The story of a vote
Een ooggetuigenverslag van de oprichting van de Staat Israel
10 mei 2011, lyar 6, 5771
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/144054
Israel
1 december 2010, Kislev 24, 5771
http://www.youtube.com/Israel?tr=y&auid=7164370
Een land wat maar niet begrijpt wat er aan de hand is ?? Ik betwijfel dat... !
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/139611
RACHEM
Aug 20 '10, Elul 10, 5770
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBxShQJkuQs
Rachem. Rachem Na Hashem Elokeinu.
Rachem al Yisrael Amecha, Rachem
Ve'al Yerushalayim Ir-echa
Rachem, Rachem, Rachem
Al tzion mishkan kevodecha
Ve'al malchut beit David meshichecha
Ve'al habayit ha'gadol ve'hakadosh
Rachem, Rachem, Rachem
MERCY
Have Mercy Hashem our G-d
On Israel Your people
On Jerusalem Your city
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
And on Zion, the resting place of Your glory
And on the monarchy of the house of David, Your anointed.
And on the great and holy House
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
Israel 62 jaar oud in 2010
Apr 18 '10, Iyar 4, 5770
De Verenigde Naties heeft in de planning staan om van Israel een 'Internationale stad' voor alle godsdiensten te maken en de souvereinteit van de heilige plaatsen over te dragen aan de eigenlijke eigenaren. DIt zou betekenen dat Israel opnieuw in handen komt van het Vaticaan. Dit is echter tegen de regels waaronder Israel is ontstaan. Waarom?
De waarheid over de legale status van Jeruzalem wordt al jaren incorrect gepresenteerd aan de wereld. Na 20 jaar onderzoek is een advocaat (niet nader bij naam te noemen, wegens privacy-redenen, de naam is wel bekend) tot de volgende conclusie gekomen: ' Volgens het internationaal recht behoort Jeruzalem toe aan de joden'. Hij schrijft in een 1300 pagina's tellend verslag dat een serie internationale verdragen en VN-resoluties over een periode van 90 jaar ondubbelzinnig Jeruzalem aanwijst als Joodse hoofdstad.
Al in 1922 werd Palestina (voor de eerste keer) opgedeeld in 23% Israelisch gebied en 77% voor een nieuwe Arabische staat (onder leiding van een aangesteld staatshoofd door de Volkerenbond), die de naam Jordanië kreeg. Het was Joden niet toegestaan om in deze nieuwe staat te blijven wonen. Ze werden gedwongen hun land te verlaten en te settelen in het 'nieuwe Joodse thuisland'. Helaas wordt dit gegeven door bijna niemand meer herinnerd. Het is daarom (feitelijk!) onzinnig dat Israel nog meer land weg zou moeten geven, terwijl ze al 77% hebben afgestaan aan Jordanië (een staat die tot dan toe nog niet bestond). De Jordaanse staat alleen al is groot genoeg om alle Palestijnse Arabieren een nieuw thuisland te kunnen bieden, zonder enig probleem en is er speciaal voor in het leven geroepen door de toenmalige politici. De Britten begonnen bovendien ook nog eens de toevloed van Joden uit andere landen naar het kleine stukje wat Israel kreeg, tegen te houden, met als gevolg dat zes miljoen Joodse burgers in de Holocaust omkwamen. Dit is nog eens zo schrijnend in het hele plaatje!
Dertig jaar nadat Jeruzalem Jeruzalem bevrijdt werd, stemden de VN voor een verdere verdeling van het land en lieten de Joden uiteindelijk toe een eigen staat te vestigen in Palestina. Dit besluit werd door de Arabieren verworpen. Ook hier treft Israel geen blaam! Daar komt ook nog bij dat de Palestijnen uit omliggende landen naar Israel begonnen te trekken, nadat het land weer haar opbrengst begon te geven na het ruimen van de stenen en het weer vruchtbaar van het land. Dit begon als een magneet te werken op de buurlanden. Dit was in eerste instantie geen probleem in de meeste gevallen, echter toen al werden beginnende kibbutzim in een aantal gevallen al tegengewerkt, terwijl er geen aanleiding gegeven werd voor aanstoot. Op andere lokaties werd er in vrede samengeleefd door Jood en Aarabier.
Na de eerste wereldoorlog kwamen de geallieerden Groot Brittanië, Frankrijk, Italië en Japan in de San Remo Resolutie overeen dat de Balfour Declaratie moest worden uitgevoerd, teneinde een Joodse staat in het destijds Palestina genoemde gebied te vestigen. Er was in deze periode totaal geen sprake van een Palestijnse staat! In deze resolutie wordt gezegd dat er niets gedaan mag worden dat 'de religieuze en burgerrechten van de bestaande niet joodse gemeenschap in Palestina zou schaden'. Er wordt niet gesproken over de politieke rechten van de arabieren die al in dit gebied wonen. De meeste van hen waren illegale inwoners van Palestina of omliggende Islamitische landen.
De toenmalige 'Statenbond' (de voorloper van de VN) erkende in een resolutie de historische band met het land Palestina en gaf hen het recht voor heroprichting van hun 'Nationale thuis' in dat land. Er werd geen enkele melding gemaakt van eventuele palestijnse Arabische rechten. In deze periode keek niemand om naar het land en was er geen enkele interesse voor dit braakliggende rotsachtige gebied....
In 1945 werd de Statenbond opgevolgd door de Verenigde Naties en werd in 1947 Resolutie 181 aangenomen. Hierin was opgenomen dat Palestina verdeeld moest worden in een joods en een arabisch gedeelte. Dit was echter een directe schending van het kersverse VN-verdrag dat voorzag in het respecteren van de tot alle tot dan toe aanvaardde resoluties van de Statenbond. Ironisch genoeg werd het plan wél aanvaard door de Joodse bevolking en overheid, maar niet door de Arabieren......en dat terwijl de Israeliërs al 77% van hun officiële grondgebied hadden afgestaan aan Jordanië.
Resolutie 181 voorzag in een speciale status voor Jeruzalem dat onder internationaal gezag zou moeten komen te staan. Na 10 jaar zouden de bewoners zich dan in een referendum mogen uitspreken over de definitieve status van de stad. Het was dus nooit de bedoeling om Jeruzalem voor altijd een internationale stad maken, zoals wel gedacht wordt door de meerderheid van de wereldbevolking. Omdat Jordanië in 1948 Oost Jeruzalem in bezit nam en weigerde om de VN-resoluties op te volgen, kon dat plan nooit ten uitvoer gebracht worden. Na de 'Zesdaagse oorlog' in 1967 kreeg Israel controle over Jeruzalem en de Westelijke Jordaanoever. De VN nam als reactie hierop Resolutie 242 aan waarin Israel toestemming kreeg om het land in bezit te houden, totdat duidelijk zou zijn waar de veilige grenzen van Israel zouden komen te liggen.
In 1979 werd de Islamitische broederschapuitgeroepen in Iran. Iran begon steun te geven aan de Arabieren die ze eerst hadden geïndoctrineerd met de theorie dat ze de strijd (welke strijd? Joden en Arabieren leefden tot dan toe samen op hetzelfde stukje grond) niet konden winnen van de Joden, als ze zich niet verenigden in de Islamitische broederschap... 'De protocollen van Sion' werden in het Arabisch vertaald om onrust te zaaien worden ook vandaag de dag nog aangenomen als ' waar' door de Jihad, Fatah, Hezbollah en Hamas. Deze protocollen zijn absolute leugens en waren al eerder door Hitler gebruikt om 'Mijn Kampf' mee te onderbouwen. Onder invloed van dit gestook van 'de Islamitische broederschap' begonnen de Arabieren zich al snel tegen Israel te keren, maar ondernamen ook acties tegen andere doelen in de wereld. De Palestijnen begonnen de frontlinies in Israel in te nemen.
Er is nooit geëist dat Israel zich zou terugtrekken uit deze 'bezette' gebieden. Over de status van Jeruzalem werd niets beslist. Wel werd er opgeroepen om het vluchtelingenprobleem op te lossen, waarbij geen onderscheid werd gemaakt tussen Palestijnse en Joodse vluchtelingen (ook die waren er!). Israel zou moeten eisen dat het referendum over de toekomst van de stad (door de VN zelf vastgelegd !) zo snel mogelijk zou moeten worden uitgevoerd. Bovengenoemde advocaat verondersteld dat als de Arabieren dit weigeren, verdere onderhandelingen zinloos zijn !
Israelische Arabieren, Palestijnen en de PLO
Er wonen nu Israelische Arabieren en Palestijnen (die zich pas later hebben bijgevoegd bij de al aanwezige illegale bewoners). De Palestijnen wonen hoofdzakelijk in de sinds 1967 ' zogenaamde' bezette gebieden, maar naar de mening van de PLO (Palestijns Bevrijdings Organisatie) zijn alle gebieden 'bezet door de de vijand van de Islam'. De PLO is overigens al in 1964 opgericht, nog voordat Israel de Westelijke Jordaanoever Oost Jeruzalem teruggenomen heeft volgens de bestaande resoluties. Toen was er nog geen sprake van een vluchtelingenprobleem. Wat was toen de reden dat deze organisatie opgericht is, is dan de volgende vraag die je zou kunnen stellen?
Standpunten van de PLO:
1. Het land behoort aan de Islam.
2. De Heilige moskee in Jeruzalem moet gereinigd worden.
3. Vredesonderhandelingen zijn niet mogelijk.
4. Israel moet als natie vernietigd worden.
In de belevenis van de Moslims komt er een redder aan het tijd der tijden, Mahdi, die de wereld zal veranderen in een perfecte Islamitische samenleving, voor 'het aanbreken van de dag der opstanding'. Men zegt dat deze Mahdi zich verborgen heeft in de negende eeuw, toen hij vijf jaar oud was. Vóór zijn terugkomst zal er een kosmische chaos ontstaan die gepaard gaat met bloedvergieten. Na een confrontatie tussen licht en donker, geloven de Moslims, zal de Madhi de wereld leiden in een tijdperk van universele vrede. Voorafgaand hieraan zal er een revolutie beginnen Palestina en deze zal zich verspreiden over het hele midden oosten. Er zal een luide roep vanuit de hemel komen die de komst van de Madhi aankondigt. Madhi's troonbestijging zal voorafgegaan worden door een leger dat uit het oosten optrekt en zwarte en witte vlaggen met zich meedraagt. De witte vlag staat voor de leider van het moslimleger en is de vlag van de Islamitische staat. De zwarte vlag staat voor de 'Heilige oorlog'. Dit leger zal Israel veroveren en de Madhi zal regeren vanaf de tempelberg in Jeruzalem.
Verenigde Naties
De Verenigde Naties streven naar ' vrede op aarde'. Op het hoofdkantoor in New York staat geschreven: ' Zij zullen hun zwaarden tot ploegscharen omsmeden en hun speren tot snoeimessen; geen volk zal tegen een ander volk het zwaard opheffen en zij zullen de oorlog niet meer leren.' Prachtige uitspraak, maar in Jesaja 2:1-4 wordt hier gesproken over Jeruzalem en Israel en dan is de tekst uit z'n verband gerukt. Het is wel heel erg schrijnend dat je dan Israel alvast maar van de kaart hebt gehaald en Palestina op hebt gezet....
Ter informatie bij deze de complete verwijzing van de tekst die de VN in z'n kantoor heeft hangen:
Isaiah 2: 1-4
2The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. 3Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Bronnen waarop deze tekst gebaseerd is:
Schriftelijk materiaal: I. Bouwman
Internetmateriaal
Mocht je deze tekst over willen nemen, wil je dat dan aangeven dat je dat doet en waar het te vinden is? Niet vanwege het feit dat ik het geschreven heb, maar vanwege de persoon die de informatie bij elkaar gezocht heeft. Ik heb hier een verkorte versie van gemaakt.
Filmsuggesties:
Forsaken Promise
http://www.theforsakenpromise.org.uk/
Holocaust
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust
Protocollen van Sion
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protocollen_van_de_wijzen_van_Sion
Informatie over de Staat Israel is verder nog te vinden bij:
'Herkomst, verleden en toekomst' , op deze website.
Israel, 62 jaar oud
http://wejew.com/media/8257/Super_Israel_at_62_Power_Video_HD/
http://wejew.com/media/8274/See_Israel_Celebrate_62nd_Independence_Day_on_Land_and_in_the_Sky/
A Voice and a Home: Arab Rights in Israel
Upon Israel’s establishment in 1948, its founders declared that the country would be not only a Jewish state, but also a democratic one, where all citizens, regardless of religion, ethnicity, race or gender, would live in peace with equal civil rights.
Israeli Arabs constitute roughly 20 percent (1.4 million) of Israel’s population. They are, by definition, Palestinians whose ancestors remained in Israel and were granted citizenship after the state’s establishment. Following the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel fought a defensive war against five armies amassed on its borders, Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan and opened up the holy places to all inhabitants including Muslims, Jews and Christians. Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem were given special identification cards and were offered citizenship, but most refused. Still, East Jerusalem Arabs maintain permanent resident status and can apply for citizenship. As permanent residents they receive Israeli social security and health benefits; subsidies for children; have the right to vote in local elections; and have the freedom to travel in Israel.
"The State of Israel...will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations."
Israeli Arabs, by and large, enjoy the same political and legal rights as Jewish citizens of Israel. However, as in many Western societies, Israel’s minority population does face some discrimination. For example, Israeli laws such as the Right of Return and the Citizenship Law exclude Arabs; and there are some limitations on land available for Arabs to purchase. However, they are allowed to purchase state-owned or privately owned land.
Source: "The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel," Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site, May 14, 1948
Israeli-Arab Population Breakdown
Most of Israel’s Arab population is Muslim, with Christian Arabs forming the second-largest group, followed by the Druze and Circassians.
* Muslim Arabs comprise 83 percent of Israel’s Arab population, most of which is Sunni. Bedouins, former nomads, account for about 10 percent of the Muslim-Arab population. The majority of Israel’s Bedouin population lives in the southern Negev desert and many volunteer – but are not required to serve – in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
* Christian Arabs, who comprise 8.5 percent of Israel’s Arab population, reside mostly in urban areas of northern Israel including Haifa, Nazareth and Shfar’am. Most of the Christian Arabs in Israel are members of the Greek Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.
* The Druze community represents 8.3 percent of Israel’s Arab population and has a special standing within Israeli society. Israeli Druze are required to serve in the IDF and have held prominent positions in politics, the military and public office. Most Druze live in 22 villages in northern Israel.
* The Circassians, Sunni Muslims, are not Arabs, but are considered part of the Israeli-Arab sector. They are a tiny percentage of the overall Arab population, numbering about 3,000. They live in two villages, Kfar Kama and Rehaniye, in northern Israel. Circassians serve in the IDF.
Israel’s Arab Community: Geography, Structure and Coexistence
Israeli Arabs are generally non-assimilating and reside in villages where they administer their own municipal and internal affairs Israeli Arabs run their own schools, where Arabic, an official language of Israel, is the language of instruction. They govern their religious courts, which adjudicate matters relating to marriage and divorce. However, Arabs in Israel have been greatly influenced by Israeli culture, incorporating aspects of it into their own. They learn and speak Hebrew fluently, watch Israeli television programs and read Hebrew newspapers.Arab companies are listed and active on the Israeli stock exchange. Also, young Israeli Arabs have adopted many practices of secular Jewish Israelis, such as wearing modern, Western-style clothing.
Almost half of Israeli Arabs live primarily in the Western area of northern Israel. The majority of Arab residents live in 116 predominantly Arab communities throughout Israel, while 24 percent of Israeli Arabs live in Israel’s eight mixed towns: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Haifa, Lod, Ma’alot-Tarshiha, Nazerat Illit, Akko and Ramla. Arabs comprise a significant percentage of the population in Jerusalem (32 percent) and Akko, Ramla, Lod and Ma’alot-Tarshiha (20 percent).
Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city is considered a model of peaceful coexistence, where Jews and Arabs frequent the same restaurants, [28] shopping malls and movie theatres. Haifa’s Maxim restaurant, co-owned by a Jewish and Arab family, is a symbol of Arab-Jewish unity. In October 2003, the restaurant was the target of an indiscriminate terrorist attack which killed 19 people, including four Arabs.
Another example of Arab-Jewish coexistence in Israel is the legendary Abulafia bakery in the port city of Jaffa next to Tel Aviv. The bakery, founded in 1879, is owned by an Arab-Muslim family, but many of its customers are Jewish. The Abulafia family is currently building an international hotel that it hopes will be a symbol of Arab and Jewish cooperation.
Arabs and Israelis also coexist in the community Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, which means “Oasis of Peace” both in Hebrew and Arabic. Located in central Israel, Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam has about 50 Jewish and Israeli-Arab families who raise their children in a bilingual setting. Educational, cultural and spiritual programs bring Arab and Jewish children together.
Unlike Israeli Jews, Arab citizens of Israel are not required to serve in the Israel Defense Forces; however, military service is mandatory for Druze and Circassian men.
Since its founding, Israel has encouraged Arab citizens to be active in Israeli society. Israel’s Declaration of Independence states: “We appeal … to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions.”
A Voice and a Place: Arabs in Israeli Politics
Israeli law guarantees Arab citizens the right to express themselves publicly and to participate in the political process. Israel values democracy so highly that even movements opposed to Israel’s national existence are represented in the Knesset (Israeli parliament). Arabs, like all citizens, have a place in Israeli politics and a say in how the government functions, and can petition the government when they feel their rights have been violated. In addition, Arab citizens can turn to a variety of non-governmental organizations, such as the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and Adalah: The Legal Center for Minority Rights in Israel, to seek legal redress.
Arabs have been elected to every Knesset since the founding of the State of Israel. At present, Arabs hold 13 seats in the Knesset, which has 120 members.
Timeline of Israeli-Arab Peace Initiatives
Since President Obama was sworn into office, Israel has undertaken numerous actions and initiatives to pave the way for Palestinians and Israelis to live side by side in peace. Following is a timeline of highlights of those efforts and examples of Israel’s attempts to grow the Palestinian economy and improve freedom of movement for Palestinians. The timeline includes Palestinian extremists' attempts to thwart peace as well as successful efforts by U.S.-trained Palestinian security forces to crack down on terrorism.
Roundup of Israeli Economic Peace Efforts
• Israel dismantles 150 roadblocks in the West Bank and removes 27 checkpoints between 2008 and 2009; only 14 checkpoints remain. Click here for royalty-free photos of the IDF removing a roadblock in the West Bank
• The West Bank’s economy grows by 8 percent. Click here for royalty-free photos of economic improvements in the West Bank
• Unemployment in the West Bank drops from 19 percent in the first quarter of 2008 to 17.7 percent in the first quarter of 2009 and from 18.2 percent in the second quarter of 2008 to 16.4 percent in the second quarter of 2009.
• In the West Bank, tourism increases 94 percent in Bethlehem and 31 percent in the Jenin area in 2008. That facilitated a 42 percent rise in hotel stays in the West Bank in the third quarter of 2009 compared with the corresponding quarter in 2008.
Timeline of Israeli efforts for peace and Israeli-Palestinian cooperation
March
March 15: Jerusalem’s mayor and the prime minister of Israel attend the rededication ceremony for the Hurva synagogue in Jerusalem’s Old City. Says Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, “I want to send a message of peace to all religions…I believe that from this place, where we experienced the terrible pain of the destruction of a place that was holy to us...we will know to be sensitive to others doubts and troubles.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Many people are excited about this moment - and justifiably so…We have allowed believers in other faiths to conserve their houses of worship. We proudly hold on to our heritage, while at the same time allowing others freedom of religion.”
March 10: Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai apologizes the day after his ministry announced the construction of 1,600 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo, a Jewish northern Jerusalem neighborhood. Ramat Shlomo falls within the city’s municipal boundaries and was annexed by Israel following the 1967 defensive Six-Day War. The timing of the announced construction - the fourth of a seven-step zoning process that is expected to continue for years - coincided with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to the region as part of a U.S. attempt to push proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinians. “The approval is a purely technical matter and we have no intention of insulting or seeking a confrontation with the U.S. vice president,” says Yishai, adding, “I apologize for the distress this matter caused.”[8] An interior ministry spokeswoman adds that the new construction project has been in the planning stages for the past three years and that the timing was coincidental.
March 2: Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat announces that he will delay implementation of a plan to revitalize the city’s historic Al Bustan section, located in the mostly Arab neighborhood of Silwan. The plan caused controversy because its restoration of the western part of the area, known in Hebrew as Gan Hamelech (King’s Garden) would require the demolition of about 22 houses illegally built there. Barkat makes the decision to postpone the plan, estimated to cost $50 million - $100 million, at the request of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who wants to avoid tensions created by what he called “elements…interested in sowing strife and discord and in presenting a distorted picture to the country and the world.” In the meantime, Barkat says he will hold further talks with area residents in hopes of reaching a housing agreement with them.
January
Jan. 25: Humanitarian aid to Gaza continues with 68 truckloads of supplies passing through the goods crossings from Israel into Gaza. From Jan. 19, 2009 – Jan. 16, 2010, 724,925 tons of humanitarian aid were delivered to Gaza. That represents a 900 percent increase in humanitarian aid delivered there compared to 2008.
Jan. 23: Israeli authorities authorize the transfer of $6.7 million (25 million shekels) to Gaza residents entitled to social security and pension payments from Israel due to having worked inside the country in previous years.
December
Dec. 30: Palestinian terror attacks against Israelis decline significantly, according to Israel’s internal security agency. For the first year since the Second Intifada began in September 2000, no suicide bombings were carried out. This is attributed to Israeli security measures as well as cooperation with the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) security forces. There were, however, numerous foiled attempts to carry out suicide bombings by Palestinian terrorist operatives from the Gaza Strip attempting to infiltrate Israel via Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
Dec. 29: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travels to Egypt to meet with President Hosni Mubarak in an attempt to kick-start peace talks with the Palestinians.
Dec. 28: The Israeli government announces it has approved the construction of 1,192 new housing units for both Arab and Jewish residents of East Jerusalem; 500 housing units were authorized in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan for the Arab population, and 692 housing units were authorized for the mostly Jewish neighborhoods of Har Homa, Neve Yaakov and Pisgat Zeev. Said Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, “Israeli law does not discriminate between Jews, Muslims, and Christians or between eastern and western Jerusalem.”
Dec. 24: Terrorists from Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militia shoot to death Rabbi Meir Hai in the West Bank. He was driving from his home in the settlement of Shavei Shomron to the nearby community of Einav.
Dec. 23: Israeli Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Binyamin Ben-Eliezer encourages the Palestinian leadership to accept Netanyahu’s call to start final status negotiations. Ben-Eliezer, who was speaking at an exclusive press conference for Palestinian media, states that the real conflict is not between Israelis and Palestinians but common strategic threats such as Iran and Iran-backed Hamas. It was the first time an Israeli minister has held such a briefing. See the video
Dec. 14: Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh says Hamas wants control over all of "Palestine." At a rally in Gaza, the former Palestinian prime minister says, “This movement [Hamas] liberated the Gaza Strip with the help of the militant factions...Brothers and sisters, we will not be satisfied with Gaza...Hamas looks toward the whole of Palestine.”
Dec. 13: A group of Israeli rabbis brings new Korans to the Palestinian town of Yasuf in the West Bank after suspected Jewish extremists vandalized a mosque and burned its Korans. The next day, Israel’s chief Ashkenazi rabbi, Yona Metzger, visits the mosque to condemn the attack, comparing it to the Nazis’ destruction of synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses.
Dec. 7: EU ministers meet in Brussels to consider a Swedish-backed proposal to divide Jerusalem. The proposal would potentially close off part of the city to non-Muslims and undermines the future of the peace process by circumventing future negotiations. Under Jordanian control from 1948-1967, access to the holy sites in East Jerusalem and the Old City was denied to Israeli Jews and limited access was granted to Christian Israelis. Under Israeli control since 1967, people of all faiths have access to the city’s many holy sites.
Israeli law mandates that everyone, regardless of religious affiliation, has the right to visit all holy places within Israel. Israel funds more than 100 mosques and pays the salaries of their imams (religious leaders). In addition, Israel purchases the Korans used in mosques.
December: The Israeli government facilitates Christmas celebrations and services such as free transportation between Jerusalem and the West Bank town of Bethlehem and complimentary Christmas trees for Jerusalem residents. Israel is one of the few Middle East countries where the Christian population has increased since 1948, rising by more than 400 percent.
November
Nov. 27: PA President Mahmoud Abbas refuses to enter into new negotiations following the announcement of Israel’s settlement freeze; Abbas says the Israeli measures are insufficient.
Nov. 25: Netanyahu announces a 10-month construction freeze in West Bank settlements to encourage the Palestinian Authority to re-start peace negotiations.
Nov. 11: Israel officially opens the Jalameh Border Crossing between Israel and the West Bank town of Jenin, in the presence of Quartet Representative Tony Blair, Israeli Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Cooperation Silvan Shalom and Minister of Minorities Avishay Braverman. The border crossing, which is now open to Arab-Israeli vehicles driving to Jenin and surrounding areas, is another example of Israel’s commitment to easing restrictions for the Palestinian population as well as facilitating the free flow of goods and transport between Israel and the West Bank, which in turn strengthens the Palestinian economy.
September
Sept. 24: As part of Israeli and Palestinian efforts to improve security cooperation, Israeli Maj.-Gen. Avi Mizrahi meets with top Palestinian intelligence officials in Bethlehem. Security cooperation is improved with the help of regular meetings between PA Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad and the head of the IDF’s (Israel Defense Forces) civil coordination unit for the West Bank.
Sept. 23: The Hamas children’s program “Tomorrow’s Pioneers” continues to incite hatred and violence. In a show broadcast in September, the show’s costumed character, Nassur the Bear, tells the show’s child host, “There won't be any Jews or Zionists, if Allah wills. They'll be erased...We want to slaughter them, so they will be expelled from our land, right?...And if they don't want [to go] peacefully, by words or talking, we'll have to [do it] by slaughter.”
Sept. 16: Israel begins removing 100 roadblocks from the West Bank. Successful Israeli counter-terrorism operations and collaboration with Palestinian security forces that have greatly reduced the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank have made the removal of checkpoints and roadblocks possible. This has boosted trade and commerce within the area.
July
July 28: Netanyahu visits the Allenby Bridge, which connects the West Bank to Jordan, to view the improved operating procedures of the goods and pedestrian crossing. At the beginning of July, Netanyahu ordered extending the operating hours for the Allenby Bridge in order to increase the volume of commercial activity in the West Bank.
July 20: Ofir Gendelman, CEO of the Israeli-Palestinian Chamber of Commerce briefs Arabic media outlets in Arabic on economic cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Outlets include Al Jazeera and AFP Arabic. "This is the first Israeli government that calls for the improvement of the economical status of the Palestinians," says Gendelman.
July: Construction on the Bethlehem industrial park begins. The project is expected to provide infrastructure for light industry, handicrafts and stone crafts.
June
June 25: The IDF states it will limit its presence in four Palestinian cities in the West Bank: Bethlehem, Jericho, Qalqiliya and Ramallah. The army said it would only enter these cities when it was alerted to a specific terror plot. This move is designed to make Palestinian life easier and give Palestinian security services more responsibility for stopping terrorist activity.
June 18: The IDF removes the Vered Jericho crossing south of the West Bank town of Jericho, providing freedom of movement between Jericho and the Jordan Valley.
June 14: Netanyahu delivers a major speech to the nation at Bar-Ilan University in which he calls for economic cooperation with the Palestinians in conjunction with the Arab states, immediate negotiations with the Palestinians without preconditions, and endorses the creation of a demilitarized Palestinian state.
June 2: The IDF dismantles key roadblocks near Rimonim and Atara, Jewish settlements on the outskirts of Ramallah, enabling Palestinians free passage between the West Bank towns of Ramallah and Jericho.
May
May 27: Netanyahu convenes a governmental committee to explore economic projects intended to improve the quality of life for Palestinian residents of the West Bank.
May 16: An Israeli duo – Mira Awad, an Arab musician and actress, and Jewish pop singer Noa – makes it to the final round of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. The two singers perform a duet in Arabic, Hebrew and English titled “Einaiych – There Must Be Another Way.” Despite their different backgrounds, their collaboration at the 2008 Eurovision contest illustrates the endeavors of many organizations in Israel that promote peace and cooperation through joint projects such as economic development centers, after-school sports and bilingual and bicultural schools. Awad performs despite being urged by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel “not to participate on behalf of Israel in this contest.”
May 14: Netanyahu makes an unannounced trip to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah II, where the two men discuss plans to move forward on the Palestinian peace process, strengthen the Palestinian economy through joint Israeli projects and improve the Palestinian Authority’s security forces.
May 11: Netanyahu travels to Sharm el-Sheikh to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss restarting peace talks. The prime minister says, “We wish to resume the peace talks between ourselves and the Palestinians.”
May 5: In a speech to AIPAC, Netanyahu pledges to work with Abbas’s government in the West Bank and proposes a “triple track” toward peace including political, security and economic tracks. Read Netanyahu’s speech, watch the video
March
March 26: Israel and Egypt celebrate 30 years since Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat shook hands and signed a peace agreement on the White House lawn. Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel. Read Timeline of Israel-Egypt Relations
March 2: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton states the United States will pledge $900 million to help rebuild infrastructure in Gaza damaged during Operation Cast Lead. Clinton stresses that the money would be channeled through the Palestinian Authority controlled by Fatah and not Hamas.
February
Feb. 10: Israel holds a general election that eventually leads to the formation of a Likud-led government. The centrist Kadima party takes 28 seats in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and remains the biggest party, with Likud winning 27 seats, Yisrael Beiteinu taking 15 seats and Labor 13. Even though Kadima wins the most seats, the center-right and rightist parties win more seats overall than the center and center-left factions so Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu is asked to form the next government.
February: Israeli Public Security Minister Avi Dichter says Hamas’s efforts to smuggle weapons into Gaza have started again. “We see an effort exerted by Hamas to rebuild its tunnels, and we have spotted several incidents of weapon smuggling since the ceasefire began,” he says.
Past Israeli sacrifices for peace
Aug. 15-Aug. 23, 2005: Gaza and West Bank Disengagement: In an effort to relieve the security threats against Israelis living in Gaza and to try to put the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks back on track, Israel unilaterally pulls all of its citizens out of the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank. This dramatic move costs Israel approximately $2 billion, and includes the evacuation of all of the roughly 9,000 Israelis living in the affected areas in addition to exhuming and transferring all graves in Gaza to Israeli territory. On Sept. 12, 2005, the last Israel Defense Forces soldier departs the Gaza Strip, marking a historic step towards peace by Israel.
Jan. 22-27, 2001: Taba Conference: In the midst of the Second Intifada, and as a follow-up to the Camp David Summit, the Israelis and Palestinians meet for a final attempt to come to an agreement on a Palestinian state. Israel offers 94 percent of the West Bank in addition to Israeli land, culminating in an offer of 97 percent of the total land area requested by the Palestinians. The 'right of return' is also considered. However, the conference ends again in a standstill, and an Israeli-Palestinian Joint Statement is issued asserting that the two parties have never before been so close to an agreement and expressing hope for the future.
July 11-25, 2000: Camp David Summit: To keep to the schedule set by the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum, Arafat and Barak meet with President Clinton at Camp David. In an effort to achieve peace once and for all, Barak offers a series of concessions including Israeli withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip and 95 percent of the West Bank; the subsequent creation of an independent Palestinian state in the aforementioned areas; the dismantlement of all Israeli settlements in those areas given to the Palestinians; land compensation outside of the West Bank for settlements to remain under Israeli sovereignty; and Palestinian rule over East Jerusalem and most of the Old City (excluding the Jewish Quarter) and 'religious sovereignty' on the Temple Mount. In exchange, the agreement called for Arafat to declare an end to the conflict and a prohibition of future claims on Israeli land. Arafat rejects the proposal and makes no counter-offer. The summit ends in failure, but a Tri-Lateral Statement is issued delineating the principles of future talks.
Jan. 17, 1997: Protocol Concerning the Redeployment in Hebron: The redeployment of Israeli soldiers from Hebron, the last remaining Palestinian city under Israeli control, is orchestrated in the Hebron Agreement. The protocol is signed by Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This marks the first time Israel's Likud party government has supported territorial withdrawal in the West Bank (also known as Judea and Samaria), until then widely considered a Labor party policy.
May 4, 1994: Gaza-Jericho Agreement: In what is also known as the Cairo Agreement, Israel and the Palestinians outline Israel's initial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and Jericho, as well as the creation of the Palestinian Authority. Although Israel is removing all of its forces from these areas (and later from Palestinian cities in the West Bank), Yasser Arafat's PA fails to meet the security conditions requiring it to crack down on terror groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
March 26, 1979: Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty: Israel and Egypt sign a treaty which calls for both nations to demilitarize the Sinai Peninsula; for Israel to withdraw to the pre-1967 border, giving up military bases, settlements, roads and the Sinai oil fields; and for Egypt to 'normalize' relations with Israel. Other Arab countries attack the agreement, and Sadat is assassinated by Muslim extremists in 1981. Nevertheless, the treaty holds.