Monthly Archive for February, 2007

The Makkah Agreement between Hamas and Fatah

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on February 11, 2007
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Based on the generous initiative announced by Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz and under the sponsorship of his majesty, Fatah and Hamas Movements held in the period February 6 - 8, 2007 in Holy Mecca the dialogues of Palestinian conciliation and agreement and these dialogues, thanks to God, ended with success and an agreement was reached on the following:

First: to ban the shedding of Palestinian blood and to take all measures and arrangements to prevent the shedding of Palestinian blood and to stress the importance of national unity as the basis for national steadfastness and confronting the occupation and to achieve the legitimate national goals of the Palestinian people and adopt the language of dialogue as the sole basis for solving political disagreements in the Palestinian arena.

Within this context, we offer gratitude to the brothers in Egypt and the Egyptian security delegation in Gaza who exerted tremendous efforts to calm conditions in Gaza Strip in the past period.

Second: Final agreement to form a Palestinian national unity government according to a detailed agreement ratified by both sides and to start on an urgent basis to take the constitutional measures to form this government.

Third: to move ahead in measures to activate and reform the Palestine Liberation Organisation and accelerate the work of the preparatory committee based on the Cairo and Damascus Understandings.

It has been agreed also on detailed steps between both sides on this issue.

Fourth: to stress on the principle of political partnership on the basis of the effective laws in the PNA and on the basis of political pluralism according to an agreement ratified between both parties.

We gladly announce this agreement to the Palestinian masses and to the Arab and Islamic nation and to all our friends in the world. We stress our commitment to this agreement in text and spirit so that we can devote our time to achieve our national goals and get rid of the occupation and regain our rights and devote work to the main dossiers, mainly Jerusalem, refugees, Al-Aqsa mosque, prisoners and detainees and to confront the (West Bank separation) wall and settlements.

Climate change wakeup call

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on February 6, 2007
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Dear friends,

We’ve seen it all around us: droughts, hurricanes, weird weather and wild storms. Then last week, a major new report by over 2000 climate scientists ended all debate: climate change is real- we’ve caused it- and its impact will be catastrophic unless urgent action is taken.

Our leaders can stop this, but they’ve been too slow to act. This week, we’re launching a global TV ad campaign on 3 continents to wake world leaders up to the disaster we’re facing. Click below to watch our TV ad on our new website and sign the petition calling for urgent action now.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/climate_action/cf.php

Experts agree: we are fast approaching the point of no return. If the world’s temperature rises by even 2 degrees Celsius the consequences for life on earth will be devastating.

This problem can be solved. We need a new international agreement that commits countries to major emission cuts, and drives a global shift to renewable energy. This will require bold political action — and not just by one or two countries.

Climate change is a global problem that requires global action. It is time for people around the world to send a global wake up call to our leaders - before it is too late. Click here to send them a message:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/climate_action/cf.php

The leaders of the world’s most polluting countries will be meeting in Germany this June. The priorities for this summit are being decided right now.

Public awareness of the climate threat around the world is reaching fever pitch. Now the argument is over - it’s time to focus our energy on building a global movement to make our leaders act. Watch our TV ad and add your voice to the wake up call:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/climate_action/cf.php

It’s not too late to protect our planet - but the moment is now. Please sign the petition, post it on your blog or favourite listserve, forward this email to your friends and family - and tell everyone you know.

Alone, we can’t stop this disaster. But if we act together today, 2007 could become the year we took the first step to save the world.

With hope,

Ricken, David, Iain, Andrea, Jeremy, Rachel, Tom, Hannah, Paul, Lee-Sean, Galit, Graziela, Nicole and the whole Avaaz.org team (formerly the CeasefireCampaign.org team)

Unity government in Palestine worries Israel of international pressure

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on February 6, 2007
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A Palestinian unity government will cause problems for Israel and further advance the Palestinian struggle for justice and equality in the long run. It is therefore in the best interest of Palestinian factions to unite against the common enemy that is Israel.

Israeli sources reported on Tuesday morning that Israeli officials are worried that a Palestinian Unity Government would create international pressure to negotiate with it even if the new government does not fully recognize Israel.

Israeli newspaper, The Jerusalem Post, reported that Israel is still skeptical that Hamas and Fateh will be able to agree on a unity government after the recent violence between Fateh and Hamas and the large number of casualties.

Israeli sources said that even if Hamas and Fateh agree on a unity government, fighters of the two movements might still reject it.

Israeli officials are worried that Hamas, which achieved an overwhelming victory in last years’ legislative elections, will be able to maintain its standards of not recognizing Israel, or recognizing the previously signed peace agreements after a unity government is formed.

Israel begins renovation near holy site

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on February 6, 2007
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Israel is attempting to destroy Haraam ash-Shareef. Muslim brothers, unite in this face of atrocity!

Police took up positions throughout Jerusalem’s Old City on Tuesday as Israeli archaeologists began digging near a site holy to both Jews and Muslims amid protests and threats from Palestinians.

The Israel Antiquities Authority said the work poses no danger to the holy site. Palestinians fear Israel will damage it and have warned the work would inflame tensions.

Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces in several areas of Jerusalem and the West Bank, though no injuries were reported. Palestinian leaders harshly condemned the project.

“What is happening is an aggression,” Mohammed Hussein, the mufti of Jerusalem, told the Gaza Strip radio station of the Hamas militant movement. “We call on the Palestinian people to unite and unify the efforts to protect Jerusalem.”

The dig is just outside one of the most sensitive places in the Mideast conflict — the hilltop in the heart of Jerusalem that is known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. The site often has been the catalyst of Israeli-Palestinian fighting.

Israel plans to build a new pedestrian ramp to the complex and says it wants to ensure the renovation work does not come at the expense of important artifacts. Such exploratory digs are common practice in the ancient city.

Turmoil and confusion

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on February 6, 2007
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Ghassan Khatib

Despite the surprise that greeted Hamas’ election victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections last year, the Islamic Resistance Movement did not come from nowhere.
Hamas first emerged as a real player on the Palestinian social and economic scene during the first intifada that started in 1989. Even then it came from the ranks of the long-established Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, which had remained relatively marginal until Hamas engaged in active resistance to the Israeli occupation.

The movement strongly opposed the peace negotiations with Israel in 1991, the Oslo agreement of 1993 and all subsequent agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority that was established as a result of Oslo. The movement also boycotted the 1996 parliamentary elections.

With this opposition, Hamas gained three advantages that allowed it to steadily increase its popularity with the public. The first, and maybe most important, was its heavy involvement in fighting the Israeli occupation at a time when Fateh, which had initiated and led that struggle until the peace process, was no longer involved. Hamas, in other words, strove to replace Fateh as the leading resistance movement.

In this regard, Hamas was helped immensely by Israel’s refusal to end its expansion of illegal Jewish settlements during the years of the peace process. Thus, Hamas’ second advantage was the failure of the peace process to achieve its promised and declared objectives, whether in terms of ending the occupation or in terms of improving the lives of Palestinians and establishing the institutions of a future Palestinian state.

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