Abbas handed life sentence by Gaza...children's parliament

A Gaza children's parliament, in a mock trial, condemned palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to a life time in prison for voting against a UN report that accuses Israel of war crimes. Ynet News

Children in Gaza held a public trial for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday in which they sentenced him to life in prison over his refusal to demand a debate on a United Nations report saying Israel committed war crimes during Operation Cast Lead.

The Palestinian children's parliament determined during the trial that Abbas was not worthy of his position, and the 'prosecutor' accused him of high treason.

"Abu Mazen insisted that the report be pulled from the Human Rights Council's agenda despite the support of 33 countries out of 47, in a move that saved Israel," he said. "Abu Mazen's move is defined by the penal code and the Palestinian constitution as treason and action against the top Palestinian interests."

Read More...

Summary only...

Netanyahu bows to Obama, accepts Palestinian "state"

On the surface this sounds all good , but , when you realize what Netanyahu is asking for it is nothing new ! Palestine will never see Israel as a state ! They will Never give up their "Militant Ways " to appease Israel , they will never lay down their Arms and become Demilitarized !

RAMAT GAN, Israel (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded on Sunday to uncommon pressure from Washington by finally giving his endorsement -- with conditions -- to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

But in a speech answering President Barack Obama's address to the Arab world 10 days ago, the right-wing leader's defense of Jewish settlement on occupied land may fail to dispel tension with the White House, as the two men try to set new terms for the Middle East peace process in their first months in office.
Obama called Netanyahu's shift in position on Palestinian statehood as an "important step forward," even as aides to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were denouncing the speech as "sabotaging" negotiations by restating Israel's refusal to share the city of Jerusalem or accept Palestinian refugees.

Netanyahu, who has refused to back a state for Palestinians since he took office in March, said he would now endorse the establishment of a such a state -- but only if Israel received in advance international guarantees the new nation would have no army and Palestinians recognized Israel as a Jewish state.

....

Read More...

Summary only...

Israel Releases 198 Prisoners

Just before the arrival of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Israel released 198 palestinian prisoners. The move to release 198 prisoners to Fatah is meant to strengthen the group.

As the prisoners were receiving a hero's welcome in the West Bank, Mohmoud Abbas thanked Israel by saying "There will be no peace without the release of all Palestinians imprisoned in Israel".Reuters

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Israel freed 198 Palestinian prisoners to a hero's welcome in the West Bank on Monday, saying it hoped the release would bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S.-sponsored peace efforts.

The longest-serving Palestinian prisoner in Israeli custody, Said al-Atabeh, 57, of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), was among those released.

....

"It's not easy to release prisoners, especially prisoners that were involved directly in terrorist acts against innocent civilians," said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Wearing shirts emblazoned with pictures of Abbas and the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, some of the released prisoners flashed V-for-Victory signs as they leaned out of windows of buses that took them from Ofer prison to the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

Cheering crowds waved Palestinian flags and danced in the street to welcome the 194 men and four women, who were received at a ceremony at the Palestinian Authority compound in Ramallah.

"There is no doubt that we seek peace and we are trying to seek our goals -- and there won't be peace without the release of all prisoners," Abbas said at the celebration.

Read More...

Summary only...

Israel to Release 150 Palestinian Terrorists

More good will gestures from the Israelis that will be used against them. None of these prisoners are rehabilitated. As soon as they're released they vow to continue fighting Israel, like Samir Kuntar 3 weeks ago.

I wonder what the recidivism rate will be. CBC

In a goodwill gesture, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has pledged to free more than 150 Palestinian prisoners later this month.

Olmert made the announcement Wednesday while meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jerusalem.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat confirmed the prisoners would be released Aug. 25, although it is unclear if prominent detainees Marwan Barghouti and Ahmed Saadat will be among them.

....

Barghouti, seen as a natural successor to Abbas, was jailed for life in Israel for his involvement in deadly attacks on Israeli citizens. Saadat was arrested after the group he leads — the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine — claimed responsibility for assassinating an Israeli cabinet minister.

Abbas has asked that both prisoners be released.

Israel has refused in the past to free prisoners directly linked to fatal attacks, although the government made an exception three weeks ago when it released accused Lebanese prisoner Samir Kantar, who was convicted of killing an Israeli father, daughter and policeman.

Read More...

Summary only...

Palestinians Still Fighting Amongst Themselves

If you can't fight the dirty joooooos then fighting your brothers is good enough. Reuters

GAZA, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Hamas security forces arrested Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's top Fatah representatives in the Gaza Strip on Friday, ratcheting up tensions between the rival factions.

A day earlier Abbas ordered his Fatah-dominated security services in the West Bank to release all pro-Hamas activists, according to the official Palestinian WAFA news agency. Hamas said the activists had not yet been freed.

Hamas security men detained Ibrahim Abu an-Naja and Zakaria al-Agha, who were appointed by Abbas to oversee Fatah in the Gaza Strip after Hamas Islamists seized control a year ago, Fatah officials said.

....

Hamas forces also arrested three local governors appointed by Abbas, whose West Bank-based government is backed by the United States and other Western powers.

Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri said the arrests in the Gaza Strip were meant to put pressure on Abbas's security forces to release Hamas activists detained in the occupied West Bank.

He accused Abbas's forces of trying to "liquidate" Hamas and described the Gaza arrests as "temporary and limited".

Read More...

Summary only...