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Hypocrisy:

Paris Peace Conference Ends Without Any Practical Results, No Pressure on the Israeli Apartheid Regime to End Its Occupation of Palestine

January 16, 2017 

Editor's Note:

During the last week of December 2016, the Obama administration allowed the UN Security Council to criticize the Illegal Israeli settlement activities on the occupied Palestinian lands. However, it was the most supportive of the Israeli apartheid, occupation regime among all previous US administrations, providing Israel with all the weapons, money, and assistance it needs to maintain its occupation of Palestine.

So, what should that stunt in the UN be called?

Hypocrisy and lip service, no more.

The French President, Hollande, wanted to show his share of hypocrisy and lip service to peace, too. He insisted on holding the so-called Paris Peace Conference, which ended yesterday. All what came out of that sham gathering was a declaration about the two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

There was no condemnation for the Israeli occupation of Palestine, or for the illegal settlement activities (stealing Palestinian lands), or for the Israeli apartheid policies.

More important, there was no pressure or threat of a pressure on the Israeli apartheid regime. France, like other NATO members, has fully supported the Israeli occupation regime with money and weapons, as well as with participation in the continuous war of destroying the Middle Eastern Arab states, in preparation for the establishment of an Israeli empire, from the Egyptian Nile to the Iraqi Euphrates.

Shame on hypocrites!

Shame on the Zionist puppets!

 

Participants in Paris peace Conference, January 15-16, 2017

 

Paris Peace Conference ends without practical results, just a declaration about the two-state solution for Israeli-Palestinian conflict

 January 16, 2017

PARIS, (PIC) + -

Paris Peace Conference ended Sunday evening with declaration that a two-state solution was the only path to peace for Israel and Palestine.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault stressed during the press conference following the Peace Conference the importance of the international community role for a just, lasting and comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He emphasized the importance for the parties to restate their commitment to this solution, to take urgent steps in order to reverse the current negative trends on the ground, including continued acts of violence and ongoing settlement activity, and to start meaningful direct negotiations.

He reiterated that a negotiated two-state solution should meet the legitimate aspirations of both sides, including the Palestinians’ right to statehood and sovereignty, fully end the occupation that began in 1967, satisfy Israel’s security needs and resolve all permanent status issues on the basis of United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), and also recalled relevant Security Council resolutions.

The Participants highlighted the potential for security, stability and prosperity for both parties that could result from a peace agreement. They expressed their readiness to exert necessary efforts toward the achievement of the two-state solution and to contribute substantially to arrangements for ensuring the sustainability of a negotiated peace agreement, in particular in the areas of political and economic incentives, the consolidation of Palestinian state capacities, and civil society dialogue, according to his statements.

However, the concluding statement avoided to condemn US President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the occupied Jerusalem.

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The official final statement of the Paris Peace Conference, January 13-16, 2017, can be found at:

Middle East Peace Conference Joint Declaration

I) Following the Ministerial meeting held in Paris on 3 June 2016, the Participants met in Paris on 15 January 2017 to reaffirm their support for a just, lasting and comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They reaffirmed that a negotiated solution with two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, is the only way to achieve enduring peace.

They emphasized the importance for the parties to restate their commitment to this solution, to take urgent steps in order to reverse the current negative trends on the ground, including continued acts of violence and ongoing settlement activity, and to start meaningful direct negotiations.

They reiterated that a negotiated two-state solution should meet the legitimate aspirations of both sides, including the Palestinians’ right to statehood and sovereignty, fully end the occupation that began in 1967, satisfy Israel’s security needs and resolve all permanent status issues on the basis of United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), and also recalled relevant Security Council resolutions.

They underscored the importance of the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 as a comprehensive framework for the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict, thus contributing to regional peace and security.

They welcomed international efforts to advance Middle East peace, including the adoption of United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 on 23 December 2016 which clearly condemned settlement activity, incitement and all acts of violence and terror, and called on both sides to take steps to advance the two-state solution on the ground ; the recommendations of the Quartet on 1 July 2016 ; and the United States Secretary of State’s principles on the two-state solution on 28 December 2016.

They noted the importance of addressing the dire humanitarian and security situation in the Gaza Strip and called for swift steps to improve the situation.

They emphasized the importance for Israelis and Palestinians to comply with international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law.

II) The Participants highlighted the potential for security, stability and prosperity for both parties that could result from a peace agreement. They expressed their readiness to exert necessary efforts toward the achievement of the two-state solution and to contribute substantially to arrangements for ensuring the sustainability of a negotiated peace agreement, in particular in the areas of political and economic incentives, the consolidation of Palestinian state capacities, and civil society dialogue. Those could include, inter alia :

 a European special privileged partnership ; other political and economic incentives and increased private sector involvement ; support to further efforts by the parties to improve economic cooperation ; continued financial support to the Palestinian authority in building the infrastructure for a viable Palestinian economy ;

 supporting and strengthening Palestinian steps to exercise their responsibilities of statehood through consolidating their institutions and institutional capacities, including for service delivery ;

 convening Israeli and Palestinian civil society fora, in order to enhance dialogue between the parties, rekindle the public debate and strengthen the role of civil society on both sides.

III) Looking ahead, the Participants :

call upon both sides to officially restate their commitment to the two-state solution, thus disassociating themselves from voices that reject this solution ;

call on each side to independently demonstrate, through policies and actions, a genuine commitment to the two-state solution and refrain from unilateral steps that prejudge the outcome of negotiations on final status issues, including, inter alia, on Jerusalem, borders, security, refugees and which they will not recognize ;

 welcome the prospect of closer cooperation between the Quartet and Arab League members and other relevant actors to further the objectives of this Declaration.

As follow-up to the Conference, interested Participants, expressing their readiness to review progress, resolved to meet again before the end of the year in order to support both sides in advancing the two-state solution through negotiations.

France will inform the parties about the international community’s collective support and concrete contribution to the two-State solution contained in this joint declaration.

Source:

http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/israel-palestinian-territories/peace-process/initiative-for-the-middle-east-peace-process/article/conference-for-peace-in-the-middle-east-15-01-17

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Palestinian Newspaper Reviews About the Paris peace conference

RAMALLAH, January 16, 2017 (WAFA) –

News about the peace conference that was held in Paris on Sunday hit the front pages headlines of the three Palestinian dailies on Monday.

The dailies said that the conference affirmed that the two-state solution is the only possible way to achieve peace between Palestinians and Israelis.

Al-Quds said President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Palestinian side is ready to resume negotiations within a specific timeline, while al-Ayyam said that Abbas welcomed the outcomes of the conference and said it affirmed international terms of reference and called for applying its terms.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that Abbas referred to the importance of applying Security Council resolution 2334, which condemned Israeli settlement in the occupied territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

It said that Abbas called on the countries that haven’t recognized the state of Palestine, to recognize it officially. It also said that Abbas will go to France to meet French President Francois Hollande in order to discuss ways to peacemaking.

The three dailies added that the French foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, warned against US President-elect Donald Trump’s intention of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. According to al-Ayyam, Ayrault said that moving the embassy would have dangerous consequences.

Similarly, al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Ayrault stated that moving the embassy would be an act of provocation and that it is always beneficial to keep in mind the 1967 borders and the UN resolutions.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported that Hollande said that the solution to the Palestinian case should be a priority to the international community and that any settlement should not be imposed on either Palestinians or Israelis.

US Secretary of State John Kerry was reported in al-Quds as stating that he made sure the statement of the Paris conference was fair to Israel.

Kerry also praised France for hosting the conference whose final statement supported the two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, according to al-Ayyam.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam both said that the United Kingdom expressed reservations toward the conference statement and  refused to sign it.

On a totally different subject, the dailies reported as well on the electricity crisis in Gaza quoting Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah criticizing smear campaigns against his government due to this crisis.

Al-Quds quoted Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk saying “we agreed with Fatah on everything and all is left is the implementation.”

The paper also said Palestine and Israel have agreed to revive their joint water committee.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida said Israel said it will demolish 81 homes in the Arab Jabal al-Mukabber neighborhood of East Jerusalem seen as a collective punishment after the truck ramming attack in the city last week by a neighborhood resident that left four Israeli soldiers dead.

The papers also reported on the meetings for the Palestinian factions in Moscow to discuss local issues, including unity.

K.T./M.K.

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