Palestinian PM Calls for Opening Israel's 1948 Archive

Palestinians seen during clashes with Israeli forces near Kafr Qaddoum in the West Bank on Friday, December 10, 2021. (AFP)
Palestinians seen during clashes with Israeli forces near Kafr Qaddoum in the West Bank on Friday, December 10, 2021. (AFP)
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Palestinian PM Calls for Opening Israel's 1948 Archive

Palestinians seen during clashes with Israeli forces near Kafr Qaddoum in the West Bank on Friday, December 10, 2021. (AFP)
Palestinians seen during clashes with Israeli forces near Kafr Qaddoum in the West Bank on Friday, December 10, 2021. (AFP)

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called for international intervention to halt Israeli settler terrorism against the Palestinian civilian population in the occupied territories.

Speaking at a weekly cabinet session on Monday, Shtayyeh said the government has sent letters to the United Nations and international human rights organizations, urging them to intervene to stop the acts of organized terrorism committed by Israeli settlers, protected by soldiers, and ensure protection for the Palestinian population.

He cited increased attacks in the Nablus-district villages of Burqa, Qaryout and Sebastia.

The premier held Israel fully responsible for this escalation and condemned its widespread and systematic shoot-to-kill policy targeting Palestinian civilians.

He called for disclosing the Israeli archives to an international commission of inquiry “to look into the massacres committed against our people in 1948 and the years that followed, the destruction of more than 480 towns and villages and the displacement of more than 900,000 Palestinians, who are still refugees.”

The investigation conducted earlier this month by some journalists, who took a look at the Israeli archives about the massacres, is the tip of the iceberg, Shtayyeh said.

Palestine’s oral and written history shows the extent of the massacres that were committed, he added, noting that thousands of survivors are still alive and can testify before an international commission.

Israel's Haaretz newspaper had published new testimonies and documents about unknown massacres committed during the 1948 Palestinian Nakba.

Its report was based on the letters of soldiers, unpublished contemporary memoirs, minutes of political party meetings and other historical records, which confirm that Israeli leaders were aware of the bloody events that took place during the occupation of Arab villages.

Separately, Shtayyeh said the government had concluded the resumed economic dialogue with the United States that was halted in 2016.

During the Palestinian-American dialogue that took place via videoconference, the Palestinian Authority said the political solution is the only way to end the conflict with Israel, underlining the importance of implementing international laws and resolutions.

The PA further stressed the need to protect the two-state solution, which Israel is systematically destroying through its colonial settlement programs.



Tetteh Urges All Libyans to Engage in Political Process

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, Hanna Tetteh and her Deputy for Political Affairs, meet a delegation of civil society organizations from the southern region (UNSMIL)
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, Hanna Tetteh and her Deputy for Political Affairs, meet a delegation of civil society organizations from the southern region (UNSMIL)
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Tetteh Urges All Libyans to Engage in Political Process

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, Hanna Tetteh and her Deputy for Political Affairs, meet a delegation of civil society organizations from the southern region (UNSMIL)
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, Hanna Tetteh and her Deputy for Political Affairs, meet a delegation of civil society organizations from the southern region (UNSMIL)

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya, Hanna Tetteh has stressed the need for all Libyans to actively participate in the political process and play a role in shaping Libya’s future.

Tetteh’s comments came shortly before her briefing to the Security Council on the situation in the North African country.

On Tuesday, the UN Special Representative and her Deputy for Political Affairs, Stephanie Koury, briefed a delegation of 28 representatives of civil society organizations from the southern region, including mayors and municipality members, on the outcomes of the Advisory Committee and the country-wide consultations led by the UN mission regarding the political process, as well as the recent meeting of the International Follow-up Committee in Berlin.

The participants told Tetteh that the ongoing institutional divisions between the east and west are negatively impacting the south.

They expressed a strong desire to see national elections through which all Libyans can choose their leaders and establish unified national institutions.

The southern delegation stressed the importance of ensuring that all cultural components have the opportunity to participate equally as citizens in the governance of the country.

Tetteh then held a meeting with the mayors of Misrata, Tarhouna, Khoms, Zliten, and Qasr al-Akhyar to discuss the options put forward by the Advisory Committee, as well as the ongoing challenges faced by municipalities across Libya.

UNSMIL stated the mayors conveyed their support for the work of the Advisory Committee and submitted a petition to Tetteh expressing their support for inclusive dialogue involving elected municipal councils and an end to the protracted transitional phases in Libya.

The mayors also stressed the need for effective administrative decentralization, and the allocation of resources to the municipalities to support adequate service delivery, and noted that the municipalities were currently underfunded.

They also voiced concerns over irresponsible public spending, which they warned poses a threat to the Libyan state, and called for the adoption of clear criteria for allocations of development funds.

They noted the importance of strengthening decentralization as a means to provide critical support for the Libyan people.

In a related development, the Chairman of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC), Emad Al-Sayeh, met Monday in Tripoli with British Ambassador to Libya Martin Longden to discuss ways the UK can support Libya’s electoral process.

Longden reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to providing technical and advisory support to the HNEC, aimed at strengthening its readiness and ensuring elections are held with integrity and transparency.

Meanwhile, Libya's interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah chaired an expanded meeting on Monday to follow up on the latest developments in the implementation of the “Emmar Tripoli” (Tripoli Re/Development) program, launched by the his government, with the aim of improving infrastructure and enhancing the aesthetic and urban character of the capital.

During the meeting, Dbeibah stressed the need to overcome obstacles and accelerate the pace of work according to the approved timetables, stressing the importance of daily field follow-up to achieve the set goals.