too long ago - 24.04.2014:= dear Sir - it is real sad - that you only will see the bad it is sad that you first visit the grave of your brother one year ago - and not -f e. when you went for PM of Israel anno 2002 - when arabic league offered peace deal once and for all - as well as we will be now .... as well ... https://facebook/pages/Palestinian-Ministry-of-Finance-%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9/198792040201920?fref=ts haaretz/life/sports/1.587049 Israeli soccer team breaks new ground: Recruits Arab women Hapoel Petah Tikva makes waves in mostly Jewish league by recruiting from northern Israel Arab villages. By The Associated Press | Apr. 24, 2014 | 10:58 AM NO FEAR of BOMBERS ??? NO ! When the Israeli womens soccer team Hapoel Petah Tikva lost a number of its players to Israels national team ahead of World Cup qualifiers, founder Rafi Subra made a decision that sets the team apart from many of its rivals - he recruited from the Arab villages of northern Israel. Israeli Arabs, who complain of decades of discrimination in day-to-day life, are rare in the Israeli Womens Premier League. Though one other team has a full Israeli-Arab roster, other men and womens teams hardly field Israeli Arabs onto their squads. For Hapoel Petah Tikva, the addition of five Israeli Arab women has made waves in the league despite not being in the top rankings. The fact is, they integrated well, Subra said. Theyre happy. Were happy. The mix has been very successful. The Arab minority make up about 20 percent of Israels 8 million citizens. Many have relatives among the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, empathizing with Palestinians as they negotiate with Israel over making a future state. The strains especially become hard during times of violence between the two sides. Though having full rights under Israeli law, Israeli Arabs experience discrimination in the country. The soccer field is no exception. Noura Abu-Shanab, one of the Israeli Arab players on Hapoel Petah Tikva, said she faced taunts like dirty Arab and go back to where you came from during games. However, she and other Israeli Arabs continued to play. The atmosphere of the team is positive, she said. Abu-Shanab said her Muslim family was supportive of her playing in a mostly-Jewish womens league after she turned pro at 16. Shiran Schlechter, a player on the team and its team manager, said both the Jewish and Arab players got along well during the season, which saw Hapoel Petah Tikva have a 5-2-7 record. Its funny because within the team we dont have that hate, Schlechter said. I think to our credit we all fought together against that. None of us liked it. It bothered us all. Abu-Shanab, who is now a team captain, agreed that despite the racism she had faced from other teams, there was no conflict within the team itself. There is no difference between Arab or Israeli players. We are united; like one hand, she said. The teams final match of the season will be played Tuesday against the Arab team Bnei Sakhnin. haaretz/news/diplomacy-defense/1.587047 PA official says Hamas accepted two-state solution Wednesdays reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas recognizes the existence of Israel and is based on the two-state model, says Jibril Rajoub. By Haaretz | Apr. 24, 2014 | 10:49 AM The reconciliation agreement between the two major Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, which was signed in Gaza on Wednesday, is based on a two-state solution and recognizes the State of Israel, senior Fatah official Jibril Rajoub said on Thursday. The reconciliation that we achieved will be implemented according to the program of Abu Mazen [Palestinian President Mahmuod Abbas] which recognizes the state of Israel, Rajoub said, in an interview with Army Radios Good Morning Israel program. He added that the two-state solution envisages a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders and the state of Israel with its capital in West Jerusalem. Hamas leader Ismail Haniya is obliged to uphold Abu Mazens policy, Rajoub stressed. Rajoub is a member of the Fatah Central Committee and heads the Palestinian Football Association and Olympic Committee. He was head of the Preventative Security Force in the West Bank until 2002. He stressed that when the government is established with Abu Mazen at its head, he will express clearly and unequivocally that he accepts the terms of the Quartet and that his government accepts the two-state solution. However, he expressed doubt that Israel would follow suit. Netanyahu doesnt lead a peace government, he said. We hear the statements of [Economy Minister Naftali] Bennett, [Foreign Minister Avigdor] Lieberman and [Transport Minister Israel] Katz; which of them accepts the existence of the Palestinian nation? We wouldnt have been prepared – or able – to sign a reconciliation agreement without it being clear to all the Palestinian factions that we are leading our nation to a two-states-for-two-nations solution, Rajoub emphasized. haaretz/news/diplomacy-defense/1.587112 China welcomes Palestinian unity deal, hopes it will help peace While U.S. reassesses aid to Palestinian Authority after Fatah-Hamas deal, Beijing says unity would lead to coexistence with Israel. By Reuters | Apr. 24, 2014 | 12:36 PM Chinas foreign ministry welcomed on Thursday a unity pact agreed between the Gaza-based Islamist group Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas Palestine Liberation Organization, saying Beijing hoped this would help peace talks with Israel. While the United States said it was disappointed by the deal, which it said could make peace efforts difficult, China said it regarded the move positively. China believes this will be conducive to Palestinian unity, and fundamentally conducive to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine, foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a daily news briefing. The Palestinian move, after years of internal bickering, envisions a unity government being formed within five weeks and national elections six months later. Qin said that with talks between the Israelis and Palestinians at a crossroads, both sides should abandon their prejudices and meet each other half way to reach an agreement. China has always believed that peaceful talks are the only way for there to be peace between Israel and Palestine, he said. The United States, Israel and the European Union view Hamas, as a terrorist organization. Following the Palestinian announcement, Israel cancelled a session of U.S.-brokered talks with the Palestinians that had been scheduled for Wednesday night in Jerusalem. Hamas has battled Israel, which it refuses to recognize, while Abbas Fatah party has remained in control of the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank and pursued years of fruitless talks with Israel. China has traditionally kept a low profile in Middle East diplomacy despite its reliance on oil imports from the region, though it is keen to demonstrate its role as a force in international politics. This month, Chinas President Xi Jinping urged Israel to make brave decisions on the latest round of peace talks with the Palestinians, after negotiators ended another U.S-mediated session with no sign of a breakthrough. Last year, Xi met both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, urging them to revive discussions.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 08:39:33 +0000