Israel, PA allies escalate ICC war crimes legal fight
Fourteen parties including countries, NGOs and leading jurists filed legal briefs by press time on Monday for both the Israeli and the Palestinian sides of the war-crimes contest currently before the International Criminal Court. The ICC is expected to hand down a fateful decision about Israel, the Palestinians and alleged war crimes sometime after March […]
Kushner: US to approve annexation if Palestinians don’t negotiate
Despite a refusal by the Palestinians to be involved in any negotiations and a lack of government in Israel, US President Donald Trump’s administration will push forward with the “Deal of the Century” peace plan, including giving White House approval to Israeli annexation, senior presidential adviser Jared Kushner told US senators in a closed-room meeting […]
Palestinians and the ICC play a cruel game with international law
The UN dominated the headlines last week when it released a database of 112 companies doing business in the West Bank. The intent was to encourage a boycott. However, the UN database is only a prelude to another, potentially more damaging measure: bringing Israel before the International Criminal Court for purported war crimes. The ICC […]
Palestinian consensus against ‘Deal of the Century’
The National and Islamic Forces, the coordinating framework of the Palestinian Authority, and the Israeli Arab Higher Monitoring Committee, on Monday declared a full Palestinian consensus against the American peace initiative. Following a meeting in Ramallah, a joint statement was issued saying that “the ‘Deal of the Century’ is the result of a Zionist-American alliance […]
Palestinian mayor forced to quit for joining anti-Trump plan meet with Israelis
A Palestinian mayor was forced to resign Saturday after facing public criticism for participating in a conference with Israeli officials in Tel Aviv. Hamdallah Hamdallah, mayor of the West Bank town of Anabta, was one of some 20 Palestinian Authority officials to attend Friday’s gathering to express support for the two-state solution and opposition to […]
Palestinian armed wing calls for attacks on Israel
The armed wing of Gaza-based resistance faction Islamic Jihad called on Palestinians Friday to attack Israeli military checkpoints. “We call for comprehensive and direct conflict as long as the opportunities are available and to embark on the path of fighting and freedom,” Abu Hamza, the spokesperson of the al-Quds Brigades, said on Twitter. In his […]
Trump’s Middle East peace plan ‘will die’ before president, Iran’s top leader says
Iran’s top leader is predicting that President Trump’s Middle East peace plan, meant to solve the decades-long Israel-Palestinian conflict, “will die” in Trump’s lifetime, state media reported Wednesday. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the bold calculation in his first remarks since the proposal, which has been opposed by the Palestinians, was unveiled last week. “This plan […]
Kushner: ‘Deal of the Century’ map can be changed by Palestinians
Palestinians can weigh in on the “Deal of the Century” map, US envoy Jared Kushner told the Egyptian MBC Masr network in an interview, where he also spoke of the Trump administration’s plans to recognize Israeli settlements in the West Bank. “If the Palestinians don’t like where the line is drawn, they should come and […]
Palestinians mount peace plan fightback at UN
Palestinian officials went on the offensive at the United Nations this week, seeking to rally opposition to United States President Donald Trump after he released a proposal for Middle East peace that favors Israelis over Palestinians. Palestine’s U.N. ambassador Riyad Mansour derided Trump’s plan during a media appearance, held meetings with U.N. bigwigs and revealed […]
Palestine cancels 1995 Oslo Accords signed with Israel
Palestine on Thursday canceled the 1995 Oslo Accords signed with Israel. “Israel has been informed that the Palestinian administration will not adhere to the agreements between them,” the Palestinian Authority’s Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh said in a televised interview with Al-Jazeera. Sheikh also expressed hope that Arab and Islamic countries will be a […]