Israel Said To Be Willing To Conduct Limited Settlement Freeze - International Middle East Media

Source : International Middle East Media Center

The alleged “acts of goodwill” include a freeze on settlement activities in certain non-vital parts of the occupied West Bank, and the release of some Palestinian political prisoners.

Israeli Maariv reported that the Netanyahu government is trying to avoid a tension with the U.S. Administration, and wants to avoid being pressured into “making concessions”.

The New York Times reported that Israel will be releasing some Palestinian detainees, and also intends to grant the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank “full control” over certain cities and towns, in addition to the claimed limited freeze on settlement activities.

The paper also said that political analysts and officials do not really expect Obama’s visit to achieve a real breakthrough in the stalled peace talks.

It added that American and Israeli officials are trying to reach an agreement where Israel freezes its settlement activities, and in return, the Palestinians do not sue Israel at the International Criminal Court for its settlement activities.

American Middle East Envoy, Dennis Ross, stated that Ramallah and Tel Aviv should be serious in trying to resume the peace process, and should stop blaming each other.

The White House said that Obama does not intend to present a new initiative, and that his two-day visit will also include separate talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials, in addition to visiting the Holocaust Memorial, the Hebrew University, and will likely speak at the Israeli Knesset.

Obama will also be heading to the central West Bank city of Ramallah to meet Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas.

In related news, head of the Negotiations Department of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Dr. Saeb Erekat, told the Palestine News Network (PNN) that no date was set for a trilateral summit between Obama, Netanyahu and Abbas

Israeli soldiers raid West Bank villages, arrest five

Source :   Al Akhbar English

Israeli forces arrested five Palestinian youths, including a 14-year-old, during overnight raids in the West Bank Sunday, local media reported.

The latests arrests come as Palestinian factions wrapped up two days of reconciliation talks in Cairo.

In the West Bank village of Burqaa, near Nablus, soldiers arrested Shadi Abu Omar, Fadi Abu Omar, and Munjed Daughlas at dawn, according to Ma’an news agency.

Israeli forces arrested another man, 24-year-old Moussa Issa Abu Sabha, during a raid on Yatta, south of Hebron.

An Israeli military spokesperson said two others were arrested in Arura, near Ramalla, and another in Beit Kahil, in the Hebron area.

Israeli forces raided the town of Burqeen, west of Jenin, and arrested 14-year-old Mohammed Ghanem. Other residents suffered from asphyxiation after soldiers fired tear gas at them.

WAFA news agency reported that soldiers also summoned two Palestinians, Sami Yousef Shariah, 23, and Mohammed Ali Al-Orouj, 22, for questioning near the illegal Jewish settlement of Ghosh Itsion, south of Bethlehem.

In Cairo, Palestinian rival factions Hamas and Fatah made little progress following two days of talks in Cairo. They remain divided over how exactly to apply a deal the two parties had agreed to more than a year earlier, an official said.

PLO Executive Committee member Wassel Abu Youssef had earlier on Saturday said that the main points of dispute were over the way elections were held for the PNC, as well as other issues relating to legislative and presidential elections in the Palestinian territories.

He also said there was disagreement over the timing of the establishment of a caretaker cabinet, which is supposed to prepare for new elections, and the announcement of a date for such a poll.

Another point of dispute was the type of voting system to be used, officials said.

The Cairo talks were convened by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah faction signed a reconciliation deal with Hamas in April 2011 aimed at ending years of rivalry, but which has never been properly implemented.

(Al-Akhbar, Ma’an, AFP)