| Jewish European network for Israel & for peace |
Those who pretend to go forth from Egypt must leave the territories
While we are celebrating Pessah, Moshe Yaalon, Defense Minister, just allowed the creation of a new Jewish settlement in the heart of Hebron. It is hard to believe that such a decision has been taken without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahou’s support. It comes on top of previous announcements made during the last few months of new housing projects in East Jerusalem. Following the failure to release, two weeks ago, the fourth—and last— group of Palestinian prisoners that was supposed to take place within the framework of agreements concluded through the Americans, this new decision won’t favor the resumption of negotiations currently going through a crisis. At the same time, the attack perpetrated on Seder eve near Hebron which claimed the life of a father, injuring his wife and one of his children, will undoubtedly strengthen the position of all those opposed, in Israel, to the release of prisoners and to further negotiations.
John Kerry, Secretary of State of the United States, implied recently that the Israelis are more responsible for the current standoffs than the Palestinians. The Palestinian decision to ask for their accession to fifteen international agreements appears as a reaction to the Israelis’ non-compliance with their commitments. The nine months deadline set for the Israeli-Palestinian talks will be met in a few days. So far, in accordance with decisions taken at the start of this process, no official information on their content has filtered through. Therefore, we have no way of assessing their impact. If the first months have been devoted to the task of defining a frame of reference, it seems that since December, the negotiators have set to work on the main issues. The current crisis attests to the gap existing between the positions of both parties.
In spite of the scepticism surrounding these negotiations from the start, we must once again state clearly that there is no alternative to the end of the occupation and to the creation of a Palestinian State if we wish to maintain Israel as a democratic State with a Jewish majority. It is the aim and the reason of existence of JCall. It will become harder and harder for Israelis and for diaspora Jews as well to evoke yearly Pessah as the celebration of freedom if Israel keeps the Palestinian people under its occupation. According to Pessah Haggaddah, each generation in turn must go forth from Egypt. Present generations won’t be able to claim they did before the very last day of this occupation.
Agenda :
Tuesday May 6th, at 8. 45 p.m., we invite you to meet Nitzan Horowitz, deputy of the left-wing Israeli party Meretz, at the Cercle Bernard Lazare, 10 rue Saint Claude, Paris 3e (subway stop: Saint Sébastien Froissart).
Nitzan will provide us with an update on the situation following the nine months set for the negotiations currently conducted by John Kerry, Secretary of State of the United States. He will also broach the issue of the Israeli social reality as he sees it through his parliamentary work.
Free admission for the members who have paid their fees; 5€ contribution for others.
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