“It’s time for the force of the law to prevail over the law of the force. It’s time for diplomacy to prevail over war.” Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of The United Nations

“It’s time for the force of the law to prevail over the law of the force. It’s time for diplomacy to prevail over war.” –@antonioguterres on the war in the Middle East. Full remarks: https://un.org/sg/en/content/

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https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/press-events/2026-03-19/secretary-generals-joint-press-encounter-he-mr-antonio-costa-president-of-the-european-council

19 March 2026

Brussels

Belgium

Secretary-General's joint press encounter with H.E. Mr. António Costa, President of the European Council

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Press events | António Guterres, Secretary-General

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Ladies and gentlemen of the press,

Let me start by two clear messages.

First, to the United States and to Israel:

It’s high time to end this war that is risking to get completely out of control, causing immense suffering on civilians and with propagation around the global economy, that is really dramatic with potential tragic consequences, especially for the least developed countries.

Second message, to Iran:

Stop attacking your neighbours; they were never parties to the conflict.  

The Security Council has condemned these attacks, has ordered them to stop, as it has ordered to open the Strait of Hormuz.

The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz causes enormous pain in so many people around the world that have nothing to do with this conflict.

It’s time for the force of the law to prevail over the law of the force. It’s time for diplomacy to prevail over war.

I want, naturally, to say that I’m extremely grateful for this invitation.

The European Union and the United Nations have exemplary cooperation, and the European Union has been a fundamental support for the UN and for multilateralism.

And I hope, I’m sure, the European Union will be absolutely central in the efforts to create an international order based on the rule of law, an international order in which we will have more justice, in which we will have more climate action, in which we will have more control of the evolution of technologies and in which international law will prevail.

Thank you very much.

Diplomatic Missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah condemn escalating settler violence and displacement during visit to Northern Jordan Valley communities

 The Office of the European Union Representative (West Bank and Gaza Strip, UNRWA) 

Representatives from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, made a joint visit to the Palestinian communities in the Northern Jordan Valley, yesterday, in light of the alarming increase in settler violence and forced displacements. Ireland supports this statement.   

© Office of the European Union Representative, taken by Omar Awad

During their visit, diplomats witnessed first-hand the distressing impact of settler violence on Palestinian communities, including the recent displacement of families in As-Sukhun community following relentless attacks from Israeli settler outposts and the destruction of multiple properties in Al-Jiftlik area neat Jericho. The delegation also condemned the recent declaration of 800 hectares of land as state land in Aqraba by Israeli authorities, exacerbating the coercive environment faced by these communities.

The delegation expressed deep concern over the surge in settler violence, which has led to numerous displacements and casualties throughout the West Bank, including the Jordan Valley.

While acknowledging some measures, recently announced, taken by Israeli authorities, the diplomats stressed the need for effective implementation and more robust actions to hold perpetrators of settler violence accountable and prevent further intolerable situations for Palestinians.  Diplomats call on Israel to respect all its obligations under Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, including the prohibition on forcible transfer, and reiterated their opposition to illegal settlements, which fuel violence and impede the two-state solution.

Diplomats reaffirmed their commitment to upholding Palestinian rights and assisting vulnerable populations in Area C, emphasizing the need for Israel, as the occupying power, to ensure the safety of all Palestinian communities living in Area C.  The aforementioned representatives condemned all acts of violence, emphasizing the need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and the protection of civilian lives on all sides.

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/palestine-occupied-palestinian-territory-west-bank-and-gaza-strip/diplomatic-missions-jerusalem-and-ramallah-condemn-escalating-settler-violence-and-displacement_en?s=206 

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Over 200 european organisations urge immediate suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement amidst Gaza crisis

The Transnational Institute is an international research and advocacy institute committed to building a just, democratic and sustainable planet.

 14 March 2024

Dublin, 14/03/2024: Today, a coalition of 206 European civil society groups, 20 of which were based in Ireland, submitted a letter to the EU Commission, the EU Council, and the European Parliament, calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement in light of the violation of Human Rights by the State of Israel.

In January, in view of South Africa’s case alleging genocide against the Israeli government, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that some of the accusations indicate that genocide could be plausible in specific instances. The ICJ ordered the Israeli Government to take all measures within its power to prevent acts within the scope of Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The Coalition believes that the fact that the ICJ considered South Africa’s claims as ‘plausible’ and has issued provisional measures against the Israeli Government, then this should raise serious alarm bells in the EU. However, Israel’s economy continues to enjoy privileged access to the EU market through the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

The Coalition believes that civil society should stand united in calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel Agreement, and that it’s time for the EU to uphold its commitment to human rights and democratic principles and take concrete action to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The coalition’s letter to the EU stresses that prior to the current hostilities, Palestinians have faced systematic rights violations, including land expropriation, forced evictions, property demolition and restrictions on movement, persisting since 1948.... READ MORE  https://www.bilaterals.org/?suspend-the-eu-israel-association-50079

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The European Union's top diplomat Josep Borrell has accused Israel of using the starvation of the people of Gaza as a means of warfare.

EU's Borrell says Israel using starvation as 'weapon of war' in Gaz

The New Arab Staff

13 March, 2024

 

European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday that Israel is deliberately using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza.

Addressing the UN Security Council in New York, Borrell stated that the lack of aid entering the Palestinian enclave is "manmade".

"This humanitarian crisis... is not a natural disaster, is not a flood, is not an earthquake, it is manmade," the EU diplomat said.

This comes as aid agencies warned that land routes are the quickest and most effective method of getting aid into the starving territory, yet Israeli restrictions on such routes mean that only a fraction of the necessary aid is getting in.

This has seen aid efforts shift away from land routes to other methods, such as by air and, most recently, sea.

A Spanish vessel loaded with critically needed food supplies departed from Cyprus towards Gaza on Tuesday, although the UN has stated that this, as well as airdrops, do not substitute for land-based aid delivery.

In a preliminary ruling in January that stated Israel was plausibly committing genocide in Gaza, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) also ordered Tel Aviv to “facilitate immediate humanitarian aid to Gaza”.

However, human rights agencies and the UN have both noted that Israel has failed to live up to this demand, with famine now looming in the Strip, conditions Borrell says are being deliberately created by Tel Aviv.

“[The humanitarian crisis is] manmade and when we look for ....

Read More:  https://www.newarab.com/news/israel-using-starvation-weapon-war-gaza-borrell

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US State Department: "And as you know, we do not consider settlements to be part of Israel. We do not view labeling the origin of products as being from the settlements as a boycott of Israel."

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Thursday it doesn't consider a new European Union rule outlawing "Made in Israel" tags on goods from the West Bank as a boycott of the Jewish state, only a technical guideline for consumers.

The long-awaited EU rule has triggered a fierce backlash from the Israeli government.

The U.S. clarified its position a day after the decision by the EU, which applies to goods produced in Israeli settlements on the West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the 28-nation bloc as "hypocritical" and accused the EU of double standards. One of his Cabinet members called the rule "disguised anti-Semitism." Even Israeli opposition figures chimed in with criticism.

"We do not believe that labeling the origin of products is equivalent to a boycott," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. "And as you know, we do not consider settlements to be part of Israel. We do not view labeling the origin of products as being from the settlements as a boycott of Israel."

http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/political/us-ok-with-new-eu-labeling-rule-for-west-bank-expo/npL2L/ 

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My letter to the Guardian RE "A galaxy" of "Star authors call for Israeli-Palestinian dialogue rather than boycotts"

The voice that connects things (Mahmoud Darwish ) Reading Room 2010 Sculptures and installations made by using books as the main production material by Pierre Lionel Matte of Norway..." To counterbalance the black/white descriptions of culture and identities I chose poems by Palestinian writer, Mahmoud Darwish." 

RE "A galaxy" of "Star authors call for Israeli-Palestinian dialogue rather than boycotts"
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/22/star-authors-jk-rowling-hilary-mantel-israel-palestinian-boycott-guardian-letter

Dear Sir,

Not too long ago a huge galaxy of star citizens (as well as regular folk and many a nobody) through out all the world thought slavery and the slave trade was a normal part of life. Excuses abounded, even religious texts were deployed to bully everyone into subserviently accepting a totally toxic and cruel situation. 

I suspect there were many dialogues and "negotiations" between masters and slaves.  Perhaps some dialogues and "negotiations" even made life a teeny tiny little bit easier for an individual slave or two- but all in all slavery continued on as a very cruel status quo and toxic situation...   Just as America's southern plantation owners saw no reason to end slavery, Israel sees no reason to stop usurping Palestine land, resources, and life.

Israel, a fully sovereign and free nation state, sees no reason to end its divisive and discriminatory anti-Palestine/anti-Palestinian policies. 

Israel sees no reason to respect international law; no reason to live by The Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you- and no reason to honor and uphold The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world"  http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

What a huge shame that Harry Potter's brilliant creator is using her fame and popularity to help perpetuate the very real plight and suffering of the native non-Jewish population of historic Palestine.

The global information age is here: Modern day boycott campaigns focused in on advocating a nonviolent way to bring attention to a very cruel status quo and toxic situation are a natural response, and boycott campaigns are bound to grow more popular and more pervasive as more and more people world wide figure out that Israeli propaganda has been very misleading: Let's start with the fact that there really is such a thing as a Palestinian.

One of my favorite Palestinians is the poet Mahmoud Darwish born in Palestine March 13, 1941 - died August 9, 2008. His words live on ... "About Darwish’s work, the poet Naomi Shihab Nye has said, “Mahmoud Darwish is the Essential Breath of the Palestinian people, the eloquent witness of exile and belonging, exquisitely tuned singer of images that invoke, link, and shine a brilliant light into the world’s whole heart. What he speaks has been embraced by readers around the world—his in an utterly necessary voice, unforgettable once discovered.” https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/mahmoud-darwish

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
Smithsonian has a fascinating article on slavery in America, disclosing shocking facts- and once common words- that I never knew until this week.  "Retracing Slavery's Trail of Tears" by Edward Ball tells of hidden history such as "A coffle of slaves being marched from Virginia west into Tennessee, c. 1850." ..."It took four months to assemble the big “coffle,” to use a once-common word that, like so much of the vocabulary of slavery, has been effaced from the language."

Delores McQuinn:  “You see, our history is often buried,” she says. “You have to unearth it.” http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/slavery-trail-of-tears-180956968/#eDXuwuGkyuzIsE5r.99

***

Strangling Jerusalem: "In reality, the roots of the violence in Jerusalem are deeper and far more complex. For decades now, Israel has been strangling East Jerusalem denying its Palestinian inhabitants freedom, opportunity, dignity, and hope, with devastating impact. Before Israel closed Jerusalem off from the rest of the West Bank in 1994, the city had served as the hub of Palestinian life. Not only was the city important for its religious role, all of the major Palestinian economic, social, cultural, educational, medical, and service institutions were located in the city. " James Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute & author of 'Arab Voices'

"First they came for Palestinians... "

Sunday Dialogue: The Media Gap

After years of peaceful [Palestinian] protest, Hebron activist dies in tear gas

Palestinians need hope, not calm

President of Palestine to address special meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council October 28, 2015

635 flying checkpoints have been imposed between Palestinian towns, Refugee camps and cities #Palestine

“EXTREMELY VOLATILE SITUATION ACROSS THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY” – UNITED NATIONS EXPERT EXPRESSES GRAVE CONCERN

Tit-for-tat violence is ‘new normal’ in occupied territory..."The emerging “new normal” – characterised on the Palestinian side by spontaneous acts of violence mainly by youths, and on the Israeli side by settler vigilantes and trigger-happy soldiers – is yet another reminder that the status quo is neither manageable nor containable." Hussein Ibish

The ugly order of free-for-all killings in Israel-Palestine - See more at: http://www.jordantimes.com/opinion/rami-g-khouri/ugly-order-free-all-killings-israel-palestine#sthash.4Q036fgT.UFvoh4TJ.dpuf

The ugly order of free-for-all killings in Israel-Palestine - See more at: http://www.jordantimes.com/opinion/rami-g-khouri/ugly-order-free-all-killings-israel-palestine#sthash.4Q036fgT.UFvoh4TJ.dpuf

The ugly order of free-for-all killings in Israel-Palestine By Rami G. Khouri in the Jordan Times

Ex-U.N. Official John Dugard: Israel’s Crimes are "Infinitely Worse" Than in Apartheid South Africa

Sam Bahour: Palestinians must not fall into this trap, again!  "To cover up its crimes, Israel needs to feed all the western stereotypes of Palestinians as violent and subhuman rather than hungry for freedom and equal rights."


Artists got ‘Homeland is racist’ Arabic graffiti into the latest episode of ‘Homeland’

A Palestinian woman, wearing her traditional embroidered dress while shopping in Ramallah's open market, holds a pomegranate.

On World Food Day, we are reminded that food is so much more than just what we eat... 16 Pictures of the World's Kitchens Show the Hearts of Homes

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STAY CONNECTED... Given the U.S. commitment to religious freedom, and to the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right of every human being, the United States seeks to: Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries

Unclench your fist... Live by the Golden Rule...

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Words to Honor: The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

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...The Net ... a poem

...Forwards ...a poem

... The Connectors ... a poem

..Destroying Careers and Countries

RECRUIT ... a poem

... There Are Clues

Click by Click Culpability

America/Israel/Palestine 1776

... In Growing Gardens for Palestine: I ask you not to bomb

Translating the Obvious ... A poem for peace in Growing Gardens for Palestine

Trust... A poem for peace in Growing Gardens for Palestine

... Ibrahim's Estate... The Promised Land: In Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights & Peace Day

Boycotting Israel's Anti-Palestine War Games in the West Bank

"... a settlement boycott—and not just a refusal to buy settlement-produced goods but a prohibition on investing or financially underwriting settlement activity and industries—are really the least that any state or society that sincerely believes in the need for an eventual two-state solution can and should do."  Hussein Ibish

A settlement boycott is the least we can do

Everyone who cares about peace should boycott settlements

https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commentary/565132-a-settlement-boycott-is-the-least-we-can-do

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PLEASE NOTE

This is not "BDS" which too often veers off into being a podium and publicity for one-state activists, anti-Israel agitators, extremists, hate mongers and Zionists who do not support a negotiated end to the Israel-Palestine conflict.  

This is a reasonable call for reasonable people worldwide (as well as all organizations, NGOs, corporations, businesses, concerned governments...etc...) to uphold and respect international law and a two state solution to once and for all end the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Scales of Justice

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood..." The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

*** 

“[The] continued expansion of Israeli illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and other territories occupied by Israel since 1967, threatens the prospect of a just and final peace agreement,”  Foreign ministers from 16 EU countries – including the UK – have signed a letter to the EU’s foreign policy head, Federica Mogherini, requesting she expedite moves to ensure the clear labelling of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements and sold in Europe

Analysis: EU aid to Palestinians -- help or hindrance?

"EU member states are today much more aware than before that their aid has not made possible the creation of an independent Palestinian state," she [Caroline du Plessix, a French political scientist specializing on EU policy towards the two-state-solution] said, adding: "The EU is trying to figure out what the best strategy may be. Member states need to show that their policy is reaching its ends and is effective. But if the main solution still is the two-state-solution and we are not really going in that direction, this policy is not sustainable and cannot go on for ever."

A general view shows a section of Israel's controversial separation
barrier in the West Bank village of Al-Ram on the outskirts of
Jerusalem on December 7, 2012. (AFP/File Ahmad Gharabli)

"... One beneficiary of the EU's direct assistance to the PA is 49-year-old Said Samara, a teacher at the Secondary Boarding School in Ramallah.
"As a teacher, I hope that this aid will continue. But as a teacher, and for my students, I also need some hope for an independent Palestinian country""

 

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http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=674797

The UN Works and Relief Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) faces similar challenges. This year it has a deficit of $65 million in its core budget and struggles with declining international funding.

ATFP's Ziad Asali: Israel Needs Peace with Palestine to Avoid Looming Boycotts

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ziad-j-asali-md/israel-needs-peace-with-p_b_4682405.html

"... Because of their national narrative, religious views, or ideological perspectives, many Israelis view the settlements as perfectly legitimate. What they must recognize, however, is that they are alone in this opinion, globally. And Israel cannot remain deeply connected to the international system and global economy, and especially the West, while continuing to flout basic the international laws governing occupied territories.

The European policy is sound, and an approach I have long supported. Back in 2010, I noted that "while those of us at the American Task Force on Palestine firmly oppose Israel's delegitimization, we also oppose the occupation and support peaceful, nonviolent efforts to end it. We have strongly supported Palestinian efforts to build the institutional, infrastructural, economic and administrative framework of the Palestinian state under occupation, in order to end the occupation. We have also supported nonviolent protest efforts such as popular boycott of settlement goods that call attention to the important and undeniable distinction between Israel itself on the one hand and the occupation and the settlements on the other hand."

The new EU, and now German, policies are fully in line with this formula. The international community must do more to clarify to Israelis that their settlement policies are not acceptable and that the whole world sees a vital distinction between the legitimate state of Israel and the illegitimate and illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinians territories..." Ziad J. Asali, M.D. President, American Task Force on Palestine

"The message from Israel's most senior security and business professionals is clear, rational and certainly correct: however much some Israelis might want to continue the occupation, the future of Israel requires a peace agreement and a state of Palestine."

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Palestine & The United Nations

EU warns Israel, Palestinians of the cost of peace failure

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/22/us-israel-palestinians-eu-idUSBREA0L1PT20140122

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat (L-R), U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Israel's Justice Minister Tzipi Livni shake hands at a news conference at the end of talks at the State Department in Washington, July 30, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

(Reuters) - Both sides of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks risk paying a high price in losing European Union trade and aid if negotiations collapse, the EU ambassador to Israel said on Wednesday.

For long seen as a "payer not a player" in the region, the European Union has started making clear that its role as Israel's biggest trade partner and the Palestinians' largest donor should not be taken for granted.

"We have made it clear to the parties that there will be a price to pay if these negotiations falter," ambassador Lars Faaborg-Andersen told reporters.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is trying to draw up a broad framework deal that would open the way for a final round of detailed discussions to end the generations-old conflict covering all the core elements dividing the two sides.

However, despite more than five months of talks, there has been no sign of any imminent breakthrough.

The EU has grown especially frustrated by Israel's repeated announcement since the talks started of new Jewish settlement building on land the Palestinians want for their future state...READ MORE

A Palestinian human rights group urges tougher EU measures on Israeli settler violence

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http://maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=651313

A Palestinian boy stands near a car set on fire by settlers in
Nablus.(MaanImages/file)

By Charlie Hoyle

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A Palestinian human rights group on Wednesday called on EU member states to take tougher measures to ensure that public and private national bodies do not provide support to violent settler groups in the occupied West Bank.

In a new report, "Institutionalized Impunity: Israel's Failure to Combat Settler Violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory", Al-Haq documents settler violence as an "extensive, long-term, and worsening phenomenon."

The report calls on Israel to enforce the law against settler attacks, end all incitement to violence by settler groups and guarantee the protection of the Palestinian civilian population subject to Israeli control.

Al-Haq also says that third-party states to the conflict have an "obligation to combat organized crime by ensuring that support, financial or otherwise, is not being lent to violent settler groups by private and public entities within their jurisdiction."

Shawan Jabarin, director of Al-Haq, told Ma'an that impunity for settler violence is systematic and part of an institutionalized Israeli policy which directly, and indirectly, encourages settler attacks.

"The obligation of Israeli authorities is to protect Palestinians under occupation. They are not; they are closing their eyes and facilitating the violence against Palestinians."

EU member states must carry out their responsibilities in dealing with settlers who visit the EU to solicit funds for violent groups as well as known violent settlers who have dual nationality, Jabarin says.

"It is time for action against these groups and the settlers in general, as well as the leaders, such as settler councils."

In 2011, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the French branch of the Jewish Defense League, an extreme right-wing group, was recruiting Jews with military training to visit Israel and "defend" illegal settlements.

A group spokesman said that five groups of 11 people were expected to take "positions" in five Israeli settlements, with all expenses paid by un-named French donors.

The Dutch Christian Zionist organization Christenen voor Israel, or Christians for Israel, is another one of the groups in EU member states with links to Israeli settlements.

A 2010 report by the Inter Press Service news agency said that the organization's website was soliciting donations to install security cameras for the illegal settlement of Tzofim near Qalqiliya and was also providing stipends for students studying at a university in Ariel settlement.

In August this year, the Corporate Watch website sent a series of open letters to UK registered charity Stewardship Services out of concern that it was collecting donations for the Kochav Yaakov settlement southeast of Ramallah.

The charity collects donations for a project run by the Christian Friends of Israeli Communities Heartland, which Corporate Watch says is akin to giving "tacit support to Israel's colonization policies."

Stewardship Services said the donations were solely to support a project providing hot lunches to children in the illegal settlement.

EU visa ban for violent settlers

Valentina Azarov, a legal adviser for Al-Haq, told Ma'an that EU states should investigate individuals or groups which provide support to violent settler groups or settlements known for violence who "could be held liable for committing offenses under their domestic laws on organized crime and financing of acts of terror."

Such groups, or individuals, should be subject to investigation by their national authorities, she says, and third state authorities should seek Israel's cooperation in such investigations.

The EU should also "follow through with its own legal and public policy needs by adopting risk aversive measures against violent settlers such as banning their entry into the EU," Azarov added.

In November last year, the independent EU Observer news site reported that a group of EU diplomats from the Political and Security Committee dealing with conflict zones had approved measures to impose visa bans on violent Israeli settlers.

A memo seen by the website said that "individual EU member states could explore possibilities of denying access of known violent settlers to the EU."

There were also European Parliamentary questions regarding the matter in January this year, to which EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton responded: "By definition, actions by Israeli settlers in occupied territory are not an internal matter for Israel."

Al-Haq's recommendations come as EU guidelines prohibiting financial cooperation with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are due to take effect on Jan. 1.

The guidelines, issued in July, raised a storm in Israel and were denounced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "an external diktat about our borders."

Palestinian officials welcomed the decision.

Settler attacks on Palestinians and their property increased by 32 percent in 2011 compared to the previous year, and by over 144 percent compared to the year before that, according to UN statistics.

In 2011, 10,000 olive trees were damaged or destroyed by settlers and 139 Palestinian families displaced due to settler violence, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported.

Over 90 percent of complaints filed by Palestinians regarding settler violence are closed by Israeli authorities without an indictment, the agency says.

Ashrawi Calls on the EU to Investigate Sunday Times Report

Tuesday, 22 October 2013
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/national/5983-ashrawi-calls-on-the-eu-to-investigate-sunday-times-report

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PLO Executive Committee member, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, called on the European Union (EU) to investigate the misleading Sunday Times report on EU funding and the alleged Palestinian mismanagement of billions of Euros in European aid.

"Such a blatantly inaccurate report and subsequent commentaries constitute a targeted and flagrant attack on the Palestinian leadership and signify an attempt to slander the whole Palestinian political system. This serves an anti-Palestinian and an anti-peace agenda." Ashrawi continued, "It should be stressed that similar accusations have been made in the past and eventually turned out to be inaccurate."

She added, "Thus, we call on the European Union to investigate and debunk such claims of corruption that have nothing to do with corruption or combating it. It is evident that such reports are politically motivated and represent an attempt to put pressure on the EU to end its support for the Palestinian cause by maligning the Palestinian leadership."

Ashrawi's statements came during a meeting in Ramallah with Consul General of the Netherlands, Birgitta Tazelaar, Representative of Denmark to the State of Palestine, Anders Tang Friborg, and Swedish Consul for Political Affairs, Lena Skoglund.

Dr. Ashrawi also highlighted the importance of the EU guidelines banning dealings with Israeli settlements.

She said, "We believe that this is a positive contribution by the EU to inject legality and fairness in the pursuit of peace. It is our hope that the EU maintains this position despite Israeli and American efforts to circumvent the implementation of the guidelines."

The meeting also addressed the latest political developments in Palestine, the negotiations, Israeli measures and violations, regional developments, and future cooperation.

A child in the unrecognized Bedouin villages, the Negev Desert, Israel

A child in the unrecognized Bedouin villages, the Negev Desert, Israel

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/53be43ac-2210-11e3-bb64-00144feab7de.html#ixzz2fZYEF2Bs

Israel’s soldiers confront EU diplomats and confiscate aid

By John Reed in Jerusalem

 

September 20, 2013 7:34 pm
 

Israeli soldiers manhandled European diplomats and confiscated an aid truck carrying tents to homeless Palestinians in the West Bank on Friday in an incident likely to test Israel’s strained relations with European countries. 

The incident happened on Friday afternoon in the northern Jordan Valley when Acted, a French humanitarian aid organisation funded by the EU’s humanitarian arm, was stopped by Israel Defence Forces soldiers near the hamlet of Kirbet Makhoul, home to about 100 Bedouin Palestinians, which Israel's army bulldozed early last Monday ...READ MORE

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Israel has frozen co-operation with the European Union on work in the Palestinian territories in retaliation for an EU directive banning funding or grants for bodies with links to Israeli settlements.

Construction work at the Ariel settlement in the West Bank. Photograph: Uriel Sinai/Getty Images

Israel freezes co-operation with EU in Palestinian territories

Move follows European Union directive banning funding for bodies linked with Israeli settlements

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/26/israel-freezes-co-operation-eu-palestinian

• Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem
• guardian.co.uk, Friday 26 July 2013

Israel has frozen co-operation with the European Union on work in the Palestinian territories in retaliation for an EU directive banning funding or grants for bodies with links to Israeli settlements.

The move, authorised by the defence minister, Moshe Ya'alon, affects all projects requiring permits from the Civil Administration, which governs Area C, the 60% of the West Bank under full Israeli control; access of EU diplomats and representatives to Area C and Gaza; and joint meetings.

No permits have been issued to EU humanitarian aid workers to enter Gaza for several days, according to a western diplomatic source.

"We are freezing the relationship on everything," said an Israeli official. "We did this as soon as we heard [about the directive]. We can't act like nothing happened."

The EU provides aid and equipment to Palestinian communities in Area C, many of whom are threatened with displacement and the demolition of their homes, animal shelters and other structures. The EU also helps train Palestinian security forces... READ MORE

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EU takes tougher stance on Israeli settlements... directive prohibits EU states from signing deals with Israel unless settlement exclusion clause is included

European Union

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/16/eu-israel-settlement-exclusion-clause

• Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 16 July 2013 05.49 EDT

The European Union has banned its 28 member states from signing agreements with Israel without an explicit exclusion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank or East Jerusalem, in a directive described by an Israeli official as an "earthquake".

The EU guidelines, adopted on 30 June, will prohibit the issuing of grants, funding, prizes or scholarships unless a settlement exclusion clause is included. Israeli institutions and bodies situated across the pre-1967 Green Line will be automatically ineligible.

The Israeli government will be required to state in any future agreements with the EU that settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are outside the state of Israel.

The binding directive, part of the 2014-20 financial framework, covers all areas of co-operation between the EU and Israel, including economics, science, culture, sports and academia. It does not cover trade, such as produce and goods originating in settlements.

An EU statement said the guidelines "set out the territorial limitations under which the commission will award EU support to Israeli entities … Concern has been expressed in Europe that Israeli entities in the occupied territories could benefit from EU support. The purpose of these guidelines is to make a distinction between the state of Israel and the occupied territories when it comes to EU support."

The move follows a decision by EU foreign ministers last December that "all agreements between the state of Israel and the EU must unequivocally and explicitly indicate their inapplicability to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967". All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law...READ MORE

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