Ramallah, 22-11-07: "An initiative based on entrenching Palestinian disunity, sidelining democracy, ignoring Israeli violations of human rights, and placing the onus on an occupied people to address their own occupation" was how PNI General Secretary, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi MP, described Israel‘s behaviour on the eve of the upcoming meeting in Annapolis at a press conference held today in Ramallah.
Dr. Barghouthi began his presentation with an examination of the controlled humanitarian crisis being maintained by Israel in Gaza. He expressed deep scepticism that Annapolis will harbour anything positive for the people of Gaza in that it is founded partly on excluding Gaza from the negotiations, and leads Palestinians further away from the unity they desperately need to seek a way out of the current situation.
The MP made specific reference to the deaths of 10 Gazan patients since August 2007 as a direct result of being blocked from leaving via Israeli-controlled crossings in order to receive life-saving treatment outside the Strip, deaths which he said amounted to no less than premeditated murder on the part of the Israeli military. He added that these deaths could have been avoided if the political will within Israel existed to do so.
In an overall appraisal of the current situation, Dr. Barghouthi used George Bush‘s announcement of the Annapolis meeting on 17 July 2007 as a benchmark to highlight the extent of Israel‘s recent violations against Palestinians.
Attacks, Deaths & Injuries
Since 17 July
WB GS Total
Israeli attacks 571 480 1,051
Palestinians killed 28 120 148 (16 children)
Palestinians injured 342 307 649 (101 children)
Israelis killed 4 (3 soldiers; 1 settler)
Prisoners
Palestinians arrested: 1 January-20 July 2007: 3,743
Palestinian prisoners released: 21 July 2007: 256
Palestinians arrested since prisoner release: 21 July-20 November: 1,581 (WB: 1,471; GS: 110)
Palestinian prisoners slated for release pre-Annapolis: 432
Palestinians arrested since Annapolis was declared: 17 July-20 November: 1,651 (WB: 1,541; GS: 110)
Starkly reflective of policies that go entirely against any desire for peace, Dr. Barghouthi stressed that these figures also reflected the fact that Israel continues its attacks not only on the Gaza Strip, but on the West Bank, while it claims to be taking "confidence building measures" to "assist the Palestinian government […] in creating a better environment for progress" at the same time. [1]
On this issue, he also dismissed Ehud Barak‘s claims that 24 roadblocks had been removed in October 2007, highlighting a recent report by Machsom Watch which revealed that only 2 of the 24 roadblocks that Israel claimed to have removed were in fact removed, and that many never existed to begin with. Dr. Barghouthi emphasised that this is simply a drop in the ocean of the matrix of obstacles blocking the free movement of people and goods in the West Bank, which stood at 837 in October 2007 (561 permanent; 276 temporary).
Furthermore, the MP added that Israel‘s declaration to the United States that it would not build additional settlements in the West Bank but that it would allow the expansion of existing settlements fell far short of a real freeze on settlements, and of conditions set out by United Nations resolutions pertaining to the Palestine question and principles of international law, under which all settlements are illegal. He cited the example of Ma‘ale Adumim, Israel‘s largest settlement in the West Bank, where a declaration was made this week about new housing units to be built there.
Dr. Barghouthi concluded by saying that this litany of violations by Israel in recent months was clearly indicative of its lack of commitment to a genuine peace, concluding that Palestinians will have no Israeli partner peace at Annapolis. He urged the Palestinian Authority once more to link its participation in the meeting to the implementation of the following 4 preconditions by Israel:
1. The retraction of the Israeli government‘s decision to declare Gaza a "hostile entity", and an end to Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people;
2. A comprehensive and complete freeze on all settlement activities, including the expansion of settlements and outposts, the confiscation of land, and the seizure and destruction of Palestinian property;
3. An end to the construction, and the dismantlement of the Apartheid Wall; and
4. A scheduled plan to solve all final status issues: Jerusalem, Palestinian statehood, refugees‘ rights, and settlements.
Notes
[1] Government of Israel. 18 November 2007. Behind the headlines: Israeli confidence building measures towards the Palestinians. http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/SSHN-794HBV?OpenDocument&rc=3&cc=pse.