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ISRAEL NEWS 17th July 2010
Sent: Saturday 17/Jul/2010 Topic: Israel
- CLINTON TAKES ON IRAN AT NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION CONFERENCE
- ISRAEL'S EXISTENCE ESSENTIAL TO WORLD PEACE
- JERUSALEM OLD CITY INITIATIVE CRAFTS NEW PLAN
CLINTON TAKES ON IRAN AT NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION CONFERENCE
Source: Intercessors for America
Hillary Clinton, at the recent Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty conference, called on other nations to join the U.S. in condemning Iran's nuclear ambitions and urging positive action to halt its program. Clinton also expressed U.S. support for a Mid-East "nuclear-free zone," which could have a negative effect on Israel's nuclear policy. In a speech to the conference Clinton said Iran's nuclear activities put the world at risk. She said Iran would not succeed in its efforts to divert attention away from its nuclear program and avoid responsibility for its actions under the NPT.
Clinton called on the treaty's 189 signatory nations to join the U.S. in punishing Iran for defying the treaty. Clinton spoke hours after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who slammed the U.S. for its nuclear policy, saying President Barack Obama's new policy amounted to a "threat" against Iran. Obama recently announced that the U.S. would not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states, but made an exception for states such as Iran and North Korea which are not in compliance with the NPT.
The administration has been pushing new U.N. sanctions on Iran, getting Russia and China to reluctantly join the other three permanent members of the U.N. Security Council--the U.S., Britain, and France--in negotiations. The U.S. also expressed support at the conference for "practical measure for moving toward" the creation of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East, which would force Israel to give up any nuclear weapons it has. Israel is not a signatory to the NPT, and maintains a policy of ambiguity, refusing to say whether or not it has nuclear weapons.
ISRAEL'S EXISTENCE ESSENTIAL TO WORLD PEACE
Source: Haaretz News Service
Aznar announced his initiative despite the onslaught of criticism over a recent Israeli raid on a Freedom Flotilla headed to Gaza, in which nine activists were killed. "In an ideal world," he said, "no state, let alone a recent ally of Israel such as Turkey, would have sponsored and organized a flotilla whose sole purpose was to create an impossible situation for Israel: making it choose between giving up its security policy and the naval blockade, or risking the wrath of the world."
JERUSALEM OLD CITY INITIATIVE CRAFTS NEW PLAN
Source: Intercessors for America
Israel and the Palestinians have resumed "indirect" proximity peace talks following a 17-month break in negotiations. Possibly the most difficult issue on the table in the conflict is the future "final status" of Jerusalem's Old City -- an area sacred to Muslims, Christians and Jews. A group of Israelis, Palestinians, Canadians and Americans has released a new initiative designed to help the parties resolve this thorny problem. The Jerusalem Old City Initiative began about seven years ago.
U.S. special envoy George Mitchell is expected to engage in shuttle diplomacy between the parties during the next four months. The Old City Initiative proposes creating a special regime of Israelis and Palestinians, but run by an outside administrator with international standing. The initiative proposes a government that would oversee security, access to holy sites, zoning, archeological issues and planning. Those involved in the Old City Initiative estimate it will take a generation after a peace deal is reached until both sides agree on sovereignty for Jerusalem and the holy sites.