3 weeks into hunger strike, Palestinian inmates add vitamins

“I commend President Trump’s effort to bring peace to Israel and the Palestinians”, he said in an interview with Yaakov Katz, the Jerusalem Post’s editor in chief. Some peace proponents on both sides have concluded that only massive global, regional or American pressure or enticements might break the impasse. He did not explain what type of solution he envisions.

Even though Trump might not completely understand the situation, his heart is definitely in the right place. It succeeded. The victor of the 1996 election was Benjamin Netanyahu, and he has been prime minister for more than half the time since then. Israel has rejected the 1967 lines as a possible border, saying it would impose security risks. The Netanyahu government, like those before it, have expanded settlements on war-won lands, despite USA appeals to curb construction.

“The Arabs clearly want to engage Trump in the region, to have him be an active player against Iranian encroachment”, he said.

The U.S. leader said he was optimistic that he could pull off the deal that has frustrated at least four of his predecessors, with the most recent collapse of talks in 2014 followed by the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

There may come a time, when both Abbas and Netanyahu have left the scene, that an “outside in” strategy may yet prove to be feasible.

“The president of the United States, as we speak, is giving serious consideration into moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem“, he said.

Indeed, both Abbas and Netanyahu remain hostages to the hard liners within their respective societies. Abbas did not explain his apparent shift in position. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article. Netanyahu says Trump’s first overseas trip as president reflects the strong bond between the nations. Because Israel regards all jailed Palestinians as “terrorists”, Netanyahu views such payments as Palestinian support for terrorism and has tried for years to pressure Abbas to end them. “But I hope that it’s possible to achieve a change and to pursue a genuine peace”.

“Palestine is always in our thoughts”, he said.

PALESTINIAN GUERRILLA ICON Leila Khaled went on hunger strike at the weekend in solidarity with 1,600 prisoners in Israeli jails.

What Abbas is counting on remains a mystery, especially that Trump remained tied lip on a plan of action for solving this decades-old problem, assuming he has one. Trump, according to the Brussels official, may surprise people by taking a more favorable attitude toward a two-state solution.

Polls suggest that the 58-year-old Barghouti is the most popular choice among Palestinians to succeed 82-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The strike was started by Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian ex-leader and convicted terrorist who serves five life sentences for murder, in order to demand for better conditions for prisoners. Erdan added that the prime minister instructed the Health Ministry to examine all the implications of the proposal to bring doctors from overseas to forcibly feed prisoners on hunger strike who reach a point where their lives are in danger.

Today marks the 21st day of the mass hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

Fadwa Barghouti, center backdropped with a picture of her husband Marwan Barghouti, the leader of the Palestinian prisoners hunger strike, and Qadoura Fares, right who heads an advocacy group for Palestinian prisoners hold a press conference, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Sunday, May 7, 2017. “They failed in negotiations, in building institutions and in reforms”.

Abbas also makes an unlikely dealmaker.

Hamas accused the Abbas government of irresponsible behaviour and warned that the announced cuts would be disastrous for Gaza’s 2 million residents.