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Families Urge Government to Secure Release of Hostages

Dan Miran, father of Omri Miran, said that Israelis lack a government and Knesset members don’t speak with the families of the missing persons…reports Asian Lite News

Hostages And Missing Families orum commenced its march from Tel Aviv on Tuesday which will end at Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem on Saturday.

The forum has been vocal against the Israeli government for failing to bring back the missing person following the October 7 attack. The forum wants the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to respond regarding the demands for a deal to free the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

The forum has demanded to meet the war cabinet, in order to listen what demands they have put on the table in order to carry out a deal with Hamas for the release of the hostages.

The march will pass through several stations including: Be’er Yaakov, Beit Hashmonai, Latrun Junction, and Kiryat Anavim — where a festive Shabbat meal will be held with all the families.

On Saturday, the march will end at the PM’s office and afterward, all the families will arrive for a central rally in the Rose Garden.

The forum has called on Israeli citizens, the war cabinet, and city leaders to join the march for their demands.

Yuval Heran, brother of Adi Shoham, who was kidnapped along with her husband Tal and her two children – Yahal (3) and Noa (8) said: “I have lived my entire life in Kibbutz and thought it was a safe place to live but 39 days ago my dream was shattered. Our worst nightmare came true. My seven family members, including children, are in Gaza. We live in pain every moment.”

“I call on everyone to join us, Knesset members, ministers, city leaders, youth movements and all citizens of Israel. Come with us to Jerusalem,” he said.

Shelly Shem Tov, mother of Omer Shem Tov said that since last 39 days Omer is in Hamas captivity.

“I don’t know what is happening with my son. I don’t know if he is eating, if he has seen the sun or if they are beating him. I don’t know if he is getting his medications. He has asthma,” she said.

She said that Netanyahu and the cabinet must answers. “We have no more strength. Return our children, our families, and our homes,” she said.

Dan Miran, father of Omri Miran, said that Israelis lack a government and Knesset members don’t speak with the families of the missing persons.

“When I asked my son why he stayed in Nahal Oz, he told me there is a whole army around him protecting and nothing can happen to him and his family,” he said.

He said, however, the government of Israel abandoned his son. “They are the only ones who can tell me about my son. I demand that the cabinet comes to us and tells us what is happening. I don’t know anything! Come to us, tell us something. You owe answers to the people of Israel,” he said.

Yaela David, sister of Evyatar David told media persons that since last 39 days the only news they have about Evyatar is from the videos published by the Hamas.

“I saw my brother — in the video-footage of kidnapped — released by the Hamas,” she said.

She said that the war cabinet must meet the families of the missing persons. “We want answers. We want to know what has been put on the table by the State of Israel. This is not only a war of IDF soldiers or for hostages but a war for all Israeli,” she said.

Danny Elgart, brother of Itzik Elgart, said that the state must stop this psychological torture on us. “We know what Hamas wants but know nothing what State of Israel wants,” he said.

He said that there must be an authorised representation from the government which will address our grievance.

“Netanyahu must give answers. There is no such thing as a partial deal. You separated us from our families on October 7, return them to us,” he said.

Meirav Leshem Gonen, mother of Romi Gonen (23) said that we have got no answers from our government. “Since last 39 days, we’ve been standing here feeling safe in Tel Aviv while the hostages are there in Gaza,” she said.

She said that they have no information about their loved ones.

“We would be happy to end the march today if war cabinet comes and speak to us. We want a solution for all the families. How is there no deal?

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Al Marar attends high-level conference on occupied Jerusalem

القاهرة في 13 فبراير/ وام/   ترأس معالي خليفة شاهين المرر وزير دولة، وفد دولة الإمارات لمؤتمر رفيع المستوى لدعم مدينة القدس المحتلة والذي عقد أمس بمقر الأمانة العامة لجامعة الدول العربية في القاهرة، وذلك في إطار متابعة تنفيذ القرار رقم (781) الصادر عن الدورة العادية (31) لمجلس جامعة الدول العربية على مستوى القمة، والذي نص على عقد مؤتمر رفيع المستوى لدعم مدينة القدس عاصمة دولة فلسطين، بهدف حمايتها ودعم صمود أهلها على المستويات السياسية والقانونية والتنموية .       وقال معالي المرر في كلمة له خلال المؤتمر : " نجتمع اليوم على ضوء الأوضاع الحرجة في الأراضي الفلسطينية المحتلة والتي وصلت إلى مرحلة بالغة الحساسية والخطورة بسبب الإجراءات الأحادية والممارسات غير الشرعية بحق الشعب الفلسطيني، ومدينة القدس ومقدساتها " .       وأضاف معاليه : “ في ظل هذه الأوضاع الراهنة نرى أولا : أهمية إنهاء التوترات المستمرة في الأماكن المقدسة وحولها ووضع حد لتصاعد الخطاب التحريضي بشأنها. ونجدد هنا رفضنا وإدانتنا لأي انتهاكات أو إجراءات استفزازية لتغيير الوضع التاريخي والقانوني القائم في مدينة القدس، وكذلك للاقتحامات المتكررة لباحة المسجد الأقصى المبارك والتهديد بإعادة اقتحامه مجددا، ونؤكد مجددا على ضرورة احترام دور المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية الشقيقة في رعاية المقدسات والأوقاف في مدينة القدس. وإعادة التأكيد على دعم الوصاية الهاشمية على المقدسات الإسلامية والمسيحية في القدس، وأنه يعود إليها الاختصاص القانوني في إدارة شؤون المسجد الأقصى الشريف، وخاصة في ضوء المؤشرات المقلقة، وآخرها اعتراض طريق السفير الأردني أثناء دخوله إلى المسجد الأقصى ”.       وتابع معاليه : " ثانيا : ندعو إلى وقف عمليات هدم الممتلكات الفلسطينية والتهجير القسري للسكان الفلسطينيين من ديارهم. وثالثا : ضرورة منع الأنشطة الاستيطانية التي وصلت إلى مستويات غير مسبوقة. ونشدد على أن بناء وتوسيع المستوطنات والطرق التابعة لها يشكل انتهاكا للقانون الدولي وقرارات الشرعية الدولية ومجلس الأمن الدولي. ورابعا : وإذ نؤكد على ضرورة وقف جميع هذه الانتهاكات، نحمل سلطات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي مسؤولياتها وفقا للقانون الدولي. وخامسا: لا بد من إعادة الأمور إلى مسارها السلمي وخلق آفاق سياسية، تصاحبها إجراءات لتحسين الوضع على أرض الواقع، تمهد الطريق للعودة إلى أحياء مسار عملية السلام في الشرق الأوسط".         وأكد معاليه على موقف دولة الإمارات الثابت بضرورة توفير الحماية الكاملة للمسجد الأقصى المبارك ووقف الانتهاكات الخطيرة والاستفزازية فيه، ووقف كافة الإجراءات والممارسات غير الشرعية في الأراضي الفلسطينية المحتلة، بما في ذلك في القدس الشرقية، ودعم الدور الذي تضطلع به كل من جمهورية مصر العربية والمملكة الأردنية الهاشمية للوصول إلى نتائج تلبي تطلعات الشعب الفلسطيني الشقيق وتتجاوز التحديات القائمة في طريق الاستقرار والسلام، مشيرا إلى أن دولة الإمارات تقدر جهود لجنة القدس، برئاسة جلالة الملك محمد السادس، عاهل المملكة المغربية الشقيقة. منوها بالدور المهم الذي تقوم به لجنة القدس في حشد الدعم العربي والإسلامي في الدفاع عن مدينة القدس، وأهمية دعمها وتمكينها في لعب دورها الحيوي في هذا الصدد.        وأشار معاليه إلى أن دولة الإمارات تدعم كافة الجهود الإقليمية والدولية المبذولة للدفع قدما بعملية السلام في الشرق الأوسط على أساس حل الدولتين، وصولا إلى إقامة الدولة الفلسطينية المستقلة على حدود 1967 وعاصمتها القدس الشرقية، وفقا لقرارات الشرعية الدولية ومبادرة السلام العربية، وخلق بيئة مناسبة تتيح العودة إلى مفاوضات جدية تفضي إلى تحقيق سلام عادل وشامل.       وأوضح معاليه أنه انطلاقاً من التزام دولة الإمارات الدائم والتاريخي والراسخ تجاه الشعب الفلسطيني ودعم متطلباته في تحقيق كافة حقوقه المشروعة بما يكفله القانون الدولي، فإن دولة الإمارات مستمرة في تقديم الدعم اللازم لتلبية احتياجات الشعب الفلسطيني وتمكينه من بناء دولته وتحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة أسوة بكل الشعوب، وفي هذا الصدد أشار معاليه إلى أن دولة الإمارات قامت في أكتوبر من عام 2022، بتوقيع اتفاقية تعاون بقيمة 25 مليون دولار أمريكي لدعم مستشفى المقاصد في القدس الشرقية بالتعاون مع منظمة الصحة العالمية وبالتنسيق مع مكتب منسق الأمم المتحدة الخاص بعملية السلام في الشرق الأوسط، وفي ديسمبر 2022 أرسلت 85 طنا من الأدوية والمستلزمات الطبية لمستشفيات قطاع غزة بقيمة 10 ملايين دولار، هذا فضلا عن الدعم المتعدد وفي مختلف المجالات، ومساهماتها في دعم عمل وكالة غوث اللاجئين الفلسطينيين (الأنوروا).        وأكد معاليه أن دولة الإمارات تقوم بدورها في دعم الموقف الفلسطيني، من خلال عضويتها غير الدائمة في مجلس الأمن في عامي 2022 – 2023، وبالتنسيق مع البعثة الدائمة لدولة فلسطين لدى الأمم المتحدة، والبعثات الدائمة للأشقاء العرب وجامعة الدول العربية.         وأعرب معاليه في ختام كلمته، عن تطلعه بأن يحقق هذا المؤتمر النتائج المرجوة منه عبر إجراءات وخطوات لدعم الشعب الفلسطيني في هذه الظروف الصعبة.    - مل - 

Al Marar underscored the UAE’s firm stance on the need to provide full protection for Al-Aqsa Mosque, stop serious and provocative violations …reports Asian Lite News

Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, has headed the UAE delegation to a high-level conference in support of the occupied city of Jerusalem, which was held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (Arab League) in Cairo.

The conference comes as part of the implementation of Resolution No. (781) issued during the 31st ordinary session of the Arab League Council at the summit level, which stipulated the convening of a high-level conference to support and protect Jerusalem, the capital of Palestine, and its people at the political, legal, and developmental levels.

In his speech at the conference, Al Marar stated, “We meet today in light of the critical situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, which has reached a very volatile and perilous stage due to unilateral measures and illegal practices against the Palestinian people, the city of Jerusalem, and its holy sites.”

He added, “In light of the current conditions, we first underscore the urgency of ending the ongoing tensions in and around the holy sites and putting an end to the escalation of inciteful speech regarding them. Here, we renew our rejection and condemnation of any violations or provocative measures to change the historical and legal status quo in the city of Jerusalem, as well as the repeated storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard, and threats of its recurrence.

“We also reaffirm the need to respect the role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s custodianship of the holy sites and endowments in the city of Jerusalem and reaffirm our support for Jordan’s Custodianship of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and that it has the legal authority to manage the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially in light of concerning developments, the most recent of which was the Jordanian Ambassador to Israel being stopped from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Al Marar continued, “Second, we call for ceasing the demolition of Palestinian property and the forced displacement of the Palestinian people from their homes. Third, we urge the need to prevent settlement operations that have reached unprecedented levels. We stress that building and expanding settlements and their roads constitutes a violation of international law and resolutions on international legitimacy and those issued by the Security Council.

“Fourth, while we stress the need to stop all these violations, we hold the Israeli occupation authorities accountable in accordance with international law. Fifth, it is vital to re-establish peace and create political prospects, supported by measures to improve the situation on the ground, paving the way for the re-introduction of the peace process in the Middle East.”

Al Marar underscored the UAE’s firm stance on the need to provide full protection for Al-Aqsa Mosque, stop serious and provocative violations therein and all illegal procedures and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories, including in East Jerusalem, and support the role of Egypt and Jordan to reach outcomes that meet the aspirations of the Palestinian people and eliminate existing hurdles that hinder stability and peace.

He noted that the UAE appreciates the efforts of the Al-Quds Committee, chaired by King Mohammed VI of Morocco, highlighting the committee’s important role in mobilising Arab and Islamic support in defending the city of Jerusalem, and the need to support and enabling it to play its vital role.

Al Marar indicated that the UAE supports all regional and international efforts to advance the peace process in the Middle East based on the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state according to the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, and to create a conducive environment for re-launching serious negotiations towards a just and comprehensive peace.

He went on to explain that, based on its ongoing, historical, and firm commitment to support the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights as guaranteed by international law, the UAE continues to provide the necessary support to meet the needs of the Palestinian people, enable them to build their state, and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, a right to which all peoples are entitled.

Al Marar noted the UAE’s signing of a US$25 million cooperation agreement in October 2022 in support of Al Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem, in cooperation with the World Health Organization and in coordination with the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.

In December 2022, the UAE sent 85 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies to hospitals in the Gaza Strip at a value of $10 million, he further noted, highlighting the UAE’s overarching support for the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The UAE Minister of State stressed that the country is carrying out its role in supporting the Palestinian position through its non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council for the 2022-2023 term and through coordination with the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, as well as the permanent missions of Arab countries and the League of Arab States.

In conclusion, Al Marar expressed his hope that this conference would achieve the desired results through measures and steps to support the Palestinian people in these difficult times.

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OIC calls for greater int’l unity over Jerusalem

Taha reiterated that the continued Israeli measures that target Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem are extremely dangerous…reports Asian Lite News

The secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Hissein Brahim Taha, spoke at a high-level conference in support of Jerusalem held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo on Sunday.

The conference was attended by important figures including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Taha reiterated that the continued Israeli measures that target Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem are extremely dangerous, the Arab News reported.

He emphasised the responsibility of the international community to preserve the historical and legal status of the occupied city, with a particular focus on the Al-Aqsa Mosque as a place of worship for Muslims only.

Taha called for strengthening cooperation between the OIC and the Arab League to provide political support for the holy city in international forums, in response to the systematic Israeli attacks and violations in Jerusalem. He praised the steadfastness and determination of Jerusalem’s Palestinians and their institutions in the face of adversity, which reflects their unwavering commitment to defending the city and its sanctity.

Taha warned that the ongoing Israeli violations, which are a violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions, as well as an attack on the religious rights and heritage of the Islamic community, threaten peace and stability both in the region and globally.

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Palestine puts onus on Israel

The Palestinian leadership warned of further deterioration that could threaten security and stability in the entire region. They say Israel is fully responsible for deadly escalation…reports Asian Lite News

 Palestine officials blamed Israel for the current “serious” tension in the West Bank and Occupied East Jerusalem, which has left dozens of people dead this month.

“We hold the Israeli government fully responsible for the dangerous escalation that the situation has reached due to its crimes of killing, its continuation of settlement, the annexation of land, and the demolition of homes,” said a statement released by the Palestinian leadership after President Mahmoud Abbas held a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

“These policies are a result of the Israeli occupation government’s evasion of its commitment to implement the signed peace agreements and its violation of international resolutions,” the statement said.

The Palestinian leadership warned of further deterioration that could threaten security and stability in the entire region.

A gunman opened fire on people near a synagogue at a Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem on Friday, killing at least seven people and wounded three others, one day after the Israeli forces raided the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank and killed nine Palestinians and wounded 16 others.

Palestinian factions, most notably Hamas and Islamic Jihad, vowed to respond to the escalation. The Palestinian Authority announced on Thursday the end of decades-long security coordination with Israel.

More clashes

Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police erupted in Occupied Jerusalem Saturday night in the wake of two anti-Israeli attacks in the disputed holy city.

Israeli police entered Arab neighbourhoods in the city looking for people who may have assisted the assailants in the previous attacks, sparking clashes with Palestinians.

“The forces are encountering stone throwing, Molotov cocktails and fireworks,” said a police statement, adding the police’s increased operational readiness “will continue in the coming days.”

Footage on social media showed widespread firing of fireworks in several Jerusalem neighbourhoods.

Also on Saturday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that a Palestinian assailant shot at a restaurant near the Dead Sea. There were no casualties and the shooter escaped from the scene.

Israeli media also reported the Israeli military entered the West Bank Palestinian city of Jericho. The details of the raid were unclear and it was not confirmed by the military.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security cabinet meeting later Saturday to discuss the response to the latest events, vowing the response “will be strong, swift and precise.”

Meanwhile, thousands of Jordanians took part in a demonstration in the capital Amman to protest the killing of Palestinians in Jenin by Israeli forces.

“The raids in the West Bank by the Israeli forces are unjustified and innocent Palestinians were killed, including women and children,” said Mohammad Abu Freij, one of the demonstrators.

“We are here to show our support to our brotherly Palestinians and to make our voices heard,” he added.

Jumaa Halaweh, another demonstrator aged 57, said the Arabs and Muslims should “exert more efforts other than just condemnations to stop the Israel aggression.”

On Thursday, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry denounced the Israelis’ escalating military campaign and warned of a “new wave of violence,” urging Israel to halt all military operations against Palestinians and refrain from illegitimate procedures that would undermine the two-state solution and opportunities for peace.

The raids come a few days after King Abdullah II of Jordan met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Amman. During the meeting, the king stressed the need to maintain calm and cease all acts of violence in order to pave the way for a political horizon for the peace process.

Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli army force stormed the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank and killed nine Palestinians, including an elderly woman, and wounded 16, four of them in serious condition, according to Palestinian Health Ministry.

In another development, thousands of Israelis demonstrated on Saturday in several cities to protest the government’s plan to make sweeping reforms in the judicial system.

The protests have continued for a few consecutive weeks against the newly sworn-in government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The demonstrators say the planned reforms will weaken the courts and give the ruling coalition limitless power.

The Netanyahu-led far-right coalition says the changes are necessary in order to limit the judicial system which has become too powerful in recent decades. They also complain that the Supreme Court often intervenes in political issues that should be determined by the parliament.

Netanyahu has vowed to push forward with the reforms despite the protests. His opponents say the reforms are personally motivated as the longest-serving Israeli leader himself is on trial for various counts of corruption.

The reforms will give the parliament the ability to override Supreme Court rulings with a simple majority. In addition, politicians will have greater influence in appointing Supreme Court judges, and legal advisers to the ministries will be political appointments rather than civil servants.

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8 killed in Jerusalem shooting attack

This photo taken on Nov. 23, 2022 shows the scene of an explosion at a bus stop in Jerusalem. At least one person was killed and 14 others injured in two separate explosions in Jerusalem early Wednesday. The blasts were caused by explosive devices, the police said in a statement. One went off at a bus stop near the entrance of Jerusalem and the other occurred less than an hour later at a bus station in Ramot, a settlement neighborhood in East Jerusalem. (Xinhua/Wang Zhuolun)

Tensions have been high since Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians, including a 61-year-old woman, in a raid in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

A deadly terror attack has rocked East Jerusalem. At least 8 people have been killed in the attack in a synagogue in Jerusalem on Friday, Israel’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

According to the official statement, 10 people have been injured in the gun attack that occurred around 8:15 pm (local time), near a synagogue on Neve Yaakov Street. The paramedics reached the incident site right after the attack took place. “8 killed, 10 injured in synagogue in #Jerusalem terror attack Paramedics have arrived onto the scene and began providing treatment to those injured,” the official Twitter handle of Israel’s foreign ministry tweeted.

The alleged shooter was also later killed by police forces, according to police.

The incident followed the deadly clashes in the refugee camp of Jenin on Thursday in which nine Palestinians, including an elderly woman, were killed by Israeli forces.

The raid that took place in the West Bank city took the overall toll of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces to 29 this year, according to CNN.

Moreover, Israel also launched a series of bombing raids in the central Gaza Strip in response to rocket attacks from Gazan terrorists and said that the raids will lead to “significant harm to Hamas efforts” in building up its arms, The Times of Israel reported on Friday.

The Israel Defence Force (IDF) said that they targeted Bottom of Form, an underground facility where rockets are manufactured in the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza.

“The attack will lead to significant harm to Hamas’ efforts to build up its arms,” the IDF said in a statement, according to The Times of Israel.

Footage published on social media showed several large explosions from the airstrikes in Gaza.

Separately on Thursday afternoon, a Palestinian man was killed in clashes with Israeli troops in the town of a-Ram, north of Jerusalem, the PA Health Ministry said. (ANI)

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UN Chief stresses Jerusalem holy sites’ status quo

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the media at the launch of a report by Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance over the Ukraine crisis, at the UN headquarters in New York, April 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie E/IANS)

Last week, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the flashpoint holy site Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, denounced by the Palestinian side as a provocation…reports Asian Lite News

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for preserving the status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites and the two-state solution to the Palestine-Israel issue.

“I had the occasion to reaffirm that we must preserve the status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem and that it is essential to preserve the two-state solution to avoid any initiative that might put at risk the two-state solution,” Guterres told reporters after meeting with the Permanent Representatives of the Extended Troika of the Arab Group at the UN headquarters in New York.

Last week, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the flashpoint holy site Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, denounced by the Palestinian side as a provocation, reports Xinhua news agency.

The compound, known to the Jewish people as the Temple Mount, is sacred to both Muslims and Jews.

Guterres added that the UN “recognise the right of Israel to exist and to live in security”.

At the same time, “the construction of settlements, the evictions, destruction of homes are creating an enormous anger and frustration not only of the Palestinian people but further afield”.

Answering a follow-up question regarding the two-state solution, Guterres said, “what I believe is that there is no plan B, that to reject the possibility of a two-state solution is something that would undermine forever the possibilities of peace in the Middle East”.

The Palestinians want to establish a Palestinian state on the territories seized by Israel in 1967, including the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem as its capital.

Israel insists that the city is its capital.

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UK govt says it has no plans to shift embassy to Jerusalem

The UK has for decades housed its embassy in Tel Aviv, where most other countries have their diplomatic outposts, despite Israel designating Jerusalem as its capital…reports Asian Lite News

The United Kingdom has “no plans” to relocate its Israel embassy to Jerusalem, Al Jazeera reported citing a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Responding to a question about the consideration of relocation of the embassy, on Thursday, a spokeswoman said that the government had “no [such] plans”.

She also said that the relocation idea has been looked into under the previous government, reported Al Jazeera.

The UK has for decades housed its embassy in Tel Aviv, where most other countries have their diplomatic outposts, despite Israel designating Jerusalem as its capital.

In September, UK former Prime Minister Liz Truss made an announcement that she was considering relocating the embassy to Jerusalem. This statement was welcomed by then Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid. Still, it provoked a backlash from the Palestinian government, pro-Palestinian groups, British church leaders and European foreign ministers, among others.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the Palestinian Authority (PA) insisting that East Jerusalem – illegally occupied by Israel since 1967 – should serve as the capital of a Palestinian state, according to Al Jazeera.

There is a global consensus against recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital until the Palestinian conflict is resolved.

Meanwhile, the US, breaking its decade-long policy, recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital by opening its embassy in 2018 under former President Donald Trump.

The move was welcomed by Israel and criticised by the Arab world and Western allies.

At the time, the UK, under the leadership of then-Prime Minister Theresa May, said it had no plans to move its embassy and publicly disagreed with the US move.

Only the US, Kosovo, Honduras, and Guatemala have their embassies in Jerusalem, as per Al Jazeera report.

Earlier, in the second week of October, Australia denied that it had reversed a decision, made under former Prime Minister Scott Morrison to recognize West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and said there had been no change in policy.

The denial came from Foreign Minister Penny Wong hours after the UK’s publication The Guardian reported that Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs dropping its stance recognising West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reported The Times of Israel.

Wong denied the reversal of the decision made by the previous government. A spokesperson for Wong told Australia’s ABC News that the government “continues to consider the final status of Jerusalem as a matter to be resolved as part of any peace negotiations.”

But “the former government made the decision to recognize West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel” and “no decision to change that has been made by the government,” Wong said via the spokesperson.

The Labor Party had vowed to reverse Canberra’s move in 2018 under then-prime minister Scott Morrison of the Liberal Party of Australia to recognize the western part of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital if elected.

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Jerusalem churches raise concern over UK embassy talks

Jerusalem church heads warned moving the British embassy “would severely undermine this key principle… and the political negotiations that it seeks to advance”…reports Asian Lite News

Jerusalem church leaders on Monday expressed their “grave concern” about Britain potentially moving their embassy in Israel to the contested and sacred city.

Prime Minister Liz Truss last month told her Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid “about her review of the current location of the British embassy in Israel,” according to her office.

The announcement raised the prospect of London following in Washington’s steps under former president Donald Trump, who in 2018 relocated the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The move broke with decades of international consensus, as governments have refused to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of either an Israeli or Palestinian state before a lasting peace accord is reached.

On Monday, Jerusalem church heads warned moving the British embassy “would severely undermine this key principle… and the political negotiations that it seeks to advance.”

The Council of the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem represents all denominations in the city, which is home to the holiest site in Christianity.

The Old City, in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, also hosts the most sacred site in Judaism and the third-holiest site in Islam.

“The religious Status Quo in Jerusalem is essential for preserving the harmony of our Holy City and good relations between religious communities around the globe,” said the church heads.

Britain’s review, they added, implied that there was no need for peace talks, and that “the continuing military occupation of those territories and the unilateral annexation of east Jerusalem are both acceptable.”

Israel has occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank — the site of numerous biblical tales including the birth of Jesus — since the 1967 Six-Day War.

Noting that Christians have lived in the territory “under many different empires and governments” for some 2,000 years, they pressed the British government to “redouble their diplomatic efforts” toward an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

Their intervention from Jerusalem follows similar statements by church leaders in Britain.

A spokesperson for the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the senior bishop of the Anglican Church, last week told the UK website Jewish News he was “concerned about the potential impact of moving the British embassy” to Jerusalem.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the country’s most senior Catholic cleric, said on Thursday that relocating the embassy would “be seriously damaging to any possibility of lasting peace in the region.”

Last week, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye called on Britain to recognise the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital and take serious measures against settlements.

Ishtaye made the remarks during a meeting held in the West Bank city of Ramallah with Stephen Hickey, director for the Middle East and North Africa at the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, said an official statement.

According to the statement, Ishtaye told Hickey that Britain has to oppose the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and preserve the two-state solution in which Britain believes.

“The international community has a great responsibility to pressure Israel to stop its violations and settlement plans, as well as to stop obstructing the Palestinian elections to be held in the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem,” said Ishtaye.

He also called on the British foreign office official to pressure Israel to stop its “illegal deductions” from the Palestinian tax revenue dues that put the Palestinian government in a difficult financial situation.

Ishtaye discussed with Hickey the danger of British Prime Minister Liz Truss’s announcement of her intention of moving her country’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, said the statement.

“Moving the embassy to Jerusalem would undermine the two-state solution,” Ishtaye said, adding that it will harm the future political process, and contradict international law, UN resolutions, as well as the British position.

The Palestinians want to establish a Palestinian state on the territories seized by Israel in 1967, including the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel insists that the city is its capital.

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Arab League Raps Raids on Al-Aqsa

(130906) -- JERUSALEM, Sept. 6, 2013 (Xinhua) -- Israeli policemen react during clashes with Palestinians at a holy site, known to Muslims the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, in the old city of Jerusalem on Sept. 6, 2013. (Xinhua/Muammar Awad)

The Arab League held “the Israeli government responsible for inflaming tensions and igniting the situation,” reports Asian Lite Newsdesk

The Arab League condemned on Monday Israeli forces and settlers for breaking into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem.

In a statement, the Arab League held “the Israeli government responsible for inflaming tensions and igniting the situation.”

The Cairo-based pan-Arab bloc described the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the arrest of a number of Palestinians inside it as a flagrant violation of international law, saying the Israeli move has provoked feelings of Palestinians and Muslims in general.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli police broke into the holy site in the Old City of Jerusalem to remove Muslim worshippers and provide a safe ground for ultranationalist Jews marking the Jewish New Year (from Sept. 25 to 27 this year), official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

In a separate statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the Israeli provocative practices are “serious violation and dangerous escalation that undermine the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian cause on the basis of the two-state solution.”

It warned that the continuation of aggression in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque puts more obstacles in the way of resuming the peace process.

‘No longer partner in peace process’

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Israel has decided not to be a partner of Palestine in the peace process and that it will be treated as such.

“It is clear that Israel, which is ignoring the resolutions of international legitimacy, has decided not to be our partner in the peace process,” said Abbas in his speech to the General Debate of the UN General Assembly.

Israel has undermined the Oslo Accords, which it signed with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), he said, adding that it has and still is, through its premeditated and deliberate policies, destroying the two-state solution, he said.

“This proves unequivocally that Israel does not believe in peace. It believes in imposing a status quo by force and by aggression.

“Therefore, we do not have an Israeli partner anymore to whom we can talk. Israel is thus ending its contractual relationship with us,” said Abbas.

Palestine does not accept to remain the only party respecting the agreements it has signed with Israel in 1993. Those agreements are not valid anymore because of the persisting violations of Israel, he said.

“Therefore, it is our right, rather, our obligation to look for other means, to recover our rights and to achieve a peace built on justice, including the implementation of the resolutions that were adopted by our leadership, especially our parliament,” said Abbas.

The state of Palestine will also start the accession process to join other international organizations, he said.

Abbas called on the UN Secretary-General to work relentlessly to elaborate on an international plan to end the occupation of the land of Palestine to achieve peace, security and stability in the region, in line with UN resolutions and with the Arab Peace Initiative.

“The state of Palestine is looking forward to peace. Let us make this peace to live in security, stability, and prosperity for the benefit of our generation and all the people of the region,” he said.

Two-state solution

 Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye has urged his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid to prove his support for the two-state solution by stopping settlement building and ending the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.

“Whoever claims to believe in the two-state solution must stop settlements, lift the siege on Gaza, open Jerusalem and stop the settlers’ repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa mosque, which have reached their climax today,” Ishtaye said on Monday during the weekly cabinet meeting, according to an official statement.

In his address to the UN General Assembly last week, Lapid said a large majority of Israelis, including him, “support the vision of the two-state solution” despite all obstacles, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Palestinian Prime Minister called for an international movement to protect the Palestinian people, hold Israel accountable for its actions and practices, and end the occupation.

The last direct peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, sponsored by the US, broke down in 2014 over their deep differences on the issues of borders, security and settlement.

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Rocket alert in Jerusalem

Religious Jews mourn the destruction of the two ancient temples in Jerusalem on this day…reports Asian Lite News

For the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, there was also a rocket alarm in Jerusalem on Sunday.

According to military reports, warning sirens were sounding around the city in the morning, while residents have reported explosions, reports dpa news agency.

Since Friday, more than 400 rockets have been fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip, according to the military.

There had been fears that the situation could escalate further on Sunday, the Jewish day of fasting and mourning, Tisha B’Av.

Religious Jews mourn the destruction of the two ancient temples in Jerusalem on this day.

The Islamist Hamas organization, which controls the Gaza Strip, has called for the al-Aqsa mosque on the site known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary to be “defended and for Israeli attacks on the holy site to be opposed”.

The Noble Sanctuary, or al-Haram al-Sharif, with the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque, is the third holiest site in Islam. To the Jews it is known as the Temple Mount, where both the destroyed temples stood.

Until now, Hamas had kept a low profile in the recent conflict with Israel.

The Israeli military had launched the large-scale operation dubbed “Breaking Dawn” against the militant organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) on Friday.

The military chief Taisir al-Jabari and other PIJ members were killed.

The group is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and the US.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 29 people have died since Friday, and at least 253 have been injured.

Among the dead are six children and four women, in addition to other PIJ members.

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