Scoop: Munich Group” makes new Israel-Palestine proposals
Egyptian President Sisi (L) with French President Macron. Egypt and France are both members of the Munich Group. Photo: Francois Mori/AFP via Getty
A group of Arab and European countries nicknamed “The Munich Group” is lobbying Israeli and Palestinian leaders to commit to a package of confidence-building measures, Israeli and European diplomats tell me.
Why it matters: The initiative from France, Germany, Egypt and Jordan is the only active effort to create some movement in the frozen Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
They re hoping to improve the atmosphere between the Israelis and Palestinians as the Biden administration reviews its policy on the issue.
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In a landmark decision, judges at the International Criminal Court say the body has jurisdiction over war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories, opening the door to possible criminal charges against Israel and militant groups like Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the international tribunal’s decision “pure anti-Semitism” and rejected its claim of jurisdiction, as did the United States, while Palestinian officials and human rights groups welcome the news. Human rights lawyer Raji Sourani, director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza, says the decision restores “the independence and the credibility of the ICC.” We also speak with Katherine Gallagher, senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights and a legal representative for Palestinian victims in front of the ICC. She says the court’s ruling is “a landmark decision” that provides “some mea
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image captionDonald Trump cut US funding for Unrwa, which assists 5.5 million Palestinian refugees across the Middle East
US President Joe Biden s administration will restore aid to the Palestinians that was cut by his predecessor Donald Trump and reopen diplomatic missions.
The acting US envoy to the UN, Richard Mills, told the Security Council that Mr Biden supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
To help advance one, he said, the US would restore credible engagement .
Palestinians broke off contacts with Mr Trump s administration and rejected his peace plan as biased towards Israel.
The plan, unveiled a year ago, envisaged recognising Israeli sovereignty over Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and Jordan Valley, and Jerusalem remaining Israel s undivided capital .
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Palestinian FM On Cooperation, Biden, Israel
The Egyptian, Jordanian, and Palestinian foreign ministers on Saturday urged Israel to resume talks with Palestinians to reach a settlement based on the two-state solution.
The Egyptian, Jordanian, and Palestinian foreign ministers on Saturday urged Israel to resume talks with Palestinians to reach a settlement based on the two-state solution.
It would establish east Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state on territory Israel captured in 1967.
Standing along with his Egyptian and Jordanian counterparts, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki told a news conference that the Palestinian Authority is ready for cooperation with the US administration of President-elect Joe Biden.