Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza unite against Annapolis
Whether in Gaza or the West Bank, Palestinians are not at all happy with Annapolis and do not support any of the diplomatic jargon that was exchanged there in order to please the crumbling American president and provide him with a photo-op or “success story” for his miserable record. Annapolis failed to address the most basic and important Palestinian such as the illegal growing settlements, the wall, the Road blocks, the 11,000.00 prisoners, the water, the electricity, Gaza and on and on... Mr. Abbas hardly even mentioned the plight of his people yet showed much compassion and understanding for the "plight" of the "Jewish" state. Mr. Bush on the other hand, was as usual obsessed with Israeli security and the affirmation of the "Jewishness" of Israel in order basically to prepare the world for the planned transfer of the goyim off “Jewish land”.
The Palestinians don't like what they heard and don't like what they saw.. and they are right. It was a shameful summit.., that is if one can call it a ‘summit’. The cameras unfortunately didn't cover the cuddled Arab delegation although it was an exceptionally big one. I have to wonder if the cameras had strict orders not to cover it as it is most unnatural behavior on the part of the media to fail to cover such a gathering. I would have liked to see their faces when Olmert started his Greek tragedy and said how he was just “longing for the day in which he could see Gilad..(sob, sob..), Eldad… and Udi back with their families”! Three lousy POW’s and Mr. Olmert is given the floor.. live for the world to see… but 11, 000.00 Palestinian POW’s and I might add that most of them are illegally kept by Israel such as women, children, civilians and elderly… AND NOT A WORD IS SAID ABOUT THEM BY ANY OF THE PONTIFICATING LEADERS! It is really too bad that the cameras mysteriously kept away from the faces of the Arab delegation. I would have loved to see them.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9127.shtml (for whole article)
PA forcefully disperses peaceful demonstrations, killing one
Report, PCHR, 28 November 2007
A member of the Palestinian Authority security force swings his baton at a demonstrator during a protest in Hebron, West Bank against the Annapolis conference, 27 November 2007. (Stringer/MaanImages)
Extracts of article:
The Center's preliminary investigation and eyewitness account indicate that yesterday 27 November 2007, hundreds of participants took part in peaceful demonstrations and rallies in Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Nablus that were organized by several political parties and civil society organizations to protest the Annapolis conference in the US.
Since the early morning hours of the day, hundreds of security personnel armed with guns and batons were deployed in main streets and areas designated for these assemblies. As soon as people started gathering in these areas, fist fights broke out between the security forces and demonstrators. The security forces attempted to disperse the demonstrators with batons and beatings. In addition, they fired indiscriminately to disperse the demonstrators, who threw rocks at the security personnel. The events led to the death of Hisham Na'im Yusef Baratha'a (37) from Hebron. He was killed by a bullet to the chest. In addition, more than 30 people were injured by various injuries in the areas where the demonstrations were held.
In the meantime, several journalists were beaten, detained, or prevented from covering the events by security forces. Among these journalists were Wa'el Hijazi al-Sheyoukhi (Al Jazeera), who suffered a broken left hand; Mo'ammar Orabi (Watan local TV), suffered a broken right leg; Ghassan Bannoura (Bethlehem local TV), suffered bruises all over the body; and Bassam Ja'far Dweikat (Yafa Media Center).
It is noted that security forces conducted an arrest campaign in the evening of Monday, 26 November 2007, and throughout Tuesday (27 November) against the organizers of these peaceful demonstrations. Most of the detainees were released but some remain in custody.
In light of these incidents, PCHR:
Strongly condemns the prevention of peaceful demonstrations in the West Bank, and the use of force in dispersing demonstrators, including the use of batons and other forms of violence and inhumane treatment.
Affirms the people's full rights to hold peaceful assemblies and demonstrations as a form of expression and protest that is protected by the Basic Law and international human rights mechanisms, conditional to the peaceful nature of these activities.
Strongly condemns the attack on journalists, beating them, detaining them, and preventing them from conducting their work freely. The Centre reiterates the call for respecting journalistic freedoms.
Calls upon the Palestinian government in Ramallah to immediately investigate these attacks, especially the killing of Baratha'a and injury of 30 others, and to prosecute the perpetrators.
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http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9128.shtml
Palestinians protest the Annapolis summit
Rami Almeghari, The Electronic Intifada, 28 November 2007
Gazans protest the Annapolis conference, 27 November 2007. (Iyad Albaba)
"We do not recognize those who hold talks in Annapolis; they do not represent the Palestinian people," said Ismail Haniyeh, the dismissed Palestinian Prime Minister, in response to the Washington-sponsored Palestinian-Israeli summit in Annapolis.
The streets of Palestine bore witness that it isn't only the Hamas leader who doesn't grant legitimacy to the Palestinian negotiating team at the Annapolis conference. On Tuesday, 27 November, large crowds of Palestinians in Gaza poured out of their homes -- as did their brothers and sisters in the West Bank -- to protest what they call the "renunciation of Palestinians' legitimate rights." Critics of the conference held large demonstrations and rallies in the coastal strip, voicing their strongly worded objections to the Annapolis gathering.
"No recognition of Israel! No recognition of Israel!" thousands of Gaza residents chanted in front of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) building in Gaza City.
A young woman taking part in a large women's rally cried angrily, "We don't want more alleged peace conferences, which bring us more suffering. We prefer poverty to accepting shameful peace."
A young man at a nearby rally voiced similar frustration: "What peace are they are talking about? They want us to give up our legitimate rights. We prefer more years of suffering to conceding our rights."
The speaker of the elected PLC, Dr. Ahmad Bahar, told the crowds, "Today, the Palestinian people tell those meeting in Annapolis that they refuse to concede their inalienable rights."
Bahar said that the PLC passed a new bill prohibiting the concession of the Palestinian refugees' right to return as well as the Palestinian nation's rights to Jerusalem and to resist the occupation.
"This bill is intended to protect Palestinian rights from those who coordinate with the Israeli entity," the speaker added, referring to President Abbas' parallel, unelected government that holds talks with Israel.
Many Palestinian bodies, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)-linked parties and intellectuals have voiced their objection to the peace summit in Annapolis.
Dr. As'ad Abu Sharekh, a professor of English literature and a political analyst in Gaza, believes that the efforts underway will not lead to real peace.
"This conference should have instead been convened by the United Nations, which has been sponsoring the Palestinian question over the past six decades. The United Nations is the sole body that should implement its long-pending resolutions concerning the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."
"Resolution 194 of 1949 should be on top of such resolutions, which demands the return and compensation of Palestinian refugees to historical Palestine," he added.
The Palestinian academic believes that the solution lies in creating one Palestinian state, inclusive of Palestinians and Israeli Jews, on all of historic Palestine.
"These protests against the Annapolis summit are boosting the Palestinian negotiation team. It signals a message of Palestinian consensus over one thing -- no to renounciation of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people," said Abu Sharekh.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who represents the PLO, is taking part in the meeting in the US at a time when the Palestinian territories are divided -- geographically and politically -- into two camps: Abbas' Fatah movement seeks to control the West Bank while Hamas holds sway in Gaza.
Palestinian security forces in the West Bank yesterday dispersed crowds of opponents to the peace conference, using force against protesters and journalists -- one demonstrator was killed in Hebron and dozens were injured throughout the West Bank.
Protests also took place in other parts of the region as Palestinian refugees in neighboring Arab countries and in the Diaspora voiced their demand for their right of return to historical Palestine, refusing any solution that might threaten that right.
The Annapolis meeting comes after Israel's recent demand that the Palestinians accept it as an exclusively Jewish state, which would mean dropping the Palestinian people's right to return, and exposing Palestinian citizens of Israel to further discrimination and possible expulsion.
Before the conference, Washington declared that the Annapolis meeting was intended to restart the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, on the basis of a two-state solution.
The PLO already recognized and signed the Oslo peace deal with Israel in 1993 which fell apart after Israel violated the agreement by, among other things, doubling the number of settlers living in its illegal colonies in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
In 2000, Washington sponsored the Camp David peace talks that failed to bring about peace after Israel refused to recognize the Palestinian people's right to return, and to give up major settlements or to relinquish East Jerusalem which it has occupied since 1967.
According to United Nations General Assembly resolution 194 of 1949, Israel must allow Palestinian refugees who were expelled from, or fled their homes and villages during the establishment of the state of Israel, to return to their places of origin and to receive compensation. United Nations' records suggest that there are almost five million Palestinian refugees, scattered in the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
In 1967, the United Nations Security Council issued resolution 242 demanding Israel to withdraw from Arab lands it occupied in June 1967, including the Palestinian Gaza Strip and West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Syrian Golan Heights.
Israel maintains a tight grip over the Palestinian territories. Jewish-only settlement colonies have been built throughout the West Bank, which has had even more land effectively annexed to Israel through the building of the wall that encompasses as many settlements and as much Palestinian land on the western side of the wall while incorporating as few Palestinians as possible. Meanwhile, in Gaza, the population is enduring a paralyzing economic siege, endorsed by the US, on top of the regular Israeli military bombardments and incursions.
Rami Almeghari is currently contributor to several media outlets including the Palestine Chronicle, aljazeerah.info, IMEMC, The Electronic Intifada and Free Speech Radio News. Rami is also a former senior English translator at and editor in chief of the international press center of the Gaza-based Palestinian Information Service. He can be contacted at rami_almeghari at hotmail.com.
