Portugal MPs oppose Israeli FM's visit

Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163169.html

Several Portuguese lawmakers have voiced their opposition to the presence of Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Portugal's parliament.

Representatives from Portugal's leftist and communist parties strongly opposed Lieberman's presence in the parliament by calling him a radical as well as a racist.

They also condemned the inhumane policies of the Israeli regime against the people of Palestine.

Head of Portugal's Left Bloc parliamentary group Jose Manuel Pureza said that they cannot be indifferent towards Lieberman's visit to Portugal.

"We explicitly announce our opposition to Lieberman's stances. Israel should officially recognize the rights of Palestinians to a free and independent country according to the 1967 borders," he added.

The international community backs Palestinian demands for a state in most of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem) - all territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War.

Over 100 countries have endorsed the Palestinians' 1988 declaration of independent statehood. Among them, several Latin American countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela have recognized an independent Palestinian state.

Paola Santos, head of Portugal's Communist Party parliamentary group, said that Portugal should officially recognize an independent Palestinian state.

"Portuguese people condemn Israel for undermining the rights of Palestinians. Israel should abide by the international regulations," she added.

Several members of human rights groups gathered in front of Portugal's Parliament in Lisbon in protest to Lieberman's visit to Portugal.

Ireland promotes Palestinian mission

The Ireland–Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Dublin

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/162049.html

The Republic of Ireland has become the first member of the European Union to upgrade the Palestinian diplomatic in mission in Dublin to an embassy, said the media reports.

The Irish government on Tuesday joined a growing list of European countries, including France and Spain that promoted the Palestinian diplomatic missions to embassies, paving the way for the recognition of an independent Palestinian state, Irish media reported.

The head of the Palestinian mission in Dublin will now become an ambassador and will submit his credentials to the Irish president, said the report.

The move has ignited concerns among Israeli regime's authorities as Several Scandinavian countries as well as Britain, Sweden, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Denmark, Malta, Luxembourg, Austria and other states are in line to recognize an independent Palestinian state.

An Irish foreign affairs spokeswoman confirmed the promotion, saying that the Palestinian diplomatic representation would now be known as the Palestinian "mission," instead of the previous Palestinian "delegation".

Palestinian Delegate General, Kikmat Ajjuri's title will also be amended to "ambassador, head of mission", said the spokeswoman.

The move will certainly further strain relations between Ireland and Israeli regime -- already strained following the recent fake passport scandal.

Last year, the government expelled an Israeli embassy authority over the use of a number of forged Irish passports by suspects involved the killing of a Hamas commander in Dubai.

At the time, Irish foreign affairs minister Micheal Martin said investigations by the UK and Australian authorities had concluded that there were "compelling reasons" to believe Israel was responsible for the counterfeiting of passports used by the hit team.

Meanwhile, Peru on Monday joined a growing number of Latin American states including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador and Guyana to recognize an independent Palestinian state.

Obama urged not to veto anti-Israeli draft

A general view of the Israeli settlement of Nof Zion, near al-Quds January 12, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161479.html


Former high-ranking US officials have called on President Barack Obama to avoid vetoing a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel's illegal settlements in the West Bank.

The officials, including a former US secretary of defense, a number of former assistant secretaries of state and ambassadors, wrote a letter to Obama, asking him to instruct US envoys to the world body to "vote yes" on the resolution, Ha'aretz reported on Saturday.

"The time has come for a clear signal from the United States to the parties and to the broader international community that the United States can and will approach the conflict with the objectivity, consistency and respect for international law required if it is to play a constructive role in the conflict's resolution," the letter urged.

The signatories said they were well aware that the Security Council resolution would not resolve the issue of settlements, but said the council was "an appropriate venue for addressing these issues."

They also reminded Obama of his 2009 speech in Cairo where he said the US does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements and urged Israel to stop its construction activity.

"If the proposed resolution is consistent with existing and established US policies, then deploying a veto would severely undermine US credibility and interests, placing us firmly outside of the international consensus, and further diminishing our ability to mediate this conflict," the officials warned.

The draft resolution -- which has nearly 120 co-sponsors from among Arab and other non-aligned nations -- is not likely to be put to a vote in the 15-nation council in the near future due to a possible US veto.

The draft says that "Israeli settlements established in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East [al-Quds] Jerusalem, are illegal and constitute a major obstacle to the achievement of a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace."

Israel's persistent construction in the occupied West Bank is seen as the main bone of contention between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and is blamed for derailing several rounds of talks between the two sides.

France supports Palestinian statehood

French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie at a news conference in Amman, January 22, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161493.html


The French foreign minister has voiced her country's support for the formation of a Palestinian state and condemned Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

"France supports the establishment of an independent, democratic Palestinian state as soon as possible," Michele Alliot-Marie said at the conclusion of her visit to the occupied Palestinian territories on Saturday, Ha'aretz reported.

She said her country does not recognize Israel's settlements in the occupied West Bank and called for the construction activity to come to a halt.

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Guyana, and Uruguay are among over 130 countries that have recognized Palestinian statehood within the borders that existed before the Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Six Day War.

Paraguay and Peru are also expected to follow suit in the coming weeks.

In December, the French foreign ministry declared a decision to recognize a free and independent Palestinian state based on borders before the 1967 war to become the first European nation to do so.

100 states back anti-Israeli resolution

Chief Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161208.html


Chief Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiator Saeb Erekat says more than 100 countries will support a resolution at the UN Security Council against Israeli settlement projects.

Speaking to Ma'an news agency on Thursday, Erekat also rejected the reports that the PA would postpone the resolution.

On Tuesday, Palestinian resolution against illegal Israeli settlement buildings in the occupied Palestinian territories was formally put to the Security Council.

The resolution would condemn Israel's settlement activities and reiterate an existing UN demand for all building work in the occupied territories to stop.

Erekat also denied reports that he will hold meeting with Israeli officials about the issue, describing the reports as Tel Aviv's media “propaganda” to placate the Israeli public.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Erekat accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of closing the door to negotiation by going ahead with backing settlement constructions.

Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority once again reached a deadlock in September after Tel Aviv refused to extend a partial moratorium on settlement constructions in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians argue that the continuation of settlement activities reduces the chance of establishing an independent Palestinian state.

Russia backs independent Palestine

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (L) and acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas meet in the West Bank city of Ariha (Jericho) on January 18, 2011.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/160796.html

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has reaffirmed Moscow's support of an independent Palestinian state as recognized by the former Soviet Union in 1988.

"Russia made its choice a long time ago ...we supported and will support the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to an independent state with its capital in East Jerusalem [al-Quds]," Medvedev said on Tuesday at a press conference with acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank oasis town of Ariha (Jericho).

Medvedev also said without Israel's “reasonable” decision on its settlement activity, Middle East talks will not be progressive.

"It is impossible to close your eyes to this fact,” the Russian president said.

In the past two months, several Latin American countries have recognized Palestine as an independent state based on the borders set before 1967.

On September 2, Israel and the Palestinian Authority resumed direct talks, but the talks were stalled again only three weeks later when Tel Aviv refused to extend a partial 10-month freeze it had imposed on its illegal settlement activities.

The Palestinians say that the settlement construction is aimed at preventing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Along with Palestinian and other Arab territories, Tel Aviv occupied East al-Quds during the Six-Day War in 1967.

The occupation and later annexation of the city -- which the Palestinians have long been demanding as the capital of their future state -- has never been recognized by the international community.

'Chile, Paraguay to recognize Palestine'

PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/158377.html


Chile and Paraguay are set to declare Palestine as an independent state based on 1967 borders to continue the move in Latin American countries, a Palestinian Authority (PA) official says.

PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki announced on Sunday that Chile and Paraguay will declare their recognition of an independent Palestinian state in the coming weeks, Ha'aretz reported.

More than 130 countries have officially recognized Palestine as a state based on the 1967 borders, the boundaries that existed before Israel occupied East al-Quds (Jerusalem), the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.

The United States and Israel have criticized the move and have so far refused to recognize an independent Palestinian state.

Last month, Uruguay announced that it will recognize Palestine in March 2011.

In early December, Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia also recognized Palestine as an independent state.

Chile's President Sebastian Pinera is scheduled to visit the occupied West Bank in three months, the PA foreign minister said.

Maliki also said that Ecuador is to follow Brazil and open a PA embassy on its soil. Ecuador became the fifth Latin American country that recognized Palestine in late December.

Acting PA Chief Mahmoud Abbas said that the recent move by several Latin American nations would force the US and Israel to return to negotiations after the latest round of talks collapsed in late September because Tel Aviv refused to extend a partial freeze on its construction and expansion of illegal settlements on the occupied Palestinian territories.

Abbas was in Brazil on Dec. 31 to lay the head cornerstone for the building of the Palestinian Embassy.

Bolivia recognizes 'sovereign' Palestine

Bolivian President Evo Morales

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/156724.html


Bolivian President Evo Morales has sent a formal letter to acting Palestinian authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas recognizing Palestine as an independent and sovereign state.

Morales said in his letter on Wednesday that his government “could not continue waiting with its arms crossed given the problems of human rights, territory and sovereignty.”

He said at a press conference that he recognized Palestine as "an independent and sovereign state... as have other countries like Brazil."

A Foreign Ministry official later confirmed that Bolivia declared its full support for Palestine in the letter.

La Paz cut off diplomatic ties with Israel in January 2009 over Israel's three-week war on Gaza Strip, which killed over 1,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Over 130 countries have officially recognized Palestine as a state based on the 1967 borders, the boundaries that existed before Israel captured East al-Quds (Jerusalem), the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.

Bolivia now joins the list of South American countries that have recognized a fully sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.

In early December, Argentina, Cuba, Brazil and Venezuela declared recognition of Palestine as a "free and independent state.”

Uruguay has announced plans to do so next year.

The United States so far refused to recognize an independent Palestinian state.

In mid-December, the House of Representatives passed a resolution, with 435-0 votes, opposing a unilateral declaration of an independent Palestinian state and condemning international recognition of such a state.

It also called on its delegation to the UN Security Council (UNSC) to "veto any resolution by the UNSC to establish or recognize a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated by the two parties."

The House resolution is in stark contrast with the Obama administration's promise from day one to push for the creation of an independent Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.