Dr Yousef Abdul Haq
We’ve written before about Dr. Yousef Abdul Haq, 70, a leading Nablus intellectual who has been in an Israeli prison for 16 days.
Ma’an says he was transferred to a prison hospital due to failing health (per translation by Saed Abu-Hijleh, Abdul Haq’s friend)
Palestinian Cultural Enlightenment Forum has now issued the following statement:
The lawyer Yousef Abdul Haq (Abu Shaddad), professor at the An Najah National University, and coordinator, former President of the Governing Council of the Tanweer Forum, was arrested Wednesday 7/12/2011 at three o’clock in the morning.
We in the Palestinian Cultural Enlightenment Forum consider the continued detention of our colleague Dr. Youssef a war crime against international law, and we demand his immediate release especially because he was suffering from physical illness and takes medication continuously, in addition to the difficult prison health conditions. The occupation government holds responsibility for any negative results reflected on his health. We call upon all academic institutions, both cultural and scientific to demand his release.
We call on all parties and civil society groups and national figures, trade unions and the lawyers’ bar to form a committee to address the human rights of colleagues in the legal tribunals of the world to require the occupation to stop the indiscriminate arrest of the Palestinian people.
We also appeal to all people of conscience in Nablus, Palestine and the Arab nation and the world as a whole to stand firm against political and administrative detention. And, with the will of one united and of one voice we cry out to release all prisoners of freedom from Israel’s occupation prisons, including Dr. Yousef Abdul Haq.
Here is a link from the Palestinian Enlightenment Cultural Center (Tanweer) about Dr Abdel Haq and his cultural activities (in Arabic with some pics).
Why do you expect the American Government, the Giant on the feet made of clay, that sits in Zionists pocket ,to do anything for Palestine??
On what grounds was he arrested?…..or is that a silly question.
The State Department, like our racist media, considers “Palestinian intellectual” to be an oxymoron.
Palestine calls Israel’s bluff….and Israel lies again. Enough! ____ _ ______ ___ _ the _______.
Palestinians offer to renew Israel peace talks without settlement freeze, official says
PA reportedly submits new Quartet offer to restart negotiations, demand Israel releases 100 Palestinian prisoners; Israel rejects offer fearing renewal of only low-grade talks.
By Barak Ravid
Tags: Middle East peace Benjamin Netanyahu Mahmoud Abbas Palestinians West Bank
The Palestinian leadership submitted a proposal to renew peace talks with with Israel that drops their long-standing demand that Israel ceases all West Bank settlement construction, a top Israeli official said on Wednesday.
According to officials with knowledge of the proposal, the Palestinian Authority informed the Quartet two weeks ago that it would renege on its demand for a settlement freeze if Israel releases 100 prisoners as a show of good will.
The prisoners in question are reportedly all veteran inmates, incarcerated in Israeli prisons since before the Oslo accords.
The Palestinian proposal was reputedly the result of heavy pressure applied by Quartet members – the United States, the European Union, Russian, and the United Nations – on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to renew talks before January 26.
That date marks the expiration of the three months specified by a Quartet statement in September in which Israel and the Palestinians are to resume talks and present concrete proposals concerning issues such as borders and security arrangements.
Quartet officials – especially EU – made it clear to the Palestinians that they would bear equal responsibility in the event that the two sides would not resume talks by late January.
One Israeli official indicated that, in the current situation, January 26 has become the “new September” – alluding to the PA’s September submitting of their UN statehood bid – adding that everyone was waiting to see what Abbas’ next move will be.
“There’s real concern in the Quartet that after that date Abbas will return to UN initiatives,” the Israeli official said, adding that, at the same time, the Palestinian president will have to decide whether or not to proceed with the formation of a unity cabinet with Hamas.
With one month to the Quartet deadline, the two sides haven’t even held predatory meetings that were supposed to take place two months ago, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s adviser Yitzhak Molcho and top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat were supposed to set the talks agenda.
The Israeli official indicated that Israel rejects the Palestinian offer for two reasons: 1) That is replaces one precondition with another, and 2) since officials say the Palestinian proposal is too vague and did not make it clear whether the prisoners’ release will lead to full talks that would include meetings between Netanyahu and Abbas or just the preparatory sessions.
Israel fears that, upon the prisoners’ release, and after a few early sessions, the Palestinians will announce new conditions or find new ways to stop negotiations.
It seems at least some of the Israeli trepidation is warranted, since the Palestinains refuse to call the move a “resumption of negotiations,” rather defining it as the “talks’ renewal,” meant to define the guidelines for future peace talks.
In a comment later Wednesday, Erekat denied that the PA offered to resume talks pending a release of prisoners, adding that the Palestinians had no preconditions for peace negotiations.
“A freeze of settlement construction, holding negotiations based on the 1967 lines, and the release of prisoners are not preconditions but Israeli obligations, without which we can see no renewal of negotiations with Israel,” the top Palestinian negotiator said.
News of the new PA proposal came after on Sunday, Netanyahu commented on the recent moves by Fatah and Hamas to set up a unity government, saying that Israel would not negotiate with the Palestinians should such a government be established.
“If Hamas joins the Palestinian government we will not hold negotiations with the Palestinian Authority,” said Netanyahu in a speech at a conference for Israeli ambassadors.
He added that he is ready to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas anytime, anywhere, in order to renew negotiations.
“The peace process can only advance while maintaining security arrangements, which is becoming more difficult in light of the current situation in the region,” Netanyahu added.
Last week, Abbas met with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal in Cairo and set the ground for Hamas to join the Palestine Liberation Organization. During the discussions, Hamas and Fatah decided to form a unity government by the end of January 2012, and that the Palestinian parliament, including both Fatah and Hamas legislators, will begin operating in February.
Alan Gross, 62, diagnosed with cancer while he sits in Castro’s Cuban dungeon.
Do any of you care enough about this American to urge his relase?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/cuban-jewish-leaders-celebrate-hanukkah-with-jailed-american-alan-gross/2011/12/28/gIQAIOSsMP_story.html