Palestinian/ Israeli update 9/16/2016.. Israeli forces kill 3 in West Bank
Israeli forces kill 3 in West Bank
Man Shot In Jerusalam Knife Attack
Netanyahu calls Putin to discuss Palestinian-Israeli peace talks revival
https://www.rt.com/news/359492-netanyahu-putin-call-palestinian-talks
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has called Russian President to discuss the situation in the Middle East, as well as “various” aspects of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, including the possible resumption of direct talks between the sides. “The sides exchanged opinions on the current situation in the Middle East. Various aspects of the Palestinian-Israeli settlement were discussed, including a possible return to direct Palestinian-Israeli dialog. Further diplomatic contacts on different levels have been ensured,” read a statement from the Kremlin press service.
The phone talks were initiated by the Israeli side and took place on Thursday night. The talks are a significant step in recent negotiations aimed at restarting the process of the Palestinian-Israeli settlement. The sides are considering a return to direct dialog. There are various approaches towards the resumption of the peace talks. Moscow was proposed as a possible location for possible negotiations during a June conference on the Middle East in Paris. Earlier this week Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel offered his country as the setting for the peace talks. “Prime Minister Bettel has invited me to Luxembourg, and he said the Palestinians might also come there,” Netanyahu said during a joint press conference with Bettel, as quoted by Jerusalem Post. “Therefore, it’s either Moscow or Luxembourg.” The date and place of the proposed Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations is still being discussed.
Pro-Palestinian aid flotilla leaves Barcelona for Gaza
Women’s Boat to Gaza (WBG): An All-Women Boat, To Break the Siege of Gaza
A group of women from all over the world are about to embark on a dangerous journey on board the Women’s Boat to Gaza (WBG). Two vessels are leaving from Barcelona on 14 September with the goal of reaching the besieged Palestinian enclave by early October in a symbolic breaking of the Israeli-Egyptian blockade.
One of these women is Zohar Chamberlain Regev, an Israeli citizen who was born and raised in Kibbutz Kfar Hahoresh, near Nazareth. She has been living in Spain for the past 12 years and has been involved in the Spanish component of Freedom Flotilla work since 2012. She coordinates the Women’s Boat to Gaza Steering Committee and is a team leader onboard the Amal.
“We want to give visibility to women in Palestine who have been struggling alongside the men since before the Nakba, since the beginning of the Zionist colonisation of Palestine,” says Regev.
The flotilla’s mission is part of a campaign to break the ongoing Israeli-Egyptian siege imposed on the Gaza Strip. The two boats Amal (Hope) and Zaytouna (Olive) will stop at two ports before sailing off to Gaza carrying their full capacity of 30 people.
The boats will set sail from the Bosch i Alsina dock in the Port of Barcelona and will be raising awareness of the ongoing struggles that Palestinian women face in Gaza, the West Bank, inside the Green Line and in the wider diaspora. The mission will aim to reach the shores of Gaza by early October and will be sailed by an all-woman crew.
The participants include Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire (Northern Ireland), Marama Davidson, Green Party MP (New Zealand), and Cigdem Topcuoglu, a professional Turkish athlete and coach who sailed on the Mavi Marmara in 2010 and whose husband was among the 10 activists killed by Israeli forces on that voyage.
Zaytouna-Oliva left Barcelona, followed in Spanish waters | Women’s Boat to Gaza
for immediate release
Barcelona, Spain
2016-09-16
Due to technical problems, the Women’s Boat to Gaza (WBG) Amal-Hope returned to Barcelona and is now docked at a mooring in the Barcelona area. Its sister ship Zaytouna-Oliva was temporarily delayed by the port authorities, although it did possess all necessary documentation. While Amal-Hope is getting assessed for needed repairs, Zaytouna-Oliva has now finally left Barcelona.
With regards to the Amal, WBG crew member, Madeleine Habib from Tasmania, Australia, explained that “safety is paramount. As eager as we are to visit our sisters in Gaza, we also want to make sure that we aren’t taking unnecessary risks in our voyage.” Habib, a seasoned skipper, has traveled extensively across the Mediterranean in Medecins San Frontières rescue missions to help refugees.
WBG participant Yudit Ilany from Israel expressed the collective resolve of the women passengers. “We are certainly disappointed our French friends in Ajaccio may not have a chance to see Amal-Hope, but we trust that they will understand our priority of ensuring we sail to Gaza.” Wendy Goldsmith, a WBG organizer from Canada, agrees. “The Palestinian people are well-known for their steadfastness which they call sumud. Like them, we must continue with patience and perseverance towards our ultimate destination.”
Once an assessment of the Amal-Hope’s technical problems is complete WBG leadership will assess the prospects of continuing the journey directly to the final European port of call, Messina, Italy.
Claude Léostic, Freedom Flotilla representative in France, notes that while “our friends in Ajaccio will miss having a proper visit with Amal and Zaytouna, they look forward to a visit from one of the boats headed for Gaza.”
UPDATE: at last news, the Zaytouna-Oliva is still in Spanish territorial waters and is being shadowed by Coast Guard vessels. We remain in touch and hope that they will be able to proceed on their voyage towards Ajaccio as planned.
For more information:
Ellen Huttu Hansson. Phone: +46 722 883 213
E-mail: [email protected]
Other media contacts: https://wbg.freedomflotilla.org/media-room
Israel has 200 nuclear weapons ‘all targeted on Tehran’ – Colin Powell email leak
Source: http://blogdogcicle.blogspot.com/2016/09/palestinian-israeli-update-9162016.html
