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Excerpts: Abbas/Obama to meet March 17.Lebanon asks complaint to U.N.
Excerpts: Abbas/Obama to meet March 17.Lebanon asks complaint to U.N. over =
Israeli raids.Jordan/Israel legislatures’ tensions February 27, 2014
+++SOURCE: Naharnet (Lebanon) 27 Feb.=9214:=94Obama to meet Palestinian Lea=
der =
Abbas on March 17=94, Agence France Presse
SUBJECT: Abbas/Obama to meet March 17
QUOTE: =93Abbas meeting will come two weeks after Obama=92s planned encount=
er =
with /Israeli P.M.Netanyahu on Monday [3 March]
FULL TEXT:President Barack Obama will meet Mahmoud Abbas on March 17, =
stepping up Washington’s efforts to convince the Palestinian leader to =
embrace the U.S. vision of a peace deal with Israel.
The meeting will come two weeks after Obama’s planned encounter with Israel=
i =
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, which will also take place at =
the White House.
“The President looks forward to reviewing with President Abbas the progress =
in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations,” White House spokesman Jay Carney =
said in a statement.
“They will also discuss our continuing effort to work cooperatively to =
strengthen the institutions that can support the establishment of a =
Palestinian state.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who has been mounting an exhaustive =
diplomatic push, said Wednesday that his quest to seal a full Middle East =
peace deal will slip beyond an April deadline.
Kerry first hopes to convince both sides to agree a framework to guide the =
talks.
“Then we get into the final negotiations. I don’t think anybody would worry =
if there’s another nine months, or whatever it’s going to be… But that’s =
not defined yet,” Kerry said in a roundtable discussion with a small group =
of news organizations, including Agence France Presse.
Kerry coaxed the two sides back to the negotiating table in late July, afte=
r =
Obama’s initial drive to secure a peace deal foundered in his first term.
Despite Kerry’s intense attention, the talks have shown little sign of =
progress, with each side blaming the other for the stalemate.
But Kerry insisted that both parties were still “in the middle” of the =
talks. “I laugh at people who say it’s not going anywhere. They don’t know =
because we’re not talking about where it’s at. They have no clue where our =
negotiations are and whether they could go anywhere.”
A Palestinian official told AFP however last week that Kerry’s ideas could =
not be the basis of any framework.
+++SOURCE: Naharnet (Lebanon) 27 Feb.=9214:=94(Lebanon) Foreign Ministry as=
ks =
U.N. Ambassador to file Complaint over Israeli Raids=94
SUBJECT :Lebanon asks complaint to U.N. over Israeli raids
QUOTE:=94P.M. Netanyahu: =91We=92re doing everything that is necessary to p=
rotect =
the security of Israel We will not say what we=92re doing or what we=92re n=
ot =
doing=92 =93
FULL TEXT:Foreign Minister Jebra Bassil on Thursday[27 Feb.] asked Lebanon’=
s =
envoy to the United Nations to file a complaint against Israel over the two =
airstrikes it waged on the Bekaa town of Janta.
“Bassil asked ambassador Nawaf Salam to hand over the complaint to U.N. =
chief Ban Ki-moon,=94 the state-run National News Agency said.
The NNA noted that the U.N. chief will then submit the complaint to the hea=
d =
of the Security Council and distribute it to member states.
“Lebanon will also preserve its right to call on the U.N. Security Council =
to convene when necessary,=94 the news agency added.
Bassil also condemned the Israeli attack on Lebanon and its violation of th=
e =
U.N. Security Council resolution 1701, calling on the the United Nations to =
commit to implementing this decision.
President Michel Suleiman had asked Bassil to collect all necessary =
information to prepare for filing the complaint.
Hizbullah confirmed on Wednesday[26 Feb.] that Israeli fighter jets had =
shelled one of its positions on the Lebanese-Syrian border on Monday[24 =
Feb.].
The party said in a statement that the resistance will =93choose the right =
time and place to retaliate to the strike near Janta.
Israel has not acknowledged the raid, but officials have confirmed a genera=
l =
policy of interdicting suspected arms deliveries from Syria to Hizbullah.
“We are doing everything that is necessary in order to defend the security =
of Israel,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday [25 =
Feb.].
” Israel P.M =91We are doing everything to protect the security of Israel.W=
e =
will not say what we’re doing or what we’re not doing,” he said.
+++SOURCE: Jordan Times 27 Feb.=9214:=94Parliament votes to expel Israeli =
ambassador over Jerusalem violations=94,by Khaled Neimat
SUBJECT: Jordan/Israel legislatures=92 tensions
FULL TEXT:AMMAN =97 The majority of the 150-member Lower House on Wednesday=
[26 =
Feb.] voted in favour of a motion to expel Israel=92s ambassador to Jordan =
and =
recall the Kingdom=92s ambassador to Israel.
The parliamentary motion was proposed by the House=92s Palestine Committee =
after recent Israeli violations against Al Aqsa Mosque.
The decision also came just one day after the Israeli Knesset resumed =
discussion of a draft law to strip Jordan from its status as custodian of =
the holy shrines in Jerusalem, as stipulated in the 1994 peace treaty with =
Israel.
=93The Israelis are in shock following our decision today,=94 Deputy Khalil =
Atiyeh (Amman, 1st District) told The Jordan Times after House meeting on =
Wednesday[26Feb.].
He said he was aware of the Israeli reaction following phone calls with an =
Arab member of the Knesset.
This is the first time the Parliament has decided to expel an Israeli =
ambassador, according to MP Yihya Saud (Amman, 2nd District), who heads the =
Palestine Committee.
Ahead of the vote, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh explained that Tuesday=
=92s[25Feb.] =
deliberations by the Knesset of a proposal to revoke Jordan=92s custodiansh=
ip =
over holy sites in Jerusalem ended without a vote, noting there was sharp =
opposition to the move within the Israeli parliament.
The proposal would only lead to harming relations with Arab and Muslim =
countries, Tarawneh quoted Israeli opposition figures as saying during the =
Knesset meeting.
Also on Tuesday[25 Feb.], the MPs started their debate over the issue, =
reiterating the need to take =93strong and solid=94 stand against the Israe=
li =
actions.
They called on the government to reconsider its diplomatic measures in this =
regard, and criticised its =93idle=94 position on the issue.
Certain MPs warned the government against lack of action.
They said the government will have to react by Sunday [2 Mar.], and before =
the House holds its next session. Otherwise, Saud said Prime Minister =
Abdullah Ensour risks a series of measures by MPs, including boycotting =
House meetings and ending with a no-confidence vote.
Israeli officials and lawmakers are now in a state of shock, after the Lowe=
r =
House=92s decision, and, most likely, they are going to avoid voting on the =
motion, submitted by the extremist Knesset member Moshe Feiglin, Atiyeh =
quoted Knesset member Ahmad Tibi as saying.
Feiglin is head of the =93Jewish Leadership=94 faction of Israel=92s govern=
ing =
Likud Party. He opposes the two-state solution and campaigns for the =
annexation the West Bank and Gaza, including Jerusalem=92s holy shrines.
He calls for full Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem, revoking all peace =
accords that Israel signed with its neighbouring Arab countries, including =
the Wadi Araba Peace Treaty with Jordan.
The Knesset is supposed to resume its debate over Feiglin=92s proposal =
Thursday[27 Feb.], amid expectations in Amman that no voting on this motion =
would take place, following the strong position by the Jordanian lawmakers =
and government.
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Sue Lerner – Associate, IMRA =
________________________________________
IMRA – Independent Media Review and Analysis
Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on A=
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Source: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=63318
