Hi
We are all used to (and frankly - many apathized by) sad tales of misery and loss from Israel/Palestine.
Here for once I am happy to bring three happy pieces of news:
- Olmert talks off his Israeli right wing opponents calling him to end the Gaza truce, saying they have no diplomatic plan.
- Israel's PM & Defense Minister order 59 West Bank Roadblocks removed
- New poll finds 58% of Israelis and 81% of Palestinians are ready for Two State final status negotiations&peace deal
Details inside, all gift wrapped (Even though I opened mine on Hannukah last week)
Happy New Year!
Eyal
1)Olmert talks off his Israeli right wing opponents calling him to end the Gaza truce, saying they have no diplomatic plan:
Prime minister tells fellow Kadima members, ‘Rightists do not offer diplomatic plan or course; they have no proposal. On recent Jerusalem meeting with Abbas PM says, ‘It does not guarantee and end to the terror and violence’
Attila Somfalvi Published: 12.25.06, 15:00
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert decided to respond Monday to the criticism directed at him regarding Israel’s restraint policy. During a Kadima faction meeting in the Knesset the prime minister said, "We hope to formulate a diplomatic plan soon. The difference between us and the Right is that they only speak of blood, sweat and tears, but they do not offer a diplomatic plan or course. They have no proposal."
As to his recent meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jerusalem Olmert said, "We are a party that strives for a diplomatic plan, but such a course is not risk-free. It took three months just to arrange the meeting with Abbas. We had to act until the final moments to make it happen.
"I hope the meeting will pave the way for more; but it does not guarantee an end to the terror and violence," he added.
More in the link here.
- Israel's PM & Defense Minister order 59 West Bank Roadblocks removed:
In discussion attended by prime minister, defense minister, army chief and senior defense officials, participants decide to remove checkpoints, differentiate between Gaza and West Bank . Earlier, Defense Minister Peretz tells Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee he instructed IDF to take down 59 roadblocks out of 400 set up across West Bank
Ynet reporters Latest Update: 12.25.06, 18:39
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz on Monday evening approved the defense establishment's plan to ease restrictions on the Palestinian population.
The discussion was held following Olmert's meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the gestures he promised him. IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz and other security officials also took part in the discussion.
In the discussion it was decided to ease the movement of Palestinians in crossings and checkpoints, to provide permits for the passage of medical teams, to ease the transfer of goods and to build interchanges which will allow Palestinians to pass easily.
Some of the changes, it was decided, will be implemented within one week. According to a basic principle in the plan set by the defense establishment, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank will be differentiated.
Earlier, Peretz referred to the issue of taking down roadblocks during a meeting of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee .
Peretz told the committee members that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare to remove 59 checkpoints out of the 400 spread across the West Bank.
The defense minister has made a decision to remove 27 roadblocks in the coming days, but the IDF has yet to provide its recommendations regarding the removal of these roadblocks.
The defense minister's remarks on the attempt to improve the Palestinians' quality of life led to a profound discussion.
Knesset Member Effie Eitam (National Union-National Religious Party) claimed that "in the past two years we have managed to develop a terror attack thwarting system thanks to the checkpoints."
He warned that "any attempt to remove them, against the Shin Bet and IDF's stance, may return terror attacks to the heart of Israel ."
MK Ami Ayalon (Labor) claimed, from the opposite side, that "the humiliation at the checkpoints is what causes terror."
Eitam replied, "What humiliation do Hizbullah and al-Qaeda terrorists go through when they are running the global war of terror against Israel?"
MK Silvan Shalom (Likud) joined in, saying that "removing the checkpoints will lead to damage and will resume terror."
Machsom Watch activist Sara Klatzko responded to Peretz' statement, saying that "there are about 60 checkpoints in the West Bank today, more than 40 of which are manned on a permanent basis, with more than 400 blockings.
Ronny Sofer, Ilan Marciano, Moran Rada and Hanan Greenberg contributed to the report
More in the link here
3)New poll finds 58% of Israelis and 81% of Palestinians are ready for Two State final status negotiations&peace deal (Although it has some other, troublesome, findings concerning Palestinian support for violence):
Joint Israeli-Palestinian poll shows 81 percent of Palestinians, 58 percent of Israelis support comprehensive agreement over interim agreement. 54 percent of Israelis support negotiation with Hamas gov't if necessary
Roee Nahmias Published: 12.25.06, 14:36
There is a clear preference among Israelis and Palestinians for a comprehensive political solution as opposed to an interim solution, according to a joint Israeli-Palestinian poll.
The poll was conducted by the Harry S. Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in Ramallah between the 11th and 16th of December.
According to the poll, 58 percent of Israelis and 81 percent of Palestinians prefer a comprehensive solution to the current conflict, while only 30 percent of Israelis and 16 percent of Palestinians prefer an interim agreement.
Additionally, 28 percent of Palestinians polled support the creation of a demilitarized state, while 70 percent oppose the creation of an independent Palestinian state without a military or strong security force.
In contrast, 62 percent of Israeli respondents supported a demilitarized Palestinian state, while 36 percent opposed this.
Regarding Jerusalem, 39 percent of Palestinian respondents supported a compromise in which east Jerusalem would be the Palestinian capital, with the Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem under Palestinian jurisdiction and Jewish neighborhoods under Israeli jurisdiction, and the western wall and Jewish quarter remaining under Israeli jurisdiction; 50 percent of Palestinian respondents opposed this.
Forty-three percent of Israeli respondents supported the release of Marwan Barghouti and negotiation with him if necessary to reaching a peace agreement with Palestinians. 53 percent of opposed this.
Also, 66 percent of Israelis polled supported negotiations with a Palestinian unity government including Hamas if necessary to reach a compromise, and 54 percent of Israelis even support compromise with the Hamas government itself in order to reach one.
Among Palestinians, 21 percent believe that the peace process will not bring an end to occupation and that militant means should be used. 36 percent believe that the peace process should be continued, since it might work, but that militant means should be used simultaneously.
According to the poll, 27 percent of Palestinians believe that the peace process has not failed and simply needs additional time to take hold, with a cessation of militant means in the interim. 11 percent believe that the violence is responsible for the deterioration of the peace process and that calm must be achieved in order to renew it.
Following the peace process, most Palestinians (58 percent) and Israelis (63 percent) agreed that, pursuant to a permanent arrangement, both sides must mutually recognize Israel as the Jewish state and 'Palestine' as the Palestinian state.
Regarding aspects of the conflict itself, 48 percent of Palestinians believe that Qassam rockets help Palestinian interests and 48 percent believe it harms Palestinian interests.
Fifty-two percent of Israeli respondents said that no side won the current conflict, 28 percent believe that the Palestinians won, 5 percent believe that Israel won, and 13 believe that both sides won.
Among Palestinians, 24 percent believe that they won, 27 percent believe that Israel won, 29 percent believe neither side won and 18 percent believe both sides won.
Forty-nine percent of the respondents agreed with and 49 percent of the Palestinian respondents disagreed with the statement that the intifada achieved national and political objectives that would not have been achieved via negotiation.
Regarding internal Palestinian issues, 36 percent of Palestinians polled said they would vote for Hamas were elections held today, while 42 percent would vote for Fatah.
In a race for the presidency between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, 46 percent of respondents said they would vote for Abbas, while 45 percent said they would vote for Haniyeh.
Link here
I hope that in the spirit of this Diary, discussion will be cool, respectful, to the point, and rant-free.
Thank You and a happy new year to all