We will not freeze settlements, Lieberman tells Clinton

Thursday June 18, 2009 02:23 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Visiting Washington, Israeli Foreign Minister of the right-wing extremist Yisrael Beiteinu Party, Avigdor Lieberman, told the US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, that Israel will not freeze the construction and expansion of settlements. 

Clinton demanded Israel to stop the settlements as agreed upon with the former president, George W. Bush. 

 Lieberman said that the "Jewish people were born in Judea and Samaria, and will die there", his statement totally disregarded the indigenous Palestinian people. 

 Clinton responded by stating that the United States under the Obama administration wants a freeze to all settlement activities. 

 The Israeli FM claimed that there was no written or even verbal agreement with Bush regarding the settlements. Clinton "agreed" and said that a compromise could be reached between the United States and Israel. 

 Clinton stated that the US envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, is still starting his efforts to bridge the gap between the Israel and Palestinian stances. 

 The meeting between Lieberman and Clinton lasted for 30 minutes before US and Israeli delegations joined them for additional 30 minutes. 

 Furthermore, Israel Deputy Foreign Minister, Daniel Ayalon, stated Wednesday that the United States is trying to find a solution that is acceptable, and that further talks would be held during next week's Paris meeting between Mitchell and Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. 

 Settlements in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem are illegal and violate the international law and the Fourth Geneva Conventions. 

 The Palestinians want a full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied West Bank so that they can establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. 

 Netanyahu is talking about limited withdrawals from the West Bank without granting the Palestinians sovereignty, and without recognizing the internationally guaranteed Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees.    

Jerusalem municipality hands out demolition orders to Palestinian families

Wednesday June 17, 2009 15:48 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies

At least a dozen Palestinian families in vireos parts of East Jerusalem received on Wednesday demolition orders issued by the Israeli-controlled Jerusalem Municipality.

According to the Israeli municipality the homes are built without the needed building permits.

The families started the illegal process by hiring a lawyer to get their case heard in the court, local sources reported.

Since last week the Israeli municipality has forced four families to demolish parts of their homes because they lacked the needed permission.

Hatim Abdul-Qader, Minister of Jerusalem Affairs in the Palestinian Authority told IMEMC in a past interview that Israel has so far issued at least 1000 demolishing orders to Palestinian owned home and other sutures in Jerusalem since the start of this year.

Israel occupied the East Jerusalem in 1967, since then it has rarely given Palestinian residents permissions to build homes or add to the old ones, meanwhile it continue to build Israeli settlements in and around Jerusalem, an act that is illegal under international law.

Israeli occupation forces demolish 15 barns, three shacks in Jordan Valley

Wednesday June 17, 2009 14:35 by Katherine Orwell - 1 of International Middle East Media Center Editorial Group

Israeli bulldozers have demolished 15 animal barns and 3 shacks in the Jordan Valley near the illegal Israeli settlement of Masquin on Wednesday morning.

The demolished structures were owned by Palestinians from the Ein Al-Hilwa neighborhood. According to Palestinian Authority official Ghassan Daghlas, the demolitions are part of a clear Israeli policy to empty the Jordan Valley of its Palestinian residents.

Right-wing illegal Israeli settlers reveal plan to build 30 new outposts over the summer

Wednesday June 17, 2009 13:43 by Katherine Orwell - 1 of International Middle East Media Center Editorial Group

The Land of Israel Faithful group responded to the Israeli occupation government prime minister Netanyahu's speech by saying that they are planning to construct 30 new outposts in the West Bank. In his speech Netanyahu declared that no new settlements would be built and no extra land would be confiscated from Palestinians for settlement development.

The group told Israeli media that it was "recruiting activists for this summer's outpost building". It is planning to create outposts between the settlement of Ofra and Shiloh, in Gush Etzion, near Hebron and near the settlements of Elon Moreh and Bracha.

The settler group has been engaged in building and rebuilding outposts for the past two years. Many of them have been demolished several times by Israeli forces, but the group keeps rebuilding them with determination.

One of the outposts that was destroyed was the Moaz Esther outpost. In the beginning of this month it was taken down, but now it's almost completely rebuilt again. The group explained that action has to be taken to strengthen the Jewish hold on the West Bank.