Netanyahu tried to interfere in U.S. elections: Olmert

Source : http://en.mehrnews.com/detail/News/100903

TEHRAN, Dec. 2 (MNA) – Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned that Benjamin Netanyahu's aggressive quarrel with the Obama administration over the agreement with Iran signed in Geneva endangers Israel, and panned Netanyahu for "losing his head."Olmert accused Netanyahu of "declaring war on the United States" and of attempting to incite the Congress against U.S. President Barack Obama.Olmert spoke Sunday at a closed panel discussion on "the strategic implications of the interim agreement between the P5 + 1 and Iran," held at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University.Olmert said both his government and that of his predecessor Ariel Sharon wished to avoid public confrontation with the American administration over Iran. "At no stage did we want to do battle with Israel's number one ally and to incite the Congress against the president," he asserted.Olmert called Netanyahu's acts and statements unprecedented. "The danger and the potential damage from it are incomparably larger" than the value of the public debate with the United States, he said.When Netanyahu took office in 2009, he changed Israeli policy in favor of "declarations" and "threats," Olmert said.Olmert also said Netanyahu's Iran policy put an undue financial strain on Israel, criticizing the NIS 10 Billion spent on preparations for a possible attack on Iran. "This is money that was wasted," Olmert said. "If the State of Israel ever decided act on its threats this money will not change anything, but it has great significance as to the state's budget."Olmert rejected the claim that Netanyahu's threats led to the severe sanctions that brought about the compromise with Iran, and said that these started even before Netanyahu took office.He warned Netanyahu, without directly naming him, against a conflict with Obama, "the man whose support for the State of Israel, his good will, is possibly the most important basis for the country's strategic interest," and added that "we need to guard against anything that could possibly make it seem that we desire to fight with our greatest ally."Olmert also claimed that Netanyahu openly intervened against Obama in the U.S. presidential elections last year, a move he termed a "historic mistake."

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

Netanyahu Says Obama Visit to Focus on Iran, Syria, Peace Talks

Via : http://www.almanar.com.lb/

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named on Sunday main topics of US President Barack Obama’s visit to the occupied territories, which is scheduled for the next month.

"The president and I discussed this visit and agreed we would talk about three central issues," Netanyahu said ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting, calling it "a very important visit" at a time of great instability in the region.

He said the focus would be on: "Iran's attempt to arm itself with nuclear weapons, the instability in Syria and the ramifications for the security of the region and of course Israel and the US, and the attempts to advance the peace process between us and the Palestinians."

Last week, the White House said Obama would make his first visit to the Palestinian occupied territories as president on a trip likely to take place next month. It would also include stops in the West Bank and Jordan.

The White House has kept expectations deliberately low about the possible outcome of the visit, with spokesman Jay Carney saying Obama had no plans to use the trip to advance new proposals to break the deadlocked talks which has persisted for more than two years.

Source: AFP 

Israeli Forces Evict West Bank Palestinian Outpost Despite Court Ruling

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- Hundreds of Israeli security forces have raided and evicted an outpost set up by Palestinian activists in the occupied West Bank, despite an earlier injunction by Israel's High Court preventing the government from such action.

Several activists have been detained. There were also reports of some protesters being injured, RT reported.

On Friday over 200 Palestinians and foreign peace activists pitched tents in the disputed E1 area to protest Israeli settlement plans there. Around 20 large, steel- framed tents were set up in the "Bab Al Shams" camp, in a bid to preserve the area for an independent Palestinian state.

Israeli forces entered the encampment early Sunday morning after surrounding the site late on Saturday and preventing activists from entering.

The eviction was ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and came after an earlier injunction ordered by Israel's High Court preventing Israel from taking such action, Haaretz reported. The government told the court that the evacuation was a matter of "urgent security."

The eviction also comes despite the tents being pitched on private Palestinian land, according to Haaretz.

Late on Saturday the Israeli government managed to convince the High Court that "there is an urgent security need to evacuate the area of the people and tents," overturning an injunction on the action. Netanyahu's office has said that it planned to declare the area a closed military zone.

The building of Israeli settlements has been condemned by many international powers, which say the move will be detrimental to securing an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Direct peace talks between Israel and Palestine broke down in 2010.

Israel has frozen building in E1 for many years, after coming under pressure from then US President George W Bush.

However, Netanyahu announced settlement plans after the Palestinians won de- facto state recognition at the UN General Assembly last year. Those plans involve building around 4,000 housing units in the area

Israel not informed about U.S.-Iran talks: Netanyahu

Source :  Xinhua | English.news.cn

JERUSALEM, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel was not aware of any talks between the United States and Iran, after a report by the New York Times stated that both countries had agreed to one-on-one talks.

The New York Times said Saturday that the United States and Iran were set for talks to negotiate Tehran's nuclear power and put an end to the rift between Iran and the Western powers.

According to reports by U.S. media on Sunday, White House has denied such talks.

Netanyahu said he could not confirm if these alleged contacts took place.

"Israel doesn't know about these contacts and I can't confirm that they've actually taken place," he said, speaking at the Home Front Command drill in Holon, near Tel Aviv.

"I can say that Iran used the talks and negotiations with the five powers to drag its feet and to gain time to advance its nuclear weapons program," he said, warning that Tehran is only trying to gain time in order to achieve full nuclear power.

Netanyahu also added that the best way to deter Iran's nuclear program is through "halting uranium enrichment, removing all enriched uranium and dismantling the underground installation in Qom," and a mix of sharper sanctions and military threat.

"I can say that as long as I am the prime minister of Israel, Israel will not allow Iran to reach a military nuclear capability, " he said.

Netanyahu made the remarks while attending a drill for regional war, tsunami and earthquake in central Israel, amid raising tensions with Iran. Israeli and U.S. military and rescue forces are putting their skills to the test in coping with these situations in a joint exercise that will last for three weeks.