Palestinian official calls Netanyahu’s speech a declaration of war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s parameters for a peace deal, outlined in a speech to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, fell far short of what is needed to resume negotiations, Palestinian officials said. (more…)

US pressure could shift from Netanyahu to Abbas

It’s an axiom of Arab-Israeli peacemaking that the new rapport between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would leave Palestinians in an awkward spot.

After the Obama administration pushed Mr. Netanyahu over the past year to rein in West Bank settlements, there are signals in the wake of Netanyahu’s White House visit on Tuesday that US pressure could shift to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (more…)

Information Minister Mitri briefed the press on cabinet meeting

Lebanon’s Information Minister Tarek Mitri briefed the press on the cabinet meeting that took place Monday at the Baabda palace

PLO extends mandates of Abbas & parliament

The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) has extended the mandates of both president Mahmoud Abbas and the Hamas-dominated parliament until new elections are held.
The decision was made by PLO’s Central Council at a meeting in Ramallah on Wednesday.
Qaid al-Ghul, a PLO representative said: “The PLO took the decision that president Abbas and the Legislative Council will continue their duties until the next election in accordance with the Basic Law.”
The PLO’s decision will extend the tense status quo between Hamas, the political movement ruling Gaza and Abbas’s Fatah, in charge of the occupied West Bank.
Abbas’s term in office was due to expire on January 25, with elections scheduled to be held on January 24.

Barghouti: In Israel there is no de Gaulle or de Klerk

During a CNN interview with jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti he was asked : Some of the media have described you as a “Palestinian Nelson Mandela.” Can you ever hope to satisfy these incredibly high expectations?
He said : “I highly respect the experience and resistance of the great African leader Mandela, who led his people to independence and freedom. I wish to be able to contribute in achieving freedom and independence for the Palestinian people. Mandela succeeded because he found a partner like de Klerk, but in Israel there is no de Gaulle that ended the French colonization of Algeria and also there is no de Klerk that ended the Apartheid regime.”
For many Palestinians Barghouti who is serving five life sentences( following his conviction in an Israeli court on murder and other charges related to his role in planning attacks on Israelis during the second Intifada) , is the only political successor to Mahmoud Abbas.

Palestinian officials: Abbas won’t quit presidency soon

Senior Palestinian officials ruled out on Thursday that Mahmoud Abbas would quit his post as Palestinian president during the upcoming meeting of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council on Dec. 15.
Abbas hinted last month that he would quit his post as the president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) if the general Palestinian elections could not be held in January 2010 in the Palestinian territories as it was decided in a decree he issued on Oct. 24.
Jamal Meheisen, central committee member of Abbas’ Fatah party said that Fatah party’s leaders insisted that Abbas was still the only candidate of the movement for the president of the PNA. Source: Xinhua

Abbas concluded his visit to Lebanon and headed to Cairo

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas concluded his visit to Lebanon and headed to Cairo. Minister Wael Abu Faour, representing President Michel Suleiman, bid farewell to Abbas at the airport.
Earlier today PM Hariri hosted a lunch in honor of the Palestinian President Mahmoud and his accompanying delegation at Center House. The lunch was attended by former PM Fouad Siniora and Hariri’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Mohammed Shatah.

Abbas: What we read in the ministerial Policy Statement is good

Following his meeting with Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the Grand Serail , Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that they discussed Lebanese-Palestinian relations, the status of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, the Arab-Israeli peace process and the internal Palestinian situation.
Regarding the ministerial policy Abbas said: What we read in the ministerial Policy Statement is good, but it is still early to comment on before it gains the Parliament’s vote of confidence.

Abbas met Berri and Hariri

After meeting with president Suleiman president Mahmoud Abbas visited Speaker Nabih Berri at his mansion in Ain al-Tineh and left without making any comments. He later headed to the Grand Serail to meet with Lebanon’s PM Saad Hariri

Abbas denied that Palestininas in Lebanon will be issued passports

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Beirut just before noon and headed to Baabda Palace to meet with President Michel Suleiman . Following the meeting he denied the reports that were circulating yesterday claiming that the Palestinian authorities will be issuing passports to the Palestinians in Lebanon . He told reporters that the presence of the Palestinians in Lebanon is temporary and he is coordinating security issues with the Lebanese government.