Global News Post: Israel

Israel Minister Warns U.S. Secretary Of State Over 'Surrender' To Iran

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">JERUSALEM
(NNN-MA'AN) - Israel's intelligence minister slammed as unacceptable, comments
by US Secretary of State John Kerry, on negotiations with Iran over its nuclear
programme, which he said, indicated a "surrender" to Tehran.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"The
things Kerry said in Congress are worrying, they are surprising and they are
unacceptable," Yuval Steinitz, who is also strategic affairs minister, told
public radio.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"We
watch the negotiations with concern. We are not opposed to a diplomatic
solution, but we are against a solution which is entirely a surrender to Iran
and which leaves it a threshold nuclear state," Steinitz said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In
remarks to US lawmakers last week, Kerry warned that the Islamic republic was
two months away from breakout capability to produce enough nuclear material for
a bomb, should they resume their mothballed enrichment process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Responding
to reports that international negotiations with Iran should focus on extending
the time it would take for Iran to produce nuclear weapons to between six and
12 months, Kerry said, the ultimate goal was assurance that Iran never build an
atomic bomb, but slowing the process would be an improvement on the current
situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"I
think it is fair to say, I think it is public knowledge today, that we are
operating with a time period for a so-called breakout of about two
months," Kerry said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"So
six months to 12 months is -- I'm not saying that's what we'd settle for -- but
even that is significantly more," he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Steinitz
insisted that Israel would not allow such a scenario.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"We
will not be able to adopt and accept any agreement, which leaves Iran months or
a year from a nuclear weapon," he insisted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel,
like the United States, has refused to rule out military action, to prevent
Tehran from acquiring nuclear arms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Under
an interim agreement reached last year that expires on July 20, Iran froze key
parts of its nuclear programme, in return for limited sanctions relief and a
promise of no new sanctions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Talks
on a permanent agreement are under way between Iran and UN Security Council
permanent members, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, along
with Germany.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After
a session in Vienna last week, the powers' chief negotiator, EU foreign policy
chief, Catherine Ashton said, the next round from May 13 would see negotiations
"move to the next phase." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
West and Israel have long suspected Iran of using its nuclear energy programme
as a cover for developing atomic weapons, a charge denied by the Islamic
republic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel
is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the region, though it
has never officially confirmed or denied having such an arsenal.-- NNN-MA'AN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Israel Minister Warns U.S. Secretary Of State Over 'Surrender' To Iran

JERUSALEM (NNN-MA'AN) - Israel's intelligence minister slammed as unacceptable, comments by US Secretary of State John Kerry,...

CHINA URGES ISRAEL TO MAKE "BRAVE" DECISIONS ON PEACE TALKS

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">BEIJING (NNN-XINHUA) - China's President Xi
Jinping urged Israel to make "brave" decisions on the latest round of
peace talks with the Palestinians, after negotiators ended another U.S-mediated
session with no sign of a breakthrough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"At present, the Israeli-Palestinian talks
process has entered a crucial stage; there are opportunities and also many
difficulties," Xi told visiting Israeli President Shimon Peres, China's
foreign ministry said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"(China) hopes that Israel keeps in mind the
broader picture of peace, shows strategic wisdom, makes brave decisions as
early as possible, and pushes along with the international community and
Palestinians, for substantive progress on peace talks," Xi added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The U.S.-brokered negotiations, which began in
July, plunged into crisis last week, after Israel, demanding a Palestinian
commitment to continue talking beyond an Apr 29 deadline for a peace deal,
failed to carry out a promised release of about two dozens Palestinian
prisoners.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">China has traditionally had a low profile in
Middle East diplomacy, despite its reliance on oil imports from there, but is
keen to assert its role as a force in international politics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Last year, Xi met both Israeli Prime Minister,
Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, urging them to revive
discussions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Xi, who took office in Mar last year, did not
outline any specific proposals for the peace talks, saying simply that China
would keep "playing a constructive role."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Xi said, the Chinese and Jewish peoples had long
had friendly relations, pointing out China's role in fighting "fascism and
militarism" during World War Two.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Beijing has maintained close relations with the
Palestinians for decades. In recent years, it has also cultivated ties with
Israel, though Israel is wary of China's links with Iran.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">China, Iran's top oil customer and a permanent
member of the U.N. Security Council, has opposed unilateral sanctions on
Tehran, such as those imposed by Washington and the European Union, and has
called repeatedly for talks to resolve the standoff over Iran's contested
nuclear programme. -- NNN-XINHUA<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

CHINA URGES ISRAEL TO MAKE "BRAVE" DECISIONS ON PEACE TALKS

BEIJING (NNN-XINHUA) - China's President Xi Jinping urged Israel to make "brave" decisions on the latest round of peace tal...

Palestinian Cabinet Calls for Steps to Stop Israel's Settlement "Onslaught"

Palestinian Cabinet Calls for Steps to Stop Israel's Settlement "Onslaught"

RAMALLAH (NNN-WAFA) -- The Palestinian cabinet has called on members of the United Nations Security Council and other powers to put a ...

Israel Suspends Palestinian Funds after UN Vote

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">TEL AVIV (RIA Novosti) – Israel is halting
tax payments it collects for the Palestinians in response to their successful
bid to raise their UN status, local media reported on Sunday, citing Israeli
Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"I have no intention of transferring
the tax payments to the Palestinian Authority this month. I plan to use them to
offset Palestinian debt to the Israel Electric Corporation," Steinitz said
at the beginning of a weekly cabinet meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“We have said from the beginning that the
raising of the status of <st1:city w:st="on">Palestine</st1:city> at the UN
would produce a reaction from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that
a total of 460 million shekels (about $120 million) would be withheld from the
Palestinians.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The move comes after the UN General Assembly
recognized on Thursday the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a non-member observer
state.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Palestinian bid, submitted by President
Mahmoud Abbas, was approved by 138 UN members, while nine voted against and 41
abstained from voting. The bid faced fierce opposition from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> and the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The move amounts to an implicit recognition
of the Palestinian statehood and increases PA’s chances of joining other UN
bodies. It also allows the Palestinian Authority to challenge the continuing
construction of Israeli settlements on the occupied Palestinian land in the
International Criminal Court.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Abbas urged the UN General Assembly before
the historic vote “to issue the birth certificate of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city>."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He also reiterated that the Palestinians
would continue their efforts to achieve a fully-recognized statehood. ---VOA
News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>

Israel Suspends Palestinian Funds after UN Vote

TEL AVIV (RIA Novosti) – Israel is halting tax payments it collects for the Palestinians in response to their successful bid to raise...

India Hopes UN Vote Will Help Resume Palestine, Israel Talks

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">UNITED NATIONS (NNN-Bernama) -- India has
expressed hope that Palestine's enhanced status at the United Nations will pave
the way for resumption of "serious and direct" talks with Israel as
it voiced concern that the continued impasse between the two parties over
settlement activities threaten the two-state solution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">India</span></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> was among the 138 nations that
voted in favour of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city>
at a historic UN General Assembly vote that upgraded the status of the
Palestinian Authority to non-member observer state from an entity, Press Trust
of India (PTI) reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The <st1:country-region w:st="on">United
 States</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
and were among only nine nations in the 193-member UN body that voted against <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city> in Thursday's
vote.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"We hope that the vote in the General
Assembly will pave the way for the resumption of serious, direct talks between
the Palestinians and the Israelis,"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">India's Permanent Representative to the UN
Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri said at a General Assembly session here on Friday
on the 'Question of Palestine and the situation in the Middle East.'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Puri regretted that while democratic
aspirations of people in several Arab countries was being addressed through
national political processes over the last two years, the Palestinian question
and related Arab-Israeli issues remained largely un-addressed and unresolved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"For more than two years now, there
have been no direct talks between <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city>.
Meanwhile, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories has been
deteriorating due to settlement activities in the West Bank and <st1:place w:st="on">East Jerusalem</st1:place>," Puri said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"These activities are creating new
realities on the ground, and threaten the very premise of a two-state
solution," he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Settlements, roadblocks and the related
infrastructure of occupation have exacerbated the humanitarian problems of the
Palestinian people and are adversely affecting the normal functioning of state
institutions, he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Palestinian Authority is also facing a
severe financial crisis that could erode significant progress made by it in
building state institutions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">With the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city> blockade entering its sixth year, the
humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate and essential services,
economic activities and infrastructure development have been disrupted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"We strongly condemn the violence and
deeply regret the loss of human lives during the recent hostilities. We hope
both the parties will uphold the ceasefire agreement and implement its
provisions in good faith," Puri said referring to the Nov 21 ceasefire
between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas which brought an end to eight
days of violence that left an estimated 158 Palestinians dead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Tensions had escalated in the region earlier
this month following rocket attacks against <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
from <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city> and Israeli air-strikes on <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Puri also lamented that <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city>'s application for full membership
of the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">United Nations submitted more than a year
ago had not evinced any positive action from the Security Council, despite
overwhelming support from the UN member-states.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Reiterating <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>'s
continued support for the Palestinian cause, Puri congratulated the leadership
and people of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city>
on winning the General Assembly vote.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"While we have long supported the
aspirations of the Palestinian people and leadership for the full membership to
the United Nations, the vote in the General Assembly is an important milestone
towards that goal," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Noting <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>'s
long history of solidarity with the Palestinian people, Puri said <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> was the first non-Arab country to
recognise the state of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city>
nearly 25 years ago. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>

India Hopes UN Vote Will Help Resume Palestine, Israel Talks

UNITED NATIONS (NNN-Bernama) -- India has expressed hope that Palestine's enhanced status at the United Nations will pave the way f...

Gaza, Israel Calm as Cease-Fire Holds

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Palestinians and Israelis went about their
day blanketed in relative calm Thursday, after a cease-fire brokered hours
before gave citizens in the volatile area their first quiet night in more than
a week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">If Israel and the Hamas militants who run
the Gaza Strip can maintain peace until 9:00 p.m. local time (1900 GMT), border
areas from Gaza will be opened, allowing people and goods to move in and out of
the territory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The truce brokered by <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> took
effect at 9:00 p.m. local time Wednesday. 
Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr made the truce announcement
in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cairo</st1:place></st1:city> with
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at his side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Gazans poured into the streets after the
cease-fire began, with some firing guns in celebration. In the West Bank
Palestinian territory, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
army said Thursday it arrested 55 suspected senior-level Palestinian militants
that were members of various armed factions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> is monitoring both sides for violations
of the cease-fire agreement. The truce follows several days of intense aerial
assaults on both sides of the border between <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> and the Gaza Strip, leaving
more than 140 Palestinians and five Israelis dead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The deal was reached amid hours of intense
diplomacy involving <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Clinton</st1:place></st1:city>,
as well as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Clinton</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> called the truce "a critical moment
for the region.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The people of this region deserve a
chance to live free from fear and violence and today's agreement is a step in
the right direction that we should build on," said <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Clinton</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<st1:city w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Clinton</span></st1:city><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> also praised <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region>'s
new government for assuming a key role in the effort and for pledging to work
with <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state>
to ensure the cease-fire holds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">On Wednesday, a bomb blast on a bus in
central Tel Aviv wounded at least 27 people, some seriously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">New rounds of missile and air attacks
rained down on <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
following the Tel Aviv attack. Palestinians medics Wednesday said at least 10
people were killed, including a young boy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> and Hamas had traded rocket fire since an
Israeli missile killed Hamas's military chief in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Gaza</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place>
last week. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> says the
attack was a direct response to months of almost daily rocket fire into
southern <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city></st1:place>. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Gaza, Israel Calm as Cease-Fire Holds

Palestinians and Israelis went about their day blanketed in relative calm Thursday, after a cease-fire brokered hours before gave cit...

Gaza Ceasefire Efforts Step Up as Death Toll Mounts

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeN9TclWS5Xqbvlzho1rJzFF2och7I1STWekL1U-qeC6rOmavTqQFX-X7MYw8d2Db9O6CTI6IKyi4O3R8v4xUvoDyaXNsC6DmJbLjlyU1tx4LnImCqq1Uoyo62yl8KLlU2j-xU_sjPnTM/s1600/2012112015281444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeN9TclWS5Xqbvlzho1rJzFF2och7I1STWekL1U-qeC6rOmavTqQFX-X7MYw8d2Db9O6CTI6IKyi4O3R8v4xUvoDyaXNsC6DmJbLjlyU1tx4LnImCqq1Uoyo62yl8KLlU2j-xU_sjPnTM/s1600/2012112015281444.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">NNN---</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">Osama Abdel Aal is rescued after his family’s house collapsed during an Israeli strike in the Tufah neighborhood of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Gaza</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place> on 19 November 2012. Photo courtesy Bernat Armangue---NNN</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">  </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">MOSCOW/GAZA   (RIA Novosti) – Israel carried out some 100
airstrikes on Gaza overnight as the bombardment of the Palestinian enclave
entered its seventh day amid frantic negotiations to stem a rapidly rising body
count.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Gaza’s
health ministry said on Tuesday at least 111 people, many of them children, had
been killed in the densely-populated city of 1.7 million since Israel began its
airborne assault on Wednesday in response to a surge in rocket attacks from the
enclave. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
Israeli military said 29 rockets had been fired from <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city>,
ruled by the Hamas Islamist group, towards <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region></st1:place> since early Tuesday. Most
were intercepted, but three landed in the town of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Beersheva</st1:place></st1:city>. A rocket - the second of the
current conflict - also landed near <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city>,
Israeli media said. No injuries were reported in either attack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Three
Israelis have been killed by rocket fire from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city> since the start of the military
campaign.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"My
message is clear - all sides must halt fire immediately,” UN Secretary Ban
Ki-moon said in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cairo</st1:place></st1:city>
during talks with Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby ahead of a meeting with
Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mursi
- a member of the Muslim Brotherhood movement that gave rise to Hamas - hinted
late on Tuesday afternoon that a truce was imminent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The
farce of Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip will end on Tuesday,"
he said. "The efforts to conclude a truce between the Palestinian and
Israeli sides will produce positive results in the next few hours."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ban
is also due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later on Tuesday,
before traveling to the West Bank city of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ramallah</st1:place></st1:city>
to speak to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">US</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> officials said on Tuesday that Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton was heading for the region to press for a truce and would
visit <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region> and the <st1:place w:st="on">West Bank</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israeli
and Palestinian officials were also reported to be negotiating via an Egyptian
mediator in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Cairo</st1:city></st1:place>
on Tuesday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
developments came as an Israeli government source told RIA Novosti on Tuesday
that Israel would put off an invasion of Gaza for another 24 hours to give
“diplomatic efforts a chance.” He also admitted that <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
was coming under intense “international pressure” to halt its bombing of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> is demanding a complete cessation of rocket
fire from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
before it halts its attacks on “terrorist” targets in the densely-populated
city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Tel
Aviv has called up 75,000 reservists and a ground force is massed near the
border with <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>,
awaiting orders to enter the enclave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ban
warned that any Israeli ground invasion of <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city>
would be a “dangerous escalation,” but said <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> had “legitimate concerns that
must be respected in international law.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">’s last invasion of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>, in 2008-2009, killed 1,400
Palestinians, the majority of them civilians. Thirteen Israelis died in the
22-day military operation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A
Haaretz-Dialog poll taken on Sunday indicated that 84% of the Israeli public
supports the present military campaign, with 12% opposing it. But only 30% of
the Israeli public would support a ground offensive in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>, the pollster reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">US
President Barack Obama reiterated on Sunday <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state>’s
insistence that <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
has the right to self-defense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"There's
no country on earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens
from outside its borders... we are fully supportive of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s right
to defend itself," said Obama.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But
ordinary people in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
were scornful of Obama’s comments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Since
when does the occupier have the right to defend itself from the occupied?” said
north <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
resident Sameh Alborai. “Many people here believe <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city> is being attacked because of the Israeli
elections that are coming up. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
has an internal conflict and, like always in these situations, they are
targeting <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> votes in parliamentary elections in
January.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Turkish
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan alleged on that Friday Israel’s attack on <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city> was a pre-election
ploy aimed at drumming up support for Netanyahu’s Likud Party. On Monday,
Erdogan labeled <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
a "terrorist state."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Netanyahu
dismissed the accusations: “We are defending ourselves,” he said last week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A
spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, urged
Israel on Tuesday to "scrupulously meet its legal obligations to
distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The
high commissioner reiterates her condemnation of the continuing indiscriminate
attacks and targeting of civilians in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
by militants in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city></st1:place>,"
the spokesman, Rupert Colville, also said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Gaza Ceasefire Efforts Step Up as Death Toll Mounts

NNN--- Osama Abdel Aal is rescued after his family’s house collapsed during an Israeli strike in the Tufah neighborhood of Gaza C...

Gaza Death Toll Rises as UN Chief Seeks Truce

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEI4UTea_GeJsvzO6xNOZ1qRFhzd3vfiXgbX1LvzsWIzubNQSXzBKwChoip-QOaZRHGmSv3h_ICfc7lIqFFPLmm7jGf2nv2sov50vXf3IL0sYpkoqz71o83G7X_9fPh_lpQep9t3oiiI/s1600/2012111915305866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEI4UTea_GeJsvzO6xNOZ1qRFhzd3vfiXgbX1LvzsWIzubNQSXzBKwChoip-QOaZRHGmSv3h_ICfc7lIqFFPLmm7jGf2nv2sov50vXf3IL0sYpkoqz71o83G7X_9fPh_lpQep9t3oiiI/s640/2012111915305866.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">NNN---</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Shifa hospital in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Gaza</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place>
struggles with the number of casualties following Israeli attacks. Over the
past 48 hours, the Israeli army has escalated their aerial and ground attacks
against the Gaza Strip. Seventy two Palestinians were killed and more than 660
others, including 224 children, 113 women and 50 elderly people, were injured
by the recurrent air strikes, Palestinian medical sources said on 18 November
2012. Photo courtesy Anne Paq ---NNN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">MOSCOW/GAZA
(RIA Novosti) – The death toll in <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city> climbed
to at least 90 on Monday as <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
continued to strike targets within the Palestinian enclave and UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon headed to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> to attempt to secure a
ceasefire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Plumes
of smoke rose across <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city> as <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> pummeled
the city of 1.7 million from sea and air for a sixth straight day in response
to a surge in Palestinian rocket fire earlier this month.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:city w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Gaza</span></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">’s Health Ministry said 94 Palestinians,
many of them women and children had been killed since <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
military campaign began on November 14. The Israeli Defense Forces put the
figure at 95, with one third of the dead civilians.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Gaza</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> health officials said 25 people have been
killed so far on Monday, including three children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“When
Israeli forces strike a house, they destroy all the houses next to it,” said
north <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
resident Sameh Alborai, 25, by telephone. “The Israelis are not warning anyone
before they attack houses and have been targeting civilians from the first
day.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel was doing all it
could to minimize civilian casualties as its military attacked what it says are
“terrorist” targets in densely populated Gaza.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Three
Israeli civilians have been killed since November 14 by rockets fired from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>, which has been
ruled by the Hamas Islamist group since 2007.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">UN
chief Ban was expected to meet Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cairo</st1:place></st1:city> later today amid
international attempts to end the violence. Mursi, a member of the Muslim
Brotherhood movement that gave rise to Hamas, warned last week that <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region> would not abandon <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ban’s
visit to <st1:city w:st="on">Cairo</st1:city> came as the radio station of the
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
had told Palestinian representatives via Egyptian mediators in <st1:city w:st="on">Cairo</st1:city>
that it would widen its operations if rocket attacks from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city> did not cease in the next 36 hours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Although
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> reported a dramatic
drop in rocket attacks on Monday, an IDF spokesperson tweeted later in the day
that a <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city> missile had hit a school in the
southern Israeli town of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ashkelon</st1:place></st1:city>.
The school had earlier been evacuated and there were no injuries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
development came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on
Sunday that the Israeli military was prepared to “significantly expand” its
military operation in Gaza.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“We
will force Hamas and other terrorist organizations to pay a high price,”
Netanyahu told a Cabinet session. “The Israeli army is ready to significantly
expand its operation.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> has put 75,000 reservists on stand-by and
troops and military equipment are massed near the border with <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A
Haaretz-Dialog poll taken on Sunday indicated that 84% of the Israeli public
supports the present military campaign, with 12% opposing it. But only 30% of
the Israeli public would support a ground offensive in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>, the pollster reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">US
President Barack Obama reiterated on Sunday <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state>’s
insistence that <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
has the right to self-defense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"There's
no country on earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens
from outside its borders... we are fully supportive of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s right
to defend itself," said Obama.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But
ordinary people in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
were scornful of Obama’s comments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Since
when does the occupier have the right to defend itself from the occupied?”
asked Alborai. “Many people here believe <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
is being attacked because of the Israeli elections that are coming up. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> has an internal conflict and, like always
in these situations, they are targeting <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> votes in parliamentary elections in
January.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Turkish
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan alleged on Friday <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>’s
attack on <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
was a pre-election ploy aimed at drumming up support for Netanyahu’s Likud
Party. On Monday, Erdogan labelled <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> a "terrorist
state."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Netanyahu
has dismissed the accusations: “We are defending ourselves,” he said last week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>

Gaza Death Toll Rises as UN Chief Seeks Truce

NNN--- Shifa hospital in Gaza City struggles with the number of casualties following Israeli attacks. Over the past 48 hours, the Isr...

Israel, Hamas Exchange Fierce Attacks

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> and Hamas exchanged fierce attacks
Saturday, as Israeli forces continued massing along the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city></st1:place> border in preparation for a possible
ground invasion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
Israeli military carried out more t</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">200 air
strikes on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip Saturday, targeting government buildings
including the office of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and the Hamas Cabinet.
Haniyeh was not there at the t</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">ime.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israeli
missiles also hit rocket launching sites and weapons smuggling tunnels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> has positioned tanks and other armored
vehicles along the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
border, and has shut down main roads around the territory, a sign it could be
ready to launch a ground offensive.  <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
Cabinet has authorized the mobilization of up to 75,000 reservists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Meanwhile,
Hamas rocket fire continued as far north as Tel Aviv, where sirens wailed
Saturday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">'s military said its new "Iron
Dome" missile defense system shot down a rocket bound for Tel Aviv, one of
several Hamas has fired at <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
commercial center.  The Israeli
government said "Iron Dome" has intercepted nearly 250 of the
hundreds of Hamas rockets fired since the conflict began a few days ago. One rocket
landed Friday in a field outside <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Palestinian
officials say 42 people have died in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>,
including militants and civilians, since the Israelis began their air strikes a
few days ago. Hamas rockets have killed three Israeli civilians. About 10
Israelis including some soldiers were injured</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> by rocket fire on Saturday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In
<st1:city w:st="on">Cairo</st1:city> Saturday, Arab League foreign ministers
held an emergency meeting and condemned <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> for its attacks in the Gaza
Strip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
White House said President Barack Obama was in touch with Egyptian and Turkish
leaders about ending the conflict.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">An
Israeli missile Wednesday killed the top military commander of Hamas in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.  <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
said the killing was in direct response to the almost daily rocket attacks on <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In
the last <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city> war, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> carried out a fierce air and
ground offensive during a three-week period between 2008 and 2009.  More than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis
were killed. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>

Israel, Hamas Exchange Fierce Attacks

Israel and Hamas exchanged fierce attacks Saturday, as Israeli forces continued massing along the Gaza border in preparation for a po...

Two Gaza Men Killed in Israeli Air Strike

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">GAZA
STRIP/TEL AVIV (RIA Novosti) – Two Palestinian militants were killed in an
Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip on Sunday in retaliation to the shelling
of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
with rocket and mortar fire, the Israeli military said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Overnight,
the Israeli military launched a series of air raids on <st1:placename w:st="on">Gaza</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype> after militants fired an
anti-tank missile at an Israeli jeep near the Karni crossing along the border
east of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Gaza</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place> on Saturday evening, wounding four
Israeli soldiers. Military sources said two of the soldiers were in grave
condition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In
response, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
fired a barrage of artillery fire and shells, killing four people and wounding
25, mostly civilians, Palestinian medical officials said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In
another air strike that struck the north-west of the Gaza Strip early on
Sunday, two militants from Islamic Jihad were killed. The Israeli military said
the air strike targeted a group of militants who had fired rockets on areas in
southern <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">About
40 Palestinian rockets have hit Israeli since late Saturday, slightly injuring
three people, the Israeli military said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Two Gaza Men Killed in Israeli Air Strike

GAZA STRIP/TEL AVIV (RIA Novosti) – Two Palestinian militants were killed in an Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip on Sunday in retal...

Turkey Starts Trial Against Israelis Involved in 2010 Raid

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By
Dorian Jones<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A
trial began in Turkey on Tuesday against four Israeli military commanders accused
of leading a raid on the high seas against a Gaza-bound aid ship - a raid that
resulted in the death of nine activists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Hundreds
of protesters chanting anti-Israeli slogans gathered outside <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Istanbul</st1:place></st1:city>'s main courthouse as the trial
opened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"People
from every nation and every religion with a conscience are here to hold <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
accountable for 1,000 years-old history," one woman said. "May God
help us succeed in our case."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">With
citizens from 37 countries due to participate in the trial, but not the Israeli
commanders, the Turkish media is describing it as the world's largest
international trial. <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
has dismissed the proceedings as politically motivated, calling it a "show
trial."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The boat Mavi Marmara was leading an
international flotilla of ships c</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">arrying
pro-Palestinian activists seeking to break <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s economic blockade of the
Gaza Strip, when it was intercepted by Israeli forces in May 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> claims its forces acted in self-defense. But
Turkish prosecutors are demanding life sentences for four of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s most
senior retired commanders, including the former head of the army.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Turkish-Israeli
relations have collapsed since the raid. Semih Idiz, a writer for the Turkish
newspaper Milliyet, warned the case can still further strain relations.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Any
court situation that provides a platform for what <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
sees as enemies of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
is not welcome," he said. "<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Turkey</st1:place></st1:country-region> is not a negligible country
in this part of the world. And to have a Turkish court highlighting Israeli
crimes, quote unquote, is not a comfortable thing and this court is attracting
a lot of attention in the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place>. So
there is a gallery for <st1:country-region w:st="on">Turkey</st1:country-region>
in going through this and that is what is bothering <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Observers
said there is widespread anger in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Turkey</st1:country-region>
at <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
over the deaths, in particular among the grassroots supporters of the prime
minister's Islamic rooted party. Turkish presidential elections are expected in
2014.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">International
relations expert Cengiz Aktar of <st1:placename w:st="on">Bahcesehir</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> said "with such a
nationalist and actually nationalist rhetoric, the prime minister of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Turkey</st1:place></st1:country-region> will
never dare, for a second, [to] re-establish relations and especially now right
before the Israeli elections in January. I think he has made out of the anti-Israeli
policy a permanent agenda item out of his future presidency. So he will want
yield on that."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
trial is predicted to further hamper efforts - in particular by <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state> - to rebuild
relations between its two key allies in the region.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has made recent overtures to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Turkey</st1:country-region>, indicating it maybe moving closer to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ankara</st1:place></st1:city>'s demands for an
apology and compensation to families of those killed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But
last month, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated his demand for
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> to end its embargo
against <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city> in
return for a normalization of relations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Diplomatic
columnist Idiz said <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ankara</st1:place></st1:city>
has little interest in a rapprochement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"There
is an asymmetrical situation here. Netanyahu needs improved relations and
Erdogan doesn't, and he can't really afford to be aiming for improved relations
when the public has not felt there is enough atonement on <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s side
for the killings," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ankara</span></st1:city></st1:place><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> is expected to pursue the extradition of
the commanders through Interpol, but observers say such attempts are unlikely
to succeed and will only further worsen tensions between the countries. ---VOA
News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>

Turkey Starts Trial Against Israelis Involved in 2010 Raid

By Dorian Jones A trial began in Turkey on Tuesday against four Israeli military commanders accused of leading a raid on the high sea...

Palestinian Issue No Longer Dominates Israeli Election

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">News
analysis by Adam Gonn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">JERUSALEM</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (Xinhua) - When Israelis head to the polls
on Jan. 22 to elect a new parliament, the economy is expected to be the main
issue. The shift in focus to domestic issues means that the Israeli-Palestinian
relations, which has been the dominated issue for the last 20 years, has fallen
out of focus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"It's
(the Palestinian issue) not completely out of the agenda but at the moment
there is a sense that nothing can be done about it, a sense of frustration and
a sense that maybe (it's) better not to talk about," Professor Itzhak
Galnoor, of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told Xinhua on Thursday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"But
the topic is there because of what happened on a daily basis in the
south," Galnoor said, referring to the near daily clashes between
Palestinian militants in <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
focus on the situation in and around <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
marks a significant change in the definition of what the Palestinian question
means to Israelis. While in the past and especially during the 1990s and early
2000, the main issue was the negotiations for a permanent peace deal with the
Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and Fatah based in Ramallah.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">However,
with the second intifada or uprising from 2000 to 2005 with suicide bombings in
major Israeli cities and the Israeli disengagement from <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city>
in August 2005, <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city>, not the <st1:place w:st="on">West
 Bank</st1:place> has come to be the focal point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">When
Hamas in 2007 routed forces loyal to the PNA from Gaza, the situation changed
further as there are two Palestinian authorities, Gaza ruled by Hamas and the
West Bank under Fatah.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Galnoor
said that the general question of peace with the Palestinian is dormant but not
completely absent, and as the campaign progress he predicted there will be more
and more attention given to the issue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"First
of all because the prime minister is going to talk a lot about <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region> and once one talks about <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region> there will
be questions about foreign affairs and when one talks about foreign affairs the
Palestinian issue will come up," he said, referring to Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Galnoor
noted that the shift towards a political agenda that is more focused on
domestic issues about the economy and society isn't completely unheard of in
Israeli politics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">However,
with economic and social issues being given more attention, it also means that
the traditional division in Israeli politics where a party was defined as
right-wing or left-wing based on their stand on the peace talks with the
Palestinians has been blurred.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Shelly
Yehimovich, the current leader of Rabin's Labor Party, has said that while she
supports a two-state solution, she intends to campaign mainly on internal
issues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"But
still I wouldn't dismiss the foreign affairs and security issue altogether, it
will come back in the campaign as we progress, " Galnoor said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Dr.
Amal Jamal, of <st1:placename w:st="on">Tel</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Aviv</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype>,
said that the Palestinian issue is not an easy topic to talk about for any of
the leading parties in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
because they all know that it's not going to serve their electoral ambitions,
but this doesn't mean that it won't come up. --NNN-XINHUA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>

Palestinian Issue No Longer Dominates Israeli Election

News analysis by Adam Gonn JERUSALEM (Xinhua) - When Israelis head to the polls on Jan. 22 to elect a new parliament, the econom...

After Fierce Attacks, Gaza Truce Takes Hold

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip
say an informal truce brokered by <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country></st1:place> has taken hold after days of
rocket fire and retaliatory airstrikes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
Israeli military said Thursday that no rocket fire had been detected since late
Wednesday, and that it had not carried out any airstrikes against <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city> since Wednesday
morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Two
days of Palestinian rocket and mortar fire into southern <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country> damaged
homes and wounded several laborers working field near the border.  <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country> says the barrage included
about 80 rockets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israeli
airstrikes against <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
killed four Palestinians, including three members of the ruling Hamas movement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Hamas
and a smaller militant group called the Popular Resistance Committees claimed
responsibility for the rocket attacks on <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country>, saying they were a response
to Israeli aggression.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Hamas
members accused <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Israel</st1:country> of
seeking revenge on <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city> for hosting a brief
visit by the emir of <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Qatar</st1:place></st1:country>
earlier Tuesday. It was the first by a head of state to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city> since Hamas seized power there in 2007.
The militant group said the Qatari emir's visit was a victory in its efforts to
end its political and economic isolation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
Gaza-Israel border has seen occasional outbreaks of fighting between militants
and Israeli forces since the two sides fought a brief war from December 2008 to
January 2009. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

After Fierce Attacks, Gaza Truce Takes Hold

Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip say an informal truce brokered by Egypt has taken hold after days of rocket fire a...

Majority of Israelis Support Apartheid - Poll

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">OCCUPIED
<st1:city w:st="on">JERUSALEM</st1:city> (NNN-QNA) -- A poll published Tuesday
in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed that the majority of Israelis support
an apartheid regime in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Most
of the Jewish public in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Israel</st1:country>
supports the establishment of an apartheid regime in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Israel</st1:country>
if it formally annexes the <st1:place w:st="on">West Bank</st1:place>, the poll
has shown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Although
the territories have not been annexed, most of the Jewish public (58 per cent) already
believes <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Israel</st1:country></st1:place>
practises apartheid against Arabs, it added. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">According
to the poll, almost half (47 per cent) want part of Israel's Arab population to
be transferred to the Palestinian Authority and 36 per cent support
transferring some of the Arab towns from Israel to the Palestinian Authority, in
exchange for keeping some of the West Bank settlements. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A
third of the Jewish public wants a law barring Israeli Arabs from voting for
the Knesset and a large majority (69 per cent) objects to giving 2.5 million
Palestinians the right to vote if <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Israel</st1:country>
annexes the <st1:place w:st="on">West Bank</st1:place>, it indicated. -- NNN-QNA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Majority of Israelis Support Apartheid - Poll

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (NNN-QNA) -- A poll published Tuesday in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed that the majority of Israelis support...

India Asks Israel to Stop All Settlement Activities in Occupied Palestine

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">TEHRAN (NNN-ANI) -- Asserting that India supports a negotiated solution resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united state of Palestine, External Affairs Minister S.M Krishna has asked Israel to stop all settlement activities in occupied Palestinian territories. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Intervening during the Ministerial Meeting of the NAM Committee on Palestine here, Krishna said: "The Palestinian cause is of paramount importance to India. In fact, India was the first non-Arab country to recognize the State of Palestine on 16 November 1988, pursuant to the Algiers Declaration of 15 November 1988."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"We believe that the conflict in West Asia is essentially political in nature and cannot be resolved by force. In line with our support for UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, India supports a negotiated solution resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its Capital, living within secure and recognized borders, side by side at peace with Israel as endorsed in the Quartet Roadmap and UNSC Resolutions 1397 and 1515. In addition, we have also supported the Arab Peace Initiative," he added."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"India has called for an end to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and for an early and significant easing of restrictions on the free movement of persons and goods within Palestine. The continuing settlement activities in West Bank and East Jerusalem are threatening the basic premises of the two-state solution. We think that freezing of illegal settlement activities by Israel should be the first step for resumption of direct talks," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Settlement activities have also exacerbated the humanitarian problems of the Palestinian people with increasing violence and aggravation of tension between the settlers and the Palestinian population. We, therefore, reiterate our call to Israel to stop all settlement activities," he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Emphasising that India has always extended its unwavering support to the Palestinian cause in international fora, Krishna said: "Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2011 announced that India looks forward to welcoming Palestine as an equal member of the United Nations."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“When I visited Ramallah in January this year, I, too, reiterated India's firm resolve to continue to support the Palestinian nationhood. The Government and people of India eagerly look forward to the visit of President Mahmoud Abbas to India next month," he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Stating that India has been providing developmental support and assistance to Palestine, Krishna said: "The assistance includes capacity building measures and support for the development of human resources. We would be regularly exploring ways to further enhance our developmental support to Palestine."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Asserting that India support the revival of the Peace Process, Krishna said: "The political upheavals in the Middle East and North Africa and some other factors have unfortunately pushed the Middle East Peace Process to the background. We had welcomed the 'direct talks' between the Israelis and the Palestinians. However, informal talks over the last two years have not resulted so far in any substantive progress towards resumption of direct talks."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"In line with their commitment to democratic values and principles, reconciliation in Palestine is welcome. We hope that these efforts will bear fruit soon, leading to the formation of a Unity Government, holding of elections, re-unification of Palestinian state institutions and measures for reconstruction and development of Palestinian society," he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Krishna further reiterated that India continues to support the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to an independent State living side by side and in peace and security with Israel.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"We are hopeful that this collective endeavour of NAM will send a strong signal to all concerned and will lead to revival of the peace process to achieve a just, comprehensive and durable peace in the Middle East," he added. -- NNN-ANI<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India Asks Israel to Stop All Settlement Activities in Occupied Palestine

TEHRAN (NNN-ANI) -- Asserting that India supports a negotiated solution resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united state of ...