Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced at the United Nations General Assembly that Palestinians are no longer bound by the 1995 Oslo accord that established the foundation for a two-state solution because Israel did not implement it. This announcement has risen even more between Palestine and Israel and has sent Middle Eastern negotiations into uncharted territory.
The Oslo Accord was a peacekeeping agreement between Israel and Palestine that stated Palestine would be independent and free of Israeli occupation by 1999. Since then, Israel set up three areas in the West Bank for transitional governance.
“As long as Israel refuses to commit to the agreements signed with us, which render us an authority without real powers, and as long as Israel refuses to cease settlement activities and to release of the fourth group of Palestinian prisoners in accordance with our agreements, they leave us no choice but to insist that we will not remain the only ones committed to the implementation of these agreements, while Israel continuously violates them,” Abbas said.
Nadia Hijab, a senior fellow at the Institute for Palestine Studies, says one of the implications could be for countries to implement legally bound sanctions against Israel for not meeting its commitments.
“The EU would have to take a much further stand in labeling products that emerge from settlements. They could have to ban settlement products altogether and be even legally inclined to sanction Israel,” she said.
Other analysts believe that Abbas’ announcement would not change anything. Aaron David Miller, a Middle East expert and scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Institute in Washington, stated that the announcement was “an expression of frustration and an effort to create a new point of political departure for his international drive for recognition.”
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel stated that Abbas’ declaration was “deceitful.” The director of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Dore Gold, stated in an interview with the New York Times that “Israel does uphold its agreements.”
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) launched a series of airstrikes in the Gaza strip after the Palestinian enclave shot a rocket that was heading for the Jewish nation. The Palestinian rocket was stopped by the Iron Dome anti-missile system.
Palestinian sources told Ynet that the IAF hit 4 “terror targets” inside Gaza, and at least two of the targets belonged to Hamas.
While many citizens heard explosions and reported them on social media, there were no immediate reports of injuries. Israel also had no reports of injuries from the rock that had been intercepted by the Iron Dome near the city of Ashdod.
Israel Defence Force (IDF) spokesman, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner stated: “This evening, the third day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, a rocket was fired at southern Israel sending the residents of Ashdod as well as several surrounding communities to nearby bomb-shelters. Hamas is responsible and will be held accountable for every attack emanating from the Gaza Strip. The IDF will continue defending all Israelis who are repeatedly attacked by such blatant acts of aggression.”
Sheikh Omar Hadid, and ISIS affiliated Salafist group, used social media to claim responsibility for the rocket attack. The group stated that the rocket was a response to the fatal shooting of Hadeel al-Hashlamon, an 18-year-old woman who was killed at the checkpoint in the West Bank last week. The arrest of an Israeli Arab women for allegedly joining ISIS was another stated reason for the rocket attack.
Violence once again erupted between Palestinians and Israeli riot police after young protesters barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount, despite an order permitting only men over the age of 50 to enter the compound for prayers. Women of any age are also allowed entry. Israel has imposed the ban during times of unrest because it is for the most part, young palestinian men who throw rocks at the holy site. This comes as Jerusalem is filled with those who have come to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
The Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City has been a sore point for both Palestinians and Jews. This ground is very much a center point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Muslims revere it as the place they believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, while the Jews call it the Temple Mount, the site of the two biblical Jewish temples.
Palestinians stockpiled rocks and other projectiles at the Al-Aqsa mosque overnight, according to police spokeswoman Luba Samri.
Palestinians threw rocks, firebombs and firecrackers from within the mosque at the police, Samri also added that the fire bombs sparked a fire at the entrance to the mosque. Waqf guards did not prevent the “desecration of the sanctity of the place,” she said .
Police had tried to negotiate with the Waqf – the Islamic religious authority that oversees the compound – to call for calm, but talks failed and police entered the compound to seize the “dangerous devices intended to harm visitors to the site and police and endanger their lives,” Samri added.
Israeli Police were able to restore calm but occasional stone throwing continued throughout the morning. They reported that by noon the site was quiet.
Many countries have become concerned with Russia’s recent military growth in Syria, including Israel.
On Monday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Russian President Putin in Moscow to discuss the global terrorist threat and a plan on peace for the Middle East. The meeting ended with Israel and Russia agreeing to coordinate their military actions to avoid trading fire, according to Netanyahu.
Netanyahu did not elaborate to the media on the agreement, but did say he wanted to achieve the goal of “prevent(ing) misunderstandings between IDF (Israel Defense Force) units and Russian forces” in Syria, where Putin’s ally, Assad, is fighting a civil war with Islamist-dominated insurgents.
Putin stated that Russia would continue to provide military support to Assad in Syria’s fight against the spread of the Islamic State influence. He added that the assistance that has been provided so far is within international law.
Prime Minister Netanyahu informed reporters that he would be sharing the details of his visit with the United States. Currently the U.S. has stopped flying missions against the Islamic State insurgents in Syria until U.S. and Russian leaders meet.
A former adviser to Netanyahu reported that Israel was concerned that Russia’s help to Assad could strengthen Russia’s relationship with Iran, Assad’s other financial backer and Hezbollah patron. This could possibly create an alliance between Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, resulting in Russia’s technology being given to the terrorist organization.
Netanyahu warned Putin that keeping weapons from Hezbollah was his top priority, and informed Putin of Israel’s policy to strike at guerrillas suspected to attack from the northern frontier of Syria.
Palestinians attacked Israelis with Molotov cocktails, rocks and other projectiles after Islamic terrorist group Hamas called for a “day of rage.”
The terrorist group was capitalizing on days of tension around the Al-Aqsa mosque during the Jewish new year.
Israeli officials had prepared in advance for the terrorist-initiated violence by adding 800 extra police to patrols in the middle of Jerusalem and surrounding Arab areas.
“The Israeli police have heightened security in and around Jerusalem and the Old City in order to prevent and respond to any incidents that could take place,” said spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, adding that undercover units had been deployed.
Three people were wounded by a firebomb according to police officials. Five Palestinians have been arrested for the attack.
Palestinian leaders had been claiming that Israel was attemping to change the status quo at the site, where Jews can visit under police guard but are not allowed to stop and pray.
Muslim youths attacked Israeli police for a second day at the al-Aqsa mosque complex in East Jerusalem.
The site, considered holy by both Jews and Muslims, was raided by Israeli police after Palestinian youths attempted to attack far-right Jews who visited the complex for the Jewish New Year.
“As the police entered the compound, masked youths fled inside the mosque and threw stones at the force,” a police spokesperson said in a statement.
Nine Palestinian youths were arrested.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would be holding emergency talks on the clashes between police and Palestinians that began Sunday.
Netanyahu said in a statement he would “use any means to maintain the status quo and the rule of law on the Temple Mount”.
Police also discovered that the Palestinians were stocking up on pipe bombs and other weapons. A cache of bombs and weapons was found near to the mosque site and is currently being forensically examined by Israeli authorities.
United Nations officials in the area called for calm saying they wanted everyone to do their share in “ensuring that visitors and worshippers demonstrate restraint and respect for the sanctity of the area”.
A sudden build-up of Russian forces at a base in Syria is raising an alarm in the halls of power in the U.S. and Israel along with commanders at NATO.
The Russian naval base in Tartus has been flooded with new troops and units. Two tank landing ships arrived at the base along with four transport aircraft with various pieces of equipment. Russian aircraft have also been using a joint airbase in Latakia in northwestern Syria.
Officials within the Obama administration say they believe the Russian move has nothing to do with their stated goal of taking out ISIS, but keeping their ally Bashir al-Assad in power. Moshe Ya’alon, the Israeli defense minister, echoed the administration’s views.
“The Russians’ intentions are to keep Assad in power, not to fight ISIL,” one administration official told Bloomberg. “They’ve shown their cards now.”
Even the President has hinted he sees the situation the same way.
“I think they get a sense that the Assad regime is losing a grip over greater and greater swaths of territory inside of Syria [to Sunni jihadist militias] and that the prospects for a [Sunni jihadist] takeover or rout of the Syrian regime is not imminent but becomes a greater and greater threat by the day,” President Obama told the New York Times. “That offers us an opportunity to have a serious conversation with them.”
NATO’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said Russia’s move destabilizes the situation.
“I am concerned about reports about the increased Russian military presence in Syria,” Stoltenberg told reporters during a visit to Prague. “That will not contribute to solving the conflict. I think it is important to now support all efforts to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria.”
Russian leaders are dismissing the concerns of the world. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marie Zakharova called the concern “strange hysteria.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surprised many observers during his trip to London when he announced he would be willing to have immediate peace talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
“I want to say here in 10 Downing Street, and reaffirm again, that I am ready to resume direct negotiations with the Palestinians with no conditions whatsoever to enter negotiations, and I’m willing to do so immediately,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu said he would meet and enter negotiations “without any preconditions, any preconditions whatsoever, to sit down with President Abbas and negotiate this peace.”
The talks between Israel and Palestinian officials have been essentially stagnant since April 2014.
The statement by Netanyahu comes as rumors are getting persistent that Abbas is considering stepping down from his position because of the lack of movement in the peace talks and the path for Palestinian statehood.
Several members of the British parliament used the visit by Netanyahu to call for the nation to put immediate sanctions on Israel, citing the stalled peace process.
Iran’s supreme leader posted online that Israel will not survive 25 more years.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posted a series of messages on the social media network Twitter on Wednesday attacking the United States and Israel. A series of posts indicated they will not let up on terrorizing Israel.
“After negotiations, in Zionist regime they said they had no more concern about Iran for next 25 years; I’d say: Firstly, you will not see next 25 years; God willing, there will be nothing as Zionist regime by next 25 years. Secondly, until then, struggling, heroic and jihadi morale will leave no moment of serenity for Zionists,” Khamenei posted.
The posting was taken from a transcript of a speech that he had delivered earlier Wednesday.
Analysts say the speech was aimed at quelling dissent among the country’s hardliners. The speech also included statements that Americans would not be allowed on Iranian soil to conduct inspections as part of the nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration and five other nations.
Iran’s supreme leader has said that he is done speaking with the United States.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posted statements on his website calling for the downfall of Israel and stated that he is finished talking with the United States because his nation cannot allow American views to “penetrate” Iran.
“Some are insisting in presenting this Great Satan as an angel of salvation,” Khamenei said in reference to the United States. “When the Iranian nation kicked this Satan out of the door, we should not allow it to return from the window and gather influence.”
Khamenei also reiterated that the “Zionist regime” will be gone within 25 years.
“After negotiations, in Zionist regime they said they had no more concern about Iran for next 25 years; I’d say: You will not see the next 25 years, God willing there will be nothing as Zionist Regime by next 25 years,” Khamenei stated on Twitter in reference to Israel.
Analysts say the announcements from Khamenei were intended more to appease internal critics rather than upset foreign governments.
