(States Twitter)-international community is pressuring Israel to transfer NIS 300 million of Palestinian tax money to the Palestinian Authority, despite the reconciliation agreement signed by Fatah and Hamas yesterday in Cairo.
Both United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Quartet envoy Tony Blair have spoken to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and requested the funds be allowed through.
Netanyahu visits Britain and France this week to counter Palestinian plans to seek United Nations recognition of their statehood, as peace talks remain mired in a stalemate over the issue of Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
Forces that produced this unexpected reconciliation deal are many — the changes in Egypt, the troubles of the government in Syria, the failure of peace negotiations with Israel and Abbas’ plans to retire with a lasting legacy. But the efforts of Abbas to join hands with Hamas also underscore his determination to pursue Palestinian statehood unilaterally and his willingness to risk a major rupture with the United States and Israel.
Obama subsequently told the UN General Assembly that the Israelis and Palestinians could clinch an agreement within a year - by September 2011 - and an "independent, sovereign state of Palestine, living in peace with Israel" could rise.
That is why it is important that the new government is very clearly constituted,” he said. “The Europeans will still expect the Quartet principles to be upheld. It is a difficult situation, we want Palestinian unity but in terms that promote peace. For us in the international community it is very simple − we have certain principles − recognition of Israel and renunciation of violence. Those principles stay. We will judge the new government by its conformity to those principles.
Both United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Quartet envoy Tony Blair have spoken to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and requested the funds be allowed through.
Netanyahu visits Britain and France this week to counter Palestinian plans to seek United Nations recognition of their statehood, as peace talks remain mired in a stalemate over the issue of Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
Forces that produced this unexpected reconciliation deal are many — the changes in Egypt, the troubles of the government in Syria, the failure of peace negotiations with Israel and Abbas’ plans to retire with a lasting legacy. But the efforts of Abbas to join hands with Hamas also underscore his determination to pursue Palestinian statehood unilaterally and his willingness to risk a major rupture with the United States and Israel.
Obama subsequently told the UN General Assembly that the Israelis and Palestinians could clinch an agreement within a year - by September 2011 - and an "independent, sovereign state of Palestine, living in peace with Israel" could rise.
That is why it is important that the new government is very clearly constituted,” he said. “The Europeans will still expect the Quartet principles to be upheld. It is a difficult situation, we want Palestinian unity but in terms that promote peace. For us in the international community it is very simple − we have certain principles − recognition of Israel and renunciation of violence. Those principles stay. We will judge the new government by its conformity to those principles.
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