Free Palestine - The Struggle

[Federate]

Re: Free Palestine - The Struggle

The Palestinian-Israeli prisoner exchange is under way and being covered by Al Jazeera for those interested.

[Haykakan]

Re: Free Palestine - The Struggle

I hope palastinians will have more things to celebratesoon.

[Federate]

Re: Free Palestine - The Struggle

Congratulations on the POW swap by Palestine and Israel. Names of some of the Palestinian prisoners to be released has been published. 1,027 in total will be released in two phases. First one of 450 due next week.

Names - http://english.al-akhbar.com/content...behind-numbers

[arakeretzig]

Re: Free Palestine - The Struggle

They can vote for a "free palestine" all they want, in reality, this will never happen.

[Mos]

Re: Free Palestine - The Struggle

I believe we will vote FOR it because Russia announced recently that it will be voting this way.

From my own quizzing of Palestinians, I think the majority of them are against this UN resolution anyway as they view entire Israel as their homeland and want to have a bi-national one-state solution instead of the two-state solution their unelected leaders - the Palestinian Authority - have been propagating this entire time. The main cause of concern is the status of the refugees living in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria etc. and their "right to return". They think a two-state solution will impair their "right to return" to areas of Israel from where they were deported.

I believe that too, but the fact that we don't have diplomatic relations with Palestine and never recognised them before those raise some doubts (Russia does).

Israel and Palestine being one state would be tricky, especially as Israeli Arabs are treated as second class citizens since they are not J3wish. Though maybe if you had a Federation it could maybe work?

[Federate]

Re: Free Palestine - The Struggle

I believe we will vote FOR it because Russia announced recently that it will be voting this way.

From my own quizzing of Palestinians, I think the majority of them are against this UN resolution anyway as they view entire Israel as their homeland and want to have a bi-national one-state solution instead of the two-state solution their unelected leaders - the Palestinian Authority - have been propagating this entire time. The main cause of concern is the status of the refugees living in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria etc. and their "right to return". They think a two-state solution will impair their "right to return" to areas of Israel from where they were deported.

[Mos]

Re: Free Palestine - The Struggle

So what do people think? How will Armenia vote at the UN Palestinian bid? Will we use the Karabakh excuse not to vote, or will we vote like we recognise South Sudan? Turkey and Azerbaijan are known to be voting yes.

[retro]

Re: Free Palestine - The Struggle

Egyptian-Israel NG pipeline explosion

Security officials say an explosion has hit the Egyptian pipeline that carries gas to Israel and Jordan. The Monday morning blast took place in the Sinai Peninsula, near town of El-Arish, which is just 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Israel. The Egyptian officials had no further details. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media. The blast is the third to hit the strategic pipeline since an Egyptian uprising overthrew former President Hosni Mubarak in February. No one claimed to be behind the explosion. Bedouin tribesmen in the area have attacked the pipeline in the past.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Free Palestine - The Struggle

This is what happens when your country is held hostage by Zionist banksters. Greece is held at the mercy of the IMF and their insurmountable debt has sunk Greece lower than low can go as their coast guard is forced to cooperate with Israel and stop a Canadian ship from yet another aid mission to Gaza.

Gaza-bound ship tries to flee Greece

Athens, Greece (CNN) -- One of the ships in a Gaza-bound flotilla blocked by Greece tried to flee on Monday and was stopped by the Greek coast guard.

Greece called for the immediate arrest of the ship's captain, but organizers on the ship insisted they no longer had a captain.

The Canadian ship, the Tahrir, issued a statement earlier saying it was "casting off from Greece."

"The Tahrir is leaving port in Crete, and we are breaking through Israel's Gaza blockade which now extends to Greek ports," organizer David Heap said in the statement.

The ship's official Twitter feed carried a tweet from a journalist on board, Jim Rankin, saying kayakers were blocking the coast guard, and the Canadian boat had left the harbor.


Gaza-bound flotilla blocked

Minutes later, the ship tweeted, "We got about 5km (3.1 miles) away from shore. Greek authorities have taken over the boat and appear to be heading back to port."

Rankin tweeted that no one was injured in the Greek takeover of the boat, and delegates were "non violent in blocking wheel house."

The Greek coast guard issued a statement saying, "The Tahrir tried to leave the port of Agios Nikolaos in Crete without permission. The coast guard has intercepted the ship and it is now being taken back to the port. As a result the prosecutor's office has already asked for the immediate arrest of the captain. It is not clear if this will be extended to other passengers on board. There are an estimated 40 people aboard the ship."

But the ship tweeted, "We left port without a captain. We released captain and crew from contract and sailed under control of international volunteers." No further details were given.

"Our boat is surrounded by Greek police, tied up at port. Supporters from town are chanting, 'Free Gaza, Free Greece'," the ship tweeted.

The Tahrir was brought to the port of Agios Nikolaos on the Greek island of Crete.

The Tahrir is one of 10 ships trying to head to Gaza despite Israel's maritime blockade.

Last week, the Greek coast guard intercepted a U.S. ship in the flotilla, the Audacity of Hope, about 10 minutes after it left Perama, triggering an hours-long standoff.

The ship -- full of actvists but no humanitarian aid -- was ultimately tied up at a Greek naval facility, and its captain, John Klusmire, was arrested. The coast guard said Klusmire had left the mainland without permission and put passengers in danger. He will appear before Greek prosecutors on Tuesday.

Greece's government offered Sunday to ship aid to Gaza -- a move the U.N. chief applauded but protest organizers and Palestinian authorities derided as insufficient.

Greece's foreign ministry released a statement Sunday afternoon in which it proposed to "undertake the task of transporting the humanitarian aid, with Greek vessels or other appropriate means, through existing channels."

Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis talked by phone with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who thanked Greece and expressed support for the initiative, according to a U.N. statement.

"In his view, it could help to reduce tensions in the region and ensure much-needed aid is delivered to those who need it in Gaza," the U.N. statement said of Ban's views, adding the world body will "work closely with Greece, Israel and Palestinian authorities on this matter."

But Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erakat said that funneling food, cement and other goods via other means, such as Greek ships, missed the point, which he said is to "immediately lift, not ease" Israel's maritime blockade of Gaza. He lauded those behind the flotilla as people "who have dedicated their time, effort and passion for a just cause."

Israel says its blockade is necessary to try to halt the shipment of weapons into Gaza. Militants in Gaza have launched numerous deadly attacks against Israelis. The territory is run by Hamas, which has carried out dozens of terrorist attacks and is listed by the United States as a terrorist organization.

Israel also emphasizes that it delivers large amounts of aid to Gaza. The country has mounted a diplomatic offensive to try to stop the flotilla from setting sail.

The Israeli government said flotilla participants had threatened to kill Israeli military personnel should their boats be boarded. Israeli officials alleged that the participants were stockpiling sacks of sulfuric acid on boats to be used in the event of any attacks on Israeli commandos.

Flotilla organizer Medea Benjamin dismissed the allegations as ludicrous, saying, "They see this nonviolent, ragtag group of ships as such a threat they're using their entire propaganda apparatus, and their diplomatic and economic clout to try to stop 300 peace activists. It's pathetic."

The Middle East Quartet -- composed of officials from the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia -- issued a statement asking "all governments concerned to use their influence to discourage additional flotillas, which risk the safety of their participants and carry the potential for escalation."

The Quartet added that it "strongly urges all those wishing to deliver goods to the people of Gaza to do so through established channels, so that their cargo can be inspected and transferred via established land crossings." Doing so, the group contends, is the best way to both help Palestinians and address Israel's "legitimate security concerns."

Erakat said that while Palestinian leaders "support international engagement in lifting the unjust and inhumane Israeli blockade," the Quartet's statement and their opposition to the planned flotilla to Gaza skirt the broader challenges in the region.

"We invite them to focus on resolving the root cause of the conflict, which is the occupation, rather than seeking ways to manage its destructive symptoms." Erakat said.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/...html?hpt=hp_t2

[Mos]

Re: Free Palestine - The Struggle

The close ally of Israel...

Aliyev: Azerbaijan supports Palestine's independence

June 29, 2011 - 15:54 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijan supports the independence of the State of Palestine, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated.
As he stressed upon completion of talks with the President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, “we believe that an independent, sovereign State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, will be soon created. We defend this position now and we will further support it at all international organizations. This, on the one hand, is our fraternal duty. On the other hand, this position was established on the basis of the international law.”
“You and we have common problems,” President Abbas stated, in turn, noting that “Azeri lands are also occupied.”
President Abbas commented on Kazan meeting, “We observed the position of Russia, France and the U.S. in addressing this problem,” he said. “This is evidence to the world’s interest towards the issue. But, we say that it is better to solve these problems today than tomorrow. Because, no one can guarantee that they will be resolved tomorrow. We hope that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be settled. We do not require anything extra of the international law. We have common problems. We want them to be settled. We hope that peace established on these lands for the people of the world to live in peace and tranquillity,” Trend News quoted President Abbas as saying.