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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 1-Dec-2014
1-Dec-14 World View -- Arab League agrees on plan to 'end Israeli occupation' of Palestine

Web Log - December, 2014

1-Dec-14 World View -- Arab League agrees on plan to 'end Israeli occupation' of Palestine

Hong Kong police clash with protesters, worst violence in weeks

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

Hong Kong police clash with protesters, worst violence in weeks
Arab League agrees on plan to 'end Israeli occupation' of Palestine
Egypt promises troops for Palestine to assist police forces

Hong Kong police clash with protesters, worst violence in weeks

Protesters clash with police officers on the main road outside government headquarters in Hong Kong on Sunday (AP)

Protesters clash with police officers on the main road outside government headquarters in Hong Kong on Sunday (AP)

Police used batons and pepper spray to beat back pro-democracy protesters trying to surround government headquarters in Hong Kong. Protesters yelled "I want true democracy!" and "Surround the headquarters. Paralyze the government." Protesters wore surgical masks, hard hats and used umbrellas -- which have come to symbolize the pro-democracy movement -- to shield themselves from the pepper spray, and pelted the police with water bottles and other objects. The clashes began on Sunday and continued through the night into Monday. The protests had been simmering down recently, but this was the worst violence in weeks. 40 protesters were arrested.

The renewed violence comes just one day after Taiwan's pro-Beijing governing party (KMT) had a disastrous election loss, giving power to Taiwan's pro-independence opposition party (DPP). ( "30-Nov-14 World View -- Taiwan voters choose independence from China")

Activists say that many people in Hong Kong are excited and inspired by the results of Taiwan's election. According to one, "If Taiwan can create change, so can Hong Kong in the future."

It's thought that China would like to end the Hong Kong protests peacefully, so as not to further encourage the anti-Beijing activists in Taiwan. However, the Hong Kong activists point out that they have no other way to get their demands heard except by occupation. AAP and AFP and Central News Agency (Taiwan)

Arab League agrees on plan to 'end Israeli occupation' of Palestine

Saying that "Israel is no longer a peace partner," Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas said that "the current situation of the Palestinian territories is not sustainable. ... We have no option but to internationalize the issue." He added that in case the statehood bid is thwarted, "we would move towards defining our relations with Israel by halting security coordination and calling for the occupation to assume its responsibilities" under international law as "an occupying power" of the West Bank. The statements were made at an Arab League meeting in Cairo on Saturday.

Abbas laid out a specific timeline for "ending the Israeli occupation," and gaining international recognition of Palestine:

Turn to the UN Security Council with the draft resolution for a Palestinian state, with its capital in Jerusalem.
Apply to international bodies, including the International Criminal Court (ICC), for "State of Palestine" membership.
File war crime charges against Israel in the ICC.
Prepare an international meeting in Geneva to officially declare a Palestinian State on 1949 Armistice Line borders.
Call on countries who have not yet officially recognized the State of Palestine to do so.

Abbas noted that the parliaments of three separate Western countries (Sweden, the UK, and Spain) have recognized "Palestine," and that France will be voting on the issue.

Abbas referred to proposed legislation by Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare Israel as a "Jewish state." Abbas said that the proposal was "racist," and that "Palestinians will not recognize Israel as a Jewish State," which would attempt to enshrine Israel's "apartheid regime." Abbas pointed to other Israeli laws that he considers "racist."

Generational Dynamics predicts that there will be a new war between Arabs and Israelis, refighting the 1948 war between Jews and Arabs that following the partitioning of Palestine and the creation of the state of Israel, and that there is no guarantee that Israel will survive that war. WAFA (Gaza) and Israel National News

Egypt promises troops for Palestine to assist police forces

The summer Gaza war made public some very bitter disagreements between Saudi Arabia and Egypt versus Qatar and Hamas. As we reported two weeks ago, Saudi Arabia mediated a truce to last at least through the summit meeting on December 4. ( "21-Nov-14 World View -- Gulf nations paper over their differences for GCC Summit in December")

At Saturday's Arab League meeting, all the nations were able to continue papering over their differences by agreeing that the biggest issue facing all the Arab states is the "Israeli occupation of Palestine." One of the issues in resolving that conflict is to find a way to provide security in the West Bank without relying on Israeli security forces.

This issue was not discussed at the Arab League meeting, since it would have opened up new bitter disagreements.

Egypt's president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi had previously stated in an interview that he would be willing "to send military forces to a Palestinian state" in order to reassure Israel and assist police forces. In a TV interview on Saturday, Abbas said that there is no objection to the presence of Egyptian troops on Palestinian territories. "It is welcomed, as Al-Sisi wouldn’t say anything contrary to the interests of the Palestinian people."

However, this agreement leaves completely unresolved the question of Gaza and Hamas. Qatar supports Hamas, while Egypt considers them to be a terrorist group. Hamas would not tolerate Egyptian troops in Gaza. Furthermore, Hamas is tolerating Abbas as president of the Hamas-Fatah unity government only because of political expediency, and Hamas would expect to govern the entire State of Palestine. This means that Egyptian troops would not be tolerated, and there would immediately be a state of war between Israel and Palestine.

Saturday's Arab League meeting was able to maintain cordiality by focusing narrowly on Abbas's plans to force international recognition of a State of Palestine. However, Abbas's plan makes no mention of Gaza and Hamas, and the intrinsic contradiction in any plan to have a fully independent State of Palestine alongside Israel. Daily News Egypt and Gulf News (Dubai)

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 1-Dec-14 World View -- Arab League agrees on plan to 'end Israeli occupation' of Palestine thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (1-Dec-2014) Permanent Link
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Hong Kong police clash with protesters, worst violence in weeks

Arab League agrees on plan to 'end Israeli occupation' of Palestine

Egypt promises troops for Palestine to assist police forces

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 1-Dec-2014
1-Dec-14 World View -- Arab League agrees on plan to 'end Israeli occupation' of Palestine