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MEMRI Daily: February 18, 2011

Inquiry & Analysis No. 667—Palestinians Palestinians Bid for Recognition of Statehood and International Condemnation of Israel's Settlements By: L. Barkan* On December 15, 2010, the Arab Peace Initiative Follow-Up Committee convened at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, in the presence of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, to address the future of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Several days prior to the meeting, the U.S. had announced that it had ceased its efforts to pressure Israel into freezing construction in the settlements – a PA precondition for the renewal of negotiations – claiming that such a demand would not create a solid foundation for a framework agreement. The meeting concluded with a decision not to renew negotiations as long as Israel continued building in the settlements. The meeting also yielded a PA decision, supported by the committee, to launch an international diplomatic campaign and appeal to U.N. institutions in a bid to promote Palestinian interests. This decision was based on a March 2010 resolution by the committee, according to which, if the negotiations with Israel failed, the Arab states would call for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to reevaluate the Arab-Israeli conflict. Following the March 2010 meeting, Arab League General-Secretary 'Amr Moussa mentioned the possibility of a unilateral declaration of the establishment of a Palestinian state. The Palestinians have decided to appeal to the U.N. institutions in two stages: at the first stage, currently underway, they are working, with the committee's support, to obtain a Security Council resolution condemning the settlements. The second stage – considered as an option for the future – involves seeking a Security Council resolution recognizing a Palestinian state within the June 4, 1967 borders. Since the Israeli settlements are widely condemned, the Palestinians assess that a Security Council resolution to this effect is feasible in the near future. The bid to obtain recognition of statehood, on the other hand, is likely to be met with reservations on the part of the world powers, such as the E.U., and to be rejected outright by the U.S. To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5016.htm. Special Dispatch No. 3597—Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor/Egypt Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiyya, Which Has Renounced Violence, Announces Plans to Establish Political Party Note to media and government: For a copy of this report, send an email with the title of the report in the subject line to media@memri.org. The Egyptian media reports that following the ouster of Hosni Mubarak's regime, the organization Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiyya has renewed its activities in Egypt. Al-Gama'a's spokesmen have stressed that the organization will not resume violent operations and will integrate into Egyptian public life. The organization's ideologue, Nageh Ibrahim, announced that it intends to establish a political party aimed at bringing its operations into the public sphere. Senior Al-Gama'a official Safwat 'Abd Al-Ghani said that, to this end, the organization is being restructured and is reconsidering the current status of its Shura Council and emir. He added that the organization will renew its da'wa activities, especially in mosques. To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5017.htm. To view these reports, you must be a paying member of the Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor Project (JTTM). For membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri.org with "Membership" in the subject line. Special Dispatch No. 3598—Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor/South Asia Studies Project/Afghanistan In Interview, Taliban Commander Reveals Details of Their Print Magazines, International Media Operations: 'We Are Also Active on Facebook and Twitter, Where We Publish News Every Day'; 'Wars Today Cannot Be Won Without the Media' – The Media is Directed At the Heart... [and] If the Heart Is Defeated, Then the Battle Is Won' Note to media and government: For a copy of this report, send an email with the title of the report in the subject line to media@memri.org. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban's shadow government) today published a detailed interview with Taliban commander Abdul Sattar Maiwandi, who is in charge of the Taliban's official web presence, including the website of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The interview was translated from the Taliban's Arabic-language magazine Al-Somood and gives details of the online and print media magazines distributed internationally by the Taliban. To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5018.htm. To view these reports, you must be a paying member of the Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor Project (JTTM). For membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri.org with "Membership" in the subject line. Special Dispatch No. 3599—Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor/South Asia Studies Project/Afghanistan Taliban Issue Statement Opposing Permanent U.S. Military Bases in Afghanistan, Warn: 'Afghanistan is Not a Country Where the Aborigines will Tolerate the Presence of Foreign Troops Even for a Single Day' Note to media and government: For a copy of this report, send an email with the title of the report in the subject line to media@memri.org. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban's shadow government) issued a statement opposing a move to establish permanent U.S. military bases in Afghanistan. The statement, published on an official website of the Taliban, noted that Afghanistan's neighbors will not accept the idea of permanent U.S. bases in Afghanistan, and "will forge an alliance against it if they find the chance to do so and will make efforts to deal a dashing and crumbling blow at America." To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5019.htm. To view these reports, you must be a paying member of the Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor Project (JTTM). For membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri.org Special Dispatch No. 3600— Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi in Friday Sermon at Cairo's Tahrir Square: Pray for the Conquest of Al-Aqsa Today in Cairo's Al-Tahrir Square, prominent Sunni cleric and International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) head Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi led Friday prayers. Sheikh Al-Qaradhawi has not been allowed to lead Friday prayers in Egypt for the past 31 years;he last delivered a Friday prayer sermon in Egypt in 1981 following the assassination of President Anwar Al-Sadat. To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5020.htm.