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Elections Archive - April 2008
Elections Archive - April 2008
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for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel Elections Archive - April 2008 |
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Carter insists Hamas meeting yielded results Middle East Online 4/28/2008 WASHINGTON - Former US president Jimmy Carter insisted Monday his recent meetings with leaders of the radical Islamic group Hamas had yielded specific results, hitting back at criticism from Palestinian and Israeli officials. "Through more official consultations with these outlawed leaders, it may yet be possible to revive and expedite the stalemated peace talks between Israel and its neighbors," Carter wrote in an opinion piece for The New York Times. Earlier this month, Carter held two meetings in Damascus with exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal, angering both Israel and the United States, who consider the movement a terror group despite its victory in 2006 Palestinian elections. Since then, both Palestinian and Israeli officials have tried to downplay the importance of the meetings. But Carter wrote he had received assurances that Hamas would accept any agreement negotiated. . . Arafat bloc wins Birzeit student elections Palestine News Network 4/23/2008 Birzeit, Ramallah / PNN -- In a major show of what the Palestinian street misses, the Yasser Arafat Bloc in Birzeit University’s student elections received 25 out of 51 seats. The Islamic Bloc won 19 seats, while the Democratic Progressive Student Pole received five seats. Most students at this major university just outside of Ramallah turned out to vote, however 72 of the papers were blank. Out of 6,347 students entitled to vote, 5,283 came to the polls. That computed to a percentage of 83. 24. The Dean of Student Affairs said that his own fears were assuaged as the voting process was calm, in full transparency and impartiality in accordance with the university’s Preparatory Committee criteria. He noted that these elections represent a real democratic win. He added that Birzeit students are "interested in building awareness of sense of security and a sense of responsibility,. . . Hamas: Victory in W. Bank student elections strong signs of our firm popularity Palestinian Information Center 4/23/2008 GAZA, (PIC)-- The Hamas Movement said on Wednesday that the victory it has achieved in Al-Khalil polytechnic University’s students election was a strong sign of the Movement’s rising popularity in the West Bank despite IOF-PA aggression. The United Islamic Bloc, a union of the academic wings of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad at the University, won the student elections despite attempts of Fatah’s Shabiba to spoil the victory. "This is clear evidence to all that Hamas was strong enough, and that all the attempts made to marginalize it in the Palestinian arena, particularly in the West Bank had totally failed", the Movement asserted. Fawzi Barhoum, the spokesman of Hamas in Gaza Strip, underlined that Hamas and its political program couldn’t be erased from the hearts of the Palestinian people [as detractors of Hamas think]. Hamas open to peace deal with Palestinian backing: Carter Joseph Kraus, ReliefWeb 4/21/2008 JERUSALEM, April 21, 2008 (AFP)- Former US president Jimmy Carter said on Monday the Islamist Hamas movement told him it would recognise Israel’s right to live in peace if a deal is reached and approved by a Palestinian vote. Carter made the comments following two meetings in Damascus with exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal that angered Israel and the United States, which consider the movement a terror group despite its victory in 2006 elections. ’They said that they would accept a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders if approved by Palestinians and that they would accept the right of Israel to live as a neighbour, next door, in peace,’ Carter told the Israeli Council on Foreign Relations think-tank. While in the Middle East Carter met with senior Hamas leaders from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Syria, but was unable to secure a ceasefire. . . Zawahri and Rice lash out at Hamas and Carter Ali Khalil, Daily Star 4/23/2008 Agence France Presse - DUBAI: Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahri lashed out at Hamas in a new audio message posted on the Internet Tuesday, accusing the Palestinian group of violating Islamic law by its reported willingness to consider a peace deal with Israel. "How can they put a matter that violates Sharia to a referendum? "he asked. Former US President Jimmy Carter said on Monday that Hamas told him it would recognize Israel’s right to live in peace if a deal is reached and approved by a Palestinian vote. Zawahri also criticized Hamas for resorting to what he said were non-Sharia-compliant measures like elections. "Those who claim to [plan] to implement Sharia through resorting to other than Sharia would be only fooling themselves," he said in an apparent reference to Hamas’ participation in the Palestinian elections in January 2006 which swept Hamas to victory and prompted its boycott by the West. Fateh wins Student Council elections in Bir Zeit University IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center News 4/22/2008 Palestinian sources reported on Wednesday that Yasser Arafat Student Bloc, which belongs to Fateh movement, won 25 out of 51 seats of the Student Council in Bir Zeit University. The elections were held on Tuesday April 22. The sources added that the Al Wafa’ Islamic Bloc garnered 19 seats, and the Progressive Democratic Block garnered 5 seats, the Islamic group garnered one seat and the Student Unity Bloc also won one seat. The elections started on Tuesday morning as 5283 students out of 6347 (83. 24%) casted their votes. Bir Zeit University Dean in charge of students’ affairs Dr, Abdul-Karim Abu Khashan, said that the elections were conducted in a democratic way. Seven blocscompeted in the elections; Yasser Arafat bloc, Al Wafa’ Islamic Bloc, Qawim Islamic Bloc, Progressive Students Union Bloc, Progressive Democratic Bloc, the National Union Bloc, and the Palestinian National Initiative. Carter: Hamas willing to let Israel ’live in peace’ Joseph Krauss, Daily Star 4/22/2008 Agence France Presse - OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Former US President Jimmy Carter said on Monday that the Hamas movement told him it would recognize Israel’s right to live in peace if a deal is reached and approved by a Palestinian vote. Carter made the comments following two meetings in Damascus with exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal that angered Israel and the United States, which consider the movement a terror group despite its victory in 2006 elections. "They said that they would accept a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders if approved by Palestinians and that they would accept the right of Israel to live as a neighbor, next door, in peace," Carter told the Israeli Council on Foreign Relations think tank. Hamas would agree to such a peace deal, yet to be negotiated, provided it is "submitted to Palestinians for their overall approval even though Hamas might disagree with some terms of the agreement," Carter said. Israel kills six Palestinians in air raids across Gaza Strip Sakher Abu El Oun, Daily Star 4/21/2008 Agence France Presse - GAZA CITY: Israeli forces carried out deadly air strikes across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, a day after Hamas militants detonated explosives-laden vehicles at a border crossing, wounding 13 soldiers. Overnight air raids killed six Palestinian fighters, all members of Hamas, the Islamist movement that won Palestinian elections in 2006, violently seized Gaza last year and refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist. The air attacks began just hours after militants detonated two booby-trapped vehicles disguised as Israeli military jeeps at the Kerem Shalom border crossing used to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza, whose economy is crippled by an Israeli blockade. Thirteen Israeli soldiers were wounded in Saturday’s attack, which Israeli Major General Yoav Galant described as the "most ambitious launched against our troops" since the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Hamas slams Abul Gheit’s statements about excluding it politically Palestinian Information Center 4/20/2008 GAZA, (PIC)-- The Hamas Movement strongly denounced Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Abul Gheit’s statements in which he revealed an Egyptian proposal to form a Palestinian unity government excluding Hamas so as the peace talks cannot be hampered, highlighting that it is impossible to ignore Hamas in any political process. Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, underlined that Abul Gheit’s statements confirm that he is against the legitimacy that Hamas gained in fair democratic elections recognized by the whole world, pointing out that Cairo has to clarify its position towards such statements. Dr. Abu Zuhri also expressed his shock and dismay at Arab officials’ desire to alienate Hamas politically, while western officials started to realize Hamas’s importance in the Palestinian political process. Commenting on the second item of the Egyptian plan tabled by Abul Gheit during a meeting. . . Netanyahu: I won’t carry out an Olmert-Abbas peace deal if elected Associated Press, YNetNews 4/17/2008 Opposition leader favored by polls to sweep elections if held today rejects proposal to divide Jerusalem, says would toss out agreement between current PM, Palestinians - Opposition Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu has said if he is elected prime minister, he won’t carry out any peace deal with the Palestinians reached by the current Israeli leader, Ehud Olmert, the Makor Rishon daily reported on Thursday. Netanyahu told the paper that he would regard the election as a referendum on any such accord. If Olmert doesn’t win, ’’then you cannot cynically and manipulatively force upon the people a move they do not want,’’ Netanyahu said. Polls show that if elections were held today, Netanyahu would handily beat both Olmert and the Labor Party’s chairman, Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Netanyahu, leader of the Likud Party, also rejected the notion of sharing sovereignty over disputed Jerusalem with the Palestinians. IMEMC: Palestinians Prisoners day: 9750 Palestinians are imprisoned by Israel International Solidarity Movement 4/17/2008 As Palestinians marked the Prisoners National Day on Thursday, official records showed that Israel still holds 9750 Palestinian political detainees. Since 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Israeli troops have taken a total of 750, 000 Palestinian political detainees, the equivalent to all Palestinians families having had one of their sons imprisoned once or twice. In a report issued by the Palestinian Authority, ‘Political Detainees in the Israeli Affairs Ministry’: from those 9750 prisoners 8030 are from the West Bank, 920 from the Gaza Strip, while the remaining 800 are from Jerusalem: Palestinians with Israeli citizenship and from several Arab countries. 49 of those kidnapped by the Israelis are Palestinian law makers who won the January 2006 Parliamentary elections. Netanyahu: Abbas-Olmert peace deal will be invalid Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 4/18/2008 Opposition leader and Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu hinted Thursday that if he were to be elected prime minister, he would not honor any peace agreement struck between current Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, if one should be achieved. "The agreement that Olmert will or will not achieve is no more than a cynical invalid deal - not in legal terms, but in terms of reality," Netanyahu said in an interview with the right wing affiliated newspaper Makor Rishon. Olmert and Abbas promised U. S. President George W. Bush to try to reach a peace deal by the end of the year. Netanyahu said in the interview that he would regard general elections as a referendum on the potential peace deal, saying "then the public would be the judge. ""If they [Olmert’s Kadima] win the election - fine. Haneyya renews invitation to Carter to visit Gaza Palestinian Information Center 4/16/2008 GAZA, (PIC)-- Ismail Haneyya, the Palestinian Prime Minister, renewed his invitation to former President Jimmy Carter to visit Gaza to see for himself the magnitude of the tragedy experienced by its people, expressing hope that Egypt would secure his arrival in the Strip after Israel refused to allow him to visit it. Carter is expected to meet with a Hamas delegation from the Gaza Strip in Cairo. Before leaving Gaza on his way to Cairo, Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahhar, a prominent Hamas leader, praised the initiative taken by Carter to meet with Hamas leaders and said that this should serve as a message to those who choose to ignore the legislative elections results and raise doubts about the legitimacy of Hamas. The former American president had supervised the legislative elections in 2006 and expressed respect for the results after Hamas won a landslide victory. ’Crucial’ for peace to include Hamas and Syria, Carter says Joseph Krauss, Daily Star 4/15/2008 Agence France Presse - LOD, Israel: Former US President Jimmy Carter said on Monday that Syria and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas must be involved in any future peace deal, during a controversial visit to the region. "I think it’s absolutely crucial that in a final dreamed-about and prayed-for peace agreement for this region that Hamas be involved and that Syria be involved," he said at a conference near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. Carter has drawn fire from US and Israeli officials over reports that he plans to meet with exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal while in the Syrian capital later this week. "I’ll be meeting with all the factions of the Palestinians which is also controversial, I know," Carter said. Israel, the US and the EU consider Hamas - which won Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 and has ruled the Gaza Strip since seizing power there in June - a terror outfit. 118th IPU Assembly to consider humanitarian situation in conflict areas, particularly in Gaza Inter-Parliamentary Union, ReliefWeb 4/14/2008 The 118th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) decided today to add a new item to its agenda entitled: The role of parliaments and the Inter-Parliamentary Union in ensuring an immediate halt to the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in conflict areas, and its environmental dimension, in facilitating the Palestinians’ right to self-determination - particularly by ending the blockade in Gaza - and in accelerating the creation of a Palestinian State through viable peace processes. The item was proposed by the delegation of South Africa with the cooperation of Egypt and the Islamic Republic of Iran. In a separate development, the Assembly also decided to prepare a presidential declaration on the urgent need to release all election results in Zimbabwe. The Assembly considers it important to adopt such a declaration, given that the results of the Zimbabwe elections of 29 March 2008 remain outstanding two weeks later. Source in Hamas: Egypt is losing balance in dealing with inter-Palestinian rift Palestinian Information Center 4/6/2008 GAZA, (PIC)-- A responsible source in Hamas Movement has called on Egypt on Sunday to reevaluate and to correct its stand vis-Ã -vis the Fatah-Hamas political rift, and not to take a biased stand against a party in favor of the other party. In an interview with the Quds Press news agency, the source asserted that Egypt started to "lose balance" in dealing with the political rift between the two biggest Palestinian factions in the Palestinian arena Hamas and Fatah. "Egypt is no longer taking a neutral stand in the internal Palestinian rift and that is indeed a regrettable thing which we in Hamas don’t wish for because we are very much interested in maintaining warm and good rapport with Egypt. "The source also added that while Hamas prominent leaders are received by Egyptian security officials, Fatah leaders, even those who failed the elections are received by high ranking officials including the Foreign Minister. PLC speaker: Haneyya entitled to expand government Palestinian Information Center 4/6/2008 GAZA, (PIC)-- Dr. Ahmed Bahar, the acting PLC speaker, has affirmed that Ismail Haneyya, the premier of the PA caretaker government, is entitled to expand his government after tabling a request to the effect with the PLC. Bahar, in a press statement on Sunday, said that the decision to expand the government was "constitutional", and that the PLC did not object to the step. The PLC speaker, meanwhile, refused PA chief Mahmoud Abbas’s call for early legislative and presidential elections, explaining that it was in violation of the article 113 of the Palestinian basic law, which stipulates that the PLC is "the master of itself". He urged Abbas to have such elections for the PLO, and noted that article 38 of the basic law does not entitle Abbas to hold early elections. Report: Last March was the worst in history of Palestinian journalism Palestinian Information Center 4/3/2008 GAZA, (PIC)-- The Palestinian journalist bloc stated in its monthly report that the month of March was the worst in the history of Palestinian journalism and media in the West Bank as a result of the ongoing assaults of the Israeli occupation and the PA security apparatuses. The report called for stopping all forms of arrest and kidnapping against journalists because of their coverage of news and for releasing immediately Palestinian journalists Musab Katluni and Tariq Shahab from the PA’s jails in the West Bank. It also called for holding new elections for the journalist union’s board after the current board became legally invalid and showed a flagrant bias in favor of a number of violations against journalism and media in the occupied West Bank. The bloc concluded its report saying that the PA security apparatuses in the West Bank ban the Palestine and the Resala newspapers. . .  Articles
Returning to Palestine Aaron Lakoff, International Middle East Media Center News 4/21/2008 What’s in a year? What’s in 60? Three years can be a long time, or a little blip in history. It has been three years since I was first in Palestine, and now I am back. Years are a funny thing here. Many can go by, and nothing can change. Take, as an example, one of the large billboards outside of Jerusalem right now, which proudly announces this year as the 60 year anniversary of the birth of the state of Israel. And then, of course, the other side of that, the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba ("catastrophe"). 60 years of displacement, 60 years of refugees, 60 years of useless keys and tears shed, and how much has really changed? Well, quite a lot has changed actually. And it has hit me sooner than expected, even after being in Palestine for only a few days. 2008 will no doubt be a historic and tumultuous year in Israel and Palestine. Beyond the 60-year observations on both sides, there is pressure from many sides to make 2008 the year of the Palestinian state, or a "two-state solution". The slogan "2 states in 2008" has been repeated many times. There is a strong will to see this happen before the next Palestinian presidential elections, or perhaps more importantly, before George W. Bush leaves office later this year. Complex Regional Rivalry Muddying the Waters Ghassan Khatib, MIFTAH 4/15/2008 The tension between Israel, Syria and Lebanon has carried indirect negative consequences for Palestinians. Even though it is correct to say that at the moment there is no serious or promising peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis to be disrupted, the tension, on the one hand, and Syria and its regional alliances on the other, can play an important role in influencing the domestic Palestinian situation as well as Palestinian-Israeli relations. Recent years have witnessed a growing interrelationship between the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and other regional conflicts. This in turn has increased the influence and role of regional actors both on the conflict and on domestic Palestinian affairs. This influence has become especially pronounced with the gradual weakening of the Palestinian leadership that resulted from the deterioration and ultimate failure of the peace process upon which this leadership had gambled so much. It has become evident that Palestine, like Lebanon and Iraq, is being affected by the ongoing regional rivalry between Iran and the United States that started with the Iraq invasion and US attempts to weaken Iran and interfere in its domestic affairs including with its nuclear program. With an American military presence on its borders in Iraq, the Arab Gulf and Afghanistan, Iran has been motivated to play its cards against this growing American hegemony. These developments coincided with the collapse of the peace process, the moderate and secular leadership associated with it and the rise of Hamas and its victory in Palestinian elections and subsequent takeover of the Gaza Strip. LinksAdalah Adalah (Justice in Arabic) is the first non-profit, non-sectarian Palestinian-run legal center in Israel. The main goal of Adalah’s work is to achieve equal rights and minority rights protections for Palestinian citizens of Israel. Addameer Prisoners’ Support and Human Rights Organization: Addameer (conscience) is a Palestinian non-governmental, civil institution which focuses on human rights issues. Supports Palestinian prisoners, advocates for rights of political prisoners, works to end torture. Amnesty International Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights. AI’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. Amnesty International USA Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights. AI’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. Arab Association for Human Rights - HRA The HRA was founded in 1988 to promote and protect the political, civil, economic, and cultural rights of the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel and to further the domestic implementation of international human rights principles. It is an independent non-governmental organisation registered in Israel. Association for Civil Rights in Israel - ACRI The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) was founded in 1972 as a non-political and independent body, with the goal of protecting human and civil rights in Israel and in the territories under Israeli control. B’tselem The Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch is an independent, nongovernmental organization, supported by contributions from private individuals and foundations worldwide. Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. Occupation Prisoners News stories and reports about Palestinian prisoners from International Press Center, of the Palestinian National Authority’s State Information Service. Palestinian Centre for Human Rights The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is an independent legal body based in Gaza City dedicated to protecting human rights, promoting the rule of law, and upholding democratic principles in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Palestinian Prisoners Society The Palestinian Prisoner Society is a social and human institution and its members are prisoners inside prisons and released prisoners. Membership is open to every Palestinian prisoner inside and outside prisons who meets the conditions of membership. Physicians for Human Rights - Israel Physicians for Human Rights - Israel (PHR-Israel) was established in 1988 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, dedicated to promoting and protecting the medical human rights of all residents of Israel and the Occupied Territories. Public Committee Against Torture in Israel - PCATI An independent human rights organization founded that monitors the implementation conditions in detention centers and continues the struggle against the use of torture in interrogation in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine The main collection contains the texts of current and historical United Nations material concerning the question of Palestine and other issues related to the Middle East situation and the search for peace. World Organisation Against Torture OMCT is today the largest international coalition of NGOs fighting against torture,summary executions, forced disappearances and all other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in order to preserve Human Rights. It has at its disposal a network, SOS Torture, consisting of some 240 non-governmental organisations which act as sources of information.
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