Monthly Archives: December 2014

EU Calls for Peace Talks After PA Fails at UN

By | 2014-12-31T11:45:10+00:00 December 31st, 2014|News|

The European Union’s (EU) foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said Tuesday's vote at the United Nations (UN) Security Council on Palestinian statehood underlined the need for Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) to urgently resume peace negotiations.   The Security Council failed to adopt an Arab-backed resolution that would have paved the way to a

Israel to PA: You Can’t Achieve Statehood with Provocations

By | 2014-12-31T11:09:47+00:00 December 31st, 2014|News|

The Middle East Adviser for the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations (UN), Israel Nitzan, told the Palestinian Authority (PA) on Tuesday night that statehood cannot be achieved using provocations.   Nitzan made a statement to the Security Council shortly after it rejected the PA’s resolution which would have set a deadline for

PA’s Statehood Resolution Defeated at Security Council

By | 2014-12-31T10:30:53+00:00 December 31st, 2014|News|

The United Nations (UN) Security Council failed on Tuesday night to adopt a resolution on Palestinian statehood, AFP reports.   Only eight countries voted in favor of the resolution, two voted against, and there were five abstentions. The resolution needed nine votes in its favor to have passed.   France, China and Russia were among

PA Toughens Language in Unilateral UN Resolution

By | 2014-12-30T14:18:24+00:00 December 30th, 2014|News|

The Palestinian Authority’s envoys presented on Monday a more toughly-worded United Nations (UN) draft resolution on statehood that could come up for a vote at the Security Council this week, AFP reports.   Arab ambassadors met at UN headquarters for about two hours to endorse the text that contains new provisions on declaring eastern Jerusalem

PA Minister: Killing Babies Part of ‘Resistance’ Against Israel

By | 2014-12-30T13:54:10+00:00 December 30th, 2014|News|

A Palestinian Authority (PA) "minister" has justified the murder of a one year-old Israeli baby as legitimate "resistance" against Israel, Palestinian Media Watch reports Monday.    Israel fined Ali Sa'ada, a terrorist prisoner who murdered the child and his father, with 3.5 million shekel ($896,355) earlier this month.   According to PMW, Prisoners' Affairs Authority

PA UN Bid to be Postponed for Next Year

By | 2014-12-30T13:32:55+00:00 December 30th, 2014|News|

The council of Arab UN ambassadors gathered on Monday to discuss the Palestinian Authority (PA) resolution set to be proposed at the UN Security Council, unilaterally demanding recognition and Israeli withdrawals - however, the vote on the resolution set for Monday looks to be postponed yet again.   Last Friday PA chief negotiator Saeb Erekat

PA Co-opts Jesus the ‘Palestinian Messiah and Martyr’

By | 2014-12-29T23:27:00+00:00 December 29th, 2014|News|

In what has become a "Christmas tradition" for the Palestinian Authority (PA), PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and other senior figures of the group once again made the ahistorical claim that Jesus was "Palestinian."   Abbas last Monday told the official PA paper WAFA "we celebrate the birth of Jesus, a Palestinian messenger of love, justice

Egyptian Court Bans Annual Jewish Pilgrimage

By | 2014-12-29T22:59:19+00:00 December 29th, 2014|News|

A court in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria issued an indefinite ban on celebrations marking the birthday of Yacoub Abu Hasira, held annually in January since 1979, the year Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty.   Abu Hasira lived between 1805 and 1880.    Despite an earlier ban on the pilgrimage during the regime

Hamas Denies Qatar Cut its Funding Over Egypt

By | 2014-12-29T13:16:25+00:00 December 29th, 2014|News|

Hamas on Sunday denied a Kuwaiti newspaper's report that Qatar has informed Hamas that it would be temporarily halting its financial support, reports i24news.   The Kuwaiti Al Jarida reported last week that the move was made in order to push Hamas to change its policy against Egypt, which the Gulf state has just reconciled

Hamas Bans Gaza War Orphans from Traveling to Israel

By | 2014-12-29T12:47:01+00:00 December 29th, 2014|News|

Hamas on Sunday prevented dozens of children orphaned during its 50-day war with Israel from entering Israeli territory in a pre-arranged trip, organizers and officials said - despite Israel making the effort to allow the children to visit.    The week-long visit was planned for 37 children whose parents were killed by Israel in the