|
Ramallah, West Bank/Occupied Jerusalem: Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said on Tuesday Israelis had no cause to celebrate their country's 60th anniversary while Palestinians continued to suffer under occupation.
"I say to the Israeli people in particular, how can you celebrate while the people of Palestine are groaning under your settlements [colonies], the crimes of your settlers [colonists], the siege of your state and the occupation practices of your army," Fayyad said in a speech.
The criticism was some of the strongest by Fayyad, a soft-spoken economist favoured by Washington, since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert began talks last November on creating a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
Fayyad made the remarks to legislators and foreign diplomats in an address marking Al Nakba, or 'catastrophe', when some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes in fighting that raged around Israel's founding in 1948.
"Celebrations are meaningless unless we celebrate a just and durable peace together,' Fayyad said.
Israel launched 60th anniversary festivities last week. US President George W. Bush arrives in Israel today to take part in the celebrations.
Easing restrictions
Meanwhile, Middle East quartet envoy Tony Blair said Israel has agreed to remove some checkpoints across the occupied West Bank in a bid to ease Palestinian travel restrictions.
Four checkpoints will be removed, seven will be significantly improved to ease the flow of traffic and one will be moved to another location, the former British prime minister told a news conference in occupied Jerusalem.
"The government of Israel has agreed to do so," subject to "a continuous secrurity assessment," said Blair, representative of the diplomatic quartet made up of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations.
Israel has come under pressure to ease restrictions on Palestinians in the West Bank in a bid to help advance peace negotiations revived at a US conference in November.
Blair said one roadblock would be removed within a week and the others at a later stage.
The Israeli government also agreed to ease some trade restrictions as part of a package "designed to allow greater movement of people and goods, helping the Palestinian economy grow, and its people achieve increased prosperity in a way consistent with protecting fully the security of Israel," Blair said.
Israel and the government of Abbas further agreed on the creation of an "economic and security zone" around the West Bank city of Jenin.
All roadblocks will be lifted in the test area, and Israel will issue an additional 1,000 permits to allow residents to work in the Jewish state, and 300 Jenin traders will be given access to Israel, Blair said.
Palestinian security force will be in control of security in the area, while Israel reserves to right to act where its security is at risk, he said, adding that the idea would be to extend the project to the whole West Bank if it works.
Have your Say
Do you think the two-state solution is still viable after 60 years? If yes, how? and if no, why? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the form below to send your comments.
Your comments
Like it or not, the State of Israel benefited from the ethnic cleansing of native Palestinians from the land of their forefathers and they continue to create an atmosphere to segregate Palestinians from their families, illegally annex land from the rightful owners, build settlements for right wing zealots and sell Palestinian lands to international businesses to employ Israelis. Palestinian villages have been razed to the ground in the hope that people will forget that others lived their before them so, anyone who supports Israel supports the position of forcibly removing people from their homes and land in order to make way for Jewish immigrants.
The truth of it is, the Holy Land belongs to all three major religions and the only viable solution is a one-state solution where the Palestinian refugees, both Christian and Muslim, have the right of return and Jews can continue to perform Aliyah.
But, those that were forced to leave their homes and remain in exile for over 60 years must be compensated in a just fashion.
Abdul
Liverpool,UK
Posted: May 14, 2008, 15:11
Send us your comments
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Gulf News may edit comments for length and clarity but will not change the tone of the message. Comments will only be accepted if all fields (including name) are filled correctly and the message isn't abusive, defamatory or offensive. The Gulf News website will only print your first name along with your comment. Please state in the message if you wish to remain anonymous. All comments sent may be forwarded for use in the Gulf News newspaper.
|
