14 june 2014
The Rafah border crossing will open on Sunday for four days in order to allow travelers to cross, the Palestinian ambassador to Egypt said on Saturday.
Barakat al-Farra said in a statement that the crossing will open Sunday and Monday for pilgrims, and on Tuesday and Wednesday it will be open for humanitarian cases.
The crossing will be opened both for those leaving and entering the Gaza Strip.
The Rafah crossing is the only connection between Gaza's 1.7 million people and the outside world as a result of the Israeli siege, which is enforced jointly with Egypt.
The crossing has been closed for 45 days, and when it has opened previously it has only opened for pilgrims headed to Mecca, leaving other travelers stranded and unable to pass.
Barakat al-Farra said in a statement that the crossing will open Sunday and Monday for pilgrims, and on Tuesday and Wednesday it will be open for humanitarian cases.
The crossing will be opened both for those leaving and entering the Gaza Strip.
The Rafah crossing is the only connection between Gaza's 1.7 million people and the outside world as a result of the Israeli siege, which is enforced jointly with Egypt.
The crossing has been closed for 45 days, and when it has opened previously it has only opened for pilgrims headed to Mecca, leaving other travelers stranded and unable to pass.
Eighty percent of gas stations in Gaza are out of fuel and the other 20 percent are sufficient for only half a day, the director of the local Gas Station Owners Union told Ma'an on Saturday.
Mahmoud Shawwa said all gas stations would shut down Saturday afternoon, and that all stations were out of diesel fuel.
Israel closed the Kerem Shalom crossing, the only connection for fuel to enter the besieged coastal enclave, after three Israeli settlers went missing in the Hebron area late Thursday.
Shawwa highlighted that the continued closure of Kerem Shalom would paralyze life in the Gaza Strip.
The Gaza Strip has been under a severe economic blockade imposed by Israel since 2007.
The blockade was imposed following the victory of Hamas in the 2006 Palestinian elections and the subsequent 2007 clashes between Fatah and Hamas, which left Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of the West Bank.
The blockade has severely limited the imports and exports of the Gaza Strip and has led to frequent humanitarian crises and hardship for Gazans.
Mahmoud Shawwa said all gas stations would shut down Saturday afternoon, and that all stations were out of diesel fuel.
Israel closed the Kerem Shalom crossing, the only connection for fuel to enter the besieged coastal enclave, after three Israeli settlers went missing in the Hebron area late Thursday.
Shawwa highlighted that the continued closure of Kerem Shalom would paralyze life in the Gaza Strip.
The Gaza Strip has been under a severe economic blockade imposed by Israel since 2007.
The blockade was imposed following the victory of Hamas in the 2006 Palestinian elections and the subsequent 2007 clashes between Fatah and Hamas, which left Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of the West Bank.
The blockade has severely limited the imports and exports of the Gaza Strip and has led to frequent humanitarian crises and hardship for Gazans.
12 june 2014
Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil al-Arabi
"The International community is unable to lift the iniquity against Palestinian people," Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil al-Arabi said before the Third European Union - League of Arab States Foreign Affairs Ministerial meeting.
Al-Arabi said, " the world has to make efforts to end Israeli occupation," explaining that it is the last illegal colonial occupation in the 21st century.
He expressed Wednesday his concern regarding unilateral Israeli measures in violation of international and humanitarian laws, including the settlement activities in occupied East Jerusalem, and in particular affecting the Holy Sites under the Hashemite Custodianship.
The Arab Foreign Ministers recalled that current EU legislations in relation to settlements should be fully and effectively implemented.
They called on the EU to take further steps on settlements in line with its own laws as well as international obligations.
The Ministers called to respect the rules of international law, international humanitarian law, human rights law and the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 in respect of all Palestinian and Arab prisoners and detainees in Israel prisons.
They called for the release of prisoners in accordance with previous agreements and the end of excessive use of administrative detention in contravention of international law.
The Ministers expressed their concern at the grave humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip largely caused by the closure imposed by the Occupying Power. They condemned all violent acts against civilians and called for the full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1860 and full respect of international humanitarian law.
The Foreign Ministers agreed on the need to continue to support Palestinian state-building both politically and financially.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the European Union (EU) and of the League of Arab States (LAS) gathered in Athens, on 10-11 June, for the Third Ministerial Meeting between the EU and LAS. The meeting was convened at the invitation of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Dr Nabil Elaraby, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, and Salaheddine Mezouar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco, and was hosted by Evangelos Venizelos, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece.
"The International community is unable to lift the iniquity against Palestinian people," Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil al-Arabi said before the Third European Union - League of Arab States Foreign Affairs Ministerial meeting.
Al-Arabi said, " the world has to make efforts to end Israeli occupation," explaining that it is the last illegal colonial occupation in the 21st century.
He expressed Wednesday his concern regarding unilateral Israeli measures in violation of international and humanitarian laws, including the settlement activities in occupied East Jerusalem, and in particular affecting the Holy Sites under the Hashemite Custodianship.
The Arab Foreign Ministers recalled that current EU legislations in relation to settlements should be fully and effectively implemented.
They called on the EU to take further steps on settlements in line with its own laws as well as international obligations.
The Ministers called to respect the rules of international law, international humanitarian law, human rights law and the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 in respect of all Palestinian and Arab prisoners and detainees in Israel prisons.
They called for the release of prisoners in accordance with previous agreements and the end of excessive use of administrative detention in contravention of international law.
The Ministers expressed their concern at the grave humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip largely caused by the closure imposed by the Occupying Power. They condemned all violent acts against civilians and called for the full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1860 and full respect of international humanitarian law.
The Foreign Ministers agreed on the need to continue to support Palestinian state-building both politically and financially.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the European Union (EU) and of the League of Arab States (LAS) gathered in Athens, on 10-11 June, for the Third Ministerial Meeting between the EU and LAS. The meeting was convened at the invitation of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Dr Nabil Elaraby, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, and Salaheddine Mezouar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco, and was hosted by Evangelos Venizelos, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece.
Players of the CD Palestino first division football club
Israel's sports minister has defended the country’s travel restrictions against Palestinian football players in a letter to FIFA president Sepp Blatter, citing security concerns. Tel Aviv indicates potential attacks by Palestinian militants as the pretext for the prohibitive travel rules that affect most Palestinians, including athletes. Israel has barred travel between the West Bank and Gaza – territories located on opposite ends of Israel which Palestinians seek to include in a future state.
Israeli sports minister Limor Livnat said to Blatter in the letter that Israel would allow Palestinian athletes to “exit and enter for the purpose of sports, excluding occasions in which there are attempts to make use of sports in order to injure or threaten the security of our citizens.”
Livnat said Israel detained Palestinian national team player Sameh Maraabeh in April based on suspicion over a meeting with a “military activist” of the Islamic militant group Hamas during his team’s training in Qatar. She alleged that Maraabeh took funding, a mobile phone, and a written message from the activist. He remains in detention.
“I am confident you will find this information worrisome and constituting clear evidence of the misuse of sports in a fashion that threatens the security of Israeli civilians,” Livnat wrote, according to AP.
The Palestine Football Association had previously called on the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) Congress to suspend Israel from FIFA until it relieves the restrictions on Palestinian players.
FIFA is to meet in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Tuesday and Wednesday this week ahead of the World Cup tournament beginning Thursday.
In May, Blatter attempted to bring the two sides together during a trip to Jerusalem and the West Bank. He has called on the parties to “separate politics and sports” and to find a way to allow Palestinian players to travel.
In her letter to Blatter, Livnat also accused Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Football Association, of incitement against Israel.
Rajoub has described Israel as the “bully of the neighborhood,” and called on FIFA to levy sanctions against Tel Aviv for policies toward Palestinians.
Those policies include delaying or preventing visiting athletes and sports delegations from entering the West Bank and blocking some Palestinian players from leaving Gaza, according to Palestinian officials.
Jamal Mahmoud, head coach of the Palestinian national team, said he is not aware of a meeting between Maraabeh and Hamas during the team’s training in Qatar.
“If he did talk to a member of Hamas, it was his own individual decision,” Mahmoud said.
Palestinian football officials are trying to secure a location for training before the 2015 Asian Cup. The final location depends on Israeli permission based on movements of players in and between Palestinian territories.
“The hope from these discussions is that Israel treats our Palestinian players and those responsible for our Palestinian players by the national law and the charter per the agreement with FIFA,” said Ghassan Jaradat, media director for the Palestine Football Association.
Israel's sports minister has defended the country’s travel restrictions against Palestinian football players in a letter to FIFA president Sepp Blatter, citing security concerns. Tel Aviv indicates potential attacks by Palestinian militants as the pretext for the prohibitive travel rules that affect most Palestinians, including athletes. Israel has barred travel between the West Bank and Gaza – territories located on opposite ends of Israel which Palestinians seek to include in a future state.
Israeli sports minister Limor Livnat said to Blatter in the letter that Israel would allow Palestinian athletes to “exit and enter for the purpose of sports, excluding occasions in which there are attempts to make use of sports in order to injure or threaten the security of our citizens.”
Livnat said Israel detained Palestinian national team player Sameh Maraabeh in April based on suspicion over a meeting with a “military activist” of the Islamic militant group Hamas during his team’s training in Qatar. She alleged that Maraabeh took funding, a mobile phone, and a written message from the activist. He remains in detention.
“I am confident you will find this information worrisome and constituting clear evidence of the misuse of sports in a fashion that threatens the security of Israeli civilians,” Livnat wrote, according to AP.
The Palestine Football Association had previously called on the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) Congress to suspend Israel from FIFA until it relieves the restrictions on Palestinian players.
FIFA is to meet in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Tuesday and Wednesday this week ahead of the World Cup tournament beginning Thursday.
In May, Blatter attempted to bring the two sides together during a trip to Jerusalem and the West Bank. He has called on the parties to “separate politics and sports” and to find a way to allow Palestinian players to travel.
In her letter to Blatter, Livnat also accused Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Football Association, of incitement against Israel.
Rajoub has described Israel as the “bully of the neighborhood,” and called on FIFA to levy sanctions against Tel Aviv for policies toward Palestinians.
Those policies include delaying or preventing visiting athletes and sports delegations from entering the West Bank and blocking some Palestinian players from leaving Gaza, according to Palestinian officials.
Jamal Mahmoud, head coach of the Palestinian national team, said he is not aware of a meeting between Maraabeh and Hamas during the team’s training in Qatar.
“If he did talk to a member of Hamas, it was his own individual decision,” Mahmoud said.
Palestinian football officials are trying to secure a location for training before the 2015 Asian Cup. The final location depends on Israeli permission based on movements of players in and between Palestinian territories.
“The hope from these discussions is that Israel treats our Palestinian players and those responsible for our Palestinian players by the national law and the charter per the agreement with FIFA,” said Ghassan Jaradat, media director for the Palestine Football Association.
11 june 2014
BY: Adam Kredo
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accuses Israel of being an occupying force in her new memoir Hard Choices and claims that the Jewish state denies “dignity and self determination” to Palestinians in the West Bank.
Clinton recalls being surprised by what she termed “life under occupation for the Palestinians,” according to the book.
Pro-Israel officials and insiders on Capitol Hill have called Clinton’s comments tone deaf and said that her claim that Israel is an occupying force reveals a bias against the Jewish state.
“When we left the city and visited Jericho, in the West Bank, I got my first glimpse of life under occupation for Palestinians, who were denied the dignity and self-determination that Americans take for granted,” Clinton writes.
Clinton’s comments demonstrate that she supports the Obama administration’s efforts to pressure and marginalize Israel, which current Secretary of State John Kerry recently accused of becoming an “apartheid state,” said one senior GOP Senate aide, who worked with Clinton when she was at the State Department.
“What we see here is the true Hillary Clinton, no longer muzzling herself for fear of reelection in New York or Senate confirmation fights—the woman who embraced Suha Arafat after smiling through anti-Semitic tirades,” said the former senior GOP Senate aide who for years battled Clinton’s State Department.
The source referred to a 1999 incident in which Clinton sat by smiling as the wife of former terrorist leader Yasser Arafat went on an anti-Israel tirade.
“This should put every American on notice that Hillary Clinton plans to continue Barack Obama’s failed Middle East policy that coddles terrorists and castigates democratic allies,” said the former official. “Clinton knows she lost to Obama in 2008 because she was outflanked by the left—she won’t make that mistake twice and she knows how much the left hates Israel.”
Clinton goes on to take aim at the Netanyahu government for not returning land to the Palestinians that she claims has been “occupied by Israel since 1967.”
Clinton is referring to territory seized by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War, in which Egypt, Jordan, and Syria attacked Israel from every side in a bid to destroy the Jewish state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Clinton claims, is not serious about the peace process.
This claim has been echoed by senior State Department officials, several of whom have sought to blame Israel for the recent failure of peace talks.
“Netanyahu has been deeply skeptical of the Oslo framework of trading land for peace and a two-state solution that would give the Palestinians a country of their won in territory occupied by Israel since 1967,” Clinton writes.
One senior pro-Israel official who reviewed Clinton’s comments dubbed them as “troubling.”
“The quotes, which gives insight into Clinton’s thinking, are troubling,” the official told the Washington Free Beacon. “Most Americans, when they first experience the tiny distance separating average Israelis from enemies pledged to their destruction, immediately think of the difficult security situation that our allies have to negotiate. Not Clinton though.”
Clinton has come under fire from a pro-Israel group for not publicly condemning Kerry’s apartheid remarks about Israel, which were criticized by many Democrats.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accuses Israel of being an occupying force in her new memoir Hard Choices and claims that the Jewish state denies “dignity and self determination” to Palestinians in the West Bank.
Clinton recalls being surprised by what she termed “life under occupation for the Palestinians,” according to the book.
Pro-Israel officials and insiders on Capitol Hill have called Clinton’s comments tone deaf and said that her claim that Israel is an occupying force reveals a bias against the Jewish state.
“When we left the city and visited Jericho, in the West Bank, I got my first glimpse of life under occupation for Palestinians, who were denied the dignity and self-determination that Americans take for granted,” Clinton writes.
Clinton’s comments demonstrate that she supports the Obama administration’s efforts to pressure and marginalize Israel, which current Secretary of State John Kerry recently accused of becoming an “apartheid state,” said one senior GOP Senate aide, who worked with Clinton when she was at the State Department.
“What we see here is the true Hillary Clinton, no longer muzzling herself for fear of reelection in New York or Senate confirmation fights—the woman who embraced Suha Arafat after smiling through anti-Semitic tirades,” said the former senior GOP Senate aide who for years battled Clinton’s State Department.
The source referred to a 1999 incident in which Clinton sat by smiling as the wife of former terrorist leader Yasser Arafat went on an anti-Israel tirade.
“This should put every American on notice that Hillary Clinton plans to continue Barack Obama’s failed Middle East policy that coddles terrorists and castigates democratic allies,” said the former official. “Clinton knows she lost to Obama in 2008 because she was outflanked by the left—she won’t make that mistake twice and she knows how much the left hates Israel.”
Clinton goes on to take aim at the Netanyahu government for not returning land to the Palestinians that she claims has been “occupied by Israel since 1967.”
Clinton is referring to territory seized by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War, in which Egypt, Jordan, and Syria attacked Israel from every side in a bid to destroy the Jewish state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Clinton claims, is not serious about the peace process.
This claim has been echoed by senior State Department officials, several of whom have sought to blame Israel for the recent failure of peace talks.
“Netanyahu has been deeply skeptical of the Oslo framework of trading land for peace and a two-state solution that would give the Palestinians a country of their won in territory occupied by Israel since 1967,” Clinton writes.
One senior pro-Israel official who reviewed Clinton’s comments dubbed them as “troubling.”
“The quotes, which gives insight into Clinton’s thinking, are troubling,” the official told the Washington Free Beacon. “Most Americans, when they first experience the tiny distance separating average Israelis from enemies pledged to their destruction, immediately think of the difficult security situation that our allies have to negotiate. Not Clinton though.”
Clinton has come under fire from a pro-Israel group for not publicly condemning Kerry’s apartheid remarks about Israel, which were criticized by many Democrats.
10 june 2014
The Israeli minister of interior on Monday decided to ban Sheikh Ra'ed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement in the 1948 occupied lands, from leaving the occupied territories until July 9, 2014 and threatened to extend the period for another three months. According to Yousuf Al-Sedeeq foundation for prisoners, Israeli minister of interior Gideon Sa'ar signed a verdict preventing Sheikh Salah from travelling aboard for one month.
Sa'ar claimed that he took his decision after he became convinced that the travel of Sheikh Ra'ed Salah would compromise Israel's national security.
Commenting on his travel ban, Sheikh Salah attributed the decision to the recent moves by Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to illegalize the Islamic Movement in the 1948 occupied lands.
The Islamic Movement official also said that this measure is aimed at barring him from participating in events advocating the Palestinian prisoners to be held outside the occupied territories.
"This measure has taken place a few days before our participation in a popular festival in support of the political prisoners, which will be held next Saturday in the Jordanian capital Amman," the Islamic figure stated.
He noted that the Israeli occupation authority had also prevented him a few days ago from entering the West Bank to deliver a Friday Khutba (sermon) on the Palestinian prisoners in Al-Khalil city.
Sa'ar claimed that he took his decision after he became convinced that the travel of Sheikh Ra'ed Salah would compromise Israel's national security.
Commenting on his travel ban, Sheikh Salah attributed the decision to the recent moves by Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to illegalize the Islamic Movement in the 1948 occupied lands.
The Islamic Movement official also said that this measure is aimed at barring him from participating in events advocating the Palestinian prisoners to be held outside the occupied territories.
"This measure has taken place a few days before our participation in a popular festival in support of the political prisoners, which will be held next Saturday in the Jordanian capital Amman," the Islamic figure stated.
He noted that the Israeli occupation authority had also prevented him a few days ago from entering the West Bank to deliver a Friday Khutba (sermon) on the Palestinian prisoners in Al-Khalil city.
Munib Masri, head of PADECO, the Palestine Development and Investment Company
By Jonathan Ferziger and David Wainer
Bloomberg Businessweek - News Israeli border guards barred Munib R. Masri, one of the wealthiest Palestinians, from entering the Gaza Strip after he helped broker the unity agreement aimed at healing the Palestinian Authority’s rift with Hamas.
Masri, chairman of Palestine Development & Investment Co., said he was blocked from entering Gaza by military order after waiting more than two hours at an Israeli crossing point. A spokesman for Israel’s Civil Administration, which runs the heavily guarded facility, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment by phone, e-mail and text message.
“It’s the first time this happened to me,” said Masri, 80, who said he has been shuttling between Gaza and the West Bank for seven years, trying to bridge the hostile conflict between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Hamas leaders who were ruling Gaza.
By Jonathan Ferziger and David Wainer
Bloomberg Businessweek - News Israeli border guards barred Munib R. Masri, one of the wealthiest Palestinians, from entering the Gaza Strip after he helped broker the unity agreement aimed at healing the Palestinian Authority’s rift with Hamas.
Masri, chairman of Palestine Development & Investment Co., said he was blocked from entering Gaza by military order after waiting more than two hours at an Israeli crossing point. A spokesman for Israel’s Civil Administration, which runs the heavily guarded facility, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment by phone, e-mail and text message.
“It’s the first time this happened to me,” said Masri, 80, who said he has been shuttling between Gaza and the West Bank for seven years, trying to bridge the hostile conflict between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Hamas leaders who were ruling Gaza.
9 june 2014
By Khalid Amayreh in Occupied Palestine
I really cannot understand why Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas seems so eager to reinstate Israeli control over the Rafah Border Crossing.
This week, it was reported that Abbas said during a press interview that arrangements at the Rafah Border Terminal ought to follow the 2005- agreement which effectively granted Israel ultimate control over the Gaza Strip's sole gate to the outside world.
According to that disgraceful agreement, operations at the crossing cannot be conducted in the absence of European observers who must be stationed on site, e.g. inside travelers' halls.
However, since the observers themselves must commute to the border crossing from Israel, where they are based, the Israeli occupation authorities had a virtually total control over their movement.
Indeed, all that Israel needed to do to close the crossing and consequently strangulate the entire coastal enclave, with its 1.7 million residents rather hermetically, was to prevent the observers from reaching the site by denying them access to it.
This was routinely done by declaring the access road to the site a closed military zone. Very often, a makeshift Israeli army or police roadblock would simply turn the observers back to the nearby Israeli settlement where they were stationed. And the European Union wouldn't dare voice its displeasure as Israel imposed its will on all parties involved, the PA, the Egyptians, the Americans and the EU.
Similarly, every Palestinian or non-Palestinian traveler had to be thoroughly screened and the videoed screening process had to be relayed in real time to Israeli monitors across the border. In other words, the Israelis were able to know everything from A to Z, even the color of the underwear worn by Palestinian travelers.
Very often, Palestinians were barred from traveling through the crossing for unexplained "security reasons."
Needless to say these hateful and dishonorable arrangements had a tragic toll on Palestinians. Many ill Palestinians seeking badly-needed medical treatment in Egypt and whose lives could have been saved, had to die unnecessarily.
Israel deliberately kept them waiting for prolonged periods or didn't allow them to travel due to the usual security justification, a mantra Israel always invokes to justify its most diabolical whims against and criminal treatment of its Palestinian victims.
It is really hard to describe the pain and agony Gazans had to endure during that bleak period. Unfortunately, the Palestinian leadership of Mahmoud Abbas viewed these scandalous arrangements as more than acceptable as evidenced by the plethora of statements made by the Ramallah leadership, demanding the reinstitution of the 2005-agreement.
Indeed, the indescribable suffering meted out to our people traveling through the Rafah border crossing meant very little to Abbas and those around him. This eventually led to ousting of Abbas's militias from Gaza in 2007.
Once again, it is difficult to fathom Abbas's insistence that Palestinians had to sacrifice their freedom as well as personal and national dignity to satiate the Israeli thirst for tormenting and humiliating our people.
Does he want to obtain another certificate of good conduct from them? Does he want to demonstrate to Israel and her guardian-ally, the United States that the PA does abide by signed agreements even though Israel doesn't?
Or perhaps he wants to play the sycophancy card by showing that he is more sensitive to Israel's security whims than he is to the safety, security and honor of his own people!
To conclude, Abbas and those around him must understand that the Palestinian people's right to respect and to a dignified treatment at border crossings overrides whatever "duty" he feels he is bound by to appease and please the Israelis and their western backers.
He must also understand that thousands of Palestinians paid with their blood the price for the relative freedom from Israeli intervention and interference at the Rafah terminal.
For God's sake let us not bring back these black days.
Israel, after all, is supposed to have left Gaza for good. It has absolutely no right to exist at the Rafah terminal, an exclusively Palestinian-Egyptian crossing.
Finally, I would like to add the following: If Abbas succumbed to Israeli blackmail on this relatively minor matter, wouldn’t he capitulate to the Zionist arrogance and insolence on the more paramount issues such as Jerusalem and the right of return?
I really cannot understand why Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas seems so eager to reinstate Israeli control over the Rafah Border Crossing.
This week, it was reported that Abbas said during a press interview that arrangements at the Rafah Border Terminal ought to follow the 2005- agreement which effectively granted Israel ultimate control over the Gaza Strip's sole gate to the outside world.
According to that disgraceful agreement, operations at the crossing cannot be conducted in the absence of European observers who must be stationed on site, e.g. inside travelers' halls.
However, since the observers themselves must commute to the border crossing from Israel, where they are based, the Israeli occupation authorities had a virtually total control over their movement.
Indeed, all that Israel needed to do to close the crossing and consequently strangulate the entire coastal enclave, with its 1.7 million residents rather hermetically, was to prevent the observers from reaching the site by denying them access to it.
This was routinely done by declaring the access road to the site a closed military zone. Very often, a makeshift Israeli army or police roadblock would simply turn the observers back to the nearby Israeli settlement where they were stationed. And the European Union wouldn't dare voice its displeasure as Israel imposed its will on all parties involved, the PA, the Egyptians, the Americans and the EU.
Similarly, every Palestinian or non-Palestinian traveler had to be thoroughly screened and the videoed screening process had to be relayed in real time to Israeli monitors across the border. In other words, the Israelis were able to know everything from A to Z, even the color of the underwear worn by Palestinian travelers.
Very often, Palestinians were barred from traveling through the crossing for unexplained "security reasons."
Needless to say these hateful and dishonorable arrangements had a tragic toll on Palestinians. Many ill Palestinians seeking badly-needed medical treatment in Egypt and whose lives could have been saved, had to die unnecessarily.
Israel deliberately kept them waiting for prolonged periods or didn't allow them to travel due to the usual security justification, a mantra Israel always invokes to justify its most diabolical whims against and criminal treatment of its Palestinian victims.
It is really hard to describe the pain and agony Gazans had to endure during that bleak period. Unfortunately, the Palestinian leadership of Mahmoud Abbas viewed these scandalous arrangements as more than acceptable as evidenced by the plethora of statements made by the Ramallah leadership, demanding the reinstitution of the 2005-agreement.
Indeed, the indescribable suffering meted out to our people traveling through the Rafah border crossing meant very little to Abbas and those around him. This eventually led to ousting of Abbas's militias from Gaza in 2007.
Once again, it is difficult to fathom Abbas's insistence that Palestinians had to sacrifice their freedom as well as personal and national dignity to satiate the Israeli thirst for tormenting and humiliating our people.
Does he want to obtain another certificate of good conduct from them? Does he want to demonstrate to Israel and her guardian-ally, the United States that the PA does abide by signed agreements even though Israel doesn't?
Or perhaps he wants to play the sycophancy card by showing that he is more sensitive to Israel's security whims than he is to the safety, security and honor of his own people!
To conclude, Abbas and those around him must understand that the Palestinian people's right to respect and to a dignified treatment at border crossings overrides whatever "duty" he feels he is bound by to appease and please the Israelis and their western backers.
He must also understand that thousands of Palestinians paid with their blood the price for the relative freedom from Israeli intervention and interference at the Rafah terminal.
For God's sake let us not bring back these black days.
Israel, after all, is supposed to have left Gaza for good. It has absolutely no right to exist at the Rafah terminal, an exclusively Palestinian-Egyptian crossing.
Finally, I would like to add the following: If Abbas succumbed to Israeli blackmail on this relatively minor matter, wouldn’t he capitulate to the Zionist arrogance and insolence on the more paramount issues such as Jerusalem and the right of return?
Noted American thinker Noam Chomsky condemned the international community's deafening silence on Israel's inhumane blockade on the population in the Gaza Strip and described its attitude as shameful. Chomsky made his remarks after he signed on Monday a petition demanding an end to Gaza siege, which was launched by the popular committee against the siege.
Chomsky called for ending Israel's blockade on Gaza immediately and enabling the population to enjoy freedom and every opportunity they deserve in life.
He also said that no one has experienced suffering more than the Gaza population who live in the world’s largest open-air prison and are exposed to killing, terrorism and humiliation.
The American thinker added that the blockade on Gaza, which was created by Israel in order to humiliate its people, is considered one of the greatest crimes in the 21st century.
Chomsky called for ending Israel's blockade on Gaza immediately and enabling the population to enjoy freedom and every opportunity they deserve in life.
He also said that no one has experienced suffering more than the Gaza population who live in the world’s largest open-air prison and are exposed to killing, terrorism and humiliation.
The American thinker added that the blockade on Gaza, which was created by Israel in order to humiliate its people, is considered one of the greatest crimes in the 21st century.
280 trucks allowed into Gaza via Karem Abu Salem Crossing
Israeli soldiers, stationed across the eastern border of Gaza City, fired dozens of rounds of live ammunition targeting a number of homes, and farmlands, east of the ash-Shujaeyya neighborhood, east of Gaza city.
The Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA) has reported that Israeli soldiers, stationed near the Karni Crossing, fired dozens of rounds of live ammunition targeting several homes, and agricultural lands, causing damage but no injuries.
The army alleged a homemade shell, fired from Gaza, landed near landed near the border fence, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The army frequently targets farmers and workers, in their own lands, in areas close to the border in the northern and eastern parts of the Gaza Strip, causing excessive property damage and dozens of casualties.
Also on Monday, Israel allowed the entry of 280 trucks into the besieged Gaza Strip. The trucks were allowed through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing.
The trucks are loaded with supplies for the trade, agriculture, and transportation sectors.
Israel also said it will be pumping limited amounts of industrial fuel for the Gaza Power Plant, cooking has, and intends to allow the entry of seven cement trucks for construction projects run by the UN.
Karem Abu Salem is the only terminal used for the entry of goods and fuels into the coastal region.
Israeli soldiers, stationed across the eastern border of Gaza City, fired dozens of rounds of live ammunition targeting a number of homes, and farmlands, east of the ash-Shujaeyya neighborhood, east of Gaza city.
The Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA) has reported that Israeli soldiers, stationed near the Karni Crossing, fired dozens of rounds of live ammunition targeting several homes, and agricultural lands, causing damage but no injuries.
The army alleged a homemade shell, fired from Gaza, landed near landed near the border fence, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The army frequently targets farmers and workers, in their own lands, in areas close to the border in the northern and eastern parts of the Gaza Strip, causing excessive property damage and dozens of casualties.
Also on Monday, Israel allowed the entry of 280 trucks into the besieged Gaza Strip. The trucks were allowed through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing.
The trucks are loaded with supplies for the trade, agriculture, and transportation sectors.
Israel also said it will be pumping limited amounts of industrial fuel for the Gaza Power Plant, cooking has, and intends to allow the entry of seven cement trucks for construction projects run by the UN.
Karem Abu Salem is the only terminal used for the entry of goods and fuels into the coastal region.
8 june 2014
Ministers of the Palestinian unity government met with Robert Serry, the UN peace envoy to the Middle East, in the Gaza Strip on Sunday and urged him to pressure Israel to end its blockade and stop obstructing the work of their government. Minister of public works and housing Mufid Al-Hassaina told a news conference following the meeting that the visit of Robert Serry to Gaza is considered very important for the unity government led by Rami Al-Hamdallah.
Hassaina stated that the meeting with the UN official addressed many vital issues, including the opening of crossings before construction materials and the needs of the ministries, noting that there would be other meetings with Serry in the near future.
For his part, minister of labor Ma'moun Abu Shahla hailed the visit as international recognition of the Palestinian unity government.
Abu Shahla stressed the need for pressuring Israel to facilitate the travel of Palestinian ministers between Gaza and the West Bank, end its daily violations against civilians, and end Gaza siege.
He called upon the international community to give the unity government a chance to consolidate its position and role in the region, and expressed hope that the Rafah border crossing could be opened permanently before movement of goods and individuals.
For his part, Serry asserted that the UN would support the new Palestinian government and help it meet the needs of its citizens in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem.
Hassaina stated that the meeting with the UN official addressed many vital issues, including the opening of crossings before construction materials and the needs of the ministries, noting that there would be other meetings with Serry in the near future.
For his part, minister of labor Ma'moun Abu Shahla hailed the visit as international recognition of the Palestinian unity government.
Abu Shahla stressed the need for pressuring Israel to facilitate the travel of Palestinian ministers between Gaza and the West Bank, end its daily violations against civilians, and end Gaza siege.
He called upon the international community to give the unity government a chance to consolidate its position and role in the region, and expressed hope that the Rafah border crossing could be opened permanently before movement of goods and individuals.
For his part, Serry asserted that the UN would support the new Palestinian government and help it meet the needs of its citizens in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem.
