Sisi, Abdullah II, Abbas Summit Condemns ‘Settler Terrorism,’ Stresses Arab Initiative

Snapshot from the tripartite summit in Al-Alamein (Egyptian Presidency)
Snapshot from the tripartite summit in Al-Alamein (Egyptian Presidency)
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Sisi, Abdullah II, Abbas Summit Condemns ‘Settler Terrorism,’ Stresses Arab Initiative

Snapshot from the tripartite summit in Al-Alamein (Egyptian Presidency)
Snapshot from the tripartite summit in Al-Alamein (Egyptian Presidency)

The Egyptian-Jordanian-Palestinian tripartite summit, hosted by the city of New Alamein (northwest of Egypt) on Monday, condemned the ongoing and escalating “unlawful” Israeli practices that undermine the rights of the Palestinian people.

The summit called for the “necessity of halting (settler terrorism) and extremist currents and holding them accountable.”

It also condemned the violation of the legal and historical status quo in Jerusalem and its sanctuaries and called for an end to incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Emphasizing the importance of international and Arab legal references, the summit, attended by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Jordan's King Abdullah II, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, prioritized the resolution of the Palestinian issue.

This includes the necessity of ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories within a clear timeline.

The leaders affirmed their commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative in its entirety, considering it the “most comprehensive approach to achieving a just peace and meeting the aspirations of all peoples in the region for a stable future characterized by coexistence, development, and cooperation among all its nations and states.”

They highlighted that resolving the Palestinian issue and achieving a just and comprehensive peace is a “strategic choice, regional and international necessity, and a matter of international security and peace.”

In its concluding statement, the summit called for a halt to “unlawful Israeli practices that undermine the rights of the entire Palestinian people, violate the rules of international law, and undermine the internationally agreed upon two-state solution, leading to violence and chaos.”

The three leaders underscored the importance of Israel, as the occupying power, ceasing all settlement activities, confiscation of Palestinian lands, forced displacement of Palestinian people from their homes, and altering the character and identity of Jerusalem.

Israeli acts represent a “blatant violation of international law and legitimate international resolutions”, they stated.

In the same context, Egyptian and Palestinian presidents affirmed the historical Hashemite guardianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, highlighting its role in preserving its Arab-Islamic and Christian identity.

 

 



Israeli Defense Minister Says He Will End Detention without Charge of Jewish Settlers

Palestinians look at damaged cars after an Israeli settlers attack in Al-Mazraa Al-Qibleyeh near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 20, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinians look at damaged cars after an Israeli settlers attack in Al-Mazraa Al-Qibleyeh near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 20, 2024. (Reuters)
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Israeli Defense Minister Says He Will End Detention without Charge of Jewish Settlers

Palestinians look at damaged cars after an Israeli settlers attack in Al-Mazraa Al-Qibleyeh near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 20, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinians look at damaged cars after an Israeli settlers attack in Al-Mazraa Al-Qibleyeh near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 20, 2024. (Reuters)

Israel’s new defense minister said Friday that he would stop issuing warrants to arrest West Bank settlers or hold them without charge or trial — a largely symbolic move that rights groups said risks emboldening settler violence in the Israeli-occupied territory.

Israel Katz called the arrest warrants “severe” and said issuing them was “inappropriate” as Palestinian militant attacks on settlers in the territory grow more frequent. He said settlers could be “brought to justice” in other ways.

The move protects Israeli settlers from being held in “administrative detention,” a shadowy form of incarceration where people are held without charge or trial.

Settlers are rarely arrested in the West Bank, where settler violence against Palestinians has spiraled since the outbreak of the war Oct. 7.

Katz’s decision was celebrated by far-right coalition allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. National Security Minister and settler firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir applauded Katz and called the move a “correction of many years of mistreatment” and “justice for those who love the land.”

Since Oct. 7, 2023, violence toward Palestinians by Israeli settlers has soared to new heights, displacing at least 19 entire Palestinian communities, according to Israeli rights group Peace Now. In that time, attacks by Palestinian militants on settlers and within Israel have also grown more common.

An increasing number of Palestinians have been placed in administrative detention. Israel holds 3,443 administrative detainees in prison, according to data from the Israeli Prison Service, reported by rights group Hamoked. That figure stood around 1,200 just before the start of the war. The vast majority of them are Palestinian, with only a handful at any given time Israeli Jews, said Jessica Montell, the director of Hamoked.

“All of these detentions without charge or trial are illegitimate, but to declare that this measure will only be used against Palestinians...is to explicitly entrench another form of ethnic discrimination,” said Montell.