplomatic rift with five European countries over its plans to expand illegal settlements in the West Bank, warning that it may take "additional steps" despite mounting international alarm that it was killing off any prospect of a future peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Israeli ambassadors to the UK, France, Sweden, Spain and Denmark were summoned to hear condemnation of plans to develop a highly sensitive expanse of land east of Jerusalem. The move signalled a widening gulf not just between Israel and Europe but also between Europe and the United States.

Despite growing international isolation, a source in the Israeli prime minister's office said: "We will continue to stand by our vital national interests against international pressure and there will be no change in the decision that was made."

The source added: "There should be no surprise that Israel will not stand idly by in the face of unilateral Palestinian steps. If they continue taking unilateral steps, Israel will act accordingly."

The sharp rebuke issued by the five nations followed an announcement last Friday that Israel would press ahead with plans to build settler homes that will close off East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank. The move came hours after the Palestinians won recognition of their state at the United Nations general assembly.

Only eight countries out of 193 voted with Israel against Palestinian statehood. Despite vigorous efforts to win over European countries, only one – the Czech Republic – rallied to Israel's side.

The British minister for the Middle East, Alistair Burt, formally summoned the Israeli ambassador to London, Daniel Taub, to the Foreign Office to convey "the depth of the UK's concern" about the decision and to demand its reversal.

In a statement, Burt said: "The settlements plan … has the potential to alter the situation on the ground on a scale that threatens the viability of a two-state solution."

The Israeli ambassador to Paris was formally told of France's "serious concerns" and reminded that "settlements are illegal under international law, destroy confidence in reviving dialogue and constitute an obstacle to a fair peace based on a two-state solution", according to a statement.

European countries were furious at Israel taking punitive measures in response to the UN vote, with one diplomat describing the steps as "cynical", "self-destructive" and "outrageous". Israel announced 3,000 new settler homes, the preliminary stages of the E1 development plan and the withholding of more than $100m (£62m) in tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.

A Palestinian official, Nabil Shaath, welcomed the European diplomatic response. "For this to come from France and England is very beneficial to us. We highly appreciate it and we are hoping the US will follow their lead," he said.

However, there was no parallel move from Washington. The last year has seen a growing divergence between Europe and the US, with many EU countries taking a more robust approach to Israel's continued settlement expansion. Some European diplomats believe that the EU must exert pressure on Washington to force the two sides to return to negotiations.

The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has repeatedly said he is willing to resume talks with the Palestinians, though many diplomats are deeply sceptical about the value of such statements when Israel continues to expand its settlements across the pre-1967 line. The Palestinians say settlement construction must cease before talks can begin following more than two years of stalemate.

Earlier on Monday there were suggestions Britain and France were considering recalling their ambassadors to Israel. However, a Downing Street spokesman said: "We are not proposing to do that. We are not proposing to do anything further at this stage … Clearly, we are concerned about the situation … but we are not setting out any further action at this stage."

There was no reciprocal move by the US, but a state department spokesman, Mark Toner, said any building in the E1 area was contrary to US policy. "The United States opposes all unilateral actions, including West Bank settlement activity and housing construction in East Jerusalem, as they complicate efforts to resume direct, bilateral negotiations, and risk prejudging the outcome of those negotiations," Toner said. "This includes building in the E1 area as this area is particularly sensitive and construction there would be especially damaging to efforts to achieve a two-state solution.

"We have made clear to the Israeli government that such action is contrary to US policy. The United States and the international community expect all parties to play a constructive role in efforts to achieve peace. We urge the parties to cease unilateral actions and take concrete steps to return to direct negotiations so all the issues can be discussed and the goal of two states living side by side in peace and security can be realised."

Israeli plans to develop E1 have been on hold for more than a decade, largely due to US pressure. Construction of Israeli homes, hotels and businesses in the area would make it almost impossible for East Jerusalem to become the capital of Palestine under a future agreement, and would almost bisect the West Bank. Western diplomats regard the development of E1 as a game-changer with regard to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict.

At a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu rejected criticism of the decision to activate the plan. "We will carry on building in Jerusalem and in all the places that are on the map of Israel's strategic interests," he said.

Netanyahu's stance is expected to find wide support among the Israeli public, who will go to the polls in a general election next month. Netanyahu's rightwing coalition is on course to emerge from the election with the largest number of seats in the Israeli parliament.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/03/israel-defiant-settlement-expansion-europe

[fuagf]

Carr calls in Israel's man over settlements

Judith Ireland - December 4, 2012 - 2:59PM - 42 reading now


Israeli Ambassador Yuval Rotem Photo: Jay Cronan

Foreign Minister Bob Carr has taken the serious step of calling in Israel’s Ambassador
to Australia to convey Australia’s concern over Israel’s settlement expansion plans.

Senator Carr instructed his department to call in Israeli Ambassador Yuval Rotem to express the Australian Government’s ''grave concern'' over reports Israel has decided to build 3,000 new housing units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, to unfreeze planning in the area known as E1 (a 12 square kilometre patch of land, east of Jerusalem) and to withhold tax revenue from the Palestinian Authority.

The action comes in the wake of the United Nations General Assembly vote to give the Palestinian Authority non-member observer status last week. It also follows unhappiness from the UK, France, Sweden, Denmark and Spain, who have all summoned Israeli ambassadors in protest of the plan to built new settler homes.

''These actions enormously complicate the prospects for resuming negotiations between the two sides,'' Senator Carr said in a statement on Tuesday

''I am extremely disappointed with these reported Israeli decisions.''

Mr Rotem was also called in by then foreign affairs minister Stephen Smith in 2010 over the Israeli passport scandal.

A staff member at the Israeli embassy in Canberra was later expelled after an investigation found Israel forged four Australian passports for use in a Dubai assassination.

Speaking from Papua New Guinea, Senator Carr said that Australia had long opposed all settlement activity.

''Such activity threatens the viability of a two-state solution without which there will never be security in Israel.''

The meeting between Foreign Affairs officials and Mr Rotem took take at 2.00pm AEST on Tuesday in Canberra.
Senator Carr said that Australia had also conveyed its concerns to Israeli authorities in Jerusalem.

Earlier on Tuesday, when asked about Israel’s plans for East Jerusalem, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the government had already indicated publicly that ‘‘we’re very concerned.’’

''[We’re] very concerned that all sides should act with restraint and very concerned that everyone should find a way back to a path to peace.''

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/carr-calls-in-israels-man-over-settlements-20121204-2ass1.html