Israel to release Palestinian tax money

[Gerald]

Israel says it will release tens of millions of dollars of tax money that it has withheld from the Palestinian Authority over the past month. It said the move was conditional on the Palestinians not taking "unilateral steps".Israel froze transfers on 1 November, a day after Palestinians won membership at the UN cultural agency, Unesco. That bid was part of a wider Palestinian campaign to get recognition at the UN. The US has backed Israel in its opposition to the Palestinian campaign, and has said it will use its veto to block a membership request submitted to UN Security Council.Israel transfers about $100m (£64m) in tax and tariff monies collected on behalf of the Palestinians each month to the Palestinian Authority (PA).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15964983


Note: 30 November 2011 Last updated at 16:06 GMT

[MH]

It was quite obvious the money will be transferred.
It belongs to them.
It may not be so obvious in the future though if they push with this unity government....

This week Mr Netanyahu also postponed renovation of a wooden footbridge near Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site, a move he said was intended to prevent inflaming anger in the Arab world.

this is the funny part......

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by MH

this is the funny part......

can you elaborate what this is about?

a quick search only gave me this article, which doesn't say much:

A wooden footbridge (below) leading up from the Western Wall to the sacred compound where al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock (L) shrine stand, is seen in Jerusalem's Old City November 28, 2011. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed demolition of the footbridge at Jerusalem's holiest and most volatile site, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, fearing the work could spark Muslim anger, government officials said on Monday.

This looks like a nice bridge, but what's the point? Would renovation/demolition spark the fear like it did some years ago with the construction under the Al-Aqsa Mosque: "OMG, the zionists plan to destroy holy sites!"
I mean what is the alternative: "Keep on using it, till it falls apart and buries some people with it? Then it would be"OMG, the Zionists deliberately killed people by not renovating it!"
Maybe I am just too rational or agnostic to understand this...

[MH]

Originally Posted by Penguin

This looks like a nice bridge, but what's the point? Would renovation/demolition spark the fear like it did some years ago with the construction under the Al-Aqsa Mosque: "OMG, the zionists plan to destroy holy sites!"
I mean what is the alternative: "Keep on using it, till it falls apart and buries some people with it? Then it would be"OMG, the Zionists deliberately killed people by not renovating it!"
Maybe I am just too rational or agnostic to understand this...

Israel must not cave in to the insanity of Muslim extremism. The Mughrabi bridge must be replaced – the sooner the better.

Talkbacks ()
During the winter of 2004, rainstorms, snow, flooding and a minor earthquake destroyed the old Mughrabi Ascent. Connecting the Western Wall plaza to Mughrabi Gate, the earthen ramp was the only entry point for non-Muslims to the Temple Mount, which is under control of the Jordanian Waqf, the Muslim custodian of holy sites – though Israel has entry rights.

Tourists regularly used the ascent. So did some religious Jews motivated by a spiritual yearning to be as close as possible to Judaism’s holiest site and by the conviction that it is important to demonstrate a Jewish presence there – at least in the areas where, according to their understanding, Jewish law permits Jews to venture. (Under the agreement between Israel and the Waqf, Jews are not allowed to pray there out of deference to Muslim sensibilities.)

The ascent was also the only way large numbers of Israeli security forces could gain quick access to the mount in times of emergency or disturbances.

Seven years ago a “temporary” wooden ramp, which blocked about a third of the space reserved for female supplicants at the Kotel, was erected. In parallel, an interministerial committee began planning a new bridge.

Architect Ada Carmi proposed a bridge of glass and steel 200 meters in length (the original Mughrabi Ascent had been 80 meters long), extending from the Dung Gate to the Mughrabi Gate. The planning was accompanied by archaeological rescue excavations, a precondition under Israel law aiming to protect archaeological artifacts. Israel took meticulous care rescuing and preserving antiquities – Arab and Jewish.

Cameras were stationed at the excavation site proving the Temple Mount and its mosques were not in danger. Representatives of the Jordanian government, a delegation from Turkey and a delegation on behalf of UNESCO were allowed to visit the site – to no avail.

Muslim extremists used the excavations and the bridge plans as an excuse to stage violent demonstrations and incite against Israel. In February 2007, Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the more extremist northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, claimed that Israel was planning to build a third Temple.

“They want to build their temple while our blood is on their clothing, on their doorposts, in their food and in their water,” he said.

Islamic Jihad in Gaza launched rockets at Sderot. Leading Palestinian Authority cleric Taysir al-Tamimi called on Palestinians to go to al-Aqsa immediately “to protect it from the bulldozers of the Israeli occupation… which are working to destroy Al-Aqsa mosque.”

Israel buckled under the pressure. Carmi’s plans were scrapped. Instead, it was decided that the original earth ascent would be restored. But even this modest project, which entails the destruction of the temporary wooden bridge, has aroused the rancor of the Muslim world.

In June of this year representatives from Jordan, Egypt, Iraq and Bahrain hijacked UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, convincing it to censure Israel for daring to renovate the bridge.

Now time is running out. Jerusalem’s chief engineer for dangerous structures and the firefighting service determined that the wooden ramp was dangerous and a fire hazard, and must be dismantled immediately. Meant to be a temporary solution, the ramp has been standing for seven years and is a disaster in the making.



Finally, it looked as though the dangerous ramps would be replaced. Over a 72-hour period starting this Saturday night, crews were to begin dismantling the ramp. However, on Monday Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, fearful of Arab reactions, ordered a delay in the demolition of the bridge yet again.

Apparently, the bridge has become an issue in the Egyptian elections. The Muslim Brotherhood’s spiritual leader, Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, is claiming that the bridge could enable Israeli security forces to invade al-Aqsa Mosque. Posters were put up at Cairo’s Al-Azhar University calling on Muslims to protect the mosque.

This madness must stop. An absurd situation has been created in which some irrational Muslim leaders, intoxicated by their own lies – including the spurious belief that the First and Second Temples were never situated on the Temple Mount – have intimidated Israel into inaction.

Israel must not cave in to the insanity of Muslim extremism. The Mughrabi bridge must be replaced – the sooner the better.

Everyone must walk on tiptoes now....Muslims are learning democracy lol.
Yeah its time for nice gestures toward peace process and make important strategic decisions while a bridge can drive them up the walls.



...................

[Gerald]

Muslim....

[MH]

Originally Posted by Vendor

Muslim....

Shu?

[Penguin]

I was right, I don't get it...

It looks like the current, temporary bridge could also "enable Israeli security forces to invade al-Aqsa Mosque" and to access the Temple Mount.
So I do not understand what would be the difference.

Well, probably those sneaky Trojanjews have a secret plan to hide some warriors inside the bridge. Then after years of construction: "surprise, we are here! We build the bridge under your eyes just for the purpose to invade you!"

I hope the extremists will never learn that the Israelis have helicopters to bring troops on higher ground..

Contrary to what some extremist Christians on here say, I do respect people's religious feelings, but insanity under a religious cover is still insanity...