Palestine Affairs

NOVANEWS   Khalid Amayreh    According to the documents leaked to Al-Jazeera, PA officials agreed to deprive the vast majority refugees of this right to return to their homes in what is now Israel. Palestinian Authority (PA) officials have lashed out at the Al-Jazeera pan-Arab network for disclosing previously secret documents showing that PA negotiators had agreed to compromise over some cardinal issues of the Arab-Israeli conflict; these include the status of Jerusalem and the right of return for millions of refugees, uprooted from their homes when and since Israel was created in 1948.   In an impromptu press conference held in Ramallah on 24 January, Yasser Abed Rabbo, Secretary-General of the PLO, accused the Qatar-based network of waging a relentless war on the PA and besmirching its...

NOVANEWS   Leaked papers prove that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is a "genuine partner". The media adviser to Israel’s former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that the documents leaked by Al-Jazeera are authentic. Winky Glenti pointed out that the leaked papers prove that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is a "genuine partner" of the bilateral political process, despite repeated claims to the contrary by Israel.In an interview with Israeli Army Radio on 24 January, Glenti said that documents released by Al-Jazeera cover the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the period from December 2006 until September 2008. "I can’t understand the reasoning behind the publication of such documents, but I can assure you that during that period serious negotiations took place. ...

NOVANEWS   Kathleen Christison     Many people told them so -- told them, meaning told the United States and Israel and even the overeager Palestinian leadership, that the Oslo agreement in 1993 wasn't fair, that it made too many demands of the Palestinians and virtually no enforceable demands of Israel; that the United States, no honest broker or neutral mediator, was looking out only for Israel's interests and cared nothing for Palestinian concerns; that the peace process breakdown at Camp David in 2000 was not the fault of the Palestinians but was the responsibility of President Clinton and his "Israeli lawyer" advisers for representing only Israel's needs; that while Clinton demanded Palestinian concessions, he was winking at Israel's steady expansion of settlements and land grabs in P...

Meeting Summary: Salam Fayyad and Tony Blair Summary   Fayyad and Blair discussed progress in Jenin, sets an example to other West Bank areas. Barak promised Blair that no incursions by Israeli military "without specific and direct threat." Barak also promised to "freeze house demolitions but said his mandate does not extend to Jerusalem." Fayyad and Blair discuss the issues of the Bethlehem conference, challenges for investors. They discuss Gaza, Fayyad heading to Egypt and Blair mentioned the importance to "convince Hamas a period of calm so that West Bank gets opportunity to imporve." Full text     MEETING MINUTES     Attendees: Blair: Tony Blair (TB) Rob Danine (RD)  Pals: Salam Fayyad (SF) Nizar Farsakh, NSU Subject: Follow up of projects Date:   Thursday May 8, 2008;  1:15 – ...

Meeting Minutes: Bilateral Meeting on Security Summary   A security committee meeting discussing the Palestinian Authority projects; i.e. weapons, riot control, etc. Discussion of security collaboration with Israelis and Palestinian Authority taking action on all uprising in West Bank. Full text Summary Minutes from Security Meeting May 6 2008 at 2:15 pm – 4:00 pm Dan Hotel, Tel Aviv Attendees: Palestinian Maj. Gen. Hazem Atallah [HA] NSU: Rami Dajani [RD] Israeli Gen. Amos Gilad [AG] Poly [P] David [D] Dany Kornbluth [DK]   [Note: The meeting took place during a lunch hosted by the Israeli side. The discussion was informal and not structured. Most of the meeting was in Arabic; therefore the English notes may not always capture the full meaning of the proceedings] AG:    ...

Meeting Minutes: Borders with Erekat, Qurei and Livni Summary   Palestinians presented their position regarding borders: 1967 borders along with all areas occupied by Israel in the 1967 area, West Bank with No Man's Land and East Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley, Gaza Strip and the Dead Sea. Palestinians also presented maps for land swaps - swaps by the ratio of 1:1 (same size and value). Full text Meeting Minutes On Borders   Jerusalem, King David Hotel 4 May 2008 20:45-21:30   Attendees:   Palestinians side: Ahmad Qurei (Abu Ala’)  Dr. Saeb Erekat  Dr. Samih al-Abed  Khaled Elgindi  Salah Ilayan  Zeinah Salahi   Israeli side: Tzipi Livni  Udi Dekel  Tal Becker  Dani Terza   Livni: Based on what I have heard in the trilateral meeting with Condoleeza Rice, I believe that yo...

Meeting Summary: 5th Meeting on Territory Summary   Summary of the 5th Meeting on Territory. The Israelis presented their ideas on the additional areas they want in the West Bank. Israel refused to discuss details on land swap proposals, claiming no official decisions had been made. Both sides noted the lack of progress on territory issues. Full text Minutes of 5th Meeting on Territory Monday, 7 April 2008, 18h10 King David Hotel, West Jerusalem Attendees: Palestinian: Dr. Samih Al-Abed [SA], Azem Bishara [AB], Khaled Elgindy [KE], Nizar Farsakh [NF] and Fouad Hallak [FH] Israeli:          Udi Dekel [UD], Dani Tirza [DT], Leah Arad [LA] and Kamil Abu-Rukn [KAR][1] Overview: The Israeli side presented their ideas on the rest of the areas they want in the West Bank (basic...

Meeting Minutes: 4th Plenary Meeting on Territory - March 31, 2008, 2:45 pm Summary   Members of this meeting discussed the potential Israeli annexation of the area southwest of Bethlehem (the Etzion bloc) and minimizing the number of Palestinians living in this territory. Despite the settlement freeze, Israeli members of the committee argued that they were not building new settlements, but rather building upon what is already theirs in Jerusalem and within the blocs, which they believed was sufficient to meet their Roadmap obligations. Khaled Elgindy (Negotiations Support Unit, Palestinian Authority): When you say tunnels, would you consider connecting your settlements with the same kind of tunnels that you propose – and are actually building on the ground – for Palestinian villages...

Meeting Minutes: 1st Meeting on Territory Summary Minutes of the first meeting on territory, where Palestinian and Israeli parties discussed common language and understandings on territories and borders. The Israeli side refused to engage on the basis of the 1967 line or to accept the principle of a swap.  The parties were unable to agree on a starting point for negotiations.  Full text Minutes of First Meeting on Territory Wednesday, 12 March 12 2008, 12:30 PM KingDavid Hotel, West Jerusalem Attendees: Palestinian: Dr. Samih Al-Abed [SA], Khaled Elgindy [KE], Nizar Farsakh [NF] Israeli: Udi Dekel [UD] and Dani Tirza [DT] Overview: The Israeli side refused to engage on the basis of the 1967 line or to accept the principle of a swap—and it was clear that they had no mand...

Meeting Minutes: Salam Fayyad and Tony Blair Summary   Discussion among Fayyad, Blair and others, on March 11, 2008, over security deployment, Gaza crossings, donor funding and other topics. Fayyad: Israel 'reserves the right to enter' Palestinian areas if it feels its security is threatened (i.e. 'ticking bombs') yet they do things that have nothing to do with secuirty." Blair: "You are not alone to have that conclucions. The U.S. generals also think so." Fayyad: “The opening of the crossings works both ways. If Hamas is seen as having succeeded in opening them then the message will be that rockets yield results. I told Rice to weigh in on Israel on this but she didn’t get anywhere with them. I heard that what is stopping the deal is Hamas is asking for unreasonable conditions (chec...